Game News: November 02, 2006

Gridline Games: Galactic Acquisition
   Apr 01, 2005, 4:50 pm (GMT -7)
We are proud to announce that we have acquired the use of a classic arcade game. Manufactured in the fall of 1985 by Space Monkey Software, Galactic Struggle was a typical arcade shooter. Although, the inclusion of depleting laser power added a unique challenge. Sadly, due to a limited budget, the game was not widely released. A playable version of Galactic Struggle will be featured within Space Ruckus. In the meantime, you can get your hands on a PC port.

[Galactic Struggle is real, but Space Monkey Software is not. The game was designed by meelWORM and I.]

See also: Galactic Challenge

The Great Invasion: The Invasion is Approaching
   Jun 30, 2005, 10:44 pm (GMT -7)
We are pleased to present a teaser poster for Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion.

The poster depicts Bill Grig, Bob Gunner, and Joe Commer standing in formation. Behind them, a number of stars can be seen, along with the top portion of Ralin V. There is a definite sense of calmness in the surroundings and the characters themselves, but be forewarned...the invasion is approaching.

Link:

Space Ruckus: Seventh Anniversary
   Jul 14, 2005, 1:01 am (GMT -7)
Today, the Space Ruckus franchise marks its seventh anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, we've put together a desktop wallpaper. The Space Ruckus logo has been adorned in silver to mark the occasion.

Link:

General: News Archive
   Jul 17, 2005, 12:16 am (GMT -7)
As Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion development kicks into high gear, we plan to provide public updates on a more frequent basis. To keep the main page from overpopulating, we have added a news archive. When new items are added, old items will be archived. A link to the archive can be found at the bottom of the main page.

General: RSS Feed
   Jul 17, 2005, 11:26 pm (GMT -7)
In an effort to keep you updated with the latest Space Ruckus news, we have added an RSS feed to the site. If you are using a news aggregator, click the RSS button to subscribe to the feed. Additionally, Firefox users can take advantage of the Live Bookmarks feature by clicking the status bar icon.

Link:

The Great Invasion: Two Years of Development
   Nov 06, 2005, 11:00 pm (GMT -7)
Remarkably, Space Ruckus: The Great Invasion has been in production for two years. In truth, this project began with a select few developers. Many of whom had never designed a modern 3D game. However, there is a first time for everything, and the team quickly learned what needed to be done. In the time span of two years, many changes have been made to the development team. Sadly, a few developers were removed from the project, but in business, you have to move ahead, so they were quickly replaced.

The most notable replacement is Vlad Kuryluk, who has taken the place of our former music composers, and begun work on the soundtrack. Below, we have attached a sample of his first composition. Also of note is Gordon Wallace, who has produced a number of models, ranging from furniture to space crafts. At a later time, we will reveal a few of them. Finally, our newest addition to the team is Harrison Brock, who is filling the position of lead programmer.

We began with nothing more than an idea, and it is expanding into something phenomenal. We are well on our way to completing the game. However, there is still quite a bit of work to be done, and we could certainly use more help. If you are interested in a position, please refer to the openings on the team page.

Sample #1 (Vlad Kuryluk)

General: Forum Upgrade
   Nov 10, 2005, 11:45 pm (GMT -7)
As many of you may have noticed, the forum has had several cosmetic changes recently. However, behind the scenes, a major upgrade has been in development. For security reasons, the forum has been upgraded to phpBB 2.0.18. In addition, several small changes have been implemented, such as a function that shows active users in the chat room.

The Great Invasion: Flagship of the Fleet
   Feb 20, 2006, 10:10 pm (GMT -7)
Our resident modeler, Gordon Wallace, has completed the flagship of the fleet; known by many as the G-Flyer. Although, this is not Gordon Wallace's first contribution to the project. At a later time, we will reveal a few of his other works. For now, enjoy the G-Flyer.

New candyflosscrazy shop
   Our sister site at www.candyflosscrazy.com now has a fully operational online shop allowing funfair confectionery to be ordered online. Candy floss, toffee apples, brandy snap and cinder toffee can all be ordered in bulk, ideal for parties and other community events.

Online Money Off Vouchers
   We are placing our money off vouchers online for the first time. Given away on handbills during the promotion of our events, the vouchers entitle the holder to money off various rides, games and confectionery. Feel free to download them and use them at any of our events. We will add them for various events during the coming year.

