FIFA Football was the first football game to receive official licensing from FIFA, the world governing body of football.  Now, 18 years on, EA’s FIFA now includes more exclusively-licensed leagues including the English Premier League & Football League, Italy’s Serie A, Spain’s La Liga, the German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, Dutch Eredivisie, Mexico’s Primera División, USA’s MLS, South Korea’s K-League and Australia’s Hyundai A-League.

The official licensing deals means gamers can play as real teams in real leagues, unlike the other great football computer game, Pro Evolution Soccer where team names are thinly disguised – Manchester Reds (Manchester United), North London (Arsenal) and West Midlands Village (Aston Villa).  To some this may not be a big issue.  But for me, it adds to the authenticity.

FIFA 12 (FIFA Soccer 12 in North America) is the nineteenth edition of the game and David Rutter, the line producer for FIFA 12 has promised “a revolutionary year for FIFA … especially in the gameplay department.”

FIFA 12 is due for release on 27th September 2011 in North America followed by a European release on 30th September on PS3, Xbox 360 & PC.

An exclusive version will be available from Game & Gamestation shops.  The “Ultimate Edition” includes four monthly Ultimate Team gold packs, with each pack containing 12 items including players, contracts, stadiums, managers, staff, fitness, healing, footballs, kits and badges. Each pack contains one rare item, such as enhanced player attributes, longer contracts and the most coveted players.

Following the sacking of Andy Gray by Sky for his sexist comments earlier this year, the voice of former Arsenal & England striker and Sky football pundit Alan Smith is included alongside commentary from Martin Tyler. The voices of Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend are also used for tournament modes.

FIFA 12 will include new and improved features such as the “Player Impact Engine”, “Tactical Defending” and “Precision Dribbling”.  The following video shows how the new player impact engine improves the collision variety, accuracy and momentum preservation.

‘Tactical Defending’ offers advanced functionality by employing the ability to defend tactically which allows a team to place equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling.

‘Precision dribbling’ allows a player to dribble whilst shielding the ball whilst in possession. This allows the player in possession greater freedom while holding players off, whereas before this functionality left the player rooted to the spot.

Furthermore, close control has been included, allowing a player to take smaller, more frequent touches, keeping closer control when in possession of the ball.

All this added functionality will offer better, faster, more realistic gameplay.  I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy of EA FIFA 12.

A prolonged four months wait will seem even longer as gameplay and video trailers litter the web in a marketing and gameplayer fest which will stretch the patience of all fans of the bestselling first-person action series of all-time as it returns with the epic sequel to the multiple Game of the Year award winner Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 will be the third instalment in the Modern Warfare series, and no less than the eighth instalment of Call of Duty.  Like the previous versions of this brilliant game Call Of Duty: MW3 will be a First-Person-Shooter game; and to beat the competition in a flooded market of  action war games, Modern warfare 3 will run at a faster 60FPS.

Doing a grand marketing job in promoting the game, the developers have revealed that Modern Warfare 3 will, among others, feature a new survival mode. Survival mode features one to two players fighting endless waves of enemies with each wave getting more difficult.

Some critics are comparing the game to Call of Duty: World at War played in Nazi Zombies mode.  But with MW3 enemies do no not automatically spawn in fixed places but instead uses a more sophisticated logic allowing enemies to spawn at a position based on the current location of the player.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 has been developed by the American game developer company, Infinity Ward, who have been responsible for three instalments in the Call of Duty franchise.  All of the original 22 developers at Infinity Ward came from the team that had developed Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.

The quality of the gameplay looks amazing.  Check out this video.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 will be released on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC priced around £45 for games consoles and £40 for the PC version.  By pre-ordering the game with HMV you can earn 3,999 loyalty points.

The game will be priced at $20. Customers can pre-purchase the game with a 25% discount from www.NewStarSoccer.com which will also give them access to the beta version.

New Star Soccer 5 is the latest instalment in the award winning indie football series. Live the life of a young football star as you try to achieve success on the pitch and gain the respect and adoration of your team-mates, fans and friends.

