While the beta is currently only for paying subscribers, Jagex will be letting everyone else in on the fun in due time. Hit the jump for the new trailer for the title, which features the awesome blurb "Now Playable In Full Screen" which makes me giggle every time I see it.

Jagex launches member's beta of RuneScape High Detail

Jagex unveils the eagerly awaited new version of RuneScape to its one million plus subscribers

UK, Cambridge, 1st July 2008 - Jagex Ltd, the UK’s largest independent games developer, today launched RuneScape High Detail, the latest version of their hugely successful massively-multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG). RuneScape High Detail has been released as a beta to subscribers with the plan to offer the same functionality to free players in the future. RuneScape High Detail is a full graphics improvement, which utilizes new technology to enhance the game graphics and, for the first time, runs the game in full screen through an internet browser.

About RuneScape

RuneScape is a massively-multiplayer online game, set in a fantasy world of warring races, ravaged landscapes and sinister powers. The game is updated twice a months with new content, quests, skills or challenges.

RuneScape remains the 2nd largest free-to-play and subscription-based MMO in the western world, with more than six million active players and over one million paying subscribers.

Anthem is the guitar-heavy song from Top Gun, not to be confused with Kenny Loggins's Danger Zone. Unfortunately the free DLC won't include a heavy metal fro or aluminum parachute pants.

“TOP GUN ANTHEM” TO LAND ON GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK AS FREE DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT FOR FOURTH OF JULY

SANTA MONICA, CA – July 1, 2008 – Grab your wingman and fire up the F-14 for the announcement today of a special Fourth of July treat for Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero III®: Legends of Rock fans. Beginning July 3, 2008, the legendary, GRAMMY® award-winning “Top Gun Anthem” will be available as a free downloadable song for the game.

The instrumental, guitar-heavy theme was immortalized in the hit film that inspired a generation of young men to awkwardly serenade women at bars, perform perfectly-timed “flipside” high fives and threaten to “buzz the tower.”

The song will be available as a free download to Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock mavericks and their wingmen everywhere for Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and in the PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system on July 3, 2008.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock offers the ultimate rock experience with new wireless guitars, freshly added content and features including a multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a host of exclusive unlockable content and visually stunning rock venues. Expanded online multiplayer modes allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true rock status as they riff through a star-studded soundtrack including master tracks by legendary artists such as Aerosmith, Guns 'N' Roses, The Rolling Stones, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine and Pearl Jam, as well as original songs by guitar icons Slash and Tom Morello. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is now available and is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB. For more information visit http://community.guitarhero.com.

Ed Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online commented, "We are pleased to be able to set out our exciting new expansion plans for ArchLord. As recently announced ArchLord is now more popular than ever with thousands of new players taking up the challenge every day to compete to become the games all-ruling leader!

Episode 3 is due to go live "in the coming weeks".

Codemasters Online Reveal Expansion Plans for ArchLord MMO

ArchLord, the popular subscription-free MMORPG readies for all-new free game content.

Friday, 20th June (2pm GMT) – Codemasters Online are pleased to reveal that their popular free MMORPG ArchLord will be receiving an overhaul in the shape of the all-new, FREE Expansion Episode 3: Spirits Awakening. Due to go live in the coming weeks, Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds up to 30% new game content to the existing game when this free update goes live.

ArchLord Episode 3: Spirits Awakening adds a number of new features & free game content including:
• New game content – Up to 30% all-new game content
• All new zones – 3 new game zones for players to challenge
• New class skills – Over 80 new skills
• ArchLord abilities – New ruling ArchLord skills and abilities
• New armour & items – New collectible armour sets with unique stats
• New monsters & enemies – New monsters and zone bosses

Ed Relf, Director of Marketing, Codemasters Online commented, "We are pleased to be able to set out our exciting new expansion plans for ArchLord. As recently announced ArchLord is now more popular than ever with thousands of new players taking up the challenge every day to compete to become the games all-ruling leader! Episode 3 adds a significant amount of new content to what is already a leading free MMORPG and we look forward to delivering this free expansion to our players in the coming weeks."

ArchLord is a premier free online role-playing game allowing players to download and play the game for free with no monthly subscriptions or commitments. The online game challenges thousands of players each month to raise an army, to compete to become the game's all-ruling ArchLord and with it control of the entire game world impacting on the lives of thousands of players online.

From June 20 and June 22 and June 27 and June 29, people can bring in their Ds with a copy of Diamond or Pearl to a GameStop and download Deoxys for free.

I'm not really a Pokemon player myself and my son, he's more of a Pokemon rancher, so I don't know. Is Deoxys really that rare or does everyone who plays the game have like a dozen by now?

Did You Know?

Pokémon Fans to Catch Rare Character at GameStop Stores

There are many ways to catch a Pokémon, but for two special weekends in June, there’s only one failsafe way for fans to get one of the most unique characters in the enthralling Pokémon® universe on their Nintendo DS™.
From June 20-22 and June 27-29, Pokémon players are invited to bring their Nintendo DS systems and Pokémon® Diamond or Pokémon® Pearl games to the nearest GameStop store where they can receive Deoxys™, a legendary character with transformative powers and an impressive set of battle-ready moves.
With an imaginative roster of characters and richly interactive game play, the blockbuster Pokémon game series has attracted millions of fans worldwide. According to the independent NPD Group, Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl have sold more than 4.2 million combined in the United States alone, while Nintendo DS continues to be ranked as the nation’s top-selling hand-held game system.