New Event In Ripon North Yorks
   Ripon plays host to a giant ice rink, along with local bands and a halloween parade during a three day event at the end of October. We are supplying confectionery and Continental coffee units in support.

JARM Blog
   We have just come online with our new Blog, detailing the trials and tribulations of running a funfair operation, along with special offers and details of our forthcoming events.

Aston Carnival Sponsorship
   As part of our ongoing policy of adding extra value to our services, we have agreed to sponsor the 2006 Aston Carnival by way of creating, maintaining and paying for a website dedicated to the event. Revived after 40 years the carnival is in its second year, money raised from the event is used for charitable purposes in the area.

The Website address is http://www.astoncarnival.org.uk

Children In Need
   We are attending 2 children in need events on 19 November. They are both hosted at Noah's Ark Childrens Nurseries. The first in the village of Dodworth and the second at Barnsley town centre. Held from 11 am to 4pm there will be games and rides as well as catering units and inflatables.

Fairground Accident
   The funfair industry has the best safety record of any passenger carrying industry in the U.K. Although extremely rare accidents unfortunately do happen (no industry has a zero accident record although that is what we must all strive for). Over the weekend at a park in the Manchester area a young girl was injured on a waltzer ride.

The cause of the accident has not been made known as yet, but the injured girl was trapped underneath the moving platform of the ride and suffered two broken legs but here injuries are not life threatening.

World Rowing Championships
   JARM Amusements have been chosen to provide a family funfair to the World Rowing Championships 2006.

Being held at Dorney Lake near Eton, this is the first time the event has been held in this country in over 20 years. Host to almost 2000 atheletes from 75 nations the event is one of the most prestigious we have been invited to participate in this season.

Corporate charity
   Candy Floss Crazy , the party and wedding offshoot of Jason AR Moody Amusements have chosen a breast cancer charity as their corporate charity for this year. We will be selling special pink ribbon tubs of candy floss with 25% of the price going to charity. Additionally where possible we will be attending charity events with our candy floss carts again with 25% of the turnover going to charity.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07 for Xbox 360 in Stores Today
   

Take on all challengers and drive past the competition in the ultimate Championship Sunday golf experience. Electronic Arts announced that the latest in the critically-acclaimed Tiger Woods franchise, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 07, shipped yesterday in North America for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. The game will be available on October 27th worldwide.

Electronic Arts 2Q income falls 57 pct. (AP)
   

AP - SAN JOSE, Calif. — Electronic Arts Inc., the world's biggest video game publisher, reported Thursday it beat Wall Street's earnings expectations with strong fiscal second-quarter sales, though profit fell 57 percent, hurt by the new accounting requirement of stock option charges.

2K Reelmaker for NBA 2K7 now Available on Xbox Live Marketplace
   

2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announced an innovative new feature, 2K Reelmaker, for NBA 2K7 on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. 2K Reelmaker enables fans to create their own unique video highlight reels from saved replays in NBA 2K7 and share them on Xbox Live. 2K Reelmaker is available now on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 400 Microsoft Points.

2K Announces Family Guy Video Game now Available
   

2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Announced that Family Guy, the first video game based on the popular television show, is now available for the Xbox video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. Featuring the entire cast and creative team from the show, including creator and producer Seth MacFarlane, the Family Guy video game turns the TV show into an engaging interactive experience complete with even more of the outrageous humor that fans know and love.

EA Assaults Retail Shelves With Battlefield 2142
   

Prepare for titanic all-out war in the year 2142! Electronic Arts announced that Battlefield 2142 has shipped to retailers in North America and Europe for the PC under the EA brand. The game is rated "T for Teen" and carries a MSRP of $49.99. Battlefield 2142 was developed by Sweden-based developer Digital Illusions.

Call of Duty Achievements
   Build your gamerscore with the achievements available in Call of Duty 3. Get all the details on the achievements in this exciting new next-gen war right here.

Surviving Call of Duty 3
   Tips and tricks for triumphing in WWII actioner Call of Duty 3 for the number one next-gen console, Xbox 360.

Experience the Call of Duty
   A hands-on preview of what to expect from the next great next-gen war game, Call of Duty 3.

