BIOWARE’S ACTION RPG MASS EFFECT 2 MAKES PLAYSTATION 3 DEBUT

The highest-rated game of 2010 comes to PS3 in January 2011

Cologne, Germany – August 17, 2010 – Today at GamesCom, BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), announced that Mass Effect 2, the highest rated game of 2010 for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and PC*, is coming to the Sony PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system in January 2011. The PlayStation 3 edition will include the full Mass Effect 2 game and hours of bonus content, making this the perfect introduction to BioWare’s award-winning action RPG franchise.

Mass Effect 2 has already received over 70 perfect scores from media outlets such as the Associated Press, Eurogamer, MSNBC,com, G4TV and the Los Angeles Times, and is the highest rated game in the 15-year history of Bioware and the 28-year history of EA.

The Mass Effect franchise is an epic science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous aliens and mysterious, uncharted planets. In Mass Effect 2, PlayStation 3 players will step into the role of Commander Shepard for the very first time, leading a crew of the most dangerous special operatives from across the galaxy on a mission to save mankind. Featuring intense shooter action, a rich storyline, space exploration and emotionally engaging character interaction, Mass Effect 2 delivers an unparalleled gameplay experience.

Mass Effect 2 will be available for the PlayStation 3 in January 2011. For more information, please visit http://masseffect.bioware.com/ and follow the development team at twitter.com/masseffect2 or at http://www.facebook.com/masseffect.

* According to Metacritic.com.

About BioWare

BioWare develops high quality console, PC and online role-playing games, focused on rich stories, unforgettable characters and vast worlds to discover. Since 1995, BioWare has created some of the world’s most critically acclaimed titles, including Baldur’s Gate , Neverwinter Nights , Star Wars : Knights of the Old Republic , Jade Empire , Mass Effect and Dragon Age . BioWare operates in Edmonton (Alberta, Canada), Montreal (Quebec), Austin (Texas) and Fairfax (Virginia). Currently announced projects at BioWare include the development of ongoing downloadable content for Mass Effect 2, one of the highest rated video games of all time, Dragon Age 2, the highly anticipated sequel to 2009’s “RPG of the Year” Dragon Age: Origins, and the story-driven massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars : The Old Republic . In 2008, BioWare was acquired by Electronic Arts, a leading global interactive entertainment publisher. For more information on BioWare, visit www.bioware.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/biofeed. To join the millions of fans already registered on our community, go to http://social.bioware.com.

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: EA SPORTS , EA , EA Mobile and POGO . In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. 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://info.ea.com.

Here’s an interesting connection between 2 of the different worlds that I function within.  Using people’s interest in games as bait for phishing.

StarCraft II accounts being targeted in phishing scam – Video Games Reviews, Cheats | Geek.com.

Is nothing sacred?  Obviously not in the world of spam and phish.

I was lucky enough to be invited by EA Sports to interview Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta Falcons tight end, about NFL Training Camp, a game that uses motion sensing technology to put players through real pro NFL training camp drills like dropping back and passing, or cutting from side to side while sprinting.

I shot video of the whole interview, but there’s a lot of background noise and it simply isn’t that exciting of a video.  It’s just Tony and I sitting on a couch talking.  Once in a while we laugh.  Not the most thrilling video in the world.  I recorded audio and I’m not going to transcribe it word for word.

We talked about a bunch of stuff and I really enjoyed meeting him.  He’s a nice guy, very personable and friendly.  I started the interview by telling him that I remember playing as him when my friend Mike and I played a season of Madden 99 as the Kansas City Chiefs.  He laughed and said that was over a decade ago and then asked if we won (which we did) and then he high fived me and said it was great that we had a better season.

We talked about the NFL Training Camp game from EA Sports Active.  It uses a heart rate monitor and wireless motion tracking to provide a workout designed by NFL strength and conditioning coaches.  He said that he’s played around with it and thinks it’s a good thing.  It got his heart rate up and he could see how it would improve timing, agility, and other skills like training camp.

I shot some video of someone playing at the event.  It looked to me like this guy was working hard and afterwards the game reported he burned 400 calories or so.

I had fun talking to Tony.  At one point I said that I thought he is the best TE to ever play the game.  He said that was a bit much, like he wouldn’t agree to being the best.  So I said, you have the most TD’s, most receptions, and most yards of any TE in the history of the league, surely you must agree to top 10.  He agreed then thought a moment and then said, “That puts me in some good company.”

We talked about how he likes to play TE because he likes to be involved in more aspects of the game than just catching.  If he wanted to run and catch he would have been a WR.  He likes to block and feels it’s an under appreciated skill.  I appreciate a good block and I mentioned that I did and he said that even with all the TD catches he’s had it is still most exhilarating when he blocks a linebacker and sets up the run.  That’s pretty cool.

