Payload, the futuristic story-led combat racing game designed exclusively for the N-Gage platform, received a dedicated micro-site today, featuring never seen before in-game footage and information at www.payload-game.com.

The micro-site www.payload-game.com, invites gamers to see the first cinematic trailer, created by award-winning creative studio Alkemi Entertainment, which gives you a behind the scenes peek into the world of Payload. The micro-site lifts the shroud of secrecy behind the Payload experience and includes character information, world locations, a three-part developer diary, plus a range of screensavers and desktop images for the ultimate Payload fan.

"Payload and www.payload-game.com are a testament to the rich story and game depth that is possible on the N-Gage platform," said Gregg Sauter, Director, Games Publishing, Nokia. "Payload combines strategy, combat and traditional racing, where a player can play against up to three friends with an N-Gage game deck via Bluetooth wireless technology for a superior combat racing experience. Or, players can upload high-scores on to the N-Gage Arena to compare their scores with fellow N-Gage gamers."

Payload for the N-Gage platform is a fast-paced combat action racing game where players use 'skims' to traverse exotic and deadly terrains on the Planet Ararat. 'Skims' are futuristic hovercraft bristling with weapons and, combined with a steady hand and lightning reflexes, are the primary tools of the Pitrunner. Players become Abel Harker, a Pitrunner who vies for the right to courier a precious crystalline fuel source called Furium, in a deadly race of death, destruction and mayhem against other Pitrunners. Pitrunning is a ruthless and cutthroat occupation where fortunes can be made or lost in a hail of weapons fire.

Payload for the N-Gage platform is scheduled to ship in Spring 2006. ...

Sony has announced that its Blu-Ray next-generation DVD format will launch in North America on May 23rd, giving a clear timeline for the first time for the arrival of the media format which will be used by the PlayStation 3.

Eight Blu-Ray titles will launch on that date from Sony's two major film studios, Sony Pictures and MGM, namely 50 First Dates, The Fifth Element, Hitch, House of Flying Daggers, A Knight's Tale, The Last Waltz, Resident Evil Apocalypse and XXX.

A further set of titles will appear on June 13th - with Kung Fu Hustle, Legends of the Fall, Robocop, Stealth, Species, SWAT and Terminator joining the original launch titles on the shelves.

However, the initial choice available to consumers in terms of what to play their shiny new high definition movies on will be very limited - with only one player, Samsung's costly BD-P1000, set to ship for the May 23rd launch. Further players will appear from Sony and Pioneer shortly after launch.

Sony also today announced that it is to merge its optical drive business, of which the Blu-Ray drive business is a part, with NEC's optical drive business, forming a joint venture. While in some quarters this is being seen as a move designed to hedge the company's bets in case HD-DVD becomes the dominant standard - as NEC is a key supporter of HD-DVD - it's being interpreted elsewhere as a victory for Blu-Ray, since Sony will hold a 55% stake in the new venture and it will be headed up by a Sony executive.

In terms of software pricing, Sony plans to sell new Blu-Ray titles wholesale into retail at $23.95, with back catalogue titles being sold wholesale at $17.95 - which will probably translate as around $29.95 and $24.95 respectively on the price tags for consumers.

The big question, of course, is what this all means for the launch of the PlayStation 3, which will use a Blu-Ray drive and is expected to act as a "Trojan horse" to drive uptake of the format among consumers.

Several media outlets have recently reported on comments from an unnamed Sony source, who was cited on the BBC News website some weeks ago as saying that the console's launch could be delayed due to a hold-up in agreeing final specification details for Blu-Ray discs.

The fact that players and discs are now slated to appear in mid-May seems to suggest that these hurdles have now been overcome - although a launch for the PS3 in the planned Spring timeframe still looks highly unlikely given that no details of any such launch have yet been shared with consumers or with the retail channel. ...

Source Gamesindustry

A patent filed by Nintendo with the US Patent Office last year has come to light this week and kicked off speculation of a possible functionality upgrade for the Nintendo DS, as it describes a new control system for a dual-screen console with a touch interface.

The patent, which was uncovered by US website GameSpot, describes a console not dissimilar to the DS, but with one key difference - namely the ability to sense multiple pressure points on the touch-screen, rather than just a single point as the DS currently does.

