Harry Potter and the HalfBlood Prince Launch Trailer

Electronic Arts announced today the worldwide release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Below is the press release with the announcement along with the launch trailer:

EA and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Announce Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Videogame Flies Onto Store Shelves This Week!

The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today announced that the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ videogame will be available in stores across the globe this week. Available on multiple platforms, the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince videogame allows players to experience all the magic, adventure and fun of the Warner Bros. Pictures’ film based on J.K. Rowling’s sixth book in the Harry Potter™ series.

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In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players return to Hogwarts™ – reproduced from movie blueprints in exacting detail - to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. Players will be able to master gesture-based spell-casting as they explore the Hogwarts school grounds, from the heights of the Astronomy Tower to Professor Slughorn’s Potions classroom in the depths of the dungeons and iconic locations in between such as the Gryffindor™ common room and the Great Hall.

For the first time players can move and cast spells simultaneously, creating intense and fast-paced wizard duels as the champions from each house line up to challenge the Boy Who Lived. Players can also chase down the Golden Snitch™ as they take to the air as the Seeker on the Gryffindor Quidditch™ team. In addition to spell-casting and flying, players can put their potion-mixing skills to the test when they learn how to mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards the dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.

"We are very excited by the fact that fans will be able to use Nintendo’s Wii Remote™ controller as their wands,” said Harvey Elliott, VP and GM Casual Studios, EA Play Label. "Casting charms and jinxes – Stupefy, Wingardium Leviosa, Accio and Petrificus Totalis among others – has never been easier or more realistic. This is definitely the most authentic translation from the movies and fiction that we have ever produced; the fans are going to love it!”

Developed by EA Bright Light, the team behind the worldwide success of the Harry Potter library of videogames, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince videogame shipped to retailers nationwide today for the Wii™, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS™, Windows PC, Mac, and mobile devices. The Wii, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PC, and Mac versions are rated ‘E10+’ and the handheld versions are rated ‘E’ for Everyone by the ESRB.

More information about the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince videogame is available at www.harrypotter.ea.com. Assets can be found at www.info.ea.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 SPORTSTM, EATM, 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://info.ea.com.


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.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR. (s09) EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox and Xbox 360 are either trademarks or registered trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PLAYSTATION”, "PlayStation” and "PSP” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo DS and Wii are trademarks of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs Hits Stores Shelves

ICE AGE™: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS VIDEO GAME HITS STORE SHELVES WORLDWIDE TODAY

Activision and Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising Deliver an Exciting New Game Where Kids Control Their Favorite Sub-Zero Heroes in an All New Adventure

Santa Monica, CA – June 30, 2009 – It’s time for gamers around the world to embark on an all-new incredible adventure with their favorite sub-zero heroes in Ice Age™: Dawn of the Dinosaurs from Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising (Fox Licensing). Based on the highly anticipated 3-D animated feature from Twentieth Century Fox, which debuts worldwide on July 1, the game allows players to command their favorite movie characters, including Sid, Manny, Diego, Scrat and the relentless one-eyed Dino hunting weasel, Buck, and venture into a mysterious underground world of dinosaurs, while solving puzzles and platforming through more than 15 exciting levels.

“Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs allows kids to play as some of their favorite movie characters on their own, or, for the first time in the series, with their family and friends in multiplayer mini-games,” said Rob Kostich, head of marketing for licensed properties, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Family game night will take on a whole new meaning as you compete in hilarious challenges like Sloth Throw, Dino Targets and Sloth Chase using your Wii Remote™ or gamepad.”

“The Ice Age franchise is so successful because the characters are extremely engaging and the story is fantastic – two elements that are perfect for a video game,” said Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President of New Media for Fox Licensing. “This game is fun for the entire family and will provide hours of entertainment.”

The Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game takes players on a quest through the frozen tundra to a lush jungle teeming with mysterious plants, fierce dinosaurs, wild new adventures and all-new friends. Offering more than six playable characters, the game allows fans to master the unique abilities and combat skills of each through continuously changing gameplay challenges. Every level presents new and exciting opportunities to defeat enemies with Sid’s spin attack, utilize Buck’s lasso to swing across treacherous landscapes, avoid obstacles as Scrat using his wall jumping and ceiling crawling abilities and escape from perilous situations flying on the back of a pterodactyl with Buck, Crash and Eddie. In addition, up to four players can share the Ice Age experience in eight competitive multiplayer mini-games.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs was developed for the console and PC platforms by Eurocom and for Nintendo DS by Artificial Mind & Movement.

