Game Addicts » General Gaming News

Square Enix jumps into iPad market

Edwin — Sun, 30 May 2010 03:00:08 +0000

Square Enix seems to know a good thing when they see one, and here they are with their latest foray, jumping headlong into the Apple iPad market. After all, hasn’t the iPad sold like a gazillion of such devices worldwide since its release, with not signs of stopping? That would make it the perfect mass market platform to introduce those who have yet to fall under the spell of the Final Fantasy series, wouldn’t it? Just for fanboys, the digital photo collection FINAL FANTASY XIII LARGER-THAN-LIFE GALLERY is now available for the iPad, alongside party game Chocobo Panic.

FINAL FANTASY XIII LARGER-THAN-LIFE GALLERY and Chocobo Panic will be available in Japan, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, North America, Spain and Switzerland. The FINAL FANTASY XIII LARGER-THAN-LIFE GALLERY, the high resolution digital photo collection previously released on iPhone/iPod touch, is now available for the iPad. The images featured in the FINAL FANTASY XIII LARGER-THAN-LIFE GALLERY can be resized using the iPad, iPhone® or iPod touch® multi-touch functionality. By adjusting the beautifully mastered CG images, fans can experience the elaborative and extraordinary gallery details – from the minute lifelike detail of the eye colors and fingertips, to the beautifully designed and embellished outfits and accessories. The FINAL FANTASY XIII LARGER-THAN-LIFE GALLERY also features a clock and calendar which can be added to the top of any image within the gallery. Also included are images that will appear in 3D when utilizing red-blue 3D glasses (3D glasses are not included!)

As for Chocobo Panic, you will have to go about your mission capturing chocobos in a frenzied and frenetic manner, where you can choose to go solo or team up with a friend or even a bunch of mates using but a single iPad. This certainly brings back memories of the hot seat principle for computer gaming, eh? You will make good use of your fingers to catch and hold on to the multi-colored chocobos that scamper about the top-screen, and are not allowed to let go until instructed to do so.

Press Release

Facebook gets a hit in Family Feud!

Edwin — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 23:53:37 +0000

FremantleMedia Enterprises and Backstage Technologies Incorporated has just announced the success of Family Feud for Facebook, claiming that since its March 12 launch without any fanfare whatsoever, it has grown to be one of the fastest-growing games on Facebook, managing to garner more than one million unique players in less than 30 days. Now that’s certainly an achievement worth trumpeting, and we guess it goes to show just how much folks love games like this, but knowing that Facebook has 400 million plus users, there is still much more room for improvement.

Based on the long-running, Emmy Award-winning TV game show produced by FremantleMedia North America, the Facebook version of Family Feud will not only remain true to the essence of the show but offer an added twist, whereby fans can play alongside friends and family through the Facebook social network. Following the original TV show, which will launch its 12th season in national syndication with new host Steve Harvey the week of September 13th, the Facebook version of Family Feud encourages players to give the most popular responses to survey questions previously posed to 100 people. Players can then earn huge bonuses if their Facebook friends help them reach a certain level in the famed “Fast Money” round. There are over eleven thousand survey questions in the game, with new content added every week.

According to David Fox, VP of Technology at iWin, Inc., “Our aim when creating the game was to embrace the social element of Facebook and combine it with the long-standing principles of the show. Players will be able to interact with others, share amusing survey questions and barter for rare prizes – and what better platform to do this on than Facebook.” Interested in playing? You can access it right here and have some fun straight away.

Press Release

Capcom and Tesla Motors team up

Edwin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:00:21 +0000

Capcom has started a partnership with Tesla Motors, the people who came up with the first electric supercar in the world, offering gamers the Dark Void Tesla Roadster Giveaway. This sweepstakes will begin today, where it will be unveiled at an exclusive event at the flagship Tesla Motors showroom in Silicon Valley. Gamers can visit Capcom’s official Dark Void site to enter for a chance to win a variety of prizes, where among these ought to be a dream for most motorheads – an all-expense paid trip to Las Vegas to test drive a Roadster. Others will probably vie for the Grand Prize of their very own Tesla Roadster.

Dark Void is a sci-fi action-adventure game that combines adrenaline-fuelled aerial and ground-pounding combat. Set in a parallel universe called “The Void,” players take on the role of Will, a pilot dropped into incredible circumstances within the mysterious Void. This unlikely hero soon finds himself swept into a desperate struggle for survival, joining forces with a rebel human group called The Survivors. Trapped in the Void, these resistance fighters are battling to hold off a mysterious alien race that plans to threaten Earth. Dark Void, developed by Airtight Games and published by Capcom, will be shipping on January 12, 2010 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.

You will need to head on to the official Dark Void site (http://www.darkvoidgame.com/tesla/) in order to sign up for a chance to win. There will be five winners who will pick up the free trip to Las Vegas next January during the Consumer Electronics Show in order experience a test drive in the Tesla Roadster with the Dark Void development team. A month after that, one very lucky winner will win the grand prize. You game?

