Space Camp dated for June, features astronaut!

Calling all DS- and Wii-stations! Get ready to bring an astronaut back to the Earth this June with Space Camp. Activision has announced that Space Camp will hit Wii and DS with a plethora of mini-games and multiplayer options in June. The story revolves around an aspiring astronaut (no less) who rockets to the Moon. Now the player – a la the astronaut – along with a personal robot is called upon to get him back to Earth by performing “furiously fun missions” including experimentation, flying spacecrafts and shooting alien invaders. Space Camp comes out with a host of multiplayer options on Wii, Activision promises. There’s a Cooperative Mode for two players and a Party mode for up to four players. The latter allows competition in several mini-games set in an intergalactic setting. Activision is bringing this title to life in collaboration with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. So for once I’ll do away with the irony and remark if the astronaut lets you flay your arms while calling ground control, I’m buying this. By the way if this title draws anything from the SpaceCamp, I curse it with low sales.

Via: Gamesareevil

XomB by 3G takes Zombies to a curious setting

First of all “XomB” is actually pronounced as Zombie, huh! And second of all it seeks to take the undead where they haven’t been before (well, at least in a game setting) – feudal Asia. XomB is a new title announced by 3G Studios, meant for PC, handhelds, and next-gen consoles. Players will be called on to battle hordes of the undead to prevent “Darknes” from spreading and taking over the landscape and souls of the innocent.

Sony announces online tourney for Resistance on PSP

Resistance: Retribution for PlayStation Portable has already landed on the North American shores amid much hype. Sony has a decided to make shooting in this third-person shooter a tad interesting. Teaming up with Global Gaming, Sony has announced an online Road to Retribution Tournament for Resistance: Retribution. Tournament begins on April 8 – leaving plenty of time to practice – and the winners would be declared on May 31. Stay on top till May 10 and you can get invited to the playoffs running from May 13 to May 31. The registration’s open till May 10 here. The players can compete in either 2v2 or 4v4 version. The combined bounty on offer in the two categories goes up to $25,000 in Sony gear. First place on the 2v2 ladder will fetch Leather Bomber Jacket, Sonystyle Gift Cards, and PSP TV Prize Pack for each player, while a similar spot on the 4v4 ladder will fetch a similar bounty for all involved. For a detailed list of prizes head here and here. Of course, you could always compete for a PSP, which makes things all the more appealing (read funny and inconsequential).

Via: Vg247

Build clan online with DLC for the Godfather II

What more could possibly be added to make The Godfather II more appealing? Trust Electronic Arts to come up with an answer. And the answer takes the form of a downloadable patch that’ll add a new multiplayer mode to The Godfather II. The game itself would be releasing in the month of April, and EA has announced that the patch would be available as soon as the game comes out. The new multiplayer mode goes by the name of “Don Control” and allows players to build a clan online. This aspect of gameplay is different from the four multiplayer modes already available. Providing a bird’s eye view, the Don Control lets up to 16 players compete to see who the “ultimate Don of Dons” is. Players are free to choose their clan members online and can recruit them by offering a cut out of profits. The currency from the single-player game is thus used in the online mode. Fail in the online mode and your single-player in-game currency’s gone, taking the empire along! The Godfather II is all set to recreate the 1960’s mafia on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Don Control has only put the icing on cake. By the by, the patch’s completely free! Contradictory trends in the industry?

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Mama takes on ‘Crafting’ dimension in Majesco’s patent

I thought and I thought some more. And then I said what the heck! If I’m castigated by my friends for bringing you two ‘Mama’ stories in two days then so be it. I mean the series is hot – with Cooking Mama already having sold 3.7 million units in the US – and will get hotter still with Gardening Mama’s release on the DS just around the corner. Now Majesco has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a new iteration going by the name of “Crafting Mama”. The patent application filed on March 11 gives little away, except the title of course. A safe bet is that this time around Mama would be painting, sewing and performing other crafty(?) activities. Clearly Cooking Mama Ltd. is planning to release more versions of the Japanese cutie. And who can blame them since there are plenty of familial activities vying for an outing on a console. Mama is clearly an all-rounder of some ability!

