GAME

2008-08-25T10:13:00.000-07:00

Dynasty Warriors 6

Coming to PlayStation 2 and PC

KOEI will introduce its tactical action mega-hit to more platforms along with never-before-seen content exclusive to the PS2.

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that the company is bringing its mega-hit Tactical Action game, Dynasty Warriors 6 to PlayStation 2 and to Windows-based PC.

Dynasty Warriors 6 will debut on PlayStation 2 as a massive two-disc collection action-packed with the full cast of playable characters and pulse-pounding scenarios of the original release, plus platform-exclusive content including never-before-seen "Musou" mode stories, incredible new weapons, five additional stages and 10 new scenarios.

Dynasty Warriors 6 for PlayStation 2 will ship to retailers starting November 18, 2008, while the version for Windows-based PC will be available simultaneously and exclusively through digital download. The game is already in stores for the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

About DYNASTY WARRIORS 6

Selling over 18 million units combined worldwide, KOEI's award-winning DYNASTY WARRIORS series and SAMURAI WARRIORS series of Tactical Action games have become a global phenomenon.

Based on the epic novel, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the genre-defining DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 depicts the massive battles ignited by the fall of the Han Dynasty when three rebellious states moved to overthrow the Emperor of China.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 delivers the unparalleled exhilaration of single-handedly destroying thousands of soldiers on massive fields of combat. Utilizing spectacular fighting techniques motion-captured from some of today's leading stuntmen and stuntwomen in Asia, DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 immerses gamers in a truly cinematic kung-fu action adventure. The game's lightning-fast fighting, intuitive combat system and breathtaking environments create an unparalleled gaming experience that pushes the limits of Tactical Action.

Created by KOEI's Omega Force team, DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 is rated "T" (Teen - Violence) by the ESRB. DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 is for 1 to 2 players. Press can find assets (watermark-free) at gamespress.com. For additional information, visit www.koei.com/dw6.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 for Windows-based PC System Requirements
Minimum: Pentium 4 1.6GHz, Windows XP/Vista, 512MB, 5GB or more of free space, 640×480 High Color enabled, 3D Accelerator with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shading supporting 128MB or more of VRAM, DirectX 9.0c+, DirectX 9.0c+ compliant, 16-bit stereo with 44KHz playback supported by Windows XP/Vista, keyboard

Recommended: Intel Core 2Duo 2.4GHz, Windows XP/Vista, 512MB, 5GB or more of free space, 1280×720 True Color enabled, 16:9, 3D Accelerator with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shading supporting 128MB or more of VRAM, DirectX 9.0c+, DirectX 9.0c+, DirectX 9.0c+ compliant, 16-bit stereo with 44KHz playback supported by Windows XP/Vista, DirectX 9.0 compatible, 12-button gamepad

The following video cards have been tested and found compatible with the product.

ATI Radeon: X1650, X1950, HD 2600, HD 3650
NVIDIA GeForce: 7600, 7900, 8500, 8600, 9600

About KOEI Corporation

Based in Burlingame, California, KOEI Corporation established operations in 1988 as the North American subsidiary of KOEI Co., Ltd. of Japan. KOEI is respected worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and simulation games, and is the innovator of the Tactical Action genre. The company's Warriors series of games have generated a combined 18 million units in global sales.

KOEI develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software for video game systems and personal computers. For fiscal 2007, KOEI posted worldwide revenues of $256 million. KOEI maintains operations in Japan, the U.S., the UK, France, Canada, China, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Lithuania. More information about KOEI and its products can be found at www.koei.com.

B-Boy - hands-on

2008-08-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

Can we kick it? Yes, we can

For years now, the "dancing" genre has been dominated by Dance Dance Revolution and its many knockoffs, all of which require players to hop around, rhythmically stomping along to music while a dull cascade of arrows floats by. But it wasn't always that way, and B-Boy - a breakdance sim released nearly two years ago in Europe and only now headed for a US release - is a throwback to a time when dance games were more about rhythm than legwork. It aims to do for breakdancing what Tony Hawk's Pro Skater did for skateboarding: make it accessible to people with zero fitness or leg coordination.

We dove into B-Boy’s campaign mode as we took our tiny dancer through a brief symposium on the topic of Breakin’. We learned all the basic moves from Six Step to the Whirlwind (mapped to the face buttons) and the importance of rhythmically tapping the shoulder buttons as little white markers spin around your breaker as you do these basic steps. Lastly, we were shown the importance of flowing those moves all together.

Once that requisite knowledge had been dropped, we got in our first B-Boy battle to see who had the best dance moves or “flava.” Your opponent goes first, dances about and then sets the score you need to top. As they dance you can do taunts to the side, thus clownin’ them. Then it was our turn to step up and show if we had juice. After failing twice (in close battles) we seem to need a little more juice; getting the rhythm right takes some time.

Once you do successfully serve your competitor, more will come, as you take to the streets and step up to the opposition. With each battle won you get more equipment, new moves that can be assigned to one of many possible button combinations, and other neat stuff.

B-Boy also has a good deal of licensed music and appearances from real B-Boys and Girls, perhaps too numerous to mention, so we won’t just to be safe. It’s coming this summer in the US to both PSP and PS2 (Electric Boogaloo). And if we have done our jobs right, then you won’t notice that all our slang has been lifted from easy pop culture references.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

2008-07-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

Sierra Entertainment has announced the development of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, a video game based on this summer's Universal Pictures' major motion picture. The game is in development at Eurocom Studios for Wii and PS2 and at A2M for Nintendo DS.

"Sierra Entertainment is pleased to partner with Universal to deliver an exciting extension to this popular film franchise," said Al Simone, senior vice president, Global Marketing, Sierra Entertainment. "Developed in collaboration with the film's creative talent, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor video game will add another opportunity for players to experience the thrill and excitement of this adventure favourite."

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a third-person action adventure game in which players take control of Rick O'Connell and his son, Alex. Players will journey across exotic locations to defeat the revived servants of the Dragon Emperor.

Sierra says players will be able to switch seamlessly between gunplay and hand-to-hand melee attacks, with the action being mixed up with a blend of puzzle solving and hieroglyphic decoding.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor video game is scheduled for release across the UK on August 8, a week after the movie hits cinemas.