You can hit up here website to see the giant piles of Nintendo products in action. I'd like to thank Kotakuite dArk_stAr for sending in the tip, all the while wondering what the hell he is doing watching Ellen.

The Ellen Degeneres Show [Official Website]

Hit the link below to sign up, and be sure to read through the entire exhaustive agreeement before putting your name to it, as that is the responsible thing to do.

Skim away!
Battlefield Heroes Beta Sign Up Page [QABoss via EvoGamer]

I've played the game a bit myself, and while there are points where it feels a bit like your standard Korean MMO given a fresh coat of paint, the game mechanics are actually rather entertaining. The only real problem I have with it is that it is hard to maintain an atmosphere of horror after you've killed the same monster 20 times, but it definitely has a few moments. Hit up the link below to get things started!

Requiem: Bloodymare Official Site [Gravity Interactive = Thanks Andthenjaredsaid!]

TIRED OF THE SAME OLD TEAM DEATHMATCH?

SIERRA ENTERTAINMENT REVEALS INNOVATIVE MULTIPLAYER MAP PACK FOR TIMESHIFTTM

Sierra Entertainment today revealed plans to launch the Futures-Past Multiplayer Map Pack, a new downloadable content (DLC) package for TimeShift™ for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, available for free download on 9th May 2008. The map pack features five new multiplayer maps for players to unravel while annihilating online enemies with time-bending chrono grenades. Each map presented in the DLC package supports classic multiplayer modes: One-on-One, Deathmatch, and Team Deathmatch, but TimeShift's exclusive multiplayer modes, King of Time and Meltdown Madness modes reveal the future of multiplayer fragging.

For more information on downloadable content package, Futures-Past Multiplayer Map Pack, be sure to visit the official website at www.timeshiftgame.com.

* New Region - Explore the icy reaches of Forochel
* New Quests - Over 100 new quests
* Hobby System - Feel like going fishing?
* Enhanced Monsterplay - New monster class: the Orc Defiler
* Looking For Fellowship Enhancements - Mustering Horns and UI improvements
* More customization options - cosmetic clothing, traveling clothes, and barbershops!
* New PvMP dungeon - The Delving of Frór
* Return to Angmar - completely overhauled to enhance playability and fun

THE EYE OF JUDGMENT- FREE CARD FRIDAY RESULTS [Official PlayStation Blog - Thanks Velglarn!]

First Downloadable Content Free with Mass Effect PC EDMONTON, Alberta—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), has announced that "Bring Down the Sky," the first piece of downloadable content for the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™, will be available for PC gamers to download free1 of charge when Mass Effect for the PC releases on May 28, 2008 in North America and June 6, 2008 in Europe.

Fully optimized for the PC, "Bring Down the Sky" is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that will further expand the Mass Effect story and universe. It includes a new uncharted world that introduces the deadly Batarian alien race, approximately 90 minutes of new gameplay and an original soundtrack.

Batarian extremists have hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, "Bring Down the Sky" has received critical acclaim as one of the "must have" downloadable expansion packs. Mass Effect has also received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 80 awards including Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year.

The "Bring Down the Sky" downloadable content for PC will be available at the launch of Mass Effect for the PC, and will be free of charge to registered BioWare community members.

The team just announced the release of a new downloadable map pack for SOCOM 3: U.S. Navy SEALs and SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Combined Assault. This third downloadable map pack includes SOCOM and SOCOM II maps Crossroads, Fishhook, Frostfire and Guidance.

Crossroads is a SOCOM II urban map based in North Africa. Crossroads consistently ranks as the most popular classic SOCOM map and a next generation version of Crossroads will be featured in SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Demolition and Control gametypes.

Fishhook is a SOCOM II map based on a seaside North African village. It is playable with up to 16 players in a day or night setting in Suppression, Extraction, Control and Breach gametypes.

Frostfire is a SOCOM map which features an oil drilling platform off of the coast of Alaska. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Control and Demolition gametypes.

Guidance is a SOCOM II map which features an ex-soviet military base in Russia. It is playable in a day or night setting with up to 16 players in Suppression, Demolition and Control gametypes.

The best part, the new map pack is totally free. Sounds like just the thing to hold me over until SOCOM Confrontations hits in September.

NEW SOCOM 3 AND SOCOM CA MAP PACK RELEASED... FOR FREE! [SOCOM, thanks txshurricane]

If you didn't get the free Demo on UMD when it came out, you can still grab it directly over on the Playstation Store. I point this out because the downloadable demo isn't exactly easy to find and some of you may not have realized it's out there.

God of War: Chains of Olympus Demo [PS Story, thanks Brad]

ACTIVISION UNVEILS NEW DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT IN MARCH FOR GUITAR HERO® III: LEGENDS OF ROCK

Modern Metal Pack to Feature Chart-Toppers from Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones and Thrice Dropkick Murphys On Tap for Free Download Available in Time for Dropkick Murphys On Tap for Free Download Available in Time for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

SANTA MONICA, CA - March 6, 2008 - New downloadable songs for Activision Inc.'s Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock are set to storm living rooms across the globe with the release of two new track packs.

Available today is the Modern Metal pack which let's players jam to master recordings of Deftones' "Hole in the Earth," Avenged Sevenfold's "Almost Easy" and Thrice's "The Arsonist." The track pack is now on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and will be available later today on PLAYSTATION®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Additionally, Activision will be kicking off the St. Patrick's Day celebrations with a special free track pack from the popular Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys that will be available mid March. Straight from the band's sixth album, The Meanest of Times, the Dropkick Murphys pack will include master recordings of "Famous for Nothing," "(F)lannigan's Ball" and "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya." The track pack will be available for free to download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace and PLAYSTATION®Store.

"This is fantastic news for commercial PC game developers as well as the independent game development community, who will really benefit from this move," said Mark DeLoura, creator of the Game Programming Gems series.

Havok Offers Core Physics Software Free For PC Game Developers

Company Seeks to Propel Innovative Game Development by Giving Free Access to Industry-Leading Physics and Animation Tool Suite

San Francisco (February 20, 2008) - Havok™, the premier provider of interactive software and services to digital creators in the games and movie industries, today announced that the company will offer the PC version of its award-winning physics and animation software product - Havok Complete - for download free of charge.

Available for non-commercial use, Havok Complete for the PC will be freely downloadable in May 2008.

Havok's core platform, Havok Complete combines the industry-leading Havok Physics engine and Havok Animation, the company's premier character animation solution. Havok Complete is already the most popular solution in the cross-platform AAA games market, featuring technology used in over 200 games. By making Havok Complete for the PC freely downloadable, Havok will further build on its leading position by completely removing the barriers to entry for the large number of independent developers, academic institutions and enthusiasts in the PC space.

"Havok has an excellent revenue base generated by sales of our three products across multiple platforms and into multiple industries," said David O'Meara, Managing Director at Havok. "This enables us to make an industry-changing move and opens up a much broader market for products such as Havok Behavior - and our new products Havok Cloth and Havok Destruction - that really come alive when adopted on top of our core platform, Havok Complete."

Havok has entered into an agreement with Intel, Havok's parent company, under which approved game developers on the PC platform can execute a commercial distribution license with Havok for free.

"Intel is very pleased to be sponsoring this direction in the PC market. This aligns well with our ongoing strategy of putting the best software tools in the hands of PC games developers," said Renee J. James, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Software and Solutions Group, Intel Corporation.

With the free PC download of Havok Complete, Havok enables broad non-commercial development use for artists and engineers around the world, which Havok believes will boost creative game development throughout the industry.

"This is fantastic news for commercial PC game developers as well as the independent game development community, who will really benefit from this move," said Mark DeLoura, creator of the Game Programming Gems series. "It's great to see a leading middleware company like Havok show such support for PC game developers by making its physics and animation system freely available."

Havok's overall focus remains cross-platform and Havok will continue commercial licensing of Havok Complete for other platforms and in other industries such as movies and serious gaming. This initiative does not apply to license fees that may be payable to Havok for console versions of Havok Complete or to applications developed for other purposes such as game engines for redistribution, other middleware, movies, training, military or industrial simulation.

Havok's physics software is featured in over 200 AAA games available on stores shelves today. With well over 90 games currently in development to be released this year, use of Havok's ubiquitous software is up 100% over last year at the same time. Best-selling titles featuring Havok physics include: Halo 3, Assassin's Creed, Guitar Hero III, BioShock, World in Conflict, Half Life 2: The Orange Box, and Heavenly Sword. Havok's software will also be featured in the highly-anticipated upcoming games Alan Wake, Indiana Jones, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Starcraft II.

With a broad and deep range of tech partners including AMD, Intel, Nvidia, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft as well as a host of world-class publishers and developers, Havok is well known industry-wide for its excellent customer service.

In addition to the PC software download, Havok also unveiled two new software products, Havok Cloth™ and Havok Destruction™ at this year's Game Developers Conference. Havok Cloth and Destruction provide artists with dramatically increased control over interactive cloth and destructible objects within games. The company also announced several new features and enhancements across its award winning modular suite of run-time technology and artist tools.

Havok also celebrated a number of key entertainment and technology awards in 2007, including a National Academy of Television, Arts & Sciences Award, Game Developer Frontline Award, and a Develop Industry Excellence Award.

Now that you are all caught up you can use the remaining hours of today to download your free game or attempt to get your free points. You have until midnight, so get crackin'.

Beckett Massive Online Gamer Packed with Exclusive Content Now on Shelves

Dallas, TX - November 28, 2007 - Fresh off the press, the latest issue of Beckett Massive Online Gamer magazine (Issue December/January - Vol. 2 No. 6 Issue 10) is on retail shelves with hard-hitting exclusive interviews, an exclusive item from Everquest II, and insider feature stories readers won't find anywhere else.

Among the many exciting features packing this issue:

* Exclusive Everquest II: Rise of Kunark Exclusive in-game item available for all Massive Online Gamer subscribers. The retrieval key code and instructions are available on pg 21 of this issue. The in-game item is a first ever and only animated portrait available of Venril Sathir.
* Exclusive Interview with the Everquest II: Rise of Kunark Development Team.
* Exclusive Interview with Richard Garriott, the creator of Tabula Rasa.
* Everquest II Shard of Fear Zone Guide and Quests.
* Interview with Kevin Balentine, PR Director for Stargate Worlds and some Exclusive Art and Images.
* Interview with Hermann Peterscheck, Producer of Jumpgate Evolution.
* World of Warcraft complete details for Conquering Karazhan.

Additional Coverage: Pirates of the Burni ng Sea, Rappelz, The Agency, Guild Wars: Eye of North, Mythos, and much more. Also, don't forget to vote for your favorite MMO's for the MMO Reader's Choice Awards. For more information about Beckett Massive Online Gamer Magazine, please visit the official website for the magazine, http://www.beckettmog.com.

Microsoft is rolling out two Games for Windows - LIVE updates in a matter of only four months, but we're just getting started! Our goal is to deliver new and exciting experiences for Windows gamers, while maintaining the unique PC gaming environment we love.

Games for Windows LIVE Update LONDON - 9th October, 2007. Games for Windows - LIVE is receiving a v1.2 update in the November time frame.

In August 2007, Games for Windows - LIVE v1.1 added a lot of great features that enhanced the user experience, including support for five new languages (Russian, Polish, Czech, Norwegian and Dutch), the addition of 12 new gamer pics and a new Network Information Viewer to provide a simpler way to troubleshoot connectivity issues.

Games for Windows - LIVE v1.1 also included many backend upgrades to improve gamers' experiences such as DirectX 10 and Windows XP support for future Games for Windows - LIVE titles, log on error reporting, improved error messaging, improved router interaction, improved security and reduced time to recover a gamer profile on new Windows PCs.

The Games for Windows - LIVE v1.2 update will continue to add numerous end-user benefits to the service, such as support for offline Achievements, so gamers can continue to rack up Gamerscore when not connected to the internet, the ability to see whether your friends are "joinable" in games, along with additional UI features.

Microsoft is rolling out two Games for Windows - LIVE updates in a matter of only four months, but we're just getting started! Our goal is to deliver new and exciting experiences for Windows gamers, while maintaining the unique PC gaming environment we love. We've come a long way since announcing the vision of LIVE across multiple Microsoft platforms last year and are committed to continually refining and bringing future functionality to Games for Windows - LIVE.

Be sure to check out the first wave of titles to support the service which should hit shelves by Holiday:

• "The Club" (SEGA) - The Club - no rating as yet
• "Kane & Lynch: Dead Men" (Eidos) - 18 BBFC
• "Universe at War: Earth Assault" (SEGA) - no rating as yet
• "Gears of War" (Microsoft Game Studios) - 18 BBFC
• "Viva Piñata" (Microsoft Game Studios) - 3+

Sorry, Canada, you're going to have to wait a little longer for yours, but you can still partake. The rest of you? Out of luck.

Nintendo wants to hear your thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass [Nintendo - thanks, Tim!]

My footsteps echo up the stone spiral staircase as I take them two at a time. The rampart is lifted, one of the doors, sways slightly in the breeze.

"Hellooo?"

No one answers. Inside the tower are piles of boxes and envelopes. The lights are off. I wander around until I find Fahey curled up in a ball in the corner of the west atrium, spiders crawling out of his nose, his eyes rolled back in his head. Hmmmm, maybe I need to leave more than one person around to run the place next time we take off for the four corners...

The boxes, inside the boxes are scads of Halo thingies and doohookies. There's two McFarlane controllers, a wireless headset, reams of Microsoft points, rations, a first aid kit, dog tags, a Master Chief duffel bag, a limited edition copy of the game and a Halo 3 Xbox 360 labeled "generic" in big letters on one side. Why does it say generic? Oh right, they were going to laser etch my gamertag into the front of it, but I told them I'd be giving all of it away on the site.

Now how should I do that?

By: Brian Crecente

The next big thing in massively multiplayer online games might very well be the decidedly old school world of card games.

Online trading card games to be specific.

Since its August launch inside Everquest and Everquest II more than 111,000 matches of the Everquest-themed online trading card game Legends of Norrath have been played.

SOE president John Smedley told me in a recent interview that more than 30 percent of the MMOs' players are currently playing the trading card game and that they've sold more than 5,000 virtual boxes of booster packs for about $100 a pop.

"There are loot cards in the packs that give them items they can use in Everquest, but we don't think that's why they are buying the boxes," he said. "We believe we are giving people other avenues of gameplay within a game."
The game is so successful that the Everquest teams are now working on creating places within the MMOs that will be used exclusively for playing the game.

"We've always told the story of people going into taverns and playing the games," Smedley said. "People were complaining about not being able to find a quiet place to play the game. We're thinking of creating places, sort of like a library, where people can play without having to worry about people running by and spamming them."

And that new space better come soon, earlier this month Sony Online Entertainment announced that the game would be now available free to anyone, whether they play Everquest or Everquest II. The stand-alone game only requires a free login to Sony's Station.

"I think it's going to take off in a lot of ways," Smedley said. "Standalone games are more conducive to quick games. This game was designed with 15 minute play sessions in mind in the first place."

Now Smedley and his teams are looking at their other massively multiplayer online games to see which ones might work with new trading card games.

"We are actively looking at other games we might want to put this into," he said. "They would be similar styles of games but not identical. It might not be a collectible card game, we might build a major strategy game."

The games might not even use cards. Sony Online Entertainment - Denver, which built the engine that powers the Legends of Norrath, are also responsible for a fairly successful online version of Pirates. In the game players collect and build small, virtual 3D ships and then wage battles.

"It's not just about cards, cards are just one representation," he said. "If you think just about collectible stuff, imagine all of the things we could do."

Smedley also has plenty of plans for Norrath, including regular expansions the first of which will be announced soon.

It's too soon to tell if all of this interest in Norrath is translating to a renewed interest in the massively multiplayer games that it is based on, Smedley said.

"This weekend we saw our concurrent usage go up with both, he said. "It's too soon to tell if subscriptions are going up. To be honest with you it has gone way better than I had even hoped for."

Raving Rabbids on FilePlanet
Far Cry on FilePlanet
Prince of Persia on Fileplanet - Thanks to Mascott for finding these, and if they go away, blame him!

PLAY THE LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE(TM) FOR FREE!

Turbine Launches 7-day Free Trial Program for the Hottest MMO of the Year

WESTWOOD, MA - August 29, 2007 - Turbine, Inc. has launched the official 7-day free trial of The Lord of the Rings Online(TM): Shadows of Angmar(TM) (LOTRO). Beginning today, fans in North America, Australia, and New Zealand can play the best online game for free by visiting http://trial.lotro.com.

LOTRO has received critical acclaim from around the globe. Since its launch in April, LOTRO has quickly become the second largest MMORPG with an estimated 4 million characters calling Middle-earth their home. The game continues to grow with two massive updates that have increased the world by over 20%:

- 10,000,000 square meters of new landscape to explore
- Over 200 new quests that extend the epic story
- Introduction of Legendary Play where players can experience PvP as a powerful Ranger or a fearsome Troll
- New and updated features including the Reputation, Bartering and Music systems

"We have surpassed our goal of combining the greatest fantasy of all time with a state-of-the-art online social experience," said Jeffrey Anderson, CEO of Turbine, Inc. "And now, we want everyone to have the opportunity to walk through the Shire, climb the Misty Mountains, fight with their own fellowship in the War of the Ring, and fully experience the greatest fantasy of all time."

Eligible fans can participate in The Lord of the Rings Online trial program and play the game for 7 days, free of charge. At the end of the trial, players will have the option to continue to play LOTRO, and keep the characters created during their 7-day free trial time, by purchasing the game either online or at retail. To participate in the 7-day free trial or to find out where to buy LOTRO, visit http://trial.lotro.com.

The Lord of the Rings Online delivers an interactive experience brimming with life and filled with the familiar people, places and monsters from the most beloved fantasy adventure of all time. From the quaint surroundings of the Shire to Angmar, the vile kingdom of the Witch-king, players will experience the world of Middle-earth as never before. The Lord of the Rings Online is available for purchase at major retailers across North America. For more information about The Lord of the Rings Online, please visit www.lotro.com.

MEDIA ALERT: Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter® 2 - *DLC - Throwback Pack 2 Available Now on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace!*

SAN FRANCISCO - August 28, 2007 - Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced release of the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter® 2 Throwback Pack 2, a new downloadable content (DLC) package for Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. This new premium content package will enrich and extend the original game by allowing players to expand their Xbox LIVE experience with an all-new game mode and seven fan-favorite maps hand-selected from past Ghost Recon® games. As a special thank you to the devoted Ghost Recon fans, Ubisoft is offering both Throwback Pack 2 and the previously released Throwback Pack 1, now available via the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for free download. Take a look below for an outline of the full contents of the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Throwback Pack 2:

Content available in the Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 Throwback Pack 2:

GRAW 2 Throwback Pack 2 consists of seven classic maps from Ghost Recon's illustrious history. In addition to the seven maps, there is a new game mode called Co-op Exfiltration. All of these maps have upgraded visuals and support all of GRAW 2's thousands of customizable game modes.

Game Modes:

Co-op Exfiltration:

In Coop Exfiltration mode, players must work together to protect AI officers as they escort them to a helicopter extraction zone through a map populated with enemies.

Maps:

Ghost Town

Previous Ghost Recon Title: Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike®

Recommended # of Players: 2 to 8

Overview:

A rural North Korean village surrounds a temple courtyard. Narrow streets and back alleys make for intense close-quarters battles.

Aral Sea

Previous Ghost Recon Title: Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike

Recommended # of Players: 4 to 12

Overview:

This map is a forgotten harbor village on the coast of a vast, empty sea. Grounded ships provide sparse cover on the dried seabed dividing the map. The shelter of the docks above makes this map a favorite with marksmen.

District

Previous Ghost Recon Title: Ghost Recon 2 Summit Strike

Recommended # of Players: 8 to 16

Overview:

This map is a government district of a large Kazakh city. Open city streets make for long-range firefights, while winding alleys create flanking opportunities.

Bunkers

Previous Ghost Recon Title: Ghost Recon 2

Recommended # of Players: 4 to 12

Overview:

Training grounds feature several simulated bunker complexes divided by open ground with intermittent cover. Players must move quickly from cover to cover to avoid marksmen in the firing positions above.

Rocky Cove

Previous Ghost Recon Title: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter

Recommended # of Players: 4 to 12

Overview:

This is a coastal area, featuring tidal pools and an imposing central promontory. Beaches are littered with large rocks, and long sight lines invite marksmen to test their skill.

Boneyard

Previous Ghost Recon Title: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter

Recommended # of Players: 2 to 8

Overview:

This is a vehicle graveyard, with rusting aircraft parts and scrap metal piled all around. Tight quarters ensure no one is ever far from the action.

River Depot

Previous GR Title: Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter

Recommended # of Players: 6 to 12 players

Overview:

This is an old, abandoned storage facility, overrun by the surrounding jungle and repurposed for military use. Deteriorating railways run the length of the map, connecting two gates on higher ground to a warehouse near the river.

For more information on Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, please visit www.ghostrecon.com.

Ahem. On the Cult of Rapture website, 2K Games has released the twelve track MP3 score to BioShock as a completely free, 23MB download for your listening pleasure. Just hit up the Cult of Rapture website, enter in your age (Protip: If you are under 18, fib! Music never hurt anyone), and the tracks are yours for the taking. Listening to them right now. Not what you'd call date music. To aid in the symphonic experience, 2K has also release new screenshots for you to enjoy whilst you listen. So get enjoying already!

K2 Network's Free2play model is the heart of our business," said Joshua Hong, CEO and Founder of K2 Network. "We launched Sword of the New World as a Free2Play title - free to download, free to try, and free to play up to level 20. We are extremely excited about this title, especially with such gorgeous graphics and the ability to play up to three characters at once, but Free2Play up to level 20 just isn't enough!

K2 NETWORK PUTS GAMERS FIRST BY MAKING SWORD OF THE NEW WORLD™: GRANADO ESPADA FREE2PLAY™

The Award-Winning MMORPG Will Celebrate Expanding Its Free2Play Model With Double Experience For All Players August 21-28!

IRVINE, Calif. - (August 22, 2007) - K2 Network, Inc. (www.k2network.net), an online game publisher, announced today that it has expanded its Free2Play model for the epic Age of Exploration MMORPG Sword of the New World: Granado Espada. The game is available for download in North America and Europe at www.swordofthenewworld.com. Sword of the New World initially launched as Free2play up to level 20, after which players purchased a monthly subscription to level characters beyond 20. All of that has changed, with no limitations on content, levels or areas to explore. For those players still seeking the premium experience, K2 has kept the Cash Merchant, which offers rare and sought after items to be purchased in-game.

"K2 Network's Free2play model is the heart of our business," said Joshua Hong, CEO and Founder of K2 Network. "We launched Sword of the New World as a Free2Play title - free to download, free to try, and free to play up to level 20. We are extremely excited about this title, especially with such gorgeous graphics and the ability to play up to three characters at once, but Free2Play up to level 20 just isn't enough! At K2 Network, we put Gamers First, and thanks to the community supporting this game, we are now able to offer the same Free2Play model as all of our other titles. It's Free2play all the way!"

Sword of the New World: Granado Espada's expanded Free2Play offer does not adversely affect paying subscribers in any way. Current subscribers who have an un-used paid month will receive 1,000 Cash Shop Gold in addition to all three web unique player characters: Adelina Esperanza, Lisa Lynway, and M'boma (a total value of 40 dollars US).

From now until June 28th and then again from July 19th to 23rd you can download Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery free on Xbox Live Video Marketplace. This boon (or curse depending on how you feel about Austin Powers) comes from the friendly folks at McDonalds as part of their BurgerCon marketing campaign on XBLM. I'm not a huge Austin Powers fan and don't really want to take up room on my hard drive for such a frivolity, but I'm sure for some of you this will undoubtedly be awesomely exciting news.

Speaking of taking up room on your hard drive, I really need to remove that Shadowrun demo, it's taking up valuable space that could be better used for all those fine episodes of Breaking Bonaduce. Flynn De Marco

Free sponsored content aimed at attracting new download customers [Video Business - Thanks, Nathan]

What's that asterisk about at the end of "Wii Remote keychain*"? Just a small legal matter stating under no circumstances will this keychain wiimote work with the Nintendo Wii. Not that I don't expect to see gutted versions of it with wires poking out of that do work with the Wii in the future. Kim Phu

Nintendo wants to hear your thoughts on Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree™ [Nintendo]

Hey all you guys who bought that Collector's Edition of Lost Planet for the Battleground map, it's free now suckers!

OK, there may have been just a few other things wrapped into the Collector's Edition, but I wasn't kidding about the Battleground map hitting Live free. The map will hit the Xbox 360 on June 7 for absolutely nada.

I love this new way of selling stuff on Xbox Live, charging a price to people who want it now and can't wait and then giving it away down the line to support the hardcore, but cheap of funds, fans. Keep it up Capcom. Brian Crecente

Like a coke dealer letting an old client have one on him, Blizzard is flooding their former fanbase with free 10-day trials of World of Warcraft's Burning Crusade.

The box showed up in my mail a few days ago in one of those DVD cases I still associate with AOL free trials. Hitting the FAQ I find that most of the Burning Crusade's content is available for those ten days, though you can only advance to within one experience point of level 61.

My favorite Q&A:

How do I upgrade to the full version of The Burning Crusade?

If you have a credit card, you can upgrade your account directly online for $39.99 USD at any time. You can also purchase a boxed copy from the Blizzard Online Store or most major retailers of entertainment software.

That's right, you buy it. Fahey's already pointed out how easily amused I am. Brian Crecente

Free Trial FAQ [WoW]

Dungeon Runners is completely free to download and play, with a slight hitch. You cannot access the best armor in the games or stack potions in your inventory without paying a $4.99 a month subscription fee. For the price you also gain bank slots for storing items and server queue priority. Having played a bit as both a free player and as a member, I can tell you the differences are night and day. If you grab the game from File Planet between now and July 4th you'll get a free week of premium play, allowing you to taste the spoils of five bucks without having to part with it. Michael Fahey

Dungeon Runners Sign-Up Page [NCSoft]

NCsoft Unveils Dungeon Runners Game With A Free-to-Download and Play Business Model

Tuesday 29th May/...NCsoft® North America announced it has opened to the public its first free-to-download and play game, Dungeon Runners™, as the company continues to expand its online entertainment offerings. Dungeon Runners is an online, multiplayer role playing game in a fast-paced sword-and-shield setting where defeating monsters and evil enemies results in piles of loot and treasure.

Dungeon Runners, currently available strictly via free digital download, has a play-for-free tier where players can access large chunks of the game's content, and a "membership level" for $4.99 per month where players are given, among other things, log-in queue priority and access to the most powerful items, weapons and armor. Membership status also includes bank storage for up to 220 loot items and the ability to stack potions in one slot to save room for even more loot.

In Dungeon Runners, there are a variety of character archetypes to choose from including fighter, mage and ranger in a classless RPG system where players are not locked into skills that are usually associated with their specific archetype.

Dungeon Runners focuses mainly on action and battles with limited death penalties and endless gold, weapons, armor and magic items available to claim after defeating hordes of monsters. The game also features a lighter side, with subtle and not-so-subtle humor sprinkled throughout the game including names of many items in the game. For example, one particularly dangerous sword is called "Shifty's Crystal Sword of the Hypersonic Monkey" and a very helpful magic item called the "Pulsating Dragon Eye Amulet of the Thorny Donkey."

"Dungeon Runners is a lot of fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. But the game will take players into an action packed-adventure, where they blaze through a maze of dungeons, face fierce monsters and formidable opponents to become a hero," said Stephen Nichols, NCsoft's producer and lead programmer for Dungeon Runners. "Regardless if a player pays to be a member or plays for free, Dungeon Runners will deliver more than 200 hours of game play and a continually growing number of missions and quests. The game is also designed to appeal to gamers who have limited time to give to a game, but it will have the content to keep players adventuring for hours at a time."

While NCsoft presents Dungeon Runners as a scaled down version of its other online games, Dungeon Runners is far superior to other "free with membership" type games due to the high standards NCsoft's development team applies to all the products it creates, regardless of business model.
"Dungeon Runners is a bold leap into a new business model for NCsoft and it is taking us into a new direction in terms of the kind of games we can provide our customers," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "There are plenty of other 'free' games available for online RPG fans, but none that packs as many features as Dungeon Runners has or comes with the NCsoft stamp of quality. We expect that players will receive this game warmly because it is fast, fun and free. It is hard to beat that deal."

Dungeon Runners is available to download and play for free at www.dungeonrunners.com/join.html.
Moreover, an exclusive Dungeon Runners promotion with bonus contents can be found on FilePlanet.com can be found at http://www.fileplanet.com/promotions/mmoclub/dungeon_runners.aspx from now until July 4th 2007.

Sony Online Entertainment was nice enough to send us along these four screens for their upcoming fighter based on Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Hustle.

The free game will combine traditional fighting elements with a versus mode that lets up to eight players go head-to-head. I'm not so sure about the art direction the game is taking. It looks surprisingly bland for a game based on a movie with such a unique look to it. Brian Crecente

SONY ONLINE ENTERTAINMENT INTRODUCES KUNG FU HUSTLE

Taipei-Based SOGA Studio and Shanghai Northstar Join Forces to Develop Original Title Based on Stephen Chow's Hit Film for Chinese Market

SAN DIEGO, CA - May 10, 2007 - Sony Online Entertainment LLC (SOE), a global leader in the online games industry, today announced that its Taipei-based SOGA studio, in conjunction with Shanghai Northstar is developing a game based on the hit movie Kung Fu Hustle. Designed specifically for the Chinese market, SOGA is also collaborating with development talent from across China to assist in the design and development of the game.

"Working with Stephen Chow has been a fantastic experience," says John Laurence, General Manager of [SOGA]. "His sense of humor, directing and martial arts expertise has been an enormous asset for us; he's an avid video game player, with a strong sense of game design."

Kung Fu Hustle combines the best elements of classic fighting games from the past and adds compelling character designs, new technology and trademark humor from the movie for a new generation of gamers. Players will encounter familiar characters from the movie, such as Sin, the Sidekick, the Landlady, Beast and more. Kung Fu Hustle features a branching story mode, where players can hone their Kung Fu skills against a host of wacky enemies as they battle their way across China. By cooperating with friends, players can learn new sets of moves to add to their martial arts arsenal.

In Versus Mode, eight players can go head to head in all out multiplayer mayhem, creating that old-school arcade feeling online. Gamers can even watch and scout potential opponents online before challenging them.

While Kung Fu Hustle will be free to play, players will be able to purchase extra lives and hundreds of virtual items for a nominal fee.

"Kung Fu Hustle represents a decidedly different and exciting direction for SOE in terms of creating territory-specific content utilizing local development talent," says David D Christensen, Vice President of Business Development & International Operations for Sony Online Entertainment. "We are confident this approach will help us to further extend SOE's global business."

For more information on Kung Fu Hustle visit www.SOEpress.com.

Wendy's just launched a new dessert, the Frosty Float, and to celebrate they're giving away 800 Wiis, 800 Wii games and 800 Wii point cards.

Each Vanilla Frost Float cup comes with a code that you enter into the Frosty Float site for your chance to win some Wii gameage or you could just hit the link at the bottom once a day for a free chance to win. The best part? The free link actually tells you instantly if you won. So no mailing postcards in or any of that crap. And, you only have to be 13 to enter, unfortunately, you also have to be a resident of the 50 United States. That's right they're screwing Puerto Rico again... and the rest of the world. Brian Crecente

Free entry, hit this once a day [Wendy's]

COOL DOWN WITH WENDY'S NEW
VANILLA FROSTY FLOAT, GET CHANCE TO WIN
HOT Wii GAME SYSTEM FROM NINTENDO

DUBLIN, OHIO, May 21, 2007 - Just when you think the Frosty(TM) can't get any better, Wendy's(R) introduces the Vanilla Frosty Float. This new twist on a dessert favorite combines the rich and creamy Frosty with each customer's choice of soft drink. As part of the launch, consumers will have a chance to win one of 800 hot Wii(TM) video game systems from Nintendo.
"Wendy's and Nintendo are dedicated to creating fun, shared experiences for families," said Wendy's Chief Marketing Officer Ian Rowden. "We're thrilled that in connection with our newest menu innovation — the Vanilla
Frosty Float — we're giving consumers an opportunity to win one of the most coveted game systems in the marketplace today."
Here's how the promotion works: Each Vanilla Frosty Float cup comes with a special code that unlocks a chance to instantly win Wii prizes. Consumers can enter the code at www.FrostyFloat.com to win one of 800 Wii systems, 800 Wii games or 800 Wii Points(TM) cards that can be redeemed to download classic games from the Wii Shop Channel. Every Vanilla Frosty Float cup provides another chance to win.
"Both Nintendo and Wendy's know the value of offering customers new ways to bring the family together," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "This is an important partnership for us. Wendy's and Wii are enjoyed by every member of the family."
When selecting a Vanilla Frosty Float, customers can choose from traditional favorites like Coca-Cola(R) and Barq's root beer or other soft drinks. The 20-ounce Frosty Float has a suggested retail price of $1.99. It follows the successful launch of the Vanilla Frosty in 2006, which has accounted for approximately 40 percent of all Frosty orders.
The Frosty Float introduction and Wii promotion will be actively supported through in-store merchandising as well as national advertising. The advertising illustrates how it's right to go for the smooth and creamy taste of the Float. The promotion will continue through June 30.
Wii is the new home video game system from Nintendo that has revolutionized how people play video games. The motion-sensitive Wii Remote(TM) brings a whole new dimension to video games, and has taken the industry in a completely new direction. With great games like Wii Sports(TM), The Legend of Zelda(R): Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario(TM), and fun informational services like the Photo Channel, News Channel, Forecast Channel
and Internet Channel, Wii offers something for everyone in the household.

(NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) 13 AND OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Instant Win Game ends 7/31/07. For rules, alternate entry, and complete details, visit www.frostyfloat.com.)

The folks at Binaryzoo have a new game to unleash on the PC world. Echoes is a sort of cross between Geometry Wars and Asteroids with lots of flashing lights and pretty colors. Fortunately, for those of you apt to have seizures during long strobe sections, there is a non seizure setting that can be implemented.

Echoes is currently a PC only game, but it is available for free on Binaryzoo's website and for a free game, it's very well put together. Online leaderboards are currently in development so you can show off your hot shot score to the world, or at least to anyone who cares to look. Flynn De Marco

Echoes [Binaryzoo]
[via JayisGames]