Zynga launches Poker in Asia

Zynga, the developers of FarmVille, launched their version of Texas Hold ‘Em game titled Zynga Poker across Asia for Asian FaceBook users yesterday.

The game will be available in Mandarin too (Chinese) While the game will be accessible in Taiwan and Hong Kong today, residents living in mainland China will be left out because of the Chinese government’s ban and censorship on FaceBook.

Zynga Poker has over 25 million players monthly globally.

Taking cue from Chinese culture where “number eight is considered to be lucky,” Zynga has customized Zynga Poker for its Asian audience by making jackpots “$880,000, and any player signing up for a new account will start with $8,888″. Even the launch date of 8/18 was calculated taking into consideration the auspiciousness of number eight.

Microsoft Unveils Age of Empires Online and Microsoft Flight

At the Gamescon 2010 conference in Cologne, Germany, Microsoft Corp. announced the newest addition to their famed “Age of Empires” franchise, “Age of Empires Online.” They also announced a new version of their “Microsoft Flight Simulator” franchise, entitled “Microsoft Flight.”

Talking of Age of Empires Online,” which is an extension of the historical strategy game “Age of Empires”, the premise of the game is for players to build their own civilizations and interact with other players and friends around the world. The first village that can be grown into an empire revolves around the bustling Greek culture. Greek setting, something quite hit with fans of “Age of Empires”.

Developed by Robot Entertainment, the game features a slew of both old and new features, which include cooperative multi-player quests, original storylines and of course, an ever-growing city that continues to prosper (or fail) even when the player is offline.

Game lovers can sign up for the beta version of the game.

Xbox LIVE Games for Windows Phone 7 Unveiled

At the on-going gamescon 2010 convention, Microsoft announced larger number of Xbox LIVE games for upcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile platform. With over 60 launch titles, this is just the first wave of XNA-based games that will be available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

So now, Windows Phone 7 devices will arrive with App Store and Xbox LIVE Marketplace both. The Games application on the Windows Phone 7 would let you login into your Xbox LIVE account and play games. The Xbox LIVE games on Windows Phone 7 bring several top titles Assassin's Creed, Halo Waypoint, Castlevania, Crackdown 2, Guitar Hero 5, Real Soccer 2, Bejeweled, Max and the Magic Marker, Uno, Star Wars: Battle for Hoth and many more.

The Xbox LIVE Marketplace will offer try-before-you-buy demos of the games and other features.

Gamers have to wait till the year-end for Xbox LIVE on Windows Phone 7 as many devices are slated for arrival during festive season.

Soulbit launches Look-Up Augmented Reality Alien Invasion Game for iPhone

Soulbit7, the Israel-based iOS application workshop, has launched the Look-Up Alien Invasion Game with a twist of augmented Reality for iPhone. The application became available immediately after the announcement.

In Look-Up, an augmented reality (AR) game, the player fights alien spaceships that enter the real environment that player is situated in. To effect augmented reality, Look-Up makes use of the iPhone camera and compass to create a unique alien invasion experience where the player fights UFOs that attack in the player's real surroundings.


Inducing difficulty with two modes:

The game can be played in two modes: 360 degree mode, where the player has to fight with alien spaceships from all directions (like planes coming from all points on the surface of a hollow sphere towards the center) by moving the device; and the 180 degree mode where the attack comes on a plane or two dimension.
No wonder the 360 mode will be hard to manage.

Adding social or multiplayer dimension to the game (social ??)

The game can have more than one player in a common physical space. In Multiplayer mode more than one player can fight a battle together in a given physical space, making a truly social (that’s why social :)) augmented reality gaming experience.

The app works on iPhone OS 3.1+ and iOS4.

iPod Touch and iPad are not supported as the in-built camera is required.

Look-Up is available from the AppStore at a special launch price of $0.99.

Call of Duty Black Ops: Collectors editions unveiled

On Xbox 360: Click image for details

Call of Duty fans can soon add a remote control recon vehicle alongside their night vision goggles. Activision and studio Treyarch unveiled the first details on collectors editions for the first-person shooter Call of Duty: Black Ops.

On Playstation 3: Click image for details

The highlight of the game's Prestige Edition, which will be available on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is a collectible RC-XD surveillance vehicle. "With a range of up to 200 feet, the RC-XD Surveillance Vehicle has a fully-functioning remote camera that transmits both TFT color video and audio to its operator.