The game is available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $49.99; the PlayStationÒ2 computer entertainment system and Nintendo DS for the suggested retail price of $29.99 and Games for Windows® for a suggested retail price of $19.99. The console and Games for Windows versions are rated "E10+" (Cartoon Violence) and DS is rated “E” (Mild Cartoon Violence) by the ESRB. For more information on the Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs video game, please visit www.IceAgeGame.com.

BanjoKazooie Nuts & Bolts Original Soundtrack Arrives

Sumthing Else Music Works announced today that the Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Original Soundtrack will be released tomorrow to retail outlets and digital stores. The soundtrack features musical compositions by Robin Beanland (Killer Instinct, Conker's Bad Fur Day), Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie) and David Clynick (Perfect Dark, Perfect Dark Zero).


SUMTHING ELSE MUSIC WORKS ANNOUNCES RELEASE OF BANJO-KAZOOIE: NUTS & BOLTS ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK

Original Music by Robin Beanland, Grant Kirkhope and David Clynick

New York - June 29th, 2009 - Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc., through its licensing relationship with Microsoft Game Studios, proudly presents Banjo-Kazooie™: Nuts & Bolts Original Soundtrack featuring the original music score from the third installment of the Banjo-Kazooie series developed by Rare Ltd. The soundtrack album be released on June 30th to retail outlets through Sumthing Else Music Works www.sumthing.com, and will be available for digital download on Sumthing Digital www.sumthingdigital.com and iTunes®.

Famed game developer Rare Ltd. has revived one of its most beloved and successful franchises exclusively on Xbox 360. Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts embraces new and old fans alike, as the famous bear and bird duo return in stunning high definition for a unique adventure of epic proportions.

The Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts Original Soundtrack features original musical compositions by Robin Beanland (Killer Instinct, Conker's Bad Fur Day), Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie, Banjo-Tooie) and David Clynick (Perfect Dark, Perfect Dark Zero).

Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts brings an entirely new experience to the console and takes the franchise to a whole new innovative level of enjoyment. High-definition graphics, user-created content and online gameplay are just three of the many advances people of all ages and skill levels will discover as they embark on their adventure. For more information on the game please visit www.banjo-kazooie.com.

For more information on Sumthing Else Music Works and its complete catalog of video game soundtracks, please visit www.sumthing.com and www.sumthingdigital.com.


About Rare

Founded in 1985 and based in the United Kingdom, Rare Ltd. is one of the world's leading video game developers and has masterminded some of the most popular video games in history, including multimillion-dollar sellers "GoldenEye," "Perfect Dark," "Banjo-Kazooie" and the "Donkey Kong Country" series. From 2005 to 2006, Rare released "Perfect Dark Zero," "Kameo: Elements of Power" and "Viva Piñata" for Xbox 360. Rare continues to entertain the world with the releases of "Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts" and "Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise". For further information visit www.rare.co.uk.


About Sumthing Else Music Works, Inc.

Since its creation in the late 1990's by the world-renowned song writer, musician and record producer, Nile Rodgers, Sumthing Else Music Works has become the acknowledged industry leader in licensing and distributing video game soundtracks. Possessing full in-house services worldwide, from retail marketing and sales through physical and digital distribution, Sumthing is partnered with the world's leading video game developers and publishers including BioWare, Bungie Studios, Capcom, Crytek, Eidos Interactive, Epic Games, Gearbox Software, Microsoft, Mistwalker, Rare, SEGA, Silicon Knights, Sony Computer Entertainment and Ubisoft. Their catalogue of titles includes the best selling video game soundtrack of all time, Halo 2: Volume One, as well as award-winning titles including: Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV, Halo Wars, Halo Trilogy, Gears of War 2, Fable II, Too Human, Brothers In Arms, Crysis, Advent Rising, Fable, Gears of War, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 Volume Two, Halo 3, Hitman: Blood Money, Hitman: Contracts, Jade Empire, Kameo: Elements of Power, Mass Effect, Red Steel, Unreal Tournament 3 and many others.

Madden NFL 10 NFC West Team Revealed

Electronic Arts has released a third wave of Madden NFL 10 assets, revealing more team’s overall rating and individual player ratings, this time with a focus on the NFC West division. Below is the press release with the trailer and screenshots:

NFC WEST TEAM AND PLAYER RATINGS REVEALED IN MADDEN NFL 10 SEASON PREVIEW

June 26, 2009 – Can you feel it? With NFL OTA’s (Organized Team Activity) concluding, that means that start of training camp draws ever closer. What teams will lead the pack? Which players are prepped for a breakout season? Will your team be a contender or pretender? See how your favorite team and players will fair – according to the Madden NFL 10 Season Preview.

