Thursday, July 15, 2010

PopCap Announce Zuma Blitz Is Coming Next Month To Facebook


PopCap have announced Zuma Blitz, a Facebook adaptation of the 20 Million selling Zuma game, is coming out Next Month. The game will be initially launched as a Beta, with PopCap continuing to evolve the game through its Beta and when its fully released. PopCap have used the knowledge they gained from Bejeweled Blitz, and whilst the games are different, both have social centric features, both are aimed at all skill levels, and both only give you 60 seconds to get a high score.

When Zuma Blitz is released, it will have these features:
  • Weekly tournaments and leaderboards
  • New levels introduced regularly
  • An “experience points” system to unlock additional features and capabilities
  • A “Treasure Chest” virtual currency-based system for obtaining in-game power-ups
  • New features such as time extenders, score multipliers and the “Hot Frog” speed mode
  • Additional information on friends' in-game performance and status such as medals won, achievements earned at various point thresholds and experience level
Press Release

DUBLIN, Ireland – July 15th, 2010 — PopCap Games, the worldwide leader in casual video games, today announced that Zuma®, its second best-selling franchise with nearly 20 million units sold worldwide, will soon be debuting on Facebook in a free, social form. Zuma Blitz will be the first adaptation of the seminal ball-blasting favorite to offer fans the opportunity to see how they stack up against other players, and will include a host of other social-centric features new to the game. Zuma Blitz is expected to roll out gradually via Beta launch in approximately three weeks.

“We've received a ton of feedback regarding how players consume Bejeweled Blitz and other leading social games, and incorporated a number of those insights into this initial phase of Zuma Blitz, with more to come,” said Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at PopCap. “Zuma is a very different game than Bejeweled, so the social adaptation has gone in different directions. Zuma is already a fast-paced arcade game, so the challenge was to make it feel approachable to players of all skill levels, even with just sixty seconds to play.”

PopCap plans to continue evolving Zuma Blitz over time, in a fashion similar to the ongoing addition of major new features and functionality in Bejeweled® Blitz. New features available at the introduction of Zuma Blitz next month are expected to include:

·Weekly tournaments and leaderboards
·New levels introduced regularly
·An “experience points” system to unlock additional features and capabilities
·A “Treasure Chest” virtual currency-based system for obtaining in-game power-ups
·New features such as time extenders, score multipliers and the “Hot Frog” speed mode
·Additional information on friends' in-game performance and status such as medals won, achievements earned at various point thresholds and experience level

“Once again PopCap is bringing a beloved game to the Facebook Platform and enhancing already successful game play with social features and functionality,” said Gareth Davis, Facebook Platform Manager. “Zuma Blitz will provide a fun and engaging way for our more than 400 million users to play with their friends on Facebook.”

Zuma Blitz joins Bejeweled Blitz as PopCap's second full-fledged social game on Facebook. Bejeweled Blitz has attracted nearly 30 million users since its introduction 18 months ago, and more than 100 million sessions of the game are played each day by consumers worldwide.

About PopCap
PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of casual video games: fun, easy-to-learn, captivating games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106 and are available anytime, anywhere. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of more than 275 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, Seoul, and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded over 1.5 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, social platforms, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone, iPad and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox and DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap has been one of the most innovative companies in the video industry since its inception a decade ago. Pioneering new game mechanics, sales models, and platforms ranging from mobile devices to online and location-based games of chance, PopCap is the only video game provider in the world with leading market share across the entire spectrum.

#  #  #
The PopCap logo and all other trademarks used herein that are listed at www.popcap.com/trademarks are owned by PopCap Games, Inc. or its licensors and may be registered in some countries Facebook® is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc. Other company and product names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners and are used for the benefit of those owners.

Hit X: The News Recapping Podcast For Wednesday 14th July

This is all the news from Wednesday 14th July.

You can subscribe to the Hit X: The News Recapping Podcast on iTunes and if you do or are already a subscriber, it would be very helpful for me if you can rate and review the podcast.

A podcast is available on iTunes from:
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=328547861

A RSS Feed from Podbean:
http://qtegamers.podbean.com/feed

And on qtegamers.blogspot.com:
http://qtegamers.blogspot.com/search/label/Audio Re-Cap


Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)


