Friday, March 19, 2010

The Bafta Video Games Awards Winners Are...

http://static.bafta.org/images/width286/mg-0714cropland-6777.jpg

The Bafta Video games Awards took place tonight. Below are the winners. The Picture Is Fellowship winner, Shigeru Miyamoto.

Fellowship

Shigeru Miyamoto

Action
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Artistic Achievement
Flower

Best Game
Batman: Arkham Asylum

Family & Social
Wii Sports Resort

Gameplay
Batman: Arkham Asylum

Handheld
LittleBigPlanet (PSP)

Multiplayer
Left 4 Dead 2

Original Score
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Sports
FIFA 10

Story
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Strategy
Empire: Total War

Use of Audio
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Use of Online
FIFA 10

BAFTA Ones To Watch Award in association with Dare to Be Digital
Shrunk!

GAME Award of 2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

From Bafta


Sony Online Entertainment Announce The Latest Free Realms Update Brings Pirate Goodies

Sony Online Entertainment have announced that the latest content update for Free Realms brings a variety of Pirate themed goodies to Free Realms. as well as new items for homes, there will also be new wearable items and a new 3D game called Pirate Plunder.

Pirate Plunder Features:
• Battle up to 5 other players or AI opponents
• Choose between three different pirate ships and eight different flags
• Play in three different maps: Treasure Isle, Arctic Bay and Shipwreck Cove
• Destroy opponents by firing up to 24 cannons at once or ramming them at high speed
• Collect and capture treasure to win the game
• Steal treasure from other players by sinking their ships
• Use whirlpools, currents and ship power ups to your advantage
• Includes ship repairs and flag or ship swaps mid-battle
• New pirate themed items available in the Station Cash Marketplace, Coin Shop and minigame loot wheel

Plunder Screenshots


Press Release

WHAT:
Avast ye landlubbers! Free Realms has released an exciting new content update loaded with pirate themed goodies, including housing items, freestyle wearables, Marketplace items and an exciting, Members-only, 3D minigame, Pirate's Plunder!

A grand amusement for every sea-legged sailor, Pirate’s Plunder lets Members control battle ships in a match of up to six players (or AI opponents) in action-packed ocean environments filled with whirlpools, enemy cannon towers and lots of shiny treasure! Members who are ready to weigh anchor can register their ships with Jolly Roger in Seaside or launch the new minigame right from their Activity Guide.

Along with the Pirate clippers and skippers, this game update ushers in new Tiger, Unicorn and Pegasus pets, as well as new Pegasus Ride variants.

And, for a limited time, players can redeem a 7-Eleven Free Realms $10 Station Cash Card Bundle between 3/18/2010 and 4/19/2010 to receive a bonus T-Rex Ride in addition to an exclusive green cowboy hat for their in-game dog!

PIRATE'S PLUNDER FEATURES:
• Battle up to 5 other players or AI opponents
• Choose between three different pirate ships and eight different flags
• Play in three different maps: Treasure Isle, Arctic Bay and Shipwreck Cove
• Destroy opponents by firing up to 24 cannons at once or ramming them at high speed
• Collect and capture treasure to win the game
• Steal treasure from other players by sinking their ships
• Use whirlpools, currents and ship power ups to your advantage
• Includes ship repairs and flag or ship swaps mid-battle
• New pirate themed items available in the Station Cash Marketplace, Coin Shop and minigame loot wheel

WHEN: Pirate’s Plunder is now available to play in-game for Members only.

To log in, visit www.FreeRealms.com

ABOUT:
Free Realms is a free-to-play online virtual world where players are free to do or be anything: Fight like a ninja, cook a tasty meal, raise a pet, battle goblins, set out on epic quests or connect with friends through a safe, social networking site. Also available is 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. Free Realms players can also pop into select retailers to purchase Station Cash cards, which can be redeemed for Station Cash, and used to 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.

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, Tucson, and Taiwan, SOE has a slate of engaging, high-quality games currently in development across new genres for all platforms and audiences.