     

     

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We continue our look at each team’s overall rating and individual player ratings with a focus on the NFC West division. In addition to the player ratings, a wealth of team-specific assets will be made available, for both the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, and Wii versions of Madden NFL 10. Everything culminates on August 3rd, where Madden NFL 10 will predict the 2009 NFL division winners, season MVP, and more.

To view the overall team ratings for the Cardinals, Seahawks, 49ers and Rams as well as download the complete team roster ratings, visit the official Madden NFL 10 website below:

• Madden NFL 10 Season Preview

Up next week: The NFC East

Madden NFL 10 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, Wii™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB. For more information about Madden NFL 10, visit http://maddennfl.easports.com/.

Weekly Rock Band Downloadable Content (Week 27 2009)

Harmonix announced that three additional tracks from artists performing on this year’s international Warped Tour, as well as a three pack from classic rockers Foreigner, will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content next week. Below is the press release with the announcement:

IT FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME FOR FOREIGNER, THE SECOND TIME FOR THE WARPED TOUR ROCK BAND PRESENTS THREE MORE WARPED TOUR TRACKS, FOREIGNER THREE PACK

Cambridge, Mass. – June 26, 2009 - Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that three additional tracks from artists performing on this year’s international Warped Tour, as well as a three pack from classic rockers Foreigner, will be added to the Rock Band®Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

The Warped Tour is an annual international music and extreme sports festival that began in 1994 and features a diverse line-up of bands, as well as pro-skating and BMX exhibitions. This week, five tracks from Warped Tour artists A Day to Remember, Bad Religion, Chiodos, Escape the Fate and Underoath were made available in the Rock Band Music Store, and next week, three more tracks from Warped Tour artists – Dear and the Headlights, The Devil Wears Prada and Thrice – will be available for download.

Three tracks from classic rock favorites Foreigner, which formed in 1976 and have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, will also be available beginning June 30. “Blue Morning Blue Day,” “Feels Like the First Time” and “Head Knocker” will be available in the Rock Band Music Store. Additionally, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club makes their Rock Band debut with “Weapons of Choice,” from the band’s 2007 album, Baby 81.

Tracks:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club “Weapon Of Choice”
Dear and the Headlights “Sweet Talk”
The Devil Wears Prada “Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?”
Foreigner “Blue Morning, Blue Day”
Foreigner “Feels Like the First Time”
Foreigner “Headknocker”
Thrice “Image of the Invisible”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Foreigner Pack” or “Warped Tour 02 Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Release Date:
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, July 2, 2009 (PlayStation®Store)
** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Price:
$1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Foreigner Pack” and “Warped Tour 02 Pack”

Locations:
Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation®Network

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

There are now more than 700 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers' voracious appetite for rock with more than 45 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated "T" for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. “PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Ruffian We're the Right People to Make Crackdown 2

It all goes back to Crackdown being a surprising sleeper hit, even for Microsoft. By the time Microsoft Games Studios should have secured a contract with the developer to create a sequel, Real Time Worlds had to move on and work on All Points Bulletin, a games that promises to do for MMOs what Crackdown did for open-world action games.

To everyone's surprise, Microsoft announced Crackdown 2 at E3 2009 and confirmed the rumors: the sequel to Crackdown won't be developed by Real Time Worlds, but instead the recently founded Ruffian Games will take on the job. After the official announcement, David Jones, founder of Real Time Worlds, and known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises, expressed his disappointment over the fact that Microsoft, owner of the Crackdown intellectual property, chose other studio to continue the series.

Edge got the chance to talk to Ruffian Games about Crackdown 2 and the comments made by David Jones. Ruffian Games defended Microsoft's decision, saying that they're the right ones to continue the series.

" Close to half of our team worked on the original game. We’ve got core members from every discipline who worked on it, the majority of the design team, and, depending on whom you speak to, some of the best coders and most talented artists. " Creative Director Billy Thomson said. " But there are still guys at Realtime we want to be friends with, so we don’t want to get dragged into a slanging match. "

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Play Wolfenstein 3D, Get Money in Upcoming Wolfenstein

When id Software announced the Xbox Live Arcade remake of Wolfenstein 3D, the company said that gamers who play the game will earn accolades and be awarded gold for customizable weapon upgrades in the all new, Wolfenstein. Today, the company has revealed how much gold you'll earn by playing Wolfenstein 3D.

