Village Gamer

Big Blue Bubble Inc. has announced that Burn the Rope will be setting Nintendo’s WiiWare service ablaze this month. Players can not only enjoy burning rope on their mobile devices, now they can do it from the comfort of their living room. Just sit back on the couch and play Burn the Rope on the big screen with high resolution graphics, unique motion controls, and all the fiery fun of the original game.

For the uninitiated, Burn the Rope is a challenging game where you try to burn as much rope as you can in each level. However, as always, there is a catch to solving these puzzles. The fire only burns upwards, leaving you to rotate the level to keep your flame alive – or at least try to. As you progress through the levels, you’ll encounter different bugs crawling along the rope, each with their own unique reactions to the flame. For example, the ant changes the color of the flame so you can burn the corresponding colored ropes, and the spider shoots out a web bridge so you can access parts of the level that you could not before. Burn the Rope is incredibly fun – and highly addictive – for players of any age.

Features:

• Over 100 different levels
• Incredibly fun and addictive
• Beautiful high resolution graphics and fire effects
• Easy to learn, hard to master
• Fun for the whole family

Burn The Rope will be available for 1000 Wii Points in the North American store on July 28^th and the European release will follow shortly after. Burn the Rope is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, with Mild Cartoon Violence.

EA Sports has released a first look video for the upcoming NBA Jam On Fire Edition, currently in development at EA Canada. NBA JAM: On Fire Edition will change the way players play this iconic franchise. All your favorite moves, spins and dunks are still available but now the game includes a host of gameplay improvements.

NBA JAM: On Fire Edition brings you even more to this basketball arcade classic.  Enhanced gameplay, ground breaking artificial intelligence and exciting online features continue to bring countless hours of enjoyment to this over-the-top experience.  The game will be available via digital download from Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network this October.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTwJ6mb3_Sk]

• Enhanced Gameplay — In addition to vast improvements to the core experience and more variety across the board, NBA JAM: On Fire Edition will include a Tag Mode where gamers can swamp players on the fly, Team Fire – the ability to ignite your entire team and Razzle Dazzle – special style moves that allow players to creatively express themselves in the midst of gameplay.
• Using the groundbreaking AI system from the Fight Night series, NBA JAM: On Fire Edition will feature more organic play giving gamers a less robotic and more real gameplay experience.  AI behavior will be based on Archetypes – Big Man, Forward, All-Rounder, Shooting Guard and Point Guard.  In addition, at any given time gamers have the option of playing against their own AI for the ultimate challenge.
• He’s Back!  – Boomshakalaka!  Legendary Tim Kitzrow is back and bringing more unforgettable calls for NBA JAM: On Fire Edition!

Ubisoft® has introduced Assassin’s Creed Embers, a new computer-generated animated short movie that will ship when Assassin’s Creed® Revelations hits store shelves on November 15th. Assassin’s Creed Embers expands on the final chapter of the life of master assassin Ezio Auditore and a journey that has spanned more than four decades.

The animated short, developed by UbiWorkshop, will be available with the Assassin’s Creed Revelations Signature Edition at GameStop for pre-order, and for download on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and on PlayStation®Network.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRaI7ros2nI]

In celebration of the release of their new game titled Big Sticky on July 26th, Big Bad Brush has deemed that its other smash hits, Big Bad Flower, Kung Fu Master and Kung Fu Santa will be free for one week, so be sure to take advantage of this rare event and download these popular titles.

Another Big Bad event that you won’t want to miss is the epic release of Big Sticky in the iTunes App Store. Featuring a purple frog prince whose bravery and heroism shines in this epic tale of love. With simple intuitive controls combined with an original gameplay experience, Sticky can propel its tongue out with only a tap to stick to objects above and swing across the screen. Using this swinging action, Sticky must get to the castle door to save the princess hidden within each level. With a total of 51 platformer puzzle levels, there’s always new obstacles and challenges to overcome. Big Sticky, will officially be available on the app store on July 26, 2011 for the iPhone, iPod and iPad, and it will be sure to enchant gamers of all ages!

Features:

– Simple intuitive controls with an original gameplay experience
– Using your spider tongue, tap to stick and swing your way through the challenges
– 51 Platform puzzle levels to overcome
– 5 Beautifully illustrated worlds to explore
– Many out of this world princesses to save within each level
– Collect roses and earn gold trophies
– Many obstacles such as fireballs, moving walls, switches and more
– Available on iPhone, iPod and iPad and requires iOS 4.2 or higher

Ubisoft will redefine music gaming with the release of Rocksmith in October 2011. Rocksmith is the first and only music video game where players can plug into any electric guitar. Every copy of the game will include a Rocksmith™ Real Tone Cable, a standard quarter-inch to USB cable allowing guitars to be played through an Xbox 360^®, a PlayStation^®3 or a PC for the first time. Players can access an in-depth library of music including everything from the latest hits to classic rock songs.