You can play in a whole host of leagues from around the world and compete in national tournaments such as the World Cup and the European Championships. Gaining the skills to help your team lift the ultimate trophy will take time but you will have a blast getting there.
Score goals, make the right transfer moves, make headlines in the newspapers, visit the casino, buy a mansion and more. Just make sure you keep your feet on the ground!

For more information visit www.NewStarSoccer.com.

Atari Star Raiders for Xbox & PC Download

Atari Europe, one of the world’s most recognised publishers and producers of interactive entertainment, have announced the release of Star Raiders®.

Originally introduced in 1979, Star Raiders blazed an all new trail, becoming the first ever first-person space combat title.

The game inspired several generations of “space combat simulation” titles throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s.   The exciting new take on this Atari treasure pays tribute to the original while ushering in an all new, captivating episodic experience.   The game offers familiar battle elements including space warps and galactic tactical maps with all new features like radical battle transformations and customizable ships.

The return of Star Raiders combines tense aerial assaults and dogfights with a new compelling storyline, striking visual style and exhilarating single player gameplay.

Star Raiders is now available on the Xbox 360®video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC Download.

Developed by Incinerator Studios, Star Raiders carries a retail price of 800 Microsoft Points (£7.19/€8.99).  For more information visit www.starraiders.com.

Champions Online: Free for All

Atari Europe and Cryptic Studios have announced today the immediate availability of Champions Online: Free for All.

Champions Online: Free For All is a free to play update to Champions Online and features additional premium content for purchase. Adventure Packs, items, powers and costume pieces can be selected a la carte inside Cryptic’s innovative C-Store.

Additionally, current players may continue subscribing as Gold Members, while new players may also optionally upgrade to Gold status, which unlocks most of the game’s content and includes extra features for a set price of £10.34 per month.

“We’re thrilled to finally be able to launch Champions Online: Free for All,” said John Needham, CEO, Cryptic Studios. “The Champions team has put an incredibly amount of effort into making Free for All an amazing free-to-play MMO every gamer can enjoy at no cost.”

Champions Online has been lauded since its launch for the nearly limitless options it gives players. The Free For All launch offers even more:

• Play Everything – With the exception of special Adventure Packs, all the content in Champions Online: Free For All is available to every player. Once a player enters a location within the MMO game world, nothing is off-limits!

• Unlimited Play Time – Play as much as you like, as long as you like, at absolutely no cost. No subscription or credit card required.

• Your Own Hero, Your Own Story – Become a hero, encounter his or her Nemesis, and advance to maximum level at no cost.

• Play Your Way – Utilize the optional web-based and in-game C-Store to purchase gameplay upgrades or additional premium content.

Champions Online brings epic heroism to the MMORPG genre with depth that challenges the most experienced online gamers, while its fast-paced action engages new entrants to the online superhero universe. Join with Defender and the legendary Champions to stop Dr. Destroyer and his minions in the ultimate showdown between good and evil.

For more information visit the Champions Online website.

UnderGarden new screens

Atari have announced the release of a series of new screens for its enchanting puzzle game The UnderGarden, developed by Vitamin-G the creators of Aces of the Galaxy.

The UnderGarden presents a wonderful exploration experience for gamers with an affinity for solving new style puzzles and will be unleashed this winter Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStationNetwork and Windows PC Download at Atari.com

UnderGarden new screens

The UnderGarden is a casual zen-like game that challenges players to explore beautiful underground caverns filled with strange life forms; physics based puzzles and plenty of hidden secrets.

The world comes alive and music evolves as players get deeper into the world of The UnderGarden. With local co-operative gameplay, players can chill out, work together to solve puzzles and explore the world. The UnderGarden offers 20 different levels of modern exploration filled with brain teasing physics and eco-friendly puzzles that evoke an emotional response to the beauty and calm of this underwater oasis.

UnderGarden new screens

1 Use different types of fruit to help solve brain-teasing physics-based puzzles.
2 Watch the world around you bloom and come to life.
3 Pick up musicians to enhance the soothing audio tracks.
4 Unlock new looks for your character as you progress through the UnderGarden.
5 Explore a variety of different levels.
6 Solve tricky puzzles.
7 Gather pollen to make your world blossom with plant life and colour.