SOE, the SOE logo and EverQuest are registered trademarks and Free Realms is a trademark of Sony Online Entertainment LLC in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

Zipper Interactive Announce The First Free MAG DLC Is Coming 25th March

Zipper Interactive have revealed that the first piece of DLC for MAG will be free and that its coming out on 25th March. The Trooper Gear Pack will bring Flash Bangs to the game as well as a special light machine gun, Raven’s APEX 100SE, SVER’s RTK-74 Vla, and Valor’s Mk 46 Mod 1, for each of the PMC. 2 new uniforms, Trooper Dark and Trooper Light, are also coming to each PMCs.

Zipper Interactive have also announced that in celebration of the release of this DLC pack, double XP will be offered to all players from 25th March until 28th March.

Trooper Gear Pack


From USA Playstation Blog


Q-Games Announce PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe Is Coming To UMD On 27th April And Reveal PixleJunk Racers 2nd Lap Info


Q-Games have announced that the UMD version of PixleJunk Monsters Deluxe is coming out on 27th April for $19.99.

Q-Games have also released new information and screenshots for the upcoming 2nd lap DLC for PixleJunk Racers. 2nd Lap will bring trophies to PixleJunk Racers as well as new features. Ghost Attack will record your race and upload it and your high-score to high-score tables, meaning anyone can race against your ghost. The singleplayer tournament mode has also been made a little easier.

PixleJunk Racers 2nd Lap



Sony Announce Chapter 1 Of The Heavy Rain Chronicles Is Out 1st April

Sony have announced that Chapter 1 of the Heavy Rain Chronicles, The Taxidermist, will be available to download on 1st April for $4.99. This does require a copy of Heavy Rain to work. The Taxidermist features Madison Paige and takes place during her early investigation into the Origami Killer.




EA Announce Battlefield Bad Company 2 Has Sold Over 2.3 Million Units


EA Have announced that since the Launch of Battlefield Bad Company 2, the game has sold over 2.3 Million units. The game is also set to become the best selling March released game ever in both the USA and Europe. EA have also proudly announced that Battlefield Bad Company 2 has received a review score of over 90 from 46 different outlets.

EA have released some statistics for Battlefield Bad Company 2:
• 81B points have been earned in online multiplayer sessions
• 43M weapons and gadgets have been unlocked in online multiplayer
• Over 6M video views on YouTube
• 2.9M hours have been spent playing online in the last 24 hours alone
• 230K peak-concurrent-users (PCUs)
• Over 44k Twitter fans (most out of any EA title)

Press Release

Guildford UK – March 18, 2010 – DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced that Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2 is on pace to be the top selling title for March 2010. With over 2.3M units sold-through*, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has become the best-selling March release on record in North America and Europe. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is winning accolades from fans and critics for outstanding visuals and action-packed gameplay with no less than 46 outlets having awarded the game a score of 90 or above. GameSpot.com commented that, “whether or not you're looking for a new shooter in your life, you owe it to yourself to play Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”

The momentum of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 can also be seen across social media networks and in the game’s statistics:

• 81B points have been earned in online multiplayer sessions
• 43M weapons and gadgets have been unlocked in online multiplayer
• Over 6M video views on YouTube
• 2.9M hours have been spent playing online in the last 24 hours alone
• 230K peak-concurrent-users (PCUs)
• Over 44k Twitter fans (most out of any EA title)

“We are so thrilled with the success of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sales and fan response. In the first 48 hours we had such a tremendous rush to multiplayer gameplay that our servers experienced overwhelming demand. This is a testament to the massive response players have had worldwide for the extraordinary action experienced in the Battlefield sandbox,” says Karl Magnus Troedsson, Executive Producer, Battlefield Franchise. “DICE and EA have brought more servers online. We now have enough capacity to handle all BFBC2 connections seamlessly and we continue to monitor online play daily.”