  • QTE Blog: Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest) http://ht.ly/1885Tu
  • QTE Blog: Hit X: The News Recapping Podcast For Tuesday 13th July http://ht.ly/1888bv
  • 360: Milo & Kate was shown at TED. Its revealed to be a tech demo with no current release date. Milo's AI is cloud based http://ht.ly/2biAw
  • PopCap's David Bishop says they are looking at adding social features to all their existing games http://ht.ly/2bjlE
  • Hironobu Sakaguchi,. the creator of Final Fantasy, has said that the upcoming Wii game, The Last Story, maybe his last http://ht.ly/2bjDY
  • iPad: Fishlabs CEO, Michael Schade, predicts a mobile device like Ipad HD will out perform the 360 in around a years time http://ht.ly/2bkid
  • Double Fine's Tim Shafer says Bobby Kotic "...doesn't have to be as much of a dick about it," in trying to make money http://ht.ly/2bknc
  • QTE Blog: Sony Announce Over 1 Million Playstation Mini's Have Been Downloaded http://ht.ly/188dAn
  • Its reported that the magazine PC Zone is shutting down, with its next issue being its last. its been running since 1993 http://ht.ly/2bksc
  • 360: Rumoured images Images of a upcoming 360 Dashboard have been leaked. it has Natal setup + a cleaner look http://ht.ly/2bkyb
  • QTE Blog: Atari Announce A Re-Imagined Haunted House Is Coming To Wii, Xbox Live Arcade, And PC's This Fall http://ht.ly/188giL
  • David Cage has revealed that Quantic Dream is working "...on two very different projects." They still won't play it safe http://ht.ly/2boGZ
  • The BBFC has rated Vanquish as a 15 in the UK. they say the game as 71 minutes of cut scenes. http://ht.ly/2bqKg
  • QTE Blog: This Weeks UK PSP Digital Comic Store Update http://ht.ly/188j1H
  • Wii: Eoji Aonuma says Nintendo is targeting a early 2011 release for Zelda: Skyward Sword http://ht.ly/2bqV0
  • Capcom announce Sengoku BASARA: Samurai Heroes is coming out in the USA on 12th October on PS3 and Wii http://ht.ly/2bre7
  • QTE Blog: UK PSN Update 14/07/2010 http://ht.ly/188nbE
  • QTE Blog: New Zero Punctuation - Super Mario Galaxy 2 http://ht.ly/188plM
  • QTE Blog: Nintendo Reveal Wii And DS Software Releases For Q3 2010 http://ht.ly/188rXJ
  • Ready At Dawn confirms they have laid of 13 employees. They call it "the woes of being independent." http://ht.ly/2bzzk
  • QTE Blog: Nintendo Announce Professor Layton And The Unwound Future Is Now Coming Out On The 12th September http://ht.ly/188uS9
  • PS3: Atlus have released the PS1 game Shin Megami Tensei as a PS1 Classic in Japan for ¥1,000, its all in Japanese http://ht.ly/2bACf
  • 360: A Video has emerged of the Soccer game in Kinect Sports. the vid shows passing, on screen prompts, and 360 AI http://ht.ly/2bAKw
  • QTE Blog: Sony Announce The Hulu Plus App Is Out Now And Detail How To Access It http://ht.ly/188xcZ
  • PS3: George Hotz, aka Geohot, appears to be retiring from hacking which means the PS3 has yet to be fully hacked http://ht.ly/2bANG
  • PS3: Sony says Online 3D gamers may have the advantage over those with just HD in certain games, they're more accessible http://ht.ly/2bC4x
  • QTE Blog: This Weeks USA PSP Digital Comic Store Update http://ht.ly/188zNo
  • Irrational Games post some sketches of System Shock 2. the recently found book features art with a BioShock look to them http://ht.ly/2bCIZ


This Weeks USA PSP Digital Comic Store Update


Sony's USA Playstation Blog has detailed this weeks USA Digital Comic store update on the PSP. they also announce that there is a free comic this week and its Azure from DC Comics.

2000AD Prog # 1688
Astonishing Tales (2009) # 5
The Authority: World’s End # 1
Azure # 1
Batman: Year One # 4
Criminal: The Sinners (2008) #3 & #4
Devi # 8
DMZ: On the Ground # 13
Donald Duck and the Niece of the Black Corsair
DoubleDuck # 6
Fables # 15
Fethry Duck and the Unlosable Challenge
Gen13: World’s End # 21
God of War # 2
Green Lantern: Secret Origin – Part 4 # 4
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War – Part 5 of 12
Green Lantern: The Sinestro Corps War – Part 6 of 12
High Moon: Chapter 1 # 3
Hope Falls # 4
Huey, Dewey, Louie and the Day Before the Exams # 1
The Invaders (1975) #1 – #4
Justice League: Generation Lost # 5
Kingdom Come # 1
Marvel Zombies 2 (2007) # 2
Night Owls # 2
Planetary/Batman # 1
Ramayan 3392 AD # 8
The Sadhu # 8
Snakewoman # 8
Stormwatch PHD # 13
Transformers: Lost in Space # 3
The Unwritten # 2
Wildcats: World’s End # 1
X-Mickey # 15

From USA Playstation Blog


Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sony Announce The Hulu Plus App Is Out Now And Detail How To Access It


Sony has announced that Playstation Plus subscribers are now able to download the Hulu Plus App from the PSN, in the Playstation Plus Section. the app is only 28MB and once its installed, you need to start it and request an invitation to Hulu Plus. If you are accepted into the preview period, you will be granted access to Hulu Plus, as long as you pay the $9.99 per month Hulu fee. Hulu Plus will be available for all Playstation 3 owners in the next few months.