What that means, in effect, is that players would be able to control games with gestures using more than one finger on the screen - with the example given in the patent being the control of a spaceship on the upper screen using two fingers on the lower screen to indicate direction and thrust.

The concept isn't exactly an entirely new one; other companies have explored the idea of two-fingered gestures before, and Apple's recent laptops allow users to scroll around documents and perform other actions by using two fingers on the touchpad.

However, the implementation of the system as a game controller is, to the best of our knowledge, a first - and could indeed point at an enhancement that could appear in any successor to the DS at some point down the line. ...

Source Gamesindustry

A patent filed by Nintendo with the US Patent Office last year has come to light this week and kicked off speculation of a possible functionality upgrade for the Nintendo DS, as it describes a new control system for a dual-screen console with a touch interface.

The patent, which was uncovered by US website GameSpot, describes a console not dissimilar to the DS, but with one key difference - namely the ability to sense multiple pressure points on the touch-screen, rather than just a single point as the DS currently does.

What that means, in effect, is that players would be able to control games with gestures using more than one finger on the screen - with the example given in the patent being the control of a spaceship on the upper screen using two fingers on the lower screen to indicate direction and thrust.

The concept isn't exactly an entirely new one; other companies have explored the idea of two-fingered gestures before, and Apple's recent laptops allow users to scroll around documents and perform other actions by using two fingers on the touchpad.

However, the implementation of the system as a game controller is, to the best of our knowledge, a first - and could indeed point at an enhancement that could appear in any successor to the DS at some point down the line. ...

Source Gamesindustry

A patent filed by Nintendo with the US Patent Office last year has come to light this week and kicked off speculation of a possible functionality upgrade for the Nintendo DS, as it describes a new control system for a dual-screen console with a touch interface.

The patent, which was uncovered by US website GameSpot, describes a console not dissimilar to the DS, but with one key difference - namely the ability to sense multiple pressure points on the touch-screen, rather than just a single point as the DS currently does.

What that means, in effect, is that players would be able to control games with gestures using more than one finger on the screen - with the example given in the patent being the control of a spaceship on the upper screen using two fingers on the lower screen to indicate direction and thrust.

The concept isn't exactly an entirely new one; other companies have explored the idea of two-fingered gestures before, and Apple's recent laptops allow users to scroll around documents and perform other actions by using two fingers on the touchpad.

However, the implementation of the system as a game controller is, to the best of our knowledge, a first - and could indeed point at an enhancement that could appear in any successor to the DS at some point down the line. ...

This is the Japanese release but get that mouth watering:



Part of the "World of Mana" project, this game is a 2D RPG follow-up to the adored action-RPG series. Embark on a co-op multiplayer quest, teaming together to achieve actions and reach areas, by helping players up or working together, that are not available for single-player adventurers. Children of Mana features a complex weapon system where you can equip multiple weapons for range and melee attack. Also featured is character modification, where you can adjust your character's abilities on the fly by applying items.

More info --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...7&lsaid=219793 ...

This is the Japanese release but get that mouth watering:



Part of the "World of Mana" project, this game is a 2D RPG follow-up to the adored action-RPG series. Embark on a co-op multiplayer quest, teaming together to achieve actions and reach areas, by helping players up or working together, that are not available for single-player adventurers. Children of Mana features a complex weapon system where you can equip multiple weapons for range and melee attack. Also featured is character modification, where you can adjust your character's abilities on the fly by applying items.

More info --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...7&lsaid=219793 ...

This is the Japanese release but get that mouth watering:



Part of the "World of Mana" project, this game is a 2D RPG follow-up to the adored action-RPG series. Embark on a co-op multiplayer quest, teaming together to achieve actions and reach areas, by helping players up or working together, that are not available for single-player adventurers. Children of Mana features a complex weapon system where you can equip multiple weapons for range and melee attack. Also featured is character modification, where you can adjust your character's abilities on the fly by applying items.

More info --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...7&lsaid=219793 ...

Another new commercial release for the Nintendo DS:



A Nintendo DS RPG based on the popular Japanese cartoon series featuring Doraemon the blue, robotic cat with a magic pocket and his young friend Nobita-kun.

More info --> http://www.yesasia.com/?/info.php?pro...5&lsaid=219793 ...