Rocksmith features gameplay that automatically adjusts to the player’s skill level, mini-games to help hone specific skills, a split-screen multiplayer option, and a first-person perspective that puts the player on stage. Rocksmith will feature a huge variety of in-game effects pedals that allow users to customize and reproduce their favourite tones. Its innovative game design makes reading music visually fun and intuitive. The game includes a sizable catalogue of music from classic rock bands such as The Animals, David Bowie and The Rolling Stones, to current artists like The Black Keys and Interpol.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Egr-D0ot2cs]

“Canadian music and game lovers can be among the first in the world to try out Rocksmith at select, high profile music events this summer,” says Lucile Bousquet, Director of Marketing and Communications for Ubisoft Canada. “Rocksmith not only engages experienced musicians, it’s also exciting for those who are playing a guitar for the very first time.”

Canadians are invited to pick up a guitar and try out Rocksmith at official Rocksmith Rehearsal Studios across the country, which are designed to look and feel like an authentic garage-style rehearsal studio space. The Rocksmith Rehearsal studios will be located at some of the country’s biggest rock music festivals including:

• Heavy TO in Toronto: July 23-24
• Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal: July 29-31
• Sonic Boom in Edmonton: September 3

The start of your personal Star Wars™ saga grows ever nearer, and now BioWare has revealed three editions of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™, each custom-designed to delight RPG and Star Wars fans worldwide. The Star Wars: The Old Republic Collector’s Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition and Standard Edition are available for pre-order today at participating retailers (some conditions apply), with digital versions available exclusively at Origin™. Upon pre-order, players will be granted a redemption code that will unlock early game access as well as an in-game color stone to change your weapon effect. Note that pre-order quantities are limited, they will be processed in the order in which they were received, and Early Game Access will only be available to those who pre-order the game and redeem their code before the game’s official release.

Star Wars: The Old Republic has been honored with over 95 industry awards and accolades from game critics worldwide and continues to be one of the most anticipated launches of 2011. The game innovates and advances the MMO genre by emphasizing story as a key pillar of the experience – a proven strength of BioWare and Lucasfilm. As anticipation grows, BioWare also announced today that Star Wars: The Old Republic will open “Beta Test Weekends” starting this September. These weekend play sessions will be open to selected players worldwide and create an opportunity for fans to get a sneak peek of the epic stories, worlds, quests, battles and characters in the game.  Read the rest of this entry »

Goldtooth Creative once again proves itself a force to be reckoned with as its cutting edge trailer for the highly anticipated sequel to 2009’s top-selling game from Activision Publishing and Radical Entertainment, PROTOTYPE® 2 debuts today at San Diego Comic-Con International 2011.

The first entry in PROTOTYPE 2’s three-part CG trilogy, which are behind age-gates on the Prototype 2 site, is titled “Homecoming,” displays the slick editing and breathtaking visuals for which the Vancouver-based creative agency and full-service production studio is quickly becoming known.

Director Paul Furminger and the Goldtooth crew worked tirelessly to build a captivating trailer that introduces gamers to the post-outbreak world inhabited by James Heller, PROTOTYPE 2’s all-new protagonist, and it offers a sneak peek at what’s to come as Blackwatch Special Forces continue the struggle to contain and control the outbreak of the Blacklight virus.

Artists at Goldtooth produced all the visuals for the trailer, including animation, lighting, effects, and compositing, and used all the latest technical tools in their arsenal—including motion capture, game capture, facial performance capture, CG and intense live action shoots—to achieve the look and feel of a feature film that hints at the epic showdown looming between Heller and Alex Mercer, the protagonist of the original game.

The sequel to Radical Entertainment’s best-selling open-world action game of 2009, PROTOTYPE 2 takes the unsurpassed carnage of the original PROTOTYPE and continues the experience of becoming the ultimate shape-shifting weapon. PROTOTYPE 2 is currently in development for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

As the latest project in the ongoing collaborative relationship between Goldtooth and Activision, the first trailer for PROTOYPE 2 demonstrates Goldtooth’s continued dedication to captivating story-telling and technical excellence. For the original PROTOTYPE game, Goldtooth created multiple trailers and provided creative direction on story cinematics; Furminger directed the ‘Web of Intrigue’ in-game cinematics for the first game.