He recently wrote a book about nutrition so we chatted about that for a while.  He’s into eating lean and high-quality protein and vegetables.  I believe it’s based on some vegan principles.  He looks like he’s in great shape but that probably goes without saying.  He is a professional athlete.  We laughed for a bit because I pointed out that what we eat becomes more important as we get older and the body can’t bounce back as quickly from something like a burger and fries.

Tony had some advice for young football players.  Eat right, train, and build for the future.  Learn everything you can about the game and improve your body and skills.  Sounds pretty solid to me.  Practice and improvement are two good things.

EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp seems like it can help improve football related skills.  It’s in development for PS3, Kinect for Xbox 360, Wii, and iPod touch by EA Canada in Vancouver.  You can find more info at EA Sports Active.

Blur Is Fun, not Crucial

Activision’s new racing game, Blur, is semi-realistic and quite competitive. It’s mainly a game of power-ups and straight up fast driving. Depending on the type of competition, it can also be about blasting enough enemy cars in the given time. You pick up items as you’re driving to enhance your car’s capabilities. Power-ups include landmines, turbo speed, and repair. Blur is a fun game, though not what I’d call a must-have. The graphics get the job done, and the sound is good. Lest anyone call a racing game loner territory, or antisocial, Blur integrates with Twitter. You can press L1 to share your Blur achievements, which is pretty cool.

Dog’s rating: 7 out of 10

I’ve been playing Blur (review on the way) and one of the coolest things is the social network interaction. Once it is set up, it’s only a few clicks to post to Twitter or FaceBook what I’ve accomplished in the game. The hashtag is #blurthegame. It’s sort of cool.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior exposes players to the elements.

In City Interactive’s Sniper: Ghost Warrior, players will have to properly position the perfect headshot under the strain of certain weather conditions, including torrential rain, dense fog and blazing bright sun.

The elements are but one trial that players face, as a host of other challenges are in store. The missions are arduous, and it sup to the sniper to move with stealth and smarts to take down the tango and accomplish his mission objectives.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior hits stores June 8, 2010 for Xbox 360 and the PC.

Check out the forecasts in Sniper: Ghost Warrior!

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Crime-action series hits the streets with a vengeance; more hard-hitting gameplay on the way with “GAC Pack” downloadable content.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (Apr. 27, 2010) – Leading video game publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that Dead to Rights: Retribution is now available nationwide for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. In addition, a new action-packed “GAC Pack” downloadable content (DLC) will be available in North America on June 1 for Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation Network. This new premium DLC pack will include two all new gameplay modes in addition to the “Jack Pack” and “Shadow Pack” DLC, which were previously only available to pre-order customers.

Dead to Rights: Retribution is a ground-up reinvention of the multi-million unit selling crime action series. Thrusting players into a mature neo-noir crime drama as vice cop Jack Slate and his canine companion Shadow, the game introduces an innovative new hybrid combat system that seamlessly blends third-person shooting with hand-to-hand brawling and AI partner. For the first time in the series, players will also be able to play as ferocious canine Shadow with his own unique gameplay style and feel. Deadly on their own, Jack and Shadow are even more formidable as they team up to defeat the threats they uncover in Grant City.

“We’ve completely rebooted the Dead to Rights franchise to deliver a satisfying, visceral and action-packed gameplay experience for existing fans and new gamers,” said Todd Thorson, director of marketing and public relations at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “We’re boosting the action up another notch with an accessibly priced DLC pack filled with all new missions and game-enhancing bonus content.”

The “GAC Pack” will include two new completely different modes of gameplay as well as exciting bonus options to enrich the player’s experience with the core retail game. “Assault on the 87th Precinct” is a new mission that reveals a flip side to the story, allowing players to experience the action from the GAC (Grant City Anti-Crime) enemy’s side of the battle. Players step into the boots of the GAC Sniper, Brawler and Tank characters as they converge upon the GCPD (Grant City Police Department) stronghold under orders to contain all police officers so they can secure a tactical advantage. In “Riot Control Mode,” Jack and Shadow fend off increasingly difficult waves of GAC forces to earn points and achievements based on speed and style, with high score bragging rights on international leaderboards. In addition, the previously exclusive “Jack Pack” and “Shadow Pack” are also included in the “GAC Pack” allowing players to access armor for Jack, stealth camouflage for Shadow, an “action mode” with explosive rounds gunplay, and a “noir mode” with a black, white and red graphic filter.

