After much hype it was revealed that the web site will provide users with new information about the game, through the eyes of four survivors named Lance, Gretchen, Wallace and Johnny.

A special edition exclusive to Europe was also revealed along with the artwork for the regular edition.

The Outbreak pack special edition will contain:

A highly detailed 12” zombie figurine complete with accessories
A download token for a bonus theme pack
Additional specific content for the PS3 and 360 versions.

To make the website a visit click the following link:

http://www.tapeitordie.com/

The game will be out on the 1st October 2010 for the Xbox 360 and PS3, with a PC version in the works.

The following is the planned release schedule for this year:

Limbo: July 21

Hydro Thunder Hurricane: July 28

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair: August 4

Monday Night Combat: August 11

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light: August 18

All titles will cost 1200 Microsoft points each but 400 points will be given to players that buy all five.

With such variety this year there is bound to be at least one title that will be of interest to every player.

In a year of declining sales across the High Street, ShopTo.Net has trebled its market share according to Chart-Track data; consistently accounting up to 20 percent of Day one sales. Fueled by 10-15,000 new registrations each month, ShopTo.Net is well placed to achieve its ambition of breaking into the top three online retailers in the UK.

Igor Cipolletta, CEO of ShopTo.Net said: “We’re ecstatic with our latest results, which continue to buck the trend of the major retailer’s declining sales. Driven by our same-day dispatch promise, and an unprecedented investment in the history of our company, we continue to offer what we consider to be the best-in-field proposition to our customers.”

“With investment in technology and services, we strive to expand our offering further, cementing ShopTo.Net as a premier destination for online shoppers.”

ShopTo.Net plans to launch a digital download services in the coming financial year, expanding its already popular product video service, which currently serves over 100,000 videos per week.

ShopTo.Net is also investing £500,000 in more efficient computerised systems, bringing the total time from ordering to dispatch to an impressive one and a half minutes, down from five minutes previously.

This investment, along with an already quadrupled warehouse space strategically places ShopTo.Net to deliver outstanding results through new ventures and increasing product channels to continue to deliver a market leading service and amazing value.

In previous games players would almost “go through the motions” by creating their golfer, working on the stats and reaching a point in the game when every swing of the club was perfect. The issue was that the point in the game that this was achieved was relatively early on. Usually by the third course in the game your stats were improved enough that on easier difficulties you could always finish a round under par and win.

With Tiger 11 the implementation of the stats has changed so much that this is no longer a concern. Tiger 11 has brought an RPG-esque style of stat boosting with it. After a round of golf is played you will be awarded XP for various accomplishments.

Examples of this are 25XP for scoring a birdie, 15XP for a close approach to the cup and 5XP for reaching the fairway in regulation strokes. You’ll also be awarded a chunk of XP for your placing in the tournament and any trophy balls unlocked.

Once you’ve finished your round you can use this XP to boost your stats which are broken down into sections such as Swing, Putting, Accuracy and Control then each of these breaks down again, into subsections.

Want a powerful swing? Then you must upgrade your swing speed and your swing boost. Breaking the upgrading down into more of a micromanagement system is a nice touch that demands more attention from the player. You can’t just put everything into putting, you must decide if you want to open your sweet spot more or learn how to read the greens better.

Another big change is the addition of the focus bar. This completely changes the way you play. In older versions of the title players would tap their speed boost every time they swung the club to get further. Also whenever the ball is in the air players would tap the spin button to change the roll of the ball as it lands. While these actions can still be used, you will now use some of your focus bar.

This fantastic addition means that you must balance when you boost your shot, when you spin your ball, or even boost your accuracy. Interestingly you also use focus when using a putt preview. This ability allows you to see how your ball will travel when putting. In Tiger 11 you can now use it more than once, so if you’re off target you can use it again once you have changed your aim and see if the shot will find the hole.

This is great for players that struggle with putting but you must always keep in mind that you can’t use your boost off of the tee if you want to save focus for your putt. It’s a great mechanic that will also go a long way to balancing the game and stopping players from stomping all over the competition.