It also includes a Hardened Edition of Black Ops, which features a limited edition medal, avatar outfit and four playable cooperative maps. The Hardened Edition will also be sold separately.Both collectors editions, along with standard copies of Black Ops, will debut November 9, 2010.

Nothing is said about the pricing yet. For the release of last November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the Prestige Edition cost $149, while the Hardened Edition sold for $80. So the gamers can expect the price around the same or below.

Microsoft to release $400 Halo Reach version of Xbox 360

According to Ars Technica, Microsoft is going to offer yet another flavor of its 360 hardware soon. There will be a Halo: Reach version of the newly slimmed-down Xbox 360. This hardware will be silver, not black, and feature Halo: Reach graphics.

The system will come with:

1) a copy of Halo: Reach
2) two wireless Halo controllers
3) and the 250GB hard drive

The price for this box will be $399.99, and it will be a limited-time deal.

Microsoft to sell Kinect from Nov 4 2010: Microsoft to compete with Sony

Kinect Sensor: Click on the image for details

Microsoft Corp will sell its new Kinect motion-sensing gaming system for about $150 and also offer it in a package with the Xbox 360 videogame console when sales of the hands-free device start in November, the company said on Tuesday.

The exact date of the commencement of sale is 4 November 2010, just the holiday season.

The price, omitted by Microsoft when it introduced Kinect at the E3 videogame conference in June, matches the preorder price that retailers such as Best Buy, GameStop and Amazon.com posted online weeks ago.

In addition to new customers (new and those stolen from the rival Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3), Microsoft surely aim its marketing message at the owners of the more than 40 million Xbox 360 models that have already been sold. The sensor will come with a family game called "Kinect Adventures."

What is Kinect? : Kinect is a motion sensing gaming system from Microsoft. Kinect's camera-based system lets players control games with body and hand gestures. It relies solely on voice, body and hand gestures -- and no buttons (something which some critics say may make precision game controls difficult).

Though Microsoft has high hopes on Kinect, what remains to be seen that if cost-conscious consumers and game fans, many of whom have already bought one or more of the consoles, will be willing to spending hundreds more on hardware, and Kinect-specific software costing about $50.

Several analysts expect Microsoft to initially sell some 3 million Kinect units, despite what is considered a steep price. But many among them doubt whether that will seriously challenge the market leader Wii; whose games still cost a $200 cheaper. So in place of Wii, a section of experts are seeing Microsoft competing against Sony.

Sony will launch "Move," its motion-controlled feature for the PlayStation 3 gaming system, on September 15, hoping to get the jump on Microsoft's Kinect. Like the Nintendo Wii, Move's motion system is based on a wireless remote control.

According to an analyst, the all-in cost of the PS3 plus a complete Move package is $479: $399 for the PS3, a game, Move and Eye camera, plus another $80 for an extra Move and a sub-controller. In contrast, according to Microsoft, a Kinect unit bundled with a version of the Xbox 360 that has 4 gigabytes of internal memory would sell for about $300. The current standard Xbox model comes with 250 gigabytes and is priced at $300.

So, the take of some experts on where the competition will be, assumes much ground.

Xbox 360 launches its blockbuster exclusive Crackdown 2 in India !!

New Delhi, 15th July 2010: "Crackdown 2", the sequel to the award-winning 2007 title "Crackdown," is finally here! One of the most anticipated games on the Xbox 360 platform, Crackdown 2 is all set to kick up a storm. It is an ultimate open-world action experience developed by Ruffian Games exclusively for Xbox 360. Featuring over-the-top action, a massive living world, stylish graphics and unmatched online capabilities, "Crackdown 2" is the most complete action experience on Xbox 360.


In the vertical, free-form world of Pacific City, tensions are high and escalating exponentially between the Agency and its opposing factions, the Cell and the Freaks. Returning to Pacific City as an advanced Agent, you'll be the judge, jury and executioner as you reclaim the city and eliminate all threats, either solo or with friends on Xbox LIVE.

Speaking on the launch of this blockbuster game, Mr. Ashim Mathur Director Marketing - Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd said,

"'Crackdown 2' is one of the most exciting action experience on Xbox 360. With the launch of this exclusive title we are further strengthening our portfolio of exclusive content on Xbox 360. Gamers prefer power, control and freedom of action while gaming and with an innovative game play, Crackdown offers just the same. We received a great response for Crackdown in India and now with the sequel that allows you to go on LIVE and play it with their friends, the ultimate four-player co-op mode, 16-player multiplayer experiences and an all-new party system, we are confident that Crackdown 2 will be bigger."

