Wednesday, June 17, 2009

ngmoco - Star Defense gets big iPhone 3.0 Update - Press Release

ngmoco have announced a big title update for Star Defense out with the new iPhone 3.0 Update. features such as Twitter and Facebook integration, direct challenges, and new challenge modes. The Plus+ Network is used for Push Messages to send freinds direct challegnes. this service is free.

Press Release

SAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- Jun 17, 2009 ngmoco (http://www.ngmoco.com), creator and publisher of games exclusively for iPhone and iPod touch, today announced the launch of a major update for Star Defense (http://stardefense.ngmoco.com) including content designed for the powerful new iPhone OS 3.0.

With the advent of 3.0, Star Defense allows players to expand their campaigns and compete with friends via Direct Challenges. In addition to Twitter, Facebook & email, players can send Direct Challenges via Push Notification Service to their friends over the Plus+ network, a free service for the iPhone gaming community. After registering for Plus+, gamers can challenge & play against the world, earn rewards, and discover more of the games they like.

“ngmoco is excited by the new opportunities for gameplay afforded by iPhone OS 3.0,” said Neil Young, CEO and founder of ngmoco. “Direct Challenges via Push Notification Service provide a compelling, new way for Star Defense fans to stay connected anytime, anywhere.”

In addition to 3.0 support and Plus+ network integration, the latest Star Defense update also includes a new planet in Challenge Mode. Players can track their challenge scores on live leaderboards and compare their rankings with players across the globe.

Developed in collaboration with Rough Cookie, ngmoco released Star Defense on June 8 to great critical acclaim. An innovative take on the classic strategy genre, Star Defense evolves the tower defense category with incredible, dynamic 3D environments, Multi-Touch user interface controls and innovative gameplay.

With seven unique planets, two different game modes, more than 50 Medals and Commendations to be earned on the field, and three different difficulty settings available at launch, Star Defense offers endless replayability for newcomers and war-hardened veterans alike.

Star Defense is available now for $5.99 from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.
Star Defense follows the success of ngmoco’s premium hit Rolando (http://rolando.ngmoco.com/), the innovative word-puzzler WordFu (http://wordfu.ngmoco.com/), the action-packed arcade shooter Dropship (http://dropship.ngmoco.com/), comic-style microsurgery game Dr. Awesome (http://drawesome.ngmoco.com/) and the special effects-laden action hit MazeFinger (http://mazefinger.ngmoco.com).

To witness the lives and minds of the ngmoco team at work on the future of iPhone and iPod touch games, visit http://www.ngmoco.com.

About ngmoco
Headquartered in San Francisco, ngmoco was founded in 2008 by games industry veterans committed to the new mobile landscape opened up by Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. ngmoco creates and publishes games built specifically for the iPhone and iPod touch made in collaboration with the best and brightest game makers in the world. Founded by Neil Young, Bob Stevenson, Alan Yu and Joe Keene, the company’s investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Maples Investments.
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NC Soft - USA Pre-Order Of Aion Detailed, Beta Events and early Access + Limited Collectors Edition - Press Release


NC Soft have announced the pre-order bonus for Aion, their new MMO. Every Pre-order gets entry to the games Beta Events as well as early access to the servers. they also announced a special limited edition, which will feature a variety of items, of only 50,000 copies world wide.
They also announce a competition to Win a Alienware notebook and other prizes. to be entered you have to pre-order the game and take part in beta events.


Press Release

SEATTLE --(Business Wire)-- Jun 17, 2009 NCsoft®, the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today announced the start of its preorder program and availability for the highly anticipated Western launch of Aion™, its new visually stunning fantasy MMORPG scheduled for release this fall. Players can now secure their copy by preordering the Aion Limited Collector’s Edition (only 50,000 being produced worldwide), which features a variety of exclusive items, or the standard edition featuring an exclusive SteelBook case limited to the first production run. Aion’s Western availability comes on the coattails of its phenomenal launch and success winning the Grand Awards of 2008 in Korea and setting launch participation records in China.

Players who preorder Aion receive guaranteed entry to all scheduled Aion beta events, early access to the servers at launch, exclusive in-game digital items, and special game benefits including character and server preselection privileges. Featured in-game digital items for Aion preorders include an exclusive Black Cloud Hat and Lodas' Amulet, as well as one of five different Ancient Rings of Power dependent on retail purchase location.

As a special promotion in North America, Aion preorder participants will have a chance to win an Alienware Area-51® m15x gaming notebook (US$2,324), and other great prizes such as HIS Hightech ATI Radeon™ HD video cards (US$164.99 and US$79.99) and one of ten yearly subscriptions to Aion. In order to qualify to win, players must preorder and participate in the beta events. For complete terms and conditions go to http://www.aiononline.com/preorder.
To take advantage of the special preorder promotion and secure their copy of Aion, players may visit one of several participating retailers, including GameStop, Amazon and Best Buy. For complete Aion preorder program details, visithttp://www.aiononline.com/preorder.
For more information about Aion go to http://www.aiononline.com. For more news about NCsoft, go tohttp://us.ncsoft.com/en/news/.

About NCsoft
NCsoft, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, is the world's premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games, including the critically acclaimed Lineage®, Guild Wars®, and City of Heroes® franchises. NCsoft West is a division of NCsoft that holds operating responsibilities for North America, Europe, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. More information can be found at http://us.ncsoft.com.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Lineage, Guild Wars, City of Heroes, Aion, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)



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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

EA - Pre Order Madden NFL 10 at GameStop And Get An Exclusive Demo

EA have announced that people who pre-order Madden NFL 10 at GameStop will get access to an exclusive demo for the game which features four, 5-minute quarters in an game between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. this offer is for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 Pre Orders.

Press Release

GRAPEVINE, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Jun 16, 2009 Fifty-nine days and counting until your football video game dreams come true with the return of Madden NFL. And nowhere else but GameStop (NYSE: GME), the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer, can you get your hands on a playable demo featuring four, 5-minute quarters in an epic rematch between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Customers who pre-order Madden NFL 10 for PlayStation3 and Xbox 360 at GameStop will receive the exclusive demo pitting the teams of cover athletes Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu against one another.
Customers will receive a code at the time of reservation to relive the incredible final game of the 2008 NFL season. Codes will be in-stores by July 15 and the demo is slated to go live by the end of July on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Customers can reserve their copy in-stores or online. For more information or to find a store near you, log on to www.gamestop.com.
Madden NFL 10 is available at GameStop stores nationwide Aug. 14, 2009 on the Xbox 360, PlayStation3, PlayStation2, PSP and Nintendo Wii platforms.
Experience first-hand what it’s like to Fight for Every Yard in Madden NFL 10. With the all-new Pro-Tak™ animation technology, players have more control over the outcome of each play. Whether driving a receiver towards the first down, or battling for a fumble at the bottom of a pile, the play won’t end until the whistle blows. Add to that the most immersive broadcast presentation and online innovation to date, and Madden NFL 10 captures the authenticity and emotion of the NFL like never before.
About GameStop Corp.
Headquartered in Grapevine, TX, GameStop Corp., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 6,244 retail stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also operates an e-commerce site, GameStop.com, and publishes Game Informer(R) magazine, a leading multi-platform video game publication. GameStop Corp. sells new and used video game software, hardware and accessories for video game systems from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. In addition, the company sells PC entertainment software, related accessories and other merchandise. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website: http://www.gamestopcorp.com.
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Sony Online Entertainment - Everquest II Update brings Kurn's Tower to Norrath

Sony Online Entertainment have announced that the new game update for Everquest II will bring the true Tower of Kurn to Norrath. the update brings 80 new quests, Player Written books, which act like normal books, and new Charasis Quests.
The Update is set to hit June 16th.

Press Release

WHAT: EverQuest® II’s game update, Monument and Might reveals the true appearance of Kurn’s Tower to Norrath; panicking the inhabitants of Kunark and intriguing adventurers to its doors. A new void anchor emanates from the tower, as if a ghastly chord has tied its fate with the invading void. A warlord from a far-off land has turned his conquering eye upon the lands of Kunark and will stop at nothing to find a great power that may lie just within the tower’s walls!

UPDATE FEATURES:
• Let someone else do the work for you! Monument and Might introduces Research Assistants which allow players to train their spells up to higher grades one at a time! They are available around Qeynos and Freeport, Neriak, Haven, Gorowyn, and Kelethin. Check out the research guild hall amenity that allows you to access the research system in the comfort of your own house or guild hall!
• More than 80 new quests in the Rise of Kunark overland zones!
• Player-written books - Leave your permanent mark in Norrath by writing and distributing books! Books look and act just like the current books in the game, and you can hold them in your inventory or place them in your house or guild hall for other players to read. Read Rothgar’s blog about user-written books here!
• All-new Charasis West Wing group quests!

WHEN: The Monument and Might game update is scheduled to go live on June 16, 2009.

ABOUT SOE: 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.
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EA - NHL 10 Fact Sheet Released

EA have releases a Fact Sheet for NHL 10 detailing product description, Key Features and the products specification for the game.

Fact Sheet

Product Description

The hopes of a franchise and its fans rest on your shoulders as you skate onto the ice to a deafening roar from towel-waving fans in an arena alive with the dreams of thousands. Here’s your chance to prove you are tough enough to battle the most skilled and determined athletes in the world in pursuit of the ultimate prize—the Stanley Cup™ Championship. Prove your resolve, inspire your teammates and write your own history with NHL®10 from EA SPORTS™.

A platinum-selling* franchise annually with 19 sports game of the year awards since 2007, NHL 10 begins a new era with gameplay innovations that deliver a new standard of toughness, the emotion of playoff hockey, and the skill and finesse that every fan sees throughout the NHL playoffs.

Winning one-on-one battles for possession of the puck along the boards is now a test of will and skill. Utilizing an all-new board physics engine, players can use their body to shield the puck on the boards and kick-pass it to teammates. Watch bigger, stronger players pin opponents to the boards while fanatical fans bang the glass, just like real life. Dump the puck, fore-check defenders and finish checks to intimidate your opponent into mistakes. Players fatigue, bobble passes, and avoid collisions under threat of constant physical pressure. Inspire teammates, send a message and change the momentum of a game by instigating scrums, drawing penalties, and mixing it up—all after the referee blows the whistle! A new first-person fighting engine enables players to trade punches with an NHL tough guy. Feel what it’s like to be on the ice in the skates of an NHL player to throw and dodge punches. Grab and tug an opponent’s jersey to land the punch that ignites the fans and sparks your team to victory.

NHL 10 features more than 200 gameplay refinements that replicate the skill and finesse of hockey, spectacular new ways to score, and improved goaltender intelligence. A new 360° precision passing mechanic delivers control over the speed and direction of passes so players can bank passes off the boards or play the puck into space for teammates to skate on to it. Experience all-new interactive crowds with towel-waving fans, glass bangers and crowds that react to the action. Prove you are tough enough to quiet the crowd, silence the opposition and survive a playoff run to lift the Stanley Cup in NHL 10.

Additional new modes, and innovations to major features like Be A Pro, EA SPORTS Hockey League and Dynasty Mode, will be revealed in the coming months.

Key Features

  • Battle on the Boards— A new board play physics engine lets you shield the puck with your body along the boards, kick-pass it to teammates, or pin an opponent, adding a new level of realism to cycling the puck and the dump and chase. AI teammates will support the puck and help you win the battle as fans bang on the glass.