Developed by Volatile Games, Dead to Rights: Retribution is rated “M” for mature audiences by the ESRB and carries an MSRP of $59.99. The “GAC Pack” DLC add-on content will be released on June 1 for Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 for 400 Microsoft Points and on PlayStation Network for $4.99. Players must have the retail game in order to access the “GAC Pack” content. For more information, please visit www.deadtorights.com or www.namcobandaigames.com.

About NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. is a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer based in Santa Clara, CA. The company is a part of the NAMCO BANDAI group of companies known for creating and publishing many of the industry’s top video game franchises including the PAC-MAN®, SOULCALIBUR®, and Tekken® brands. For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., and our products log onto http://www.namcobandaigames.com/.

About Volatile Games

Volatile Games specializes in the creation of games for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system. Based in Leamington Spa in the UK, Volatile Games is dedicated to the creation of high-quality and high-profile boxed console games for a mature gaming audience. Volatile Games is a division of Blitz Games Studios, founded in 1990 by games industry veterans Philip and Andrew Oliver and currently one of the largest independent games developers in the world.

Football Manager Handheld 2010 on iPhone and iPod touch available now.

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (13 April 2010) – Sports Interactive & SEGA Europe Ltd. are pleased to announce that today sees the global launch of Football Manager Handheld 2010 for the iPhone and iPod touch. The game is available now worldwide via the App Store, priced at $9.99 (USD).

Developed by Sports Interactive, Football Manager Handheld 2010 brings the unrivalled realism of the critically acclaimed Football Manager series to the iPhone and iPod touch. Players can choose a team from 34 leagues across 11 different countries and try to take their chosen club to the very top of the football world. Take control of all aspects of football management; negotiating player contacts and transfers, managing a squad of up to 36 players and setting tactics, formations, as well as team and individual player instructions.

“We’ve been trying very hard over the last few months to keep this a secret so it’s great to be able to finally reveal all,” said Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive. “We’ve fitted more than we ever imagined into the game, and the results speak for themselves – it’s the most in-depth football management game so far released on the iPhone or iPod touch, with a bargain price point for what you get, and we’re really excited to see the reaction to the game from football fans all over the world.”

For further information please go to www.sigames.com or www.footballmanager.com.

About Sports Interactive Ltd.

Sports Interactive (SI) is the world’s leading developer of football management simulations through its Football Manager series of games Founded in 1994 and based in the Old Street area of London, SI has a full-time staff of 60 and employs services of more than 1,500 part-time researchers across the globe, alongside over 100 offsite beta testers. The company’s games have enjoyed an unparalleled history of commercial and critical success, with ten of its creations among the UK’s Top 20 fastest-selling PC games of all time, and 5 in the UK’s top 20 best selling PC games of all time. Sports Interactive became a wholly owned subsidiary of SEGA in 2006. Further information on the company and its games is available from the SI website, www.sigames.com.

About SEGA Europe Ltd.

SEGA Europe Ltd. is the European Distribution arm of Tokyo, Japan-based SEGA Corporation, and a worldwide leader in interactive entertainment both inside and outside the home. The company develops and distributes interactive entertainment software products for a variety of hardware platforms including PC, wireless devices, and those manufactured by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. SEGA Europe’s web site is located at www.sega.com.

There was a really insightful posting about Microsoft’s law enforcement investigation compliance policies over at GamePolitics.

MSFT Criminal Compliance Handbook Leaked | GamePolitics.

The most important thing to realize is that I was writing stuff 10 years ago trying to alert businesses and consumers that Microsoft was tracking what we did.  Companies embed tracking information in hardware and on web sites also.  No big shock there to most people.

But the shock is just how ready Microsoft is to hand everything about you over to a law enforcement agency.  They designed the information stores for their online services so that they could easily obtain your info and provide it when asked.  I’m talking about Windows Live, Windows Live ID Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and Xbox Live.

For example, law enforcement could get a warrant for your Xbox Live account and obtain your full name, address, credit card, Microsoft PassPort account and then have access to all your Hotmail email. And your IP address.

The big picture is that if you’re using Microsoft anything you should know that Big Brother is watching you.  The same is true for Google – Gmail, the search engine, desktop search – so I’m not calling out Microsoft for anything others don’t do.

They know where you are, your web activities, the text of your email, the games you play and the movies you watch.

I was saddened this afternoon to receive the following notice from Capcom
“Our COO and dear friend, Mark Beaumont, passed away this morning. This sudden loss has left us with deep sadness. Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will remember him for his humor, passion and commitment to Capcom and our industry. He was a great leader and visionary and his spirit will carry on in everything that we do. Please join us in memory of Mark. ”

It’s a sad night in the world of gaming. My condolences to Mark’s family and colleagues.