Other tweaks are welcome such as using XP to buy equipment from the pro shop which stops players from over boosting their stats with better clubs as you must think whether you want to spend that precious XP in the shop or on the stats.

Seemingly the weather has also been improved, mainly, the wind. In previous iterations the wind was rather tame a rarely affected the trajectory of your ball that much. In Tiger 11 the wind is ferocious, a gust of 30KPH will push your ball of course by a substantial amount and can cause many problems.

It seems that the developers have gone out of their way to make the game tougher, all these tweaks to the stats mean that your golfer will need at least 10 rounds of golf under their belt before they can trounce anyone and even then you shots may not always find their target. I for one am thrilled that this version of the franchise is built more on skill than ever and hopefully this will translate well in the online play over time.

For those wanting to make the game even tougher, there is true-aim. In basic terms this is a more authentic way to play. Meaning that aiming circles are removed and everything must be done by eye and speed of swing. It’s a very tough way to play as any ways of enhancing your experience are limited and you must play just like real life counterparts.

Of course I have to give a nod to the much needed inclusion of the Ryder Cup. Finally players can take the side of America or Europe in the prestigious event. This of course means that 24 player matches can now be seen online and you and your friends can band together to prove just who the best side is.

It’s not all sweet spots with Tiger 11 though. The animation has barely been touched since Tiger 10 and they are repeated far too many times. There is also a vast amount of graphical glitches: clubs clipping through the golfers, mud circling the ball while it’s on the tee. It’s all rather distracting. Other distractions include far too many loading screens and the length of them is a frustration.

There always seems to be a lot of waiting throughout the game, from loading screens to the inability to speed up a shot if you don’t want to watch it through. Add in the implementation of the same old challenge mode and gamernet bits and the game seems a little stagnant in places.

It’s not enough to ruin the experience, however. Fans will be pleased with the improvements and the game, for the majority, is better than ever.

It’s hard to see where the franchise will go next, but that’s a year away, right?

He noticed the error after a problem with his internet connection while loading up the demo.

Apparently it can occur if you disable then re-enable your internet connection. This can be done a few ways such as removing the ethernet cable from the rear of the 360 or even turning off your connection from the router.

As you hit A to load in your Agent the timer should freeze as long as you cancel the Xbox Live warning pop up message.

1. Start the demo.
2. Choose your agent and his colour up until you press A to “deploy agent”.
3. Disconnect from the internet. I personally pulled out the ethernet cable in the back.
4. Quickly press A after disconnecting from the internet. When trying to join the game is should pop up a menu saying that friends can’t join because you’re online or something.
5. Hit B to cancel.
6. Reconnect to the internet and start up another game.
7. Demo time remaining will be stuck at 30 minutes for as long as you don’t start any races or things like that.

It’s a promise that Alpha Protocol fails to satisfy but strangely, there’s some charm somewhere under the hood of this Hollywood inspired fiction.

Things start off, as any secret agents tale should, in the most clichéd of ways. You, aka Michael Thorton, wake up in a mysterious lab and sneak your way out to find you’ve landed a job at Alpha Protocol, an important but dispensable quango executing operations outside of US government intervention.

Mr. Thorton might be as run-of-the-mill as third person shooter protagonists come these days but you’ll soon be tweaking his appearance and taking control of his reactions and responses to different situations via lengthy dialogue.

Things quickly go awry and tables are turned as our agent is pinned against the forces responsible for building him up as an agent of espionage. Looking to exact some revenge, you’re given three unique locations to explore in whichever order you prefer, each location featuring an array of eye-candy beauties and powerful tyrants that Thorton will either need to seduce or execute.

For the most part, the story is a pretty strong driving force often teasing you with flash forwards which retell the actions and decisions you are making or have made in past missions. Exploring the likes of Rome, Moscow and Taipei all become intriguing endeavours but the tempo is a little inconsistent: early missions can last up to an hour where you’ll take down terrorist gangs, hack computers and blow up photogenic scenery whilst some can boil down to little more than a short natter over a cup of tea.