  • Intimidation Tactics— Fore-check defenders, pressure the puck and finish checks to force your opponent into mistakes. Players fatigue, bobble passes, and avoid collisions under threat of physical pressure. Face wash a superstar to provoke the opposition, instigate a scrum and ignite the crowd.

  • Post-Whistle Action—Now, the game never stops! Antagonize opposing players, finish checks, retaliate for late shots on goal, draw penalties and pick fights—all after the referee blows the whistle!

  • New 1st Person Fighting Engine — Change the momentum of a game by trading blows with an NHL enforcer with all-new first-person fighting. Grab and tug an opponent’s jersey to land a big punch. Face wash an opponent to start a fight even after the whistle.

  • New Precision Passing— A new 360° precision passing mechanic delivers control over the speed and direction of passes so players can bank passes off the boards or play the puck into space for teammates to skate on to it. Players take poor passes off their skates and kick the puck to their sticks.

  • Spectacular Goals—Introducing spectacular new ways to score, like players one-timing loose pucks, stick-handling and shooting from their knees, batting pucks out of the air and lifting a leg to fake a shot on goal.

  • Improved Goalie Intelligence —Goaltenders position themselves more intelligently, react to shots more quickly and recover from saves faster. Plus, 250 new goalie animations, including swatting pucks out of the air, second and third saves and desperation lunges.

  • Interactive Atmosphere— Playoff atmosphere pops to life with towel-waving fans, deafening noise and crowds that react and respond to the action on the ice. Fanatical fans bang glass during board play, spring to their feet after big hits, and boo opposing stars when they handle the puck.

  • Next-Level authenticity— Over 200 gameplay refinements, including new offensive and defensive AI for more intelligent positioning, and new in-game facial animations that show player emotion when delivering bone-crunching checks or celebrating game-winning goals.

Product Specifications

Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.

Developer: EA Canada

Online Players: 2-12

Offline Players: 1-7 (PS3); 1-4 (Xbox 360)

Rating: Rating Pending

* More than 1 million units sold in 2008 according to NPD.

INTERNET CONNECTION required for online play.

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. NHL is a registered trademark and the NHL Shield is a trademark of the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved. AHL is a registered trademark and the AHL Logo is a trademark of the American Hockey League.
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EA -NHL 10 Producer Discusses Fighting Mechanic - Press Release

EA have released information about the fighting mechanic in NHL 10 where the Producer discusses it.
What is made Clear In the article is how bad they thought fighting was in NHL 09. they wanted to make changes and try to make the fighting more a part of the gameplay whilst keeping it true to the sport.
They discuss how they developed the new mechanic, how they tried different things, and how a chance encounter with the Edmonton Oilers bought about real progress.
They talk in-depth about how it works, and in comparison to real hockey, what it looks like, and what buttons are used in game.

Press Release


NHL 10 -- First-Person Fighting and Intimidation
First and foremost, let me say that we heard you loud and clear. Fighting in NHL 09 was not good enough. It was basically a bad, one off mini-game that meant nothing to gameplay. As we sat down to discuss the feature set for NHL10, fighting was at the top of the list. Initially, we weren’t 100% clear where we wanted to go with fighting but we did know a couple things.

1.Fighting had to be overhauled.
2.We had to innovate.
3.We had to make fighting true to the sport.

We actually stayed in a brainstorming phase for a good couple of weeks. We had lots of great ideas and prototypes (some of which you’ll see in future versions of NHL so I won’t spill the beans right now) but our true turning point came just before Christmas when the Edmonton Oilers were coming to Vancouver to play against the Canucks. A couple of the Oilers were interested in coming by our EA office to get a glimpse of where NHL is made. Fortunately for us, one of those players just happened to be Zack Stortini. Who better to talk fighting with than a real NHL tough guy. We did the whole tour thing and showed them how we take motion capture data and get it into the game. I had the chance to grab Zack and talk one-on-one about fighting. The first thing I asked is how much strategy is involved in a hockey fight. Within seconds, we had each other by the collar and he was shoving me around.