Defined by its exceedingly intense vehicular warfare, destruction, variety of weapons and huge sandbox environments, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is one of the finest online FPS games of 2010. Developed using state-of-the-art graphics technology, the PC version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the first title in the Battlefield franchise to be 3-D-ready, playable in DirectX® 11, and support multiple monitors for properly equipped PCs.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is available in North America and Europe for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Two all-new multiplayer maps for the game are coming on March 30 at no extra charge**. These two maps can be unlocked by inputting a VIP code***.

For more information on DICE, please visit www.dice.se. For more information on Battlefield: Bad Company 2 please visit:www.battlefield.com. Or follow us on Twitter athttp://twitter.com/OfficialBFBC2.


*According to internal data.
** Internet connection required.
*** VIP codes included with original retail purchase. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players that do not have a code can purchase one via the in-game store for $15. PC players will get the content as a game update. Internet connection required.

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: EATM, EA SPORTSTM, EA MobileTM 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://www.electronicarts.co.uk/press.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Battlefield: Bad Company is a trademark of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Announce The Lord of the Rings: War in the North


Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment have announced The Lord of the Rings: War in the North for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. The game is currently set for a 2011 release.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North will have new and familiar narrative elements. the game is a mature RPG set in Middle-Earth that has 3 player on-line co-op. In the game, you are part of the great battle of the North. there will be new lands to explore as well as elements from the past films. The game will have extensive character customization and development, upgradable weapons, skills and special abilities.

Press Release

Burbank, Calif. – March 18, 2010 – Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces today that The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, an epic multiplayer action/RPG video game based on the renowned novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, is set to launch on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows® in 2011.

Developed in association with Middle-earth Enterprises, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North explores both original and familiar narrative elements as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment holds the rights to develop video games based on both the literary and motion picture content from The Lord of the Rings. Breaking new ground as a mature RPG video game set in Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North advances the RPG paradigm through innovative online, interdependent co-op play for up to three players who form their own Fellowship to fight Sauron’s forces in the North.

“With The Lord of the Rings: War in the North we are taking a mature approach to the widely celebrated property with authentic portrayals of battles and all new storylines,” said Martin Tremblay, President, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “Utilizing the award-winning and passionate development team at Snowblind Studios, we are looking to evolve the RPG experience and deliver The Lord of the Rings game fans have been waiting for.”

“In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, Snowblind will deliver an action RPG for core gamers featuring authentic narrative and environmental locations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original The Lord of the Rings,” said Ryan Geithman, Founder and Studio Head of Snowblind Studios. “This game is a natural evolution of the acclaimed RPG gameplay that Snowblind has consistently delivered over the past years. Players and fans will experience an innovative approach to online co-op gameplay, woven throughout every facet of the game in a way that only Snowblind can deliver.”

In The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, players can become the heroes in the great battle of the North as part of the epic War of the Ring. Exploring unseen lands, story elements and characters from Middle-earth as well as elements familiar from past feature films, gamers will experience extensive character customization and development, expansive co-op gameplay options and upgradeable weapons, skills and special abilities.

For more information about The Lord of the Rings: War in the North, please visit www.warinthenorth.com.

About Middle-earth Enterprises
The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Middle-earth Enterprises is the holder of worldwide motion picture stage, merchandising, and other rights in certain literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Middle-earth Enterprises has been producing and licensing films, stage productions and merchandise based on the Tolkien work for more than 30 years and is headquartered in Berkeley, California. www.middleearth.com.

About Snowblind Studios
Snowblind Studios is an award-winning video game developer based in the Pacific Northwest with more than 10 years of experience. Utilizing a rich history of cooperative play games, they helped to define the growing Action RPG genre with critically acclaimed titles including Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and the Champions of Norrath series. The studio was acquired by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group in 2009 and is currently working on The Lord of the Rings: War in the North.

About Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group, is a premier worldwide publisher, developer, licensor and distributor of entertainment content for the interactive space across all current and future platforms, including console, handheld and PC-based gaming for both internal and third party game titles.