Via: videogamer

Cooking Mama steps out as Gardening Mama on DS

Why would the indomitable ‘Mama’ stick to the kitchen when spring beckons her to the garden? Yup, Cooking Mama is taking the outside world by storm as the (hold your breath) Gardening Mama. March 31 is the date when Gardening Mama starts shipping for Nintendo DS. Like the Cooking Mama franchise – which has sold over 3.7 million units domestically – Gardening Mama is all set to charm us with a host of gardening-based games. Majesco Entertainment Company is looking to turn DS’s touch screen and stylus into little spades and wheelbarrows, one would presume. Digging up shovels of earth and tending to flowers, fruits and vegetables. – 37 different kinds at that – is only one part of the job for Gardening Mama. The real deal would be the four player multiplayer mode wherein players compete to reap in the biggest harvests. And of course, you can dress the cute little character in a costume of your liking. Get ready to grow food for your kitchen for $29.99 later this month and till then get a playable demo at a Nintendo kiosk.

Via: aeropause

Van Halen on Guitar Hero in August; really?

To answer the self-posed question, nobody’s sure, as of now. Rumors are on the march though, and who can blame them since recent trends all make a band-specific title for Guitar Hero more than possible. One thing’s for sure though, Van Halen on Guitar Hero would make so (and I mean sooooo) much sense. Activision is trying hard to put a “Guitar Hero: Van Halen” on shelves “8/31/09”, or so goes the speculation this time around. With Guitar Hero: Metallica scheduled to hit shelves later this month – March 29 actually – Van Halen on Guitar Hero seems a distant thought. But the rumors are almost justified considering the excitement that the band’s one track (Hot for Teacher) on Guitar Hero World Tour caused, with everyone hoping for more Van-Halen-downloadable-content. Well, that didn’t happen so maybe a full-fledged title is in the making after all! And the fact that Van Halen is arguably the most successful rock band in the Billboard history only augurs well for the title to actually be more than a plain old rumor. Game Crazy is crazy enough to say this is for real and who are we to argue unless Activision says otherwise.

Via: Destructoid

Mythic calling runaways back to Warhammer

It is a case of better late than never I guess. I mean with incentive programs to keep subscribers in check being so common in the world of MMORPGs, you’d have expected people at Mythic to come up with something like this sooner. Anyway, the company has finally announced bonuses for those players who let their accounts of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning lapse, but who are now ready to resubscribe. The Call to Arms “re-enlistment” drive is aimed at those who created an account only to desert it midway. Among the goodies on offer to the lapsers Mythic is giving away 10 days of free game time, rested experience for the lost time and “a unique quest chain with bonus reward items!” The offer, however, stands for only those accounts which have been inactive for at least 30 days. Mythic claims that they have made several improvements to the game – one of which was a massive sever merge of last week, 60 to be precise – and perhaps people will queue up to get re-enlisted.

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Via: 1up

Microsoft Vs. PalTalk setteled 'amicably'

Microsoft has settled the patent infringement lawsuit filed by PalTalk for an undisclosed amount of money. Few days back PalTalk holdings had filed a lawsuit against Microsoft challenging that Microsoft’s best-selling game Halo and Xbox infringe the company’s patent related to “controlling interactive applications over multiple computers.” PalTalk sued Microsoft demanding $90 million in royalties on Xbox.

EA reveals the sporting activities available on Sports Active

May 19 will see the release of Electronic Arts’ Sports Active for Wii, which is the EA’s answer to already famous Wii Fit. If you have been waiting for the list of activities it offers so that you can get all thin and fit then your waiting is over as Sports Active’s site has been updated with a full list of sports included within the game.

I won’t comment the potential of Wii Fit as an actual exercising tool, but hey, it surely is pretty famous, and EA wants to benefit from that. Sports Active will allow EA to expand their user base beyond the regular gamers by giving people 25 activities (sports) within one title. In response to 48 sub-games of Wii Fit EA brings you 25 sports activities within Sports Active. You can check the list of sports available in Sports Active after the break.