Monday, November 24, 2008 - Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for HUDSON SOFT, today released new screens for Pit Crew Panic!, an upcoming “panic-action” game for WiiWare. This unique game is full of frantic fixing as the player’s all-female pit crew repairs a variety of bizarre “WHATSITS” as fast as they can.
For those having trouble finding work in the current economy, why not join the pit crew where there’s plenty of wacky jobs to go around! Players can race against the clock by themselves, or play with friends to see whose team can fix the majority of that giant wedding cake! Inspired grease monkeys can even play online and see whose girls can out-fix the opponents on an aircraft carrier, a bridge, a backhoe and many more crazy “WHATSITS”! If a pit crew is up for the challenge, they can team up for 2 vs. 2 or 3 vs. 1 action to see which team can fix the most broken parts on each object.
To help the crew fix each object more quickly, players can use the Wii Remote just like a screwdriver, wrench, or other pit crew tools. There is also a handy tutorial to help players figure out not just how to play the game, but also how to go as fast as they can when fixing all the wacky “WHATSITS” in the game! There’s no shortage of crazy tasks that need to be conducted in Pit Crew Panic!
Pit Crew Panic! is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
About Hudson Entertainment, Inc.
Hudson Entertainment is the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, an international provider of games and entertainment content founded in 1973. Hudson Entertainment focuses on four key businesses: mconsole games, digital download content, mobile games, and music. Hudson introduced best-selling videogame franchises including Bomberman, Bonk, and Super Adventure Island. Hudson’s mobile division is a leading supplier of games and personalized content. Through numerous partnerships with record labels, Hudson has become a leading provider of hip-hop ring tones and mobile content. For more information on Hudson Entertainment, please visit www.hudsonent.com.
Hudson Entertainment, and Hudson Soft and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Hudson Soft. Pit Crew Panic! Is a trademark of Hudson Soft.
Spike TV’s Video Game Awards 2008 premiere on Sunday, December 14 (9:00- 11:00 PM, ET/ tape delay west coast), broadcasting LIVE from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA. The nominees for the first 12 categories are listed below.
Best Wii Game
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
No More Heroes Publisher: Ubisoft Studio: Grasshopper Manufacture
Wii Fit Publisher: Nintendo Studio: Nintendo
Boom Blox Publisher: Electronic Arts Studio: EA Casual Studios
Best Xbox 360 Game
Fallout 3 Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Studio: Bethesda Game Studios
Grand Theft Auto IV Publisher: Rockstar Games Studio: Rockstar North
Gears of War 2 Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Epic Games
Fable II Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Studio: Lionhead
Best Soundtrack
Guitar Hero World Tour Publisher: RedOctane / Activision Publishing Studio: Neversoft Entertainment
Rock Band 2 Publisher: MTV Games Studio: Harmonix
Grand Theft Auto IV Publisher: Rockstar Games Studio: Rockstar North
LittleBigPlanet Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment Studio: Media Molecule
I’m not a huge fan of street fighter (I know! I’m lame!), but for all those fans out here anyway, I got some good news for you! Street Fighter is coming to Pinball FX. This is all thanks to a partnership between Capcom and Zen Studios. Here’s all the juicy details in the latest press release I received:
PRESS RELEASE
Budapest, Hungary –November 5, 2008 – ZEN Studios, a videogame developer and digital publisher known for its innovative arcade, strategy and action games, announced today it is working with Capcom® to release an officially licensed Street Fighter™ table for Pinball FX in celebration of the soon to be released Super Street Fighter™ II Turbo HD Remix. Pinball FX is the latest in a wide selection of pinball tables for one of the best selling titles on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The table will launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 on November 12th, 2008.
“It is so great to bring this awesome intellectual property of Capcom’s over to Pinball FX. I’ve long been a fan of the Street Fighter franchise and felt they made the best fighting games regardless of platforms,” said Zsolt Kigyossy, managing director of ZEN Studios. “This is our fourth expansion table for Pinball FX, and we will continue to work hard to give our fans the best possible pinball game with loads of tables and variety.”
“Capcom is pleased to team up with ZEN Studios to kick off our celebration of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix immanent release,” said Christian Svensson, VP of Strategic Planning and Business Development at Capcom Entertainment Inc. “Capcom aims to be one of the top providers of digitally delivered game content in the industry and teaming up with ZEN Studios adds an entirely new dimension to our portfolio of competitive titles.”
