via Computer and Video Games


Having sold over 2.4 million copies to date in Japan, DS title Pokémon Platinum is being readied for a May 22 launch in Europe.

Basically it's a beefed-up version of the Diamond and Pearl games that released in 2007 but with an added load of features and areas to explore.

It offers "new ways to play online at the Wi-Fi Plaza over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection and the ability to save your greatest victories in the Vs. Recorder", plus you'll get to explore a "brand new Distortion World, governed by neither time nor space".

Battling has also been updated, and you can find out more about the additional features in our previous coverage here, but be sure to check out these new screens first.


Screenshots ...

via Joystiq


Microsoft is offering a $10 discount off Xbox Live Gold subscriptions to those currently set up with free Silver accounts. Ads for $39.99/year Gold accounts have popped up on Xbox.com and within the Xbox 360 interface, causing some confusion as to whether this is a permanent price drop.

Contacted for comment, Microsoft told us that it is "currently running a promotion in-dash that gives Silver members a special opportunity to upgrade to the full benefits of Gold membership at a reduced price for a limited time." Specifically, it's being extended to all current and new Silver accounts, redeemable via the 360's dash and on Xbox.com, and ... doesn't have a set end date, according to MS. But it is time-limited. (Love those invisible time limits!)

Some retailers, including Amazon.com, are offering physical 12-month -- actually, 13-month -- account cards for the same $39.99 price. When asked, Microsoft said that this is no indication of a planned permanent price drop for yearly subscriptions. Sony's PSN crew just smiled. ...

via Eurogamer


Polish your rose-tinted spectacles and set your sat nav to Memory Lane – another pair of olden days games are now available on the Virtual Console.

First up is Clu Clu Land, a maze game that first appeared on the NES. You must manoeuvre bubbles around, avoiding spiky sea urchins and defending yourself with sonic shockwaves. Yours for 500 Wii Points (GBP 3.50 / EUR 5).

For something a bit more contemporary, how about Mega Drive title Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair? Save the world of Xenobia by battling enemies, collecting power-ups and battling more enemies. A friend can join in, playing as the lovely Priscilla. The game costs 800 Wii Points (GBP 6 / EUR 8).

The new additions bring the total number of games available on the Virtual Console to 280. Crumbs. ...

via Games Industry


According to a new survey by Microsoft, 75 per cent of UK parents believe videogames can be beneficial to children and their families.

The second annual Play Smart, Play Safe campaign also found that 61 per cent of parents agreed that games were a great social experience, 52 per cent feel videogames bring a family together, and 80 per cent see gaming as vital part of home entertainment.

73 per cent of parents are aware of parental controls, according to the study, an increase of 13 per cent on last year. 94 per cent of parents said they felt personally responsible for checking age ratings of the games their children play.

Although 47 per cent of children stated their parents are not vigilant enough when it comes to checking if games are appropriate for their age, 69 per cent of the children surveyed said they want their parents to be more pro-active in checking age ratings.

Children's awareness of parental controls on consoles is high – 96 per cent – while 92 per cent of those surveyed said they were aware of age ratings.

Online gaming is raising more concerns for parents, according to the survey. 42 per cent are worried that their children engage with users older than them online, but 95 per cent of children said they have not encountered anything that has left them worried or frightened while playing online.

A dedicated website on safe gaming would be welcomed by 45 per cent of parents, while 65 per cent said they would be willing to use a parent-child discussion forum to help establish rules around the house. ...

via IGN


A recent update for the 360's version of Fallout 3 is carrying a significant visual upgrade, with the addition of specular maps bringing the textures of the game in-line with its PC and PS3 counterparts.

The 360 version of Fallout 3 was widely regarded to be a superior port, with a frame rate that was more stable than its PS3 counterpart. However, one aspect where it did suffer in relation to its rival console was in its less detailed textures, which appeared flat on the Xbox 360 – an issue that's been addressed with the latest patch, which brings specular maps to certain textures in the game (that's shinier graphics to you and me).

Digital Foundry – picked up by Eurogamer – has got the full details on what the upgrade brings, as well as a selection of comprehensive comparison shots.

Fallout 3 was named IGN's game of 2008, although IGN UK awarded the game a slightly more reserved 8.8 when it was reviewed last October. ...

via Joystiq


Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days finally has a release date in Japan: May 30. Not only will Goofy fans be able to pick up the new action-RPG then (for 5,980 yen, or $60!), they will have the option of dropping even more money on the Kingdom Hearts Edition DSi bundle, which contains this specially decorated black DSi and the game, for 24480 yen ($246). Even as people not particularly into Goth Disney, we happen to think it's rather fetching!

The existence of this bundle sort of validates a rumor we received a while back: while there is a 358/2 Days DSi bundle as predicted, there has been no mention of an included Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories game nor of this special DSi having a Game Boy Advance slot. We expect that the Japanese sites would have mentioned that if it had been the case. ...

via Eurogamer


Square Enix has announced that Star Ocean: The Last Hope will be released in Europe this June.

Some reports floating round the internet say the game has been delayed, as it was originally down for "spring".

But that's not the case, according to Square Enix. "The game has not been delayed," a spokesperson told Eurogamer. "We use the summer solstice on June 21st as the official start of summer, so by announcing the game will be released in June, it will still technically be released in our interpretation of spring."

Star Ocean: The Last Hope is an Xbox 360 exclusive. It's a prequel to the popular role-playing space opera series, and will feature numerous gameplay advances such as the ability to control your own spaceship. ...

via Eurogamer


Three tantalising new demos have hit XBLA this afternoon, namely The Wheelman, Wanted: Weapons of Fate and Legends of Wrestlemania.

The Wheelman is Vin Diesel's second demo of the week, what with all the Riddick, but couldn't be more different to the stealthy prison-breaking of Dark Athena. It's all about an on-the-run getaway driver larking about in Barcelona, where we're pretty sure he meets up with Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz for a wild threesome in the back of a Austin Allegro on a major motorway at rush hour. There are guns and stunt driving as well, but it's the hot lady-on-lady action we're looking forward to rendered as quicktime events.

Wanted is another movie tie-in, all about bullet curving assassins as well as honour, death and betrayal. Probably. It's been done by GRIN, the studio behind GRAW and GRAW 2 as well as Bionic Commando, both regular and rearmed, so don't dismiss is just yet. That's what the demo's for.

Lastly, Legends of Wrestlemania lets players recreate"classic" "fights" from 80s and 90s. What this means in practice is being able to rub Hulk Hogan and Andre the giant up against each other while doing hilarious squeaky voiceovers which suggest they're pleasuring each other. For us, at least.

All three are available now, go get 'em. ...

via Computer and Video Games


The upcoming Xbox 360 Tomb Raider: Underworld DLC, Lara's Shadow, will allow you "to play as an entirely new character for the first time in the history of the Tomb Raider franchise".

Well, sort of. You'll get to step into the shoes of the Doppleganger, a clone of Lara Croft who commands "superior shadow powers, increased agility" and the "ability to slow time to unleash devastating melee combos".

We'd have more info if the developer diary movie Eidos released didn't appear to be broken, - we'll update the story with the movie as soon as we get a working version.

Lara's Shadow is the second Xbox 360-exclusive DLC pack and is due to launch on March 10 as a 1.07GB download via Xbox Live. ...