xbox360 toolbox

EA Redwood shores gave us some hands-on time with a private demo of Dead Space, their upcoming science fiction horror title. The game's story is set in the distant future, when humans have tapped all of Earth's resources and now mine the galaxy with giant, planet-destroying spaceships known as "planet crackers." The game's protagonist, a miner named Isaac Clarke, finds himself aboard one such ship, the Ishimura, after responding to a distress beacon.

Things aboard the Ishimura aren't so good. The ship (and the bodies of its doomed inhabitants) have been overrun by a hostile alien species, the Necromorphs. Isaac's fortunate that he's not an accountant, because the tools of his mining trade - including a flame torch, energy cutters, and a remote-control sawblade shooter - just happen to double as effective weapons.

Redwood Shores took pains to emphasize that Dead Space is not a shooter, but a survival horror game. Ammunition is at a premium, and combat, fast-paced though it may be, requires careful strategy. Necromorphs can't usually be defeated by blunt force or projectile weaponry. Instead, they must be carefully dismembered.

Stomping around the dark, creepy Ishimura in Isaac's armorlike mining suit, I ran into few different Necromorph forms, including legless torsos that crept forward with their arms, bulbous creatures filled with skittering things, and partially explosive humanoid monstrosities. Isaac's most versatile weapon seemed to be his cutter, which blasted a slicing line of energy that neatly divided Necormorph appendages provided that my aim was true.

Isaac's abilities extend beyond his toolbox, though. He has some last-resort melee attacks, including a fun, thunderous stomp. He can drastically slow enemies, freezing them to facilitate strategic hacking. His suit has kinesis technology, which allows him to grab, move, and throw objects gravity-gun style. In addition, Isaac's magnetic boots let him negotiate zero-gravity environments.

EA says they're interspersing Dead Space's monster encounters and horror scenes with occasional puzzles. The demo included a large zero-gravity room in which Isaac had to restore gravity by destroying four meteorite-like objects. I could point Isaac in the direction of the surface I wanted to reach, aim, and send him leaping. When he reached his destination, his boots would grab and the camera would re-orient itself to his perspective. Leaping from wall to ceiling to floor, I captured the meteorites with Isaac's kinesis abilities and tossed them into an energy conduct that ran across the room.

Dead Space employs a number of clever interface tricks that keep its world intact for the player. It shows Isaac from an over-the-shoulder perspective, and his armor and power meters are glowing indicators on the back of his suit. Isaac's inventory and map are projected from his suit as holograms that look and function like traditional interface screens, but occupy three-dimensional in-game space. As the player selects items within the menus, Isaac's head turns and looks in response. Opening the holograms doesn't pause the game, either. It's a very smart, cool effect. Isaac can also briefly project a holographic sort of breadcrumb trail that will point the way to an in-game objective selected by the player.

The demo I played looked and ran like a finished game, and its presentation was easily on par with other high-end console and PC releases. Though some of the controls were a little unorthodox, they worked well and quickly became second nature. Dead Space may be a survival horror title, but its combat controls and movement wouldn't feel out of place in an action game.

Wandering around the bloodied, body-strewn Ishimura, I found some vending-type machines, including a sort of store where it looked like Isaac could stash gear and buy healing items or ammunition. Another intriguing machine provided access to branching upgrade trees that would gradually enhance the attributes of his suit and weapons.

Dead Space will reportedly provide a single-player, story-based experience that will take players somewhere between 12 and 20 hours to complete. The demo didn't offer much insight into how the developers will illuminate the game's story, how the levels and environments will vary, or how linear the player's path will be. Dead Space's sci-fi horror setting is certainly treading familiar (if not overused) ground. Still, given all the creative touches I saw, I think EA may have something very special on their hands. Dead Space is due out late this October for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

Rock Band new's

10:00 (BST), 08/09/2008

Rock Band

Press Release PROVIDED BY GAMES PRESS

– Rock Band™ continues its European invasion as Harmonix, the leading developer of music-based games, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), along with distribution partner Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced a European price cut for the Rock Band Instrument Edition on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. In addition, Rock Band for the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems and Wii™ will ship to retail and will be available in the UK the week of September 8th, in France the week of September 15th, in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and Luxembourg the week of September 22nd and in Spain the week commencing September 29th. The Instrument Edition of Rock Band will retail for €139.99 in Europe and £109.99 in the United Kingdom for the Xbox 360®, PLAYSTATION®3 system, PlayStation®2 system and Wii™.

Rock Band is an all-new platform for music fans and gamers to interact with music. The game challenges players to put together a band and tour for fame and fortune, mastering lead/bass guitar, drums and vocals. With more master recordings than any other music game, Rock Band features some of the world’s biggest rock artists and spans every genre of rock ranging from alternative and classic rock to heavy metal and punk.

In addition to the 58 tracks from the North American release, Rock Band will feature nine additional tracks including:

• Blur “Beetlebum” (English)*

• Oasis “Rock ‘n’ Roll Star” (English)

• Tokio Hotel “Monsoon” (English)

• Muse “Hysteria” (English)

• Les Wampas “Manu Chao” (French)

• Playmo “New Wave” (French)

• Die Toten Hosen “Hier Kommt Alex” (German)

• Juli “Perfekte Welle” (German)

• H-Block X “Countdown to Insanity” (German)

(*cover song)

In addition, Rock Band’s unprecedented library of more than 200 songs available for purchase and download to date in North America is now available in Europe for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION 3 system. All new Rock Band downloadable content will be available simultaneously in the US and Europe on a weekly basis. For a complete list of Rock Band songs available for purchase to date, please go to http://www.rockband.com/dlc.

Since its North American release in 2007, Rock Band has garnered more than 40 awards including Game Critics Award: Best of Show E3 2007 and three awards at The 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Outstanding Innovation in Gaming, Family Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack.

Rock Band is rated 12+ by PEGI.

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

Developed by Harmonix, MTV Games is the publisher of Rock Band. EA is the exclusive distribution partner for Rock Band.

###

MTV Networks, a division of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), is one of the world’s leading creators of entertainment content, with brands that engage and connect diverse audiences across television, online, mobile, games, virtual worlds and consumer products. The company’s portfolio spans more than 150 television channels and 350 digital media properties worldwide, and includes MTV, VH1, CMT, Logo, Harmonix, Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Noggin, The N, AddictingGames, Neopets, COMEDY CENTRAL, Spike TV, TV Land, Atom, Gametrailers and Xfire.

MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality, innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com.

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA SPORTS FreestyleTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.electronicarts.co.uk. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press.

Harmonix, Rock Band, Rock Band 2 and all related titles and logos are trademarks of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., an MTV Networks company. Rock Band and Rock Band 2 developed by Harmonix Music Systems, Inc. MTV: Music Television, MTV Games and all related titles and logos are trademarks of MTV Networks, a division of Viacom International Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft, Xbox, and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Wii is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

 Games Press is the leading online resource for games journalists. Used daily by magazines, newspapers, TV, radio, online media and retailers worldwide, it offers a vast, constantly updated archive of press releases and assets, and is the simplest and most cost-effective way for PR professionals to reach the widest possible audience