Of course the action missions should be the most enjoyable part of Alpha Protocol but with this comes another diluted asset – levelling up.
Allowing you to level up almost every minute aspect of your agent’s skill set is an exciting prospect but it all boils down to three key areas: an expert of stealth, fisticuffs or being a well armed juggernaut.

The Achilles Heel of this whole set up is that the missions themselves rarely call for you to set your sights on one role meaning your allegiances will cause you problems at every other turn.

Stealth is almost useless as enemy AI fluctuates sporadically: from spotting you before you’ve entered a room to running a mile when they spot you. Using your fists is simply a case of mashing the melee button until either you or your opponent falls over whilst another guard displaces your flesh and blood with lead.

A preferred route might be to be a little trigger happy but when you’re encouraged to share experience tokens between every type of weapon all of which perform terribly for a good portion of the game, it just doesn’t make sense. – when you’re stood in close range with a guard and you’re holding a shotgun in your hands, a single shot from that double barrel should at least wind your foe -not in the world of Alpha Protocol.

It’s all a little illogical, in fact it’s downright frustrating when you’re pitted against an enemy who your skill set struggles considerably against. Couple that with a bountiful selection of bugs and you’ve got a game that looks seriously under-polished.

But for all the bad things I can say about Alpha Protocol, there was something that continued to draw me back time and time again, something I can’t quite put my finger on. The story, which ties itself in many awkward knots towards the end was compelling enough to keep me interested and I was constantly aware of the impact of my decisions in the game.

Mini-games for hacking cameras or shutting off alarm systems might appear gimmicky but they’re actually can be pretty rewarding. Nothing says special agent than matching passwords, picking locks or cutting wires against the clock.

Alpha Protocol is a very flawed title. It’s riddled with bugs and downright bad design choices but with all this in mind, there’s something appealing about it. Perhaps it’s the achievement of succeeding in a game you know is poorly constructed or maybe it’s a sub-conscious effort to find some good in a game that is bent over, primed and ready to be paddled by gamers and critics alike.

Whatever it is, I recommend Alpha Protocol to anyone who’s willing to witness the epitome of a great concept awfully executed.

You can download it here and the best thing about it you don’t need a modified console to play it.

Head here to download the demo and read installation instructions.

Also heres some gameplay footage from the demo in lovely HD.

This demo features accelerated Agent levelling, four player co-op, and the ability to earn Demo Achievements. Earn them and you’ll be awarded the full achievements once you play the full version of Crackdown 2.

For your chance to win a redeemable voucher check back on the site in the next few hours for a competition.

This new game seems to try to please both kinds of Zelda fans with the direction of the art style. With its half cell shaded/darker look the game looks like it might just be able to keep most of the fans pleased.

Another revelation which was not so surprising was the use of the Wii remote add on, Wii Motion Plus. This tiny gadget will make it possible to have even more control over Link’s sword and other weapons.

For now here are some screenshots of actual gameplay.

The story of Fable 3 follows two brothers(or other variants) with very distinct paths. One becomes a tyrant while the other goes on to be a kind man. It is not long though before they become involved in an epic conflict, in which players will be able to choose how it all ends.

For now here are some screenshots of the game and a trailer should be up on the site as well very soon.

Our hero Mickey somehow ends up there and with the help of a paintbrush must paint life back into this desolate world. What is unique about the concept is that different paths can be opened up, depending on how the player paints the world.

With lots of references from Disney’s other creations it looks set to be a magical journey into a world filled with plenty of adventuring.

Here are some of the first few screenshots from the game which are from Skull Island, Steam Boat Willie’s side scrolling level and Ventureland.

As always there will be three different characters to control during each match. If it anything like previous instalments then gamers better get ready for even more chaotic fighting moves.

The inclusion of characters from other Capcom games such as Chris and Dante certainly make it all the more special. With many more new characters to be revealed over the next few months, it promises to be an exciting build up to launch day.

For now here are the all new shiny screenshots of the game.

It comes with a 3.53 inch top screen / 3.02 inch bottom touch screen making it slightly larger than the previous DS handhelds. The inclusion of three cameras is also what enables it to not only have 3D effect, but also take photos in 3D.

Other functions include a motion sensor, a gyro sensor and a slide pad for 360 degrees analogue input. All of these features look very promising in delivering even more unique ways of gameplay.

Some of the titles announced for it include for the Nintendo 3DS :

Kid Icarus
Mario Kart
PilotWings Resort
Animal Crossing
StarFox 64 3D
Paper Mario
RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS
DEAD OR ALIVE 3D
Professor Layton and the Mask of Miracles
HIDEO KOJIMA’S METAL GEAR SOLID SNAKE EATER 3D “The Naked Sample”

For now here are some screenshots of the handheld.

As well as a stunning trailer, plenty of screenshots from both game play and more cut scenes, were sent by SEGA. The game is looking rather unique with its futuristic approach and Fallout 3 like combat stats displayed on a few screenshots.

It will come out on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 later this year.

For now here are the screenshots of the game.

Connect in seconds to the always- expanding world of Xbox LIVE through built-in Wi-Fi N and store twice as many games and entertainment on a 250GB hard drive.

The newly designed console is whisper-quiet, so the silent tension of a game or movie is never broken.

The new Xbox 360 system also comes with everything you need to get started, including an Xbox 360 wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, HDMI input, USB flash drive storage capabilities and more, and a one-year limited warranty on the console, available this week and priced at $299.99 ERP.

The game is scheduled for a release date of Spring 2011 and will come out exclusively on the PlaySation 3.

For now here are some screenshots with plenty of gameplay.

As one of E3’s most popular revelations so far, Mr Tetsuya Mizuguchi came on stage right at the beginning of the Ubisoft conference, and proceeded to impress the crowd with a few minutes of actual game play of “Child of Eden”.

The game continues to focus on the concept of synthesia to bring gamers a truly superb musical experience.

It not only uses traditional gaming controllers but can also be used with the recently renamed Kinect and Move hardware. While players without the new motion hardware can still enjoy the game, it is with the motion hardware that the game truly becomes an incredible experience.

With such catchy beats and a vibrant use of colours it looks like gamers are in for a treat with “Child of Eden” .

The producer is not yet sure if the game will be distributed through retail or as a digital download, but if it is anything like the recent release of “Rez” on Xbox Arcade, then digital distribution will be the choice.

It is currently scheduled for release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles for an early 2011 release.

For now here are some early screenshots for the game.

The team from Proper Games will be collaborating with Crackdown 2 developer, Ruffian Games, to build the DLC for this greatly anticipated title.

“We are very excited and honoured to be working with Ruffian and Microsoft on Crackdown 2 DLC,” said Chris Wright, COO at Proper Games, “The original game pushed the PDLC and set the benchmark for what is now expected. Our aim is to continue this tradition and deliver extra content that meets and exceeds the fans’ expectations.”

According to Gary Liddon, CEO at Ruffian Games, “Proper Games have shown their ability to extend an existing franchise, we are excited to be working with these guys.”

“Our collaboration with Ruffian demonstrates the depth of talent and resources in Dundee,” said Proper Games CEO, Paddy Sinclair, “There are good reasons why publishers turn to the Scottish games industry for projects like Crackdown 2 and we are very proud to be part of this great franchise.”

Also confirmed was THQ’s new wrestling addition known was WWE All Stars which takes the wrestling genre to new heights with an exaggerated style.

Check out the screens below.

It’s simple to say that a portion of the rhythm game audience will have already made up their minds on this title and I’m here to either prove them right or wrong.

Much like with The Beatles, Rock Band is bringing another band to the forefront of their franchise and personalising the game around them. Suffice to say if you don’t like the band Green Day then you’re unlikely to be swayed to their digital counterparts just because you play the music yourself. But what about the fans?

When The Beatles: Rock Band emerged it was a triumphant success, a game that showed off the talents and charisma of unarguably the worlds greatest band. Green Day: Rock Band is a similar affair. There is of course a career mode to follow, one that highlights moments in the bands illustrious career. But every moment of this title leaves me wanting more.

Perhaps I should point out that I’ve been a Green Day fan for most of my adult and teenage life. I’ve owned all of their albums including the lesser known 39/Smooth and I’ve followed the ups and downs of the group ever since. Green Day stand for a few things, fun, freedom and humour, unfortunately this title misses the mark on most of these details.

Of course the music is superb, after all I’m a fan, I would say that. The band is recreated well in the cartoon-esque visuals of Rock Band and the artwork littered throughout the title are smiling nods to Green Days past. But the career mode itself is rather bland compared to the band it represents.

With The Beatles Harmonix had an easy job, there was plenty of material to refer to and all the psychedelic back drops to riff from. What Green Day were/are known for is a rebellious need to thumb their nose at society.

This means that due to the bands early career the game falls flat on the opening chord. The bands early days, playing in warehouses and local venues are hard to pin down in the game, only being fleshed out by a generic warehouse. The game then moves onto one of the greatest concerts of all time in the Milton Keynes Bowl and finishing off in an intimate show for their fans in Fox Theatre.

The progression through stages is welcome and a saving grace but still the mood of Green Day is absent. The Milton Keynes show, their first stadium gig feels tepid compared to the DVD footage and it lacks the atmosphere of the true spectacle.

Of course none of this stops the music from being enjoyable. The note paths fell genuinely pleasing and the vocal career stands out for Billy Joe’s ferocity in his singing. Although Harmonix hit yet another stumbling block here, at least as a fan.

As previously mentioned, Green Day were rebellious and they emerged from the American punk scene. Early work of theirs was about masturbating and generally being a waste of space, whereas later music rebelled against government and problems with the world.

This is made clear in the lyrics, but of course with the title being aimed at a younger audience many of the curse words have been removed. This wouldn’t usually frustrate me but it’s part of the angst that Green Day delivered and this is lost in the game.

As an aside, the game itself is great at summing up the band, not only through the career mode but in challenges too. These open as parts of the career have been finished. A bonus to this title, however, is the fact that all of the songs are open from the start in quick play. So, if you are impatient to play the bands later songs then you have the option to do so.

Green Day: Rock Band isn’t a bad game at all. It is what it is and that’s a Rock Band title that plays as well as any other. However while the mood is high from the music to be played, it fades as you realise that the game lacks the atmosphere needed by a title such as this. Fans can expect enjoyment from experiencing the songs, but not the history.

BlazBlue Calamity Trigger is most definitely one of these, with a labyrynth like menu system that takes too long to work out, to confusing cutscenes, bad dialogue and a horrible difficulty curve; it really is not a game for the casual crowd. And I think I fit onto that crowd.

At its heart it is a very simple game. A classic 2D fighter with lots of Japanese charm. J-pop blasts out during the fights between the crazy haired characters, over the top moves that flash by, too fast for the eye to see, all lovingly rendered in bright manga colours with dynamic backdrops. It really is an attack on your senses.

The problem is the difficulty curve. As with any fighting game, you have to work your way up in stages. First finding a few key moves that you can spam through the early fights – the easier and powerful the better. Then, when you have a base of knowledge, you can work on combos and maybe, if you’re feeling brave, throw in some of the big flashy moves that require you to dislocate your thumbs multiple times.

I tried these steps with Blazblue, honest, but I barely got off the ground. I went to the practice screen and happily beat the hell out of a non-moving NPC, picking up the very basics; like X button being light attack etc. But then I went and braved the move list and I was greeted with the most unfriendly, convoluted nonsense that I’ve ever seen.

Instead of showing you the simple Xbox button presses it throws in red A, blue B, and combos of red A’s and green C’s. Confused? Good, you’re exactly where I was. After five minutes of staring at my pad in confusion, I backed out and looked at the command list and was stunned at what I saw.

Instead of showing X button as, you know, X button, they showed it as a red A button. Instead of RB being just that, RB, it’s represented by B and C. So when you look at the move list and it says up, up B+C, that just means up, up and RB.

Why add this level of confusion? I had to make notes, not of the buttons, but of the buttons of the buttons. Then when I was working on learning a move, I had to glance at my sheet first before I even thought of trying it. Thanks to this, I had to struggle through the story mode with my chosen character, spamming one or two attacks in the hope of victory.

The story mode starts with a cutscene, although it’s not a cutscene per say, more of a plain 2d painting with narration over the top, and the details being presented on the screen like a text based adventure game. A little underwhelming to say the least.

And then the story starts, although I’m not sure what the hell was going on. Even when I played through with Ragna the Bloodedge and saw every cutscene I was still left clueless. Other characters left me the same way and I eventually just gave up on the story mode, instead heading to the online world to see how the game is really played.

BlazBlue offers both ranked and unranked online play, with the unranked putting you into lobbies of players that adopt the classic ‘winner stays on’ template. I first tried a ranked game and was matched against a player with 244 wins under his belt. Joy. I was beaten, as expected, but I did enjoy it. Instantly the fighting became more exciting and the thought of victory kept me playing.

It didn’t come, though, so I left to go and nurse my wounds in the world of the unranked. I was greeted with a list of lobbies and promptly hopped into the first one on the list. Booted. Next one the same. As I scanned down the names I saw JAPAN ONLY, japppaaannnnnn and jp. Quite an unwelcoming crowd for a new gamer, especially one who was desperately looking for a helping hand.

I eventually found a lobby that was nice enough to let me play. Watching these people fight each other with a variety of characters was a sight to behold. It was a glittering display of skill and concentration as the players tried to outmanoeuvre each other, desperate to land that one move that would break their opponents guard, yet remaining cautious off their own defense.

Throughout my three or four games -all losses, although I did almost get a round on the best guy there – I found myself getting drawn in and cheering for my favourite players. It was great fun. This is where BlazBlue excels, this is where the game has life.

It’s odd to say that my best experience with the game was when I was watching and not playing, but it’s true. Through this I got to see how good BlazBlue could be, but you need great patience and a true love of Japanese fighting games to get there.

Me, I sadly had to give up on BlazBlue thanks to the sheer complexity of its menus. If only it had spent that extra month or two getting the menus translated and updated, it really could have been great.

Although one day you may see me in the wilds of the unranked world, giving it that one more shot, still desperately chasing down my first victory.

In an aptly named, Deftones Track Pack 01 (hopefully indicating another to follow shortly, containing new material from their latest release, Diamond Eyes), fans will find three of their–not so favourite tracks, but good songs none-the-less.

The Deftones track pack contains the hit song ‘Minerva’, and two tracks from the less popular album Saturday Night Wrist–’Cherry Waves’, and ‘Hole in the Earth’.

From the press release: “Alternative metal outfit, Deftones, formed in California in 1988 and have released six albums to date, and next week, they’ll make their debut in the Rock Band Music Store with a three pack of songs. Deftones Pack 01 will feature “Cherry Waves” and “Hole in the Earth” from the band’s 2006 release, Saturday Night Wrist, as well as “Minerva” from the band’s self-titled 2003 album, which sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States. Deftones released a new album, Diamond Eyes, in May 2010 and will be touring the United States in Fall 2010.”

The tracks are all original master recordings and will be available to download on June 8th in North American, and the 9th for the European market.

• Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
• Shaun White Skateboarding
• Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Future Soldier
• Driver
• Other titles which are yet to be announced

To kick-off its E3 activities, Ubisoft will host a press conference at the Los Angeles Theatre on Monday, June 14, 2010 at 5 pm (doors open at 3.30 pm). Ubisoft is thrilled to announce that Joel McHale, star of NBC’s “Community” and E!’s “The Soup.” will return as the host of its E3 press conference.

The press conference is by invitation only to Ubisoft partners, investors, retailers and select media.

Attendees will be treated to live demonstrations of Ubisoft’s upcoming releases and special guests in this not-to-be-missed event that will set the tone for one of Ubisoft’s most impressive line-ups to date.

The public will be able to watch the press conference, as well as other exclusive videos and interviews throughout the E3 at: http://www.ubi.com.