Activision and Radical have also confirmed the release date for PROTOTYPE 2. The shape-shifting title will be on stores shelves April 24, 2012 for Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC. You can get your pre-orders in at several retailers – I already have mine in.

“We know our fans have been clamoring to find out when they would be able to get their hands-on PROTOTYPE 2, and the whole studio is excited that we can finally reveal the timing,” said Ken Rosman, Studio Head, Radical Entertainment.  “We’re also thrilled to be at the point where we can show the game directly to our fans.  It’s always rewarding to see those first time reactions to what we’ve been working on for the past couple years, and we can’t wait for them to see some of Sgt. James Heller’s amazing new shape-shifting abilities at San Diego Comic-Con.”

Show goers attending ‘The Con’ will have the opportunity to check out PROTOTYPE 2’s signature crazy, over-the-top, shape-shifting action during 15-minute live stage presentations held throughout each day.  Fans who come by the Activision booth to check out the game can enter a raffle for a chance to win a limited edition, custom leather jacket modeled after the one Sgt. James Heller wears in the game; or a Alex Mercer one of a kind, custom skinned Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.  Additionally, the team from Radical will be on-site handing out assorted PROTOTYPE 2 themed goodies, including t-shirts, posters, giant foam Heller Blade Arms and more! < not fair! 🙁

Supreme Ruler: Cold War from Battlegoat Studios has been released, and the future of the world is at stake. The Korean War looms, the Arms Race intensifies, the Berlin Crisis leads to the formation of NATO, and the world anticipates a new World War. The tension and uncertainty of the Cold War is unbearable.

Now is the time to choose which faction you will control and which strategies you will employ to safeguard your way of life and that of your country’s. As leader of the United States or the Soviet Union, you must make the correct decisions to successfully navigate your country through this dangerous historical era.

Supreme Ruler: Cold War is now available on all major digital download portals with the suggested retail price of $29.99 USD. Take a peek beyond the iron curtain and the wealth of strategy features available to ambitious world leaders, in the release trailer for Supreme Ruler: Cold War.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkJBSyS10WI]

Supreme Ruler: Cold War Features:

• Play as the United States or Soviet Union in Campaign Mode
• Control any Nation in Post-World War II Era in Sandbox Mode
• Use Diplomacy, Trade and Espionage to influence the policies of other nations
• Research new Technologies to give your nation an edge
• Grow and Modernize your Economy
• Control Military production and deployment, or let your Ministers take care of the details
• Experience the redesigned GUI with improved On-Map feedback and streamlined controls
• And when Diplomacy Fails… Sophisticated Real-Time Strategic and Tactical Control of your Military Forces!

Silicon Sisters Interactive would like to let you know that School 26: Summer of Secrets is now available for iPhone, iPod touch ($2.99), and iPad ($4.99). This is the second installment in the School 26 series of social mastery games designed for teen and tween girls.

In School 26: Summer of Secrets, the gossip is flying faster than ever as high schooler Kate and her friends get ready for the hottest concert of the summer. (Road trip!) Use emotional intelligence and social savvy to draw out your friends’ secrets — then tactfully share what you’ve learned. If you succeed, you’ll help sparring friends make peace, establish love connections, and get the whole crew psyched for the big Battle of the Bands competition. Dish the dirt with the wrong people and you might gain a rep as the school blabbermouth.

“Our first School 26 game was about fitting in at a new school. Now that Kate has a network of friends, Summer of Secrets is more about being yourself and seeing the impact of your choices,” says Silicon Sisters co-founder Kirsten Forbes. “As you play, the game tracks your decisions and presents you with a personality profile based on your playing style. So while you’re helping Kate sort out all of these secrets, you’ll also learn something about yourself.”

To learn more about the School 26 games and become part of the growing fan community, visit School 26 on Facebook or follow along on Twitter.

Sarbakan is ramping upits  efforts to further develop strikingly innovative mobile games in the instant gaming market. Combining sophisticated platform action and casual controls, Sarbakan is trailblazing the path to offering both dedicated and casual gamers premium, freemium, and full-featured games—on a variety of mobile devices, including Android and iOS phones and tablets.

While other developers usually rely on one specific type of feature, Sarbakan offers the unique blend of sophisticated combo moves, true-to-life rag doll physics, and powerful finger-swipe controls for continuously fresh, rich, and deep gameplay experiences.  Sarbakan compacts more technology, more compelling designs, and more complete 3D animations within Android- and iOS-based mobile devices than any “traditional” games currently found on the Android Market or App Store.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhdMVCmxYDE]

Sarbakan’s newest release, Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty is available now on iTunes for $4.99 and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 4.0 or later. The game is rated 9+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence.