Capcom is bringing its popular Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game series to the Wii system next year, at a great price. Pretty soon, starting in January 2010, you'll be able to purchase Phoenix Wright games from the Wii Shop's WiiWare for only 1000 Wii Points each ($10). The Ace Attorney games are originally from the Nintendo DS platform, which include Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: JUSTICE FOR ALL, and Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. It's the first time that Phoenix Wright will be available for a home system. The games play similar to adventure/point & click games like Tales of Monkey Island and Strong Bad, but with anime style and courtroom antics. Wii Remote gameplay is incorporated by presenting "evidence with the wave of the Wii Remote or press suspicious testimonies by wiggling it," says Capcom.

Here are the release dates and details of the Phoenix Wright games, as described by Capcom:

January 2010:
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Episode 1 through 4) is the first release hitting in January. The story kicks off with Phoenix Wright defending his childhood friend Larry Butz from a murder charge. But this is only the beginning drama for the tenacious legal eagle as Wright faces unexpected tragedies that will test the limits of his incredible deductive prowess. In May, owners of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney will be able to download the bonus episode that appeared in the original Nintendo DS™ version of the game. It will cost 100 Wii Points.

March 2010:
In March, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: JUSTICE FOR ALL arrives. Phoenix Wright has six months experience and five court victories under his belt. But none of that will do him any good against the ruthless new D.A. in town. Franziska von Karma wants revenge and she's ready to take Phoenix down at any cost!

May 2010:
In May, Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS arrives. Phoenix will face the toughest prosecutor yet as the mysterious hard-boiled “Godot” is gunning for him with extreme prejudice. Get ready for the most intense courtroom standoffs of Phoenix Wright’s career!

This is a great opportunity to play the Phoenix Wright game series at a low price. Catch up on any of the episodes you may have missed, or enjoy the games from the comfort of your big screen TV.

Write Comment (0 Comments)

Today Square Enix released Gyromancer on both the Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 and Steam for the PC. Gyromancer is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and PopCap Games. Square Enix brings their influences from their roleplaying games, level stats and summoning included, while the gameplay action takes place in a similar style of PopCap Games' Bejeweled Twist. Over 50 monsters can be used in battles that take place on the gameplay grid, each with some unique abilities. The soundtrack and fantasy artwork round out a solid package, not to be missed by any fan of RPGs.

See screenshots from Gyromancer here.

Here are details on the storyline and features of Gyromancer, from Square Enix:<> Players assume the role of Rivel, a summoner who ventures through the enchanted Aldemona Wood. Each stage contains its own objectives, from defeating beasts that block the player’s way, to solving puzzles before time runs out. Rivel can learn to summon dozens of the unique beasts he encounters, bending their power to his will and commanding them in battle. Hidden within each stage are a number of rewards earned for completing feats great and small. Finding them all won’t be easy. Are you up to the challenge?

Features include:
- Assume the role of Rivel, a deadly mage, as he rids Aldemona Wood of a brooding darkness through over 10 compelling game stages.
- Experience an all-new battle system based on the popular puzzle game Bejeweled Twist.
- Command over 50 unique beasts! Powerful new beasts can be acquired as players gain levels in battle.
- Search the map for items, coins and new beasts to join Rivel’s fight.
- Participate in the online ranking system to register high scores.

Gyromancer is now available from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) or for the PC from Steam for $14.99. Give Gyromancer a spin and you're sure to be hooked.

Konami has announced details for a 24 hour marathon of everything Metal Gear Online. If you participate in any of the four session, you will receive Reward Points and Rare items. There is even a health risk warning in the announcement: "players are not recommended to play for an extensive duration of time due to health risks."

The dates of the 24 Hour Challenge are currently November 28th, December 26th, January 23, 2010 and February 27, 2010. To join up, sign into Metal Gear Online and select the Survival Lobby. Around 3,000 of you will be able to compete in the 24 hour period. Everyone that gets in will receive a Regain in-game t-shirt and differing amount of Reward Points based on your team's score. For those wondering, the regularly scheduled survival games will be cancelled on November 25th, December 23rd, January 20th and February 24th.

Also, you can pick up any of the three expansion packs, GENE, MEME and SCENE right now at mykonami.net/mgo.

Write Comment (0 Comments)

Valcon Games are going to try to help you "bear" the Winter this year with Polar Panic, a new game coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network. If you're ready to work your way through a new puzzle-action game, continue reading.

As you play your way through 50 thrilling puzzle levels in story mode, or single and multiplayer survival modes, you must move ice blocks to squash enemies that are in your way. Utilizing how the map works and the power-ups which spawn on each level, you will have to work your way to the finish without being "chilled out."

"Players of all ages will love the challenges of Polar Panic, with its timeless arcade-style and puzzle game modes, all with an updated Arctic twist." said Glenn Halseth, CEO of Valcon Games.

Other Polar Panic key features include:

- 3 challenging single-player modes
- 4 difficulty modes, ranging from Easy to Insane
- 3 action-packed 2 to 4 player multiplayer modes
- 50 mind-melting puzzles, with multiple block types, switches and more
- Beautiful Arctic scenery, with night/day and twilight levels
- Explosive Boss battles with dangerous weaponry
- Tutorial system for teaching new in-game mechanics
- Variety of enemies and power-ups to encounter during gameplay

Polar Panic will be available from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PlayStation Network sometime in the near future. See more details on www.polarpanic.com.

Write Comment (1 Comments)

Kane and Lynch: Dead Men, was released by Eidos in 2007 and became infamous due to the controversy it caused. The original game was not the best third person shooter, but obviously it warranted a sequel. Coming in 2010, Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days will follow the "heroes" from the first game through the Shanghai underworld.

This time around, the game is inspired by "documentary filmmakers and the user-generated era." I have no idea what that means, but IO Interactive, the developers behind the first game and the critically acclaimed Hitman series, have a great pedigree in third-person action games. Watch a "Burger Joint" teaser trailer for Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days below.

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days is being developed for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. More information will be released soon. As a side note, this will be released on the EIDOS label as part of Square Enix Europe. I am not sure, but maybe this confirms the rumors of a Kane and Lynch movie that has been swirling around the internet for months. I hope this version can keep the controversies to a minimum.

Visit www.KaneandLynch.com for updates on the game.

Activision is reporting more on the worldwide entertainment sales domination of their newly released game, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Game developer Infinity Ward and Actvision have set sales records not only in the video game industry, but in the movie and entertainment industry as well. Activision has estimated worldwide sales of Modern Warfare 2 to be $550 million. Even in this challenging economic climate, Modern Warfare 2 is selling big.

Here is the breakdown of Modern Warfare 2 sales in comparison to other entertainment industry records, as noted by Activision:

Modern Warfare 2's launch beat all previous first-and five-day entertainment industry box office, book and video game sell-through records*:

-- The largest reported five-day opening worldwide box office gross
figures, held by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince ($394 million)

-- The largest reported five-day opening domestic box office gross figures,
held by The Dark Knight ($203.8 million)

-- The largest reported five-day worldwide video game sales record,
previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (6 million units, $500 million)

-- The largest reported opening first-day domestic box office gross
figures, held by The Dark Knight ($66.4 million)

-- The largest reported first-day book sales in dollars, held by Harry
Potter & The Deathly Hallows ($220 million)

-- The largest reported first-day worldwide video game sales record,
previously held by Grand Theft Auto IV (3.6 million units, $310 million)

Modern Warfare 2's blast radius also extends to Xbox LIVE, in which the blockbuster title's epic release established the following new standards, according to Microsoft:

-- More than 5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of
Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.

-- More than 2.2 million unique gamers played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2 in one day on November 10th. A new one-day record for Xbox LIVE.

-- More than 11 million achievements were unlocked on Call of Duty: Modern
Warfare 2 on the first day.

*All references cited are sourced according to www.boxofficemojo.com or www.guinnessworldrecords.com."

Modern Warfare 2, created by Infinity Ward, is available for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. To see more on the first-person shooter game, visit www.modernwarfare2.com.

Write Comment (5 Comments)

Today's featured game developer interview is with Pedro Almeida, from Attack Pinball Studios. Pedro has recently completed Undead Attack! Pinball, a new iPhone and iPod touch game that brings a unique twist to the pinball genre, or to the zombie game genre depending on how you look at it. Get some insight on how it was developing the concept for iPhone and iPod touch gameplay, some of Pedro's game influences, and where Attack Pinball Studio is headed to next with their games!

Who are you and what do you do in the gaming industry?
My name is Pedro Almeida, I'm member and founder of the newly formed Attack Pinball Studio, for which I work primarily as a game designer and also as 3d artist.

What are you currently working on or have recently released?
My first project in the studio was the game Undead Attack! Pinball, released for iPhone and iPod Touch. The game is a fusion of elements of two types of games, Pinball and Tower Defense. The main goal is survive, defeating waves of Undead monsters that are trying to escape from each stage, which works as unique pinball tables. There are two different types of ball that can be launched to beat the zombies, upgrades and special items to improve the gameplay. Currently I am working on two game projects also for iPhone and iPod Touch, with launches planned for the first quarter of 2010.

What inspired you to do this blend of zombies and pinball?
Before starting the project we listed some types of games could have an interesting gameplay by using the interface at our disposal, namely the touchscreen and accelerometer. After the generation and evaluation of some ideas, we chose a Pinball mechanic to work with, which controls came in handy on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Zombies appeared after testing other pinball games, which made us realize that some of them moved away from a classic Pinball style, characterized by score markers mostly static or a setting composed of more traditional pinball structures. These games have characters that work as moving targets through the table, but in the tested examples, in very few cases these targets were acting in an active way, for or against the player. This was a point that we found interesting to work with, and the result was the decision to use a similar mechanic from Defense-style games, that were popular among webgames players, mixed with a more traditional genre like Pinball.

What was one of the biggest challenges of developing Undead Attack! Pinball?
The biggest challenge of Undead Attack! Pinball was blending the mechanics of two quite different types of games. At the beginning of the project we’re dealing more like an experiment, we tried to make this mix work in an interesting way, and after several improvements we realized that we did.

More and more ideas arose during the project, and the establishment of limits for our scope was also a major challenge, to not exceed the timeline set for the project. We then focused on gameplay, by adding elements such as the Spiky ball, controlled by accelerometer, or the defensive weapon located at the gate of each stage. Many ideas we wanted, as the addition of main and secondary objectives to each stage, are planned for an upcoming project.

What is one of your favorite things about Undead Attack! Pinball?
Situations that physics-based games can provide please me greatly, and in Undead Attack Pinball occur several interesting moments like exploding lots of Zombies in a crowded place, or perform a sequence of impacts on the circular bumpers present at the Mansion and the Temple.

How will you continue to support the game?
In late October we launched a special update for Halloween, containing special elements for the date and also adding new features such as the multiple balls system. We are constantly checking the reports submitted by Apple and analyzing the reviews of players, which we take as an important part of the product development, and when is possible we implement the more frequent and interesting suggestions.

As I said, we have many ideas to be implemented in this type of game, and possibly some of them may come in future updates for Undead Attack! Pinball.

Would you ever consider releasing Undead Attack! Pinball for another digital delivery platform, like PSP minis or DSiWare?
I would really like to work with these platforms. It’s important to diversify, but from my point of view is also important to deal with a game in a very specific way for the device to which it will be developed, to make better use of interfaces each one presents. Undead Attack! Pinball was entirely designed for iPhone and iPod Touch, and its port for DSi and especially for PSP is a little tricky, mainly because of the interface.

Switching to your personal gameplaying habits, what is your favorite game you have every played on any console and why?
I have a huge list of games I really enjoyed, but the one I enjoyed most is an unknown game I do not see people talking about, it's called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Joking apart, it’s very difficult to choose just one. Games, in every generation, introduce new technologies and ways for interaction, and my enthusiasm with a certain type of game is not always the same, but in fact for me the best was Ocarina of Time.

What game(s) are you currently playing?
The games I'm playing at the moment are Need for Speed Shift on PC, Scribblenauts on the Nintendo DS, and many other web and iPhone / iPod Touch games.

Which games are you looking forward to playing in the next year and why?
Next year I want to finally get my hands on Gran Turismo 5. Racing games are one of my favorite genres, and in the case of Gran Turismo 5 the long wait makes it even more desirable. Another title I'm waiting for is Mario Galaxy 2, as a fan of the games produced by Nintendo, especially the ones with the touch of Shigeru Miyamoto.

What is next for you?
I intend to continue the development of the studio, focusing initially on mobile platforms from Apple, and next expanding for other mobile devices that have some way for digital distribution of games and applications. As part of the development team, I am always looking for new references and improvement of my game designer skills, to make more different and interesting games.

At the beginning of next year we will be releasing two more games for iPhone / iPod touch, which I am working hard at the moment.

Anything else you're itching to tell us about Undead Pinball Attack or your game development studio?
At Attack Pinball Studio we will always be developing products that can provide unique and unusual experiences as in Undead Attack! Pinball.

###

Many thanks to Pedro Almeida and Attack Pinball Studios for making this interview possible! See more on Undead Attack! Pinball here at the official website. Undead Attack! Pinball is now available for the iPhone and iPod touch for $2.99 here at the AppStore. You can also try it for free with a demo available here.

Write Comment (0 Comments)

Today's new Xbox LIVE Arcade game releases include Gyromancer and Diner Dash. Gyromancer comes from a unique partnership with Square Enix and PopCap Games. It's a fusion of the addictive puzzle gameplay of Bejeweled Twist and fantasy role-playing elements found in Final Fantasy. There's already an expansion for Gyromancer, which is 240 Microsoft Points ($3). It includes new beasts and 3 stages. Once you make it halfway through the game, you can access it. Check out the demo for Gyromancer and you're sure to be hooked and drawn into the fantasy setting, featuring a rich soundtrack. Diner Dash is available as well, where you test your food serving skills and timing in a fast-paced diner. Gameplay modes include 8-player gameplay, 1-on-1, and Head-to-Head.

Here are the details on the new games available from Xbox LIVE Arcade, from xbox.com:

Gyromancer - (1200 Microsoft Points, $15)
"Gyromancer is a puzzle-role playing game (RPG) featuring a unique battle system based on Bejeweled Twist combined with elements of Square Enix role-playing games. This is one experience you won't want to miss. Try it now!"

See more details on Gyromancer here. Watch a trailer below.

Diner Dash - (800 Microsoft Points, $10)
"Diner Dash, the number one PC time-management game has landed onto Xbox LIVE! Guide Flo, a former office-worker turned restaurateur, as she builds up her diner empire. Go online and face players in head to head matches to see who's the best Flo. Join up with a friend or another player online for a Team Dash game where your team takes on six other players to see whose diner is the best in town."

See more details on Diner Dash here and queue up the full game or demo here on xbox.com.

Write Comment (0 Comments)

Ubisoft today released the next Assassin's Creed adventure, Assassin's Creed II. Things are much bigger this time around, literally. A limited edition was created for sale at GameStop. See a slideshow here or thumbnail gallery here of the Master Assassin's Edition. You'll see the tin case is much larger than the original Assassin's Creed Limited Edition (see more pictures of the original's Limited Edition here), and a comparison shot to the PS3 controller so you can get an idea how big the package is.

The Assassin's Creed II: Master Assassin's Edition GameStop Exclusive comes with:

- Assassin's Creed II game, manual, game box
- 8.5 inch Collectable Ezio Statue
- Artbook: The Art of Assassins Creed
- Premium Collectable Metal Case
- Two Exclusive, in-game maps: Palazzo Medici, Santa Maria Dei Frari
- Additional content DVD: Behind the scenes of Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II Soundtrack

GameStop.com no longer lists the Master Assassin's Edition, so check with your local GameStop store and see if you manage to find one. The Assassin's Creed II: Master Assassin's Edition has an MSRP of $79.99 for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. They're currently listed as high as $250 on eBay.

See more on Assassin's Creed II here at the official website.

Sports Authority is adding a new game to its sporting goods. Sports Authority has teamed up with Nintendo to offer the Wii system, Wii Fit Plus and Balance Board, and more exer-games at its stores. To spread awareness that Sports Authority will be selling the Wii and exer-games, several stores will host a Wii Fit Plus Experience where you can demo Wii Fit Plus and speak to trainers about it. Over 100 Sports Authority stores will be promoting the Wii Fit Plus Experience. Check this page here to see which Sports Authority stores in your area will be participating.

In addition, there will be a special event at the Sports Authority store in Torrance, California this Thursday, November 19th. Jillian Michaels will also be at the event, demonstrating her new Wii exer-game, Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010.

Here are more details on the event in Torrance, from Sports Authority:
"The event will feature "the world's largest Wii Fit Plus demonstration" and other surprises. More information on the event can be found at www.thewiiauthority.com or on Sports Authority's Facebook fan page.

The "We know fit. We know fun." experience will be unveiled Nov. 19 at 102 select Sports Authority stores throughout the nation. The remainder of the company's stores will feature the experience in Spring 2010."

"Every day Nintendo continues to attract new people to the world of video games," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "Now, through our retail partnership with Sports Authority, fitness fans have a convenient location to find fitness-related Nintendo products."

Keep a lookout on TheWiiAuthority.com for details on how to win giveaways of Wii Fit Plus starting November 26th. Thirty Wii Fit Plus games will be given away, each day from Thanksgiving Day to Christmas Day, so make sure to visit TheWiiAuthority.com for a chance at winning Wii Fit Plus.