Speaking to Destructoid, id Software’s Community Manager, Peter Sokal, explained how much you’ll get in Wolfenstein for your progress in Wolfenstein 3D:

If you beat the first level [of Wolfenstein 3D] and save your game, you get 1,000 gold tied to your account for [Wolfenstein], so […] day one, you’ll be able to start buying upgrades for your weapons and stuff.

Section 8 GameStop PreOrder Exclusive Revealed

GameStop has announced a pre-order offer for Section 8. Available only to those who pre-ordered the game at GameStop, the Captain's Armor can be worn by members of Section 8 and their adversaries, the Arm of Orion. The captain of a Section 8 squad wears the Imperial Eagle on his shoulder, while an Arm of Orion captain has the Lion of Orion emblazoned on the helmet of their gold-trimmed power armor. Below is the description for this offer and images of the Captain’s Armor:

Reserve Section 8 and receive GameStop exclusive Captain’s Armor for both Section 8 and their adversaries – the Arm of Orion. If you choose to play as a Captain of Section 8, you’ll proudly wear the Imperial Eagle of the USIF on your shoulder plate; as a Captain of the Arm of Orion, you’ll stand out with the rampant Lion of Orion emblazoned on your helmet and gold trim on your power armor. If only we could wear this to prom, we’d get all the ladies.

     

     

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Section 8 is an intense first-person shooter that gives players unprecedented strategic control over the battlefield, employing tactical assets and on-demand vehicle deliveries to dynamically alter the flow of combat.

Set at the crossroads of a growing insurrection among its colonies, Earth dispatches the elite 8th Armored Infantry to turn the tide. Utilizing advanced powered armor suits, these brave volunteers are the only ones crazy enough to smash through enemy defenses and drop directly into the battlefield from 15,000 feet, earning them the nickname “Section 8.”

Casting Call for Video Games Addicts Opened&#8206

We have run several articles covering video game addiction among adolescents, but we never imagined someone would make a casting call for video game addicts to star in a reality show....MTV is making the call and here is the info:

Have video games totally taken over your life? Is your game play increasingly getting out of control? Have your friends or family confronted you about your gaming habit? How about your marriage or personal relationships – are they being affected? Is it difficult to balance work and gaming time? Do you sometimes skip doing homework or household responsibilities to play? Have you played video games as a way of escaping your problems? Has your game playing habit become so encompassing that you may need to go to rehab to kick it? If you can identify with any of the above, MTV wants to hear from you.

To view the full casting call and apply, click here.

Peter Molyneux Wants to Give Rare "More of an Identity"

Speaking on his new position, Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux has revealed he wants to help internal studios regain identity. The recently appointed creative director of Microsoft Game Studios in Europe particularly mentioned Rare and revealed his intention to help the British studio come out off the dark.

" Actually one of the things I really want to do is help Rare have more of an identity, " said Molyneux in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. " And make sure the people at Rare are seen more within the industry. "

Electronic Arts Also Considered NatalLike Technology

Following yesterday's revelation that Nintendo tried a technology similar to Microsoft's Project Natal, here comes the news that Electronic Arts considered a camera-based motion sensing technology too. Speaking to Kotaku, EA CEO John Riccitiello revealed that his company was looking at "the camera system they ended up going with."

" We almost invested to create a platform extension like that for some of the games we're working on, " Riccitiello said. " We're very pleased, frankly, that it showed up at Microsoft, because I'd rather them pay for that. They can leverage it better, and we can build software. But I felt the market wanted that technology and I'm glad it's coming. "

Alan Wake Trailer

In this long-awaited exclusive Xbox 360 title, fill the shoes of one Alan Wake, a man who makes his living from the terror of others as a best-selling suspense novelist. Trapped in the deceptively peaceful Washington town of Bright Falls, where he came to escape the trauma of losing his fiancée, Alan must piece together a mystery to prevent himself from being trapped inside a nightmarish world forever.

An intense psychological thriller from Remedy, the creators of Max Payne, Alan Wake looks to raise the bar for future games, creating a true cinematic experience. Explore an expansive world filled with missions, unique puzzles, intense combat, and horrifying enemies. Dig into a twisting and multi-layered story filled with suspense, engaging characters, and shocking revelations.

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NCAA Football 10 TeamBuilder Available Now

At Electronic Arts’ E3 press conference, EA Sports Senior Vice President Group General Manager, Steve Chiang, announced that TeamBuilder, an all-new, online create-a-school feature, is now available for the first time at http://teambuilder.easports.com.Below is the press release with the announcement along with screenshots of this new feature:

NCAA FOOTBALL 10 TEAMBUILDER AVAILABLE NOW