From USA Playstation Blog


Nintendo Announce Professor Layton And The Unwound Future Is Now Coming Out On The 12th September


Nintendo have announced that the USA Release Of Professor Layton And The Unwound Future has been brought forward a week and it will now come out on 12th September.

Press Release

The future will arrive sooner than expected for fans of LEVEL-5's acclaimed Professor Layton video game series. Nintendo of America has announced a new launch date of Sept. 12 for Professor Layton and the Unwound Future™, a new hand-held adventure created exclusively for the top-selling Nintendo DS™ family of portable game systems. Previously scheduled for release on Sept. 20, the game will now be available a week earlier, treating newcomers and experienced players alike to a mesmerizing mix of mystery, time travel and puzzle-solving fun.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future places the professor and his trusted apprentice at the center of a spellbinding adventure after they receive a strange letter sent from 10 years in the future. Players must wind their way through more than 165 mind-bending puzzles as they decipher clues and strive to unlock a time-twisting mystery that threatens to plunge London into chaos. Featuring richly rendered graphics and an engaging storyline, the Professor Layton game series has sold nearly 1.4 million units in the United States.

Nintendo Reveal Wii And DS Software Releases For Q3 2010


Nintendo UK have revealed the current release dates for many Wii and DS/DSi games. the main reveals include confirmation that Metroid: Other M is coming to Wii on 3rd September and A Shadows Tale Is Coming This Autumn.

Wii

27th August
Grease (505 Games)
Gunblade New York/LA Machineguns (SEGA)

August
America's Next Top Model (Mastertronic Group Limited)

3rd September
Tetris Party Deluxe (Wii and Nintendo DS) (Nintendo)
Metroid: Other M (Nintendo)

16th September
Club Penguin : Game Day (Disney Interactive Studios)
Disney Sing It : Family Hits (Disney Interactive Studios)

17th September
All Round Hunter (505 Games)
Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment)

23rd September
Disney Sing It : Party Hits (Disney Interactive Studios)

24th September
Scooby Doo: Spooky Swamp (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

30th September
U-SING volume 2 (Mindscape)

September
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision)
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (Activision)

Autumn
A Shadow's Tale (HUDSON SOFT)
Beyblade: Metal Fusion (HUDSON SOFT)
Def Jam Rapstar (Konami)
Sports Island 3 (HUDSON SOFT)
PES 2011 (Konami)

Q3
Gormiti: The Lords of Nature (Konami)
Ben 10 (Konami) - WiiWare
My Aquarium 2 (HUDSON SOFT) - WiiWare
The Last Airbender (THQ) - WiiWare

DS+DSi

23rd July
DRAGON QUEST® IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies™ (Nintendo)
Cats & Dogs (505 Games)

July
Disney Fireworks (Disney Interactive Studios) - DSiWare

5th August
Sorceror's Apprentice (Disney Interactive Studios)

6th August
Art Academy: Learn painting and drawing techniques with stepby-
step training (Nintendo)

27th August
Grease (505 Games)

August
America's Next Top Model (Mastertronic Group Limited)
Witches & Vampires - Ghost Pirates of Ashburry (Mastertronic Group
Limited) - DSiWare
Witches & Vampires - Secrets of Ashburry (Mastertronic Group Limited)

3rd September
Tetris Party Deluxe (Wii and Nintendo DS) (Nintendo)
Camp Rock 2 : Final Jam (Disney Interactive Studios)

9th September
TinkerBell and the Great Fairy Rescue (Disney Interactive Studios)

10th September
Batman Brave and the Bold (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

17th September
Last Window: The Secret of Cape West (Nintendo)
Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest (Warner Bros. Interactive
Entertainment)

24th September
Face Training: Facial exercises to strengthen and relax from
Fumiko Inudo (Nintendo)
Scooby Doo: Spooky Swamp (Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)

September
Playmobil: Top Agents (JoWooD)
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (Activision)

Autumn
Beyblade: Metal Fusion (HUDSON SOFT)

Q3
Gormiti: The Lords of Nature (Konami)
Frogger Returns (Konami) - DSiWare
Puzzle Baby Animals (Tivola Publishing GmbH) - DSiWare
Puzzle Planets ans Universe (Tivola Publishing GmbH) - DSiWare
Puzzle Sightseeing (Tivola Publishing GmbH) - DSiWare
The Last Airbender (THQ) - DSiWare
16 Shot! SHOOTING WATCH (HUDSON SOFT) - DSiWare

From Nintendo UK (PDF Warning)