Begin the countdown to a new infusion of Call of Duty! The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package will strike worldwide on March 30. Representing the first new multiplayer maps from the biggest entertainment launch in history, Infinity Ward’s Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package will release first on Xbox LIVE, Activision Publishing, Inc. announced today. Additionally, Silver Xbox LIVE members who have not yet experienced the exciting adrenaline rush of “Modern Warfare 2″ will be able to try it with a Multiplayer Unlock event running from March 12 to March 15.

It would be interesting to see whether the huge user base of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be able to make the Stimulus Package add-on a success, despite the fact that it set new entertainment records for the greatest one-day and five-day openings in history, making more than $1 billion in sales worldwide which resulted it in being the best selling title ever on the Xbox 360. Apart from that, Xbox LIVE is proud to own the largest Call of Duty community compared to other platforms.

Press Release

DS Harlequin Selection: Love Stories for Grown-Ups (a literal translation of the Japanese title) will comprise of 33 titles by acclaimed Harlequin authors and New York Times bestselling novelists. Out of those, twenty-five of the titles have been previously published, while five more are new ones which will make their debut simultaneously with the launch of DS Harlequin Selection. Apart from that, a trio of titles which were formerly available only as online reads makes the transition.

DS Harlequin Selection: Love Stories for Grown-Ups enhances the reading experience by offering a number of interactive features accessed through easy touch screen operation — a “concierge” that allows you to navigate stories by mood or type of heroine, character correlation charts and lists that are updated along with plot developments, narrative annotations including maps for locations, digital bookmarks, story recaps that bring readers up to where they last left off, a choice of background music, Author introductions and images, polls on hero ranking, review rankings by other users via Wi-Fi connection and more.

Hmmm, now this is definitely an interesting way to make your DS do more than just keep you entertained via games, eh?

Press Release

In Crafting Mama, players will create 40 different projects across a wide range of different crafts: make patchwork quilts, earrings, candles, xylophones, kaleidoscopes, birdhouses, flower decorations and even mini-Mama dolls! Using the stylus as a universal crafting tool, crafters will sew, mold, glue, cut and paint under Mama’s masterful direction. Best of all, players can use each of their creations within the game itself: dress Mama up in a new apron you’ve sewn or even fly a freshly folded paper airplane. In addition, new materials, colors and patterns are available to customize each project, and multiplayer support lets players create with a friend. Crafting Mama is guaranteed to turn Mama fans into crafty creators in no time!

After some crafting, why not invite them over to your kitchen and whip up a meal in Cooking Mama, followed by some hot and sweaty action in the garden with Gardening Mama? Surely this franchise knows no bounds. Expect to see Crafting Mama hit the market sometime this Fall for a more or less traditional $19.99 price point.

Press Release

The combination of the PS3 system and PlayStation Eye camera detects the precise movement, angle, and absolute position in 3D space of PlayStation Move motion controller, allowing users to intuitively play the game as if they themselves are within the game. PlayStation Move motion controller delivers unmatched accuracy through its advanced motion sensors, including a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, and a terrestrial magnetic field sensor, as well as a color-changing sphere that is tracked by PlayStation Eye camera. Through PlayStation Move system, both fast and subtle motion can be detected, whether the user is swinging a tennis racket, or painting with a brush. With PlayStation Move motion controller, users can provide direct input through action buttons and an analog trigger, while receiving physical feedback from rumble functionality and visual feedback from the sphere’s ability to display a variety of different colors. Furthermore, PlayStation Eye camera can capture the player’s voice or image, enabling augmented reality experiences.

No word on pricing just yet, but we do know that the PlayStation Move sub-controller will be a one-handed controller and was specially developed to further expand the game play options that PlayStation Move games can offer. Ah well, will these developments make you consider the PS3 to be the king of the hill in due time?

Press Release

In The Daring Game for Girls, daring girls explore a schoolyard, neighborhood and campground. They set out on spy missions and explore caves, grow plants in a garden, and make friendship bracelets, scooters and more in their very own workshop. Daring girls will acquire Essential Gear and Badges, and when they’re ready, girls will set off on the ultimate adventure of a lifetime, whether it’s rafting the Amazon River, climbing Mt. McKinley or embarking on an African safari. Developed by WXP, The Daring Game for Girls for Wii and Nintendo DS is rated E for Everyone and is available now. For additional information, please visit the official site at www.daringgameforgirls.com.

It retails for only $19.99 regardless of either platform this title comes out on, and would make for a decent gift for that princess in your life. Hmmm, with games like these, their future Prince Charmings need not plan any adventure for them, eh?

Press Release

Bringing the series to multiple high-definition consoles simultaneously for the first time in its history, Final Fantasy XIII combines seamless cinematic sequences of unparalleled caliber with a fast-paced, high-intensity battle system that is sure to give players an adrenaline rush with every enemy encounter. Producer Yoshinori Kitase (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), director Motomu Toriyama (FINAL FANTASY VII, X, X-2), character designer Tetsuya Nomura (FINAL FANTASY V, VI, VII, VIII, X) and art director Isamu Kamikokuryo (FINAL FANTASY X, XII) combine their creative vision to deliver the latest masterpiece in the FINAL FANTASY universe.

This is the first title in the series that was specially developed for a simultaneous release on multiple high-definition consoles, and it will open up new boundaries in cinematic presentation, sound and gameplay. You will be able to experience the Unity of Speed and Strategy with the Ultimate Active Time Battle System, while a new game mechanic known as the Ever-Changing Tide of Battle with Paradigms lets you assign roles to party members at any time during battle which will help shift between combat paradigms. No idea on pricing, but we’re sure even if it cost $99.99, you’ll get it, right?

Press Release

The game casts players in the role DeathSpank, the Hero to the Downtrodden, a Vanquisher of Evil and Defender of Justice as he fulfills his life-long destiny and searches for a mysterious and magical item only known as “The Artifact”. Along the way he’ll rescue a few Orphans, defeat a local tyrant and tumble headlong into the even deeper mystery surrounding the legendary Thongs of Virtue in an epic adventure game that includes collecting loot, crazy puzzle solving, witty dialogue, collecting loot, over-the-top animations, fun, accessible action combat, and of course, collecting loot.

We still have no idea as to how much the download will cost, but we’re pretty sure it won’t break the bank and you will still have more than enough left over to handle your regular game purchases throughout the month. Would be interesting to see whether this will spark off a pop culture phenomenon in the long run or not, and whether Internet memes will spawn from here.

Press Release

The long awaited Home Run Derby leads the deep features list in MLB 10 The Show for the PS3 system. Fully implemented in the season modes and available as a stand-alone feature, Home Run Derby follows the MLB rules and flow allowing players to see who is the king of the long ball. The MLB Futures Game will also be available within season modes in its correct timeframe (just before the Home Run Derby), as well as fully functional online leagues. The new online season leagues will save and display MLB player stats, track player energy, allow for trades/injuries, and offer 40-man roster functionality. Additional new features for the PS3 game include “Catcher Mode,” where players can be the ultimate field general and have the ability to call the game as the catcher in “Road to The Show” career mode. MLB 10 The Show will also offer daytime transitional lighting, a newly added “Movie Maker” menu giving the user the ability to select multiple replays to add to and edit a single movie, and 11 new stadiums. Five new Minor League parks will be introduced, as well as a selection of classic stadiums available on the PS3 system for the first time including Forbes Field, Crosley Field, Polo Grounds, Shibe Park, Sportsman Park, and Griffith Stadium.

Expect an extremely realistic gaming session with this since you can enjoy customizable fan chants, jumbotron animations and crowd atmosphere among others. Apart from that, stadium ambiance will be enhanced with the addition of HR/splash counters, fireworks, steam, noisemakers, towels, thunder sticks, crowd reaching over the rails, and crowd detail, such as interaction with vendors and placing Ks.

Press Release

Test Drive Unlimited 2 expands on the traditional racing experience providing gamers with M.O.O.R.: Massively Open Online Racing; immersing drivers in a persistent online environment and revolutionizing multiplayer racing communities as players compete, team up, and share their achievements and creations online. Unlike any other driving game, TDU2 blends the open world experience with realistic vehicles and performance dynamics and for the first time, TDU2 features vehicle damage, weather effects, day and night cycles, and a brand new island to explore. The first Test Drive Unlimited innovated the racing genre with an immersive online and offline experience – over 1 million players created online accounts. Test Drive Unlimited 2 blends the single player and multiplayer experiences seamlessly, creating a dynamic world of unique content and challenges. Test Drive Unlimited 2 is “always live,” with automatic updates and seamless online/offline integration. A revamped single player narrative mode can be played offline or as part of the multiplayer experience.

You will be able to define your online persona via the customization of your vehicles, while you drive your way through to glory in the acquisition of property, clothing and all the accoutrements of a luxurious car-based lifestyle. Boasting one of the most expansive and comprehensive multiplayer offering on the console to date, TDU2 could very well be the ultimate refinement of the core Test Drive driving experience.

Press Release

Set 25 years after the end of the Infinite War, Supreme Commander 2 starts with the galaxy reeling from the recent assassination of the newly elected president of the fragile Colonial Defense Coalition. The members of the Coalition – the United Earth Federation, The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation – blame each other, and the early rumbles of war can be heard throughout the galaxy. Take on the role of three enigmatic commanders; former friends from each of the unique factions – The United Earth Federation (UEF), The Illuminate and the Cybran Nation – who get dragged into a conflict of galactic consequences. Explore a rich, character-driven single-player game which spans over 18 missions and delivers a new level of emotional connection to the RTS genre, or take the battle online for an exhilarating multi-player experience
Fight action-packed battles on a massive scale, waging war with enormous land, air and naval units in visually spectacular environments, brought to life by all-new rendering technology and a true evolution of RTS controls on both platforms. Upgrade and customize armies with new weapons and technology and deploy them instantly on the battlefield, turning a base-level tank into a high-powered, multi-barreled, anti-aircraft-sporting multipurpose battle unit. Deploy wild experimental war machines that can change the balance of power at any given moment. Experience a streamlined economy and redesigned UI that put the focus squarely on combat, battlefield tactics and high-level strategic decision making, and give improved player feedback in Strategic Zoom view.

Most folks ought to be able to give this a go since it has been rated E10+ (Everyone 10 and older), retailing for $49.99.

Press Release