EA Ships The Sims 2 Pets to Store Shelves
   

Electronic Arts announced that the company has shipped The Sims 2 Pets for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, the Nintendo GameCube and as a PC expansion pack* for the best-selling PC game, The Sims 2, to retailers. (Mobile and handheld versions will follow.) The Sims 2 Pets builds on the celebrated The Sims 2 experience that allows players to create and control digital characters throughout their lives while determining the outcome of their relationships and choosing their destiny. Each version will feature custom content tailored to the platform.

FIFA 07 Xbox 360 Community Day Wrap-up
   

Last week XBS was invited to Vancouver BC to attend the FIFA Community Event at EAC. In case you?re not used to the lingo, EAC is simply Electronic Arts Canada and it?s the largest studio EA has. Heading off I saw they had a full schedule for us at the event. I arrived at the Sutton Place Hotel, a 5 Star Hotel that is way out of my league. I soon met up with a few others including Daylon, from http://www.unscripted360.com/, and Kyle, from http://www.gamefreaks365.com/. I also met DJ from http://www.gamingtruth.com/. We got there a bit early on Thursday and had a few hours to kill so soon we were playing Mario Kart to pass the time. Later that night we had a great dinner at Earl?s where the main action was the Mets game. We hung around talked and got to meet Rob and Clive from EA as well as a few of the other team members of the game. It was a nice group and we all got along great joking, laughing and talking about our personal favorite games. We also talked about the worst game ever made for a console, which I have to admit was not as easy but still fun. Since the flight was very long, the first night was over pretty early and we headed back to the hotel since we had a full day ahead of us.

FIFA Soccer 07 Hits Retail Stores Worldwide
   

FIFA Soccer 07 on the Xbox 360 videogame system from Microsoft heralds the start of the next generation of soccer gaming and fans now have the opportunity to experience the dynamic new EA SPORTS engine and all-new gameplay after Electronic Arts shipped FIFA Soccer 07 on Xbox 360 to stores throughout North America and Europe, making it available to fans worldwide.

Need for Speed Carbon Races out to Retail Stores
   

Electronic Arts announced that the videogame, Need for Speed Carbon will become available in stores worldwide from this week under the EA brand. Produced by EA Black Box in Vancouver, B.C., Need for Speed Carbon thrusts players onto the edge of their seat taking them from adrenaline-filled city streets to death-defying canyon curves.

NBA Street Homecourt Takes the Series to Another Level
   

Electronic Arts announced that NBA STREET Homecourt will be the name of the newest iteration of the critically acclaimed and culturally defining streetball videogame franchise. The 4th chapter of the multi-platinum franchise expands on the fast-paced and larger-than-life 3-on-3 basketball gameplay that has made the franchise a hit. The game is in development in Vancouver, B.C. by EA Canada under the EA SPORTS BIG brand.

Adam Morrison Gets Cover of NCAA March Madness 07
   

Electronic Arts announced that Adam Morrison, who led the NCAA in Division I men's basketball scoring last year and was the third overall draft pick of the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA, has been selected the new face of NCAA March Madness 07, scheduled for release January 16, 2007 under the EA SPORTS brand.

Gameworld: Cemetery party helps fuel "Gears of War" hype (Reuters)
   Reuters - After a preview party in a Hollywood cemetery, "Gears of War" storms into stores next week in one of the year's most anticipated video game launches with even its maker calling it "horrific."

Electronic Arts 2Q income falls 57 pct. (AP)
   

AP - SAN JOSE, Calif. — Electronic Arts Inc., the world's biggest video game publisher, reported Thursday profits for its fiscal second quarter fell 57 percent, hurt by the new accounting requirement of stock option charges.

Cartman Won't Be Denied
   Unlike everyone who'll be waiting in vain for that surplus of PS3s, Cartman decides to take matters into his own hands tonight on South Park. 'Cartman's plan to propel himself into the future goes horribly wrong. South Park Elementary faces strong opposition to the topic of evolution being taught t...

Sam & Max demo
   Telltale releases a taster of the return of the much-loved dog and rabbit detective pair.
Sam & Max fans wanting to 'try before they buy' will be pleased to learn that a demo of the return of detective duo is now available to download from Telltale Games, allowing you to check out Episode 1: Culture Shock.

Click here to read the full article

Awesome Zelda videos alert
   Watch the intro sequence and another stunning trailer NOW!.
Nintendo is going crazy with the Twilight