With this new table, the legendary Street Fighter franchise comes alive in an all-new Pinball FX experience. Street Fighter™ II Pinball FX comes loaded with the characters that revolutionized the fighting genre and created a global legacy like no other. Experience the arcade thrills of traditional pinball with enhanced gameplay, unparalleled graphical detail and innovative features not found in any other pinball game, such as:
SEATTLE, Washington – October 24, 2008 — PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, will be shuttering its website for six hours prior to the formal unveiling and official launch of Bejeweled Twist™ next Monday, October 27, at a gala celebration in downtown Seattle. The site will reopen at approximately 7:00 p.m. PDT that evening after going offline six to seven hours earlier – during which time the site will undergo a revolutionary makeover to celebrate the arrival of PopCap’s biggest game to date. When the site reopens, it will be co-hosting a live webcast of the Bejeweled Twist launch event being held at Seattle’s Experience Music Project museum. (The webcast will also be available via AllGames.com) At approximately 7:40 p.m., Bejeweled Twist for PC will become available via web download at www.popcap.com, as the game officially launches to the world.
“We’re really excited to be covering this historic event, and plan to bring every bit of the excitement and action to viewers worldwide via our webcast,” said Scot Rubin, founder of AllGames.com and a webcast veteran of more than a dozen years. “A new installment in the Bejeweled lineup is cause for celebration among casual and hardcore fans alike, and the webcast will capture it all, from game demos to the on-stage performances, as well as interviews with gamers, analysts and executives.”
The Bejeweled Twist launch event will offer everything from aerial acrobats to a steampunk-inspired “prototype” of the new game’s input interface, as well as a demo of Bejeweled Twist given by all three company co-founders. All other details of the new game, the biggest, most ambitious title in PopCap’s history, are being withheld until the launch event. Credentialed journalists interested in attending the event in person can contact PopCap PR for more information and to RSVP.
Emerging Artist Lineup Includes All Genres of Rock Including Underoath, Hollywood Undead, Opiate for the Masses, Lesley Roy, Between the Buried and Me and more!
CAMBRIDGE, MA – October 22, 2008 – Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game development company, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B) announced details today regarding 20 free DLC tracks that will be made available to Rock Band 2 [1] owners starting November 4, 2008. The lineup ranges across all genres of rock from up-and-coming artists that the industry has recognized as new to thriving rock bands with a quickly growing fan base.
“The Rock Band platform is an unparalleled destination for music discovery – offering a broad cross section of rock, from iconic rock artists to emerging bands,” stated Paul DeGooyer, MTV’s Senior Vice President of Electronic Games & Music. “With the addition of the 20 new songs we’re announcing today, owners of Rock Band 2 will have the ability to experience music from over 100 artists - ranging from the acts they already know and love to up-and-coming bands we think they will like.”
Featuring artists across the globe from the US, United Kingdom and Australia to Norway, Japan and Ireland, the 20 free DLC tracks are available exclusively to Rock Band 2 owners and can be accessed by using the DLC redemption code [2] located within the game’s retail packaging.
20 Free Rock Band 2 DLC Set List:
Artist Song
The 88 “Sons and Daughters”
Authority Zero “No Regrets”
Between the Buried and Me “Prequel To The Sequel”
The Cab “Bounce”
The Chevelles “Get It On”
The Cocktail Slippers “Give It To Me”
Dealership “Database Corrupted”
Endeverafter “I Wanna Be Your Man”
The Ghost Hounds “Ashes To Fire”
Hollywood Undead “Young”
Kutless “The Feeling”
The Len Price 3 “If I Ain’t Got You”
Lesley Roy “I’m Gone, I’m Going”
Opiate for the Masses “Burn You Down”
Semi-Precious Weapons “Magnetic Baby”
Shaimus “Like a Fool”
Thenewno2 “Crazy Tuesday”
Tickle Me Pink “The Time Is Wrong”
Underoath “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures”
X Japan “I.V.”
OCTOBER 21, SAN FRANCISCO – LucasArts and BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of Star Wars®: The Old Republic™, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ franchise. Star Wars: The Old Republic, being developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, represents an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters.
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.
“Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the most critically acclaimed Star Wars game in LucasArts history and a preeminent example of our company’s interactive storytelling heritage,” said Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts. “For a long time, we’ve wanted to return to the franchise in a grand way, and we felt that the best setting for it was an online world that would allow millions of people to participate in the experience together. We knew that the developer capable of working with us to deliver an engrossing story with a fully-realized online world was BioWare.”
“Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars - combat, exploration and character progression,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and General Manager/CEO of BioWare and General Manager/Vice President of Electronic Arts Inc., “In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’re fusing BioWare’s heritage of critically-acclaimed storytelling with the amazing pedigree of Lucasfilm and LucasArts, and adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a triple-A massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in a very exciting, dynamic period in the Star Wars universe.”
Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder and Vice President Development Operations, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts Inc., “Star Wars: The Old Republic is set roughly 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, a timeframe that is completely unexplored in the lore. BioWare has been able to add to the Star Wars history in developing the game’s story and has created an overarching narrative that players can enjoy, regardless of their play style. Our goal is to offer players an emotionally rewarding experience that combines the traditional elements of MMO gameplay with innovations in story and character development.”