"Crackdown 2" continues the award-winning game play of its predecessor with new enemies (the Cell and the Freaks) that stand in the way of the Agency's goal to bring Pacific City back under control. After the events in the first "Crackdown," a dangerous virus was released and those who were infected - the Freaks - began ravaging the city. A civilian resistance, called the Cell, also formed to take the fight into their own hands by mounting offenses against the Agency. Players return as Agents in "Crackdown 2" to once again bring peace to Pacific City - by any means possible in one of the most explosive, interactive worlds for gamers to explore and experiment with.

The game is modeled similarly to its predecessor Crackdown, a third-person shooter in open world game play. The player character is a super-human officer for the city-funded "Agency", known simply as the "Agent". Building upon the groundbreaking success of its predecessor, "Crackdown 2" will elevate the open-world genre to unprecedented levels with the ultimate cooperative and competitive multiplayer experiences. Like Crackdown, the game will allow for on-line co-operative play in the main game, but will now support up to four players. The game will also feature competitive multiplayer modes for up to sixteen players. While the original Crackdown supported System Link playing for co-op, Crackdown 2 won't be featuring the same option
.
Crackdown 2 will be available at all leading organised retail stores in India at an estimated retail price of Rs. 2399. You can also log onto www.microsoftstore.co.in and buy the game online.

Features
 
• Complete freedom: A spectacular sandbox experience. "Crackdown 2" is an explosive tour de force that invites players to explore, experiment and navigate through objectives with complete freedom to do what they want, when they want. With unprecedented levels of open-ended gameplay in combat and story progression, "Crackdown 2" redefines the sandbox style of play with a gripping narrative and more ways to engage in the explosive action than ever.

• In a league of its own: Unparalleled cooperative and multiplayer. The sandbox experience gets more exciting! Evolving the way open-world games are played, "Crackdown 2" introduces never-before-seen multiplayer features that will take the genre to new heights. With the ultimate four-player co-op mode, 16-player multiplayer experiences and an all-new party system, "Crackdown 2" ushers in the most robust open-world experience ever, offering unlimited ways to play and share Pacific City with friends around the world. Players will engage in dynamic competitive and cooperative multiplayer for double the carnage, action and intensity, only made possible on Xbox LIVE.*

• The sky's the limit: Serving justice, by any means necessary. "Crackdown 2" continues the over-the-top action with ever-expanding skills, more dangerous enemies and no safe zones. Strategies and tactics will be even more inventive with new weapons and agent skills that grant the abilities to scale buildings orchestrate massive explosions and engage in bone-crushing combat with obliterating force. Hit the road, take to the sky or explore underground - the experience is limited only by your imagination. Whether you're chasing down enemies on rooftops or dropping from sky-high to ground zero in a matter of seconds, "Crackdown 2" is the perfect adrenaline rush for action fanatics.

• Sprawling environment: Pacific City at your disposal. The sprawling metropolis that was once Pacific City is now divided between the Agency, the Cell and the Freaks in a contentious battle between order and anarchy. Divided and expanded with new environments in every direction, the city has never been more perilous. From the rooftops to the sewers, players will utilize their surroundings to the fullest to take back Pacific City.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier video game and entertainment system. It is home to the best and broadest library of games. As digital center of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with the largest online social network of 25 million members on Xbox LIVE to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. More information can be found online at www.xbox.com/in.

About Microsoft India

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft Corporation (India) Private Ltd is a subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, USA. It has had a presence in India since 1990 and currently has offices in 13 cities - Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune * Xbox LIVE Gold Membership required for online multiplayer.

Nintendo main DS models to sell cheap in Japan after June 19

Japan's Nintendo Co said on Wednesday that it will cut the domestic prices of its DS handheld game consoles from june 19, to stimulate demand. The highest price slash for any model will be 20 percent.

From June 19, the price of DSi model will be lowered to 15,000 yen ($165) from 18,900 yen ($208), while the DSi LL model will be cut to 18,000 yen from 20,000 yen.

The company declined to say if the company plans to cut prices outside Japan too.

Nintendo, which competes for market share with Sony Corp and Microsoft Corp in video games, has sold more than 30 million units of the DS in Japan and 125 million units worldwide.

Nintendo plans to launch a three-dimensional (3D) model of the DS by march 2011, the details of the new model will be unveiled at the E3 video game show in Los Angeles this month.