Press Release

Verizon Wireless offers over 350 mobile games

Edwin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:11:35 +0000

Love mobile gaming? Well, Verizon Wireless looks set to be the right mobile carrier for you as they are now ready to offer over 350 in-demand mobile games, where they will consist of a wide variety, ranging from classic arcade games to puzzles to mobile versions of popular console games. The first half of this year will see titles such as Tetris, Guitar Hero World Tour, Bejeweled, Solitaire by Verizon, PAC-MAN by Namco, The Oregon Trail, NEED FOR SPEED Undercover 3D, Sudoku by Verizon, 3D Brick Breaker Revolution, Call of Duty: World at War, Scrabble, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? 2009, Brain Exercise by Namco, Deer Hunter 3, MONOPOLY Here & Now, World Series of Poker Pro, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, Zuma, TETRIS Pop, RISK, Tetris Mania, TIGER WOODS 09 by EA SPORTS and Mahjong by Verizon. Looks like there is a fair bit of Tetris action going on here.

Verizon Wireless customers can purchase and download games in the Games shopping aisle in the Get It Now or Media Center virtual store on a number of popular phones from Verizon Wireless, including the LG enV TOUCH, LG enV 3 and LG Versa. For LG Versa users, Verizon Wireless offers a game console attachment. Featuring an eight-way directional keypad and multi-press key function, the snap-on controller gives gamers easy-to-use controls for a better mobile gaming experience.

In addition, you will be able to obtain easy access to all the games and other applications using the Mobile Web Games and Apps store, where it is equipped with a keyword search that makes it a snap for customers to find games and applications they already know about or discover new ones within a single click or two. Depending on the game, purchase prices and subscription fees may vary.

Press Release

PopCap Games announce new Warcraft-themed Peggle levels

Edwin — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:00:25 +0000

Peggle has made a sizeable impact when it comes to casual puzzle games, and everyone (nearly, anyways) who have played WarCraft loved the game for its graphics, innate gameplay and overall challenge especially when played against one another. PopCap Games, one of the leading developer and publisher of casual games, has recently announced that they will merge both genres together, making available ten all-new World of Warcraft-themed Peggle levels. Best of all is, these will be available for free at http://www.popcap.com/promos/pegglewow.

This all-new WoW-themed Peggle mash-up is a stand-alone version of Peggle, available for free and combining the sights, sounds and storyline of World of Warcraft with the rainbows and unicorns of everyone’s favorite peg-popping pastime. It features ten new levels with Peggle masters Bjorn the Unicorn and Splork with his Space Blast facing off against denizens of Azeroth in scenes with names like “Too Soon, Executus” and “The Traitor King” – as well as ten new challenges with titles such as “Phat Lewtz” and “Pwnyxia.”

According to T. Carl Kwoh, Associate Producer at PopCap Games, “PopCap first brought Peggle to Azeroth in April 2009 and got a great reception from World of Warcraft players. We were jazzed to team up with Blizzard to make a World of Warcraft-themed version of Peggle that’s available to everyone for free.”

Everybody loves something free these days since times have been rather challenging, and it would be helpful to know that the WoW-themed Peggle mash-up is a joint collaboration between PopCap Games and World of Warcraft developer, Blizzard Entertainment.

Press Release

EVE: The Burning Life to be published

Edwin — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 05:00:43 +0000

I don’t know about you, but books and additional stories written to expand a certain science fiction universe tend to skip my radar as I prefer what I’ve seen on the silver screen as the director intended, and no more than that. Well, I suppose that there is always room for those who are real hardcore fans of a particular series like Star Wars, Star Trek and Starcraft (this is a game), so kudos to writers of such series for garnering such dedicated following. Computer games might be equally loved as movies, but how many of those actually spawn a decent novel? CCP is the latest to join the fray, announcing a grand space opera set in the universe of EVE Online, where it will be known as EVE: The Burning Life and will be published in November 2009.

‘The Burning Life’ is the first effort of novelist Hjalti Daníelsson who has worked in different capacities on EVE Online since its 2003 release and currently serves as CCP’s main creative writer for the harsh universe of New Eden, the setting for EVE Online. He is the author of more than seventy short stories and some plays set in the EVE Online universe. A visceral writer whose aggressive prose and grand operatic scope is reminiscent of Iain M. Banks and Joe Haldeman, Daníelsson’s storytelling talent and familiarity with the EVE universe make him the ideal candidate for a full-length novelization for fans and newcomers alike.

According to Thor Gunnarsson, VP of Business Development at CCP, “Though the player-driven drama unfolding daily in EVE Online is the essence of our virtual world, CCP firmly believes that EVE can transcend the boundaries of a single medium to offer new ways of experiencing its richness. We are thrilled to collaborate with the incredibly talented teams at Tor Books and Orion, two recognized giants in the science fiction world, to bring a taste of the EVE universe to sci-fi readers around the world.” Will you pick up this hybrid of space opera and military science fiction, when it hits bookstore shelves?