“If I fight a bigger guy, I do this…”
“If I fight a smaller guy, I do that…”
“If I fight a lefty, I dodge this way…’
“If I get a chance. I try to tug and get the guy off balance…”
“If the guy says something about my mom, then I go crazy on him…” (he didn’t actually say this one but we did have some great conversations about some of the ‘conversations’ that happen on the ice)

you get the picture…Zack basically rag dolled me as I took mental notes of how I could apply all of this knowledge to create a compelling gameplay mechanic for fighting.
When I boiled down all that I had learned, I came up with a two-tiered fighting mechanic. Layer one is dodging left and right vs Right Stick punching. If your opponent dodged to his left (your right), you would have to move the RS to ~2 O’clock in order to hit his head and for dodges the other direction, you would punch towards 10 O’clock. If two guys wanted to stand in and go toe to toe, they could both push straight up on the RS and see who had the better aim.
The second tier of the fighting mechanic is a power punch vs tug and upper cut. Pulling back on the RS will put your player into a position to deliver a power punch that does much more damage than the regular straights. If you notice your opponent winding up for a power punch, you can tug him forward and get him out of that pose by pulling down on the Left Stick, then deliver an upper cut by pushing up on the Right Stick.

With a mechanic in hand, we had to figure out how to make this experience truly unique and give something that had never been seen in hockey game before. With the success of last year’s Be A Pro where our goal was to put you in the skates of a professional hockey player, we decided that the next logical step was for us to put you in the skates of fighter. With that, first person fighting in NHL 10 was born.

With number 1 & 2 checked off the list, we were still left with the task of making fighting true to the sport. Again, Zack Stortini was a huge help in giving us a better understanding of why fights happen and when they occur. He also spoke to what a good fight was versus a bad fight and what kind of effect fighting had on his teammates. If we wanted capture the true essence of being a tough guy in the NHL, we had to incorporate these points into gameplay and have it make a difference. We needed to capture why having a good 3rd and 4th line is important in hockey and even more so, in the playoffs. There has never been a reason to play your 3rd or 4th line in our game but NHL10 is going to change that.

One re-occurring theme that our fight discussions kept coming back to was intimidation. Intimidation is a huge part of hockey and will definitely be part of NHL10. Just to be clear, I’m not talking about gimmicky meters or unauthentic HUD elements. I’m talking about authentic gameplay effects and behavior changes. Using your tough guys and grinders to finish your checks will start to wear down and intimidate the players on the other team. The first, second or third big hit might not cause a turnover but eventually you will notice intimidated players rushing passes and D-men slapping the puck around the boards after dump ins instead of trying to pick up the puck and make a tape to tape pass. You’ll also see intimidated players bobble pass receptions if they’re about to be hit. When you notice that your players are being intimidated, that’s your cue to get a tough guy out on the ice and try to start a fight to stand up for your team and mitigate your team’s intimidation level.

Other good times to fight and try to spark your team is when you’re down by a goal or two. By the same token, if you’re up by a goal or two, you probably don’t want to take a fight and risk giving the other team a spark (although I think it’s pretty fun to beat someone on the scoreboard and in a fight).

The CPU will also have different fight styles so if you’re fighting a Tough Guy, they’re more likely to stand in and try to go toe to toe but if you’re fighting a player that is less likely to fight, you can expect them to dodge and avoid punches then try and pick their spots with quick counter punches. And….If you end up in a fight with a player that you don’t want to risk injury to (yes, you can get injured from fighting this year), press the LT + RT to turtle.
About a month ago, Zack came back to our office and I showed him what became of our early conversations about fighting. He loved the authenticity of the fighting in our game and how we were also capturing the reasons behind fighting, intimidation and the notion of good versus bad fights. I won’t go into too much detail here because as we captured some video of that day so you’ll be able to hear from Zack himself.

Make sure to follow us on Twitter (NHL10).
Sean Ramjagsingh, NHL 10 Gameplay Producer
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