For further information visit the Atari website

Haunted House pays homage to the classic favourite as players solve mysteries in Graves Mansion as the grandchildren of the original character, Samuel Silverspring, who disappeared without a trace in the evil mansion nearly 30 years ago.

Chased by pesky poltergeists, haunted by scary skeletons and ravenous rats, players are immersed in a goosebump-inducing adventure to explore the dark and creepy depths of Graves Mansion in search of the four lost pieces of a magical urn. The player’s goal is to reassemble the urn and defend their family’s legacy with the aid of mystical tomes, powerful light sources and mysterious artifacts.

This classic game has been remade for a new generation of gamers with enriched 3D environments, interactive objects, dynamic storylines, and new characters.  Gamers must navigate their way through 16 levels of spooky environments, find hidden treasures, solve puzzles, fight new bosses, and manipulate the environment on their way to a showdown with Zachary Graves.

For more information visit the Haunted House Atari website.

The UnderGarden

Atari have announced plans to release their new puzzle exploration experience for gamers who have an affinity for  solving new style puzzles, The UnderGarden is scheduled for release this Winter.

Developed by Vitamin-G, the creators of Aces of the Galaxy, The UnderGarden is set to unleash its mythical mojo this Winter and will be available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®Network and Windows PC Download at Atari.com.

The UnderGarden is a casual zen-like game that challenges players to explore beautiful underground caverns filled with strange life forms; physics based puzzles and plenty of hidden secrets. The world comes alive and music evolves as players get deeper into the world of The UnderGarden.

With local co-operative gameplay, players can chill out, work together to solve puzzles and explore the world. The UnderGarden offers 20 different levels of modern exploration filled with brain teasing physics and eco-friendly puzzles that evoke an emotional response to the beauty and calm of this underwater oasis.

Vice President and General Manager of Atari Europe, John Burns said; “The UnderGarden offers an imaginative and novel take on the puzzle genre. With its beautiful striking visuals, hypnotic soundtrack and taxing physics puzzles, The Undergarden is a underwater journey of triumphant discovery.”

Watch the trailer here:

For further information visit The UnderGarden website.

Freejack screenshot

Game Bridger Entertainment have announced that the open beta test for the free to play parkour game Freejack begins on October 1st, and players who sign up using Facebook Connect prior to the start date will be entered into a free draw to win an Apple iPad and other amazing prizes.

Freejack open beta will be available to both the North American and European markets and all players that connect their GamerKraft and Facebook accounts, and follow FreeJack on Facebook prior to the FreeJack open beta start date, will be automatically entered into a drawing to win one of ten fabulous prizes including: a 16GB Apple iPad, Apple iPods Touch, Sony PSP 3000 systems, and Samsung 12MP digital cameras!

FreeJack is a free-to-play parkour racing game for Windows PCs supporting Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7. Players race head-to-head across the urban metropolis of New Jack City in high-octane foot races, bustin’ stylish flips and tricks to increase their speed and gain access to hidden shortcuts.

Players can personalize their character with fresh outfits and running gear and even customize their own unique in-game living space with cool furniture and accessories to show off to friends! FreeJack also supports online leaderboards, a club/clan system, in-game friends lists, and more! FreeJack is launching its open beta in October 2010 from GamerKraft.

Freejack is free to download and play, visit the Freejack site for more information.

Big Match Striker

A great new football game called Big Match Striker has just been launched and it is free to download as a PC game.

The exciting new title is highly competitive and will challenge all levels of football fans’ knowledge and strategic skills as they battle in one-on-one leagues to meet the game’s main objectives – to win titles and silverware, and attract more fans to their club.

Players succeed by answering a selection of both constantly-updated and historic football questions from English football’s top four tiers, keeping the game concurrent with the real-life action.  Players can win possession and tackle the opposition by responding quicker to questions, requiring a decent level of football knowledge and quick thinking.

The reward of winning matches is gaining fans and in-game currency. This can be strategically used to buy players, upgrade stadiums and even install burger vans to attract more fans and progress to the league’s higher echelons.

Watch the Big Match Striker trailer here:

Visit the Big Match Striker website for more information and to download the game.