Exclusively at Best Buy Stores, “Speed & Angels” Documentary Included in Bundle with Leading Flight-Combat Video Game and Critically-Acclaimed Flightstick
Santa Clara, Calif., (October 21, 2008) – Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., announced today that the Ace Combat® 6 Flightstick Bundle is once again available, exclusively at Best Buy retail stores nationwide. Including the critically acclaimed Ace Combat® 6: Fires of Liberation for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, HORI’s exclusive ACE-EDGE™ flightstick and a custom Xbox 360 faceplate, the newly released bundle also includes an exclusive DVD of the award-winning flight combat documentary Speed & Angels.
Speed & Angels follows two young aspiring fighter pilots as they follow their dreams of taking to the skies in F-14 Tomcat aircraft. Providing a behind the scenes look at the extraordinary people that pilot the world’s most advanced fighter planes, the film was the recipient of the Audience Award at the 2008 Newport Film Festival and an official selection at the 2008 Sedona International Film Festival.
Thrusting players into massive living battlefields, Ace Combat 6 lets players pilot cutting-edge real world aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and A-10 Thunderbolt as they take on screaming enemy fighter jets, ground-based anti-air emplacements and hulking naval vessels. Up to 16 players can test their dogfighting skills online in a variety of multiplayer modes, including objective-based air raids and exclusive cooperative missions. Unanimously praised by critics and fans alike, Ace Combat 6 was chosen as one of Time Magazine’s top 10 games of 2007 and lauded as “bigger, better and even more photorealistic than its predecessors” by USA Today.
The Ace Combat 6 Flightstick Bundle with the Speed & Angels DVD is available exclusively at Best Buy locations nationwide and carries a suggested retail price of $149.99. Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation is available at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $59.99 and is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.acecombatsix.com and www.speedandangels.com.
For years people have complained and suggested that any video game use at all could cause harm to kids. Like complaints concerning television, every excuse from the cause of obesity to losing brain cells or the ability to turn someone into a killer have been cited as reasons why we should not let our kids play games. I have always believed that it’s not the system as a whole, but the games that you should censor.
The best thing that a parent can do is have an active role in their child’s choice of media. Just like you would stop them from watching a rated R movie if they were too young, you shouldn’t let them play a rated M video game. This doesn’t make the game wrong, it just means that a child isn’t ready to play it. There are a number of E (Everyone) or T (Teen) games that are suitable for kids. There are also a number of educational games worth looking at.
Now it’s being considered that video games are actually a good thing for kids. I have to say, I don’t think they are bad, but I don’t think they are great if all they do is play. In all things there needs to be a healthy balance. Find the games that are good for your child and let them play in moderation.
Yahoo!’s website, Shine, which reaches 10 million women each month, hosted the survey throughout June 2008. The study found that 87% of parents who participated in the survey are spending time playing video games with their children. “Family video game nights are becoming incredibly popular with the variety of games out there,” said Linda Fears, editor-in-chief, Family Circle magazine. “Parents and children of all ages are finding games to play together, no matter what each person’s experience level.”
Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, announced today that its highly anticipated title, Fallout® 3, has gone gold and will be available on store shelves and online in North America on October 28, in Europe and Australia on October 30, and in the UK on October 31. Developed at Bethesda Game Studios – creators of the 2006 Game of the Year, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® – Fallout 3 is slated for release on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows.
“Fallout 3 has been the biggest project we’ve ever undertaken,” said Todd Howard, game director for Fallout 3. “It’s been a long journey and we’re really happy with how it turned out. We can’t wait for everyone to get a chance to play it.”
Fallout 3 features one of the most realized game worlds ever created. Set more than 200 years following a nuclear war, you can create any kind of character you want and explore the open wastes of Washington, D.C however you choose. Every minute is a fight for survival as you encounter Super Mutants, Ghouls, Raiders, and other dangers of the Wasteland.
Fallout 3’s first review is featured as this month’s cover story in Official Xbox Magazine, hitting subscribers now and on newsstands October 21. Hailed as one of the most anticipated games for 2008, Fallout 3 has already won numerous awards including Best of Show from the official Game Critics Awards at E3 2008, a selection voted on by an independent group of journalists from 36 leading North American media outlets that cover the video game industry.
Old (and new) fans of Sonic can really get into the new game. It has a retro feel that makes me go back to the days when I used to play Sonic on my cousin, Christopher’s, Sega!
So, what do you think of the new Sonic Chronicles? For those old enough to remember, does it remind you of the old days?
For those having trouble finding work in the current economy, why not join the pit crew where there’s plenty of wacky jobs to go around! Players can race against the clock by themselves, or play with friends to see whose team can fix the majority of that giant wedding cake! Inspired grease monkeys can even play online and see whose girls can out-fix the opponents on an aircraft carrier, a bridge, a backhoe and many more crazy “WHATSITS”! If a pit crew is up for the challenge, they can team up for 2 vs. 2 or 3 vs. 1 action to see which team can fix the most broken parts on each object.
For more information on Pit Crew Panic! please visit http://www.HudsonEnt.com 