Press Release

Rock Band crosses $1 billion mark in sales

Edwin — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:00:22 +0000

Just how large is the music industry? Well, it is huge – which is why you see music starts tend to live it up much more than actors and actresses. Rock Band, once touted to be a “clone” of Guitar Hero has hit the big time as MTV Games, has just announced that that the Rock Band franchise has officially surpassed $1 billion dollars in North American retail sales alone within a period of 15 months as per figures released by the NPD Group. Not only that, more than 40 million paid individual songs have already been sold through downloads via the Rock Band platform, further cementing its position as the top dog where paid song sales are concerned, offering gamers more than 600 downloadable songs to date.

Originally launched on November 20, 2007, Rock Band is the multi-million unit selling, genre-defining music game platform that allowed music fans and gamers to interact with and discover music like never before by choosing guitar, drums, vocals, or bass to start a band and rock the world. Developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, and published by MTV Games, the Rock Band platform has had a positive impact on the overall promotion and sales of music, benefiting artists included in the game both directly through royalties associated with game sales and indirectly by causing the sale of more songs and albums.

It would be interesting to see where Rock Band goes from here – there is no need to push the graphics envelope with this genre, as it is the user experience that counts when belting out your favorite band’s hits with friends. What do you think the future of Rock Band will be like?

Press Release

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling introduces Multimedia Library to Xbox Live

Edwin — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 23:00:57 +0000

This piece of news might not be 100% gaming related, but since it does involve an Xbox 360, we’re game (pun not intended) to cover it. Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling has recently announced that its extensive library of the world’s best professional wrestling action can now be viewed over Xbox Live Video Marketplace and Zune Marketplace. Fans of TNA (all three of you out there) will be able to gain special access to a bunch of TNA multimedia such as 13 TNA Home Video titles available immediately on the Xbox Live video marketplace that are going for 800 Microsoft points apiece. The entire dozen TNA 2008 pay-per-view events, including “Lockdown” and “Bound For Glory” will be on the Xbox Live on an exclusive basis as well.

According to TNA Entertainment Chief Marketing Officer Steve Allison, “We’re thrilled to be launching this wide range of TNA content for Xbox Live and Zune users. Our fans who own the Xbox 360 or Zune wireless media players can now access our content at great prices anytime they want via digital download.”

All you need to do to access this content is by heading on to Xbox Live Video Marketplace, search for the TNA Wrestling channel in the TV Shows section. Alternatively, all Zune users need to do is type TNA into the search window on Zune Marketplace and they’re good to go. Perfect entertainment for those dry video game seasons. This idea might actually take off, and if it does, will WWE enter the picture?

Press Release

Xfire in-game web browser

Edwin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:44:21 +0000

Xfire is a gaming company that has had some success in the past, and this time round they have released what is sorely missing from most games – an in-game web browser. Wait a minute here, you say, what the heck are we supposed to do with such a browser while we’re in the heat of a battle? Won’t reading an FAQ be detrimental to the overall gaming experience? Apparently not, as this in-game web browser will come in handy for a whole bunch of other folks who prefer to check from time to time a walkthrough or tutorial in an RPG which they are stuck in. Gamers who currently use Xfire technology to chat with their friends, take screenshots and capture game-play video now have no need to press Alt-Tab and be removed from the game, since you can press Scroll Lock + W to launch the new web browser in-game.

Checking game FAQs, strategy guides and maps has never been easier. Listening to Pandora or viewing YouTube videos linked by friends without pausing the game is possible thanks to Flash support and tight integration with Xfire Chat. Organizing all these online activities is a snap with tabbed browsing. Xfire is committed to enhancing the gaming experience, not getting in the way. Users can keep an eye on their game while surfing the web by adjusting the transparency of the browser. And surfing won’t change the fact that Xfire is speedy and low impact. The 5 MB Xfire application, including the in-game browser, is free and available to download now on www.xfire.com.

I’m sold on this idea – how about you? Hopefully it doesn’t take up too much system resources though.

Press Release

Microsoft and Netflix achieve 1 million members on Xbox LIVE Gold

Edwin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:14:03 +0000

Both Microsoft Corp. and Netflix Inc. must be pleased to know that their partnership has reaped the rewards of hitting the magical 1 million mark where Xbox LIVE Gold members are concerned since their groundbreaking Xbox LIVE application from Netflix was launched last November. In under three months, the entire Xbox LIVE community have already spent a collective total of 1.5 billion minutes of their lives watching movies and TV episodes. Hmmm, staying in when the economy isn’t too bright is always a good thing, right, although there needs to be a careful balance of stashing cash away just in case the economy does not receive enough internal spending to move forward.

The Netflix application offers Xbox LIVE Gold members the ability to instantly watch movies and TV episodes from Netflix on a television via the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Xbox 360 is the only gaming and entertainment console that lets viewers instantly watch movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix. Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited members can watch movies and TV episodes streamed instantly from Netflix on Xbox LIVE for no additional fee.

Have you already tried out the Netflix application on Xbox LIVE? If so, how do you find your experience – do you think it is much better compared to what the PS3 has to offer in terms of entertainment, or is the PS3’s interface much more clean cut and easier to use? Leave us a comment and let us know your views, we’re always interested to know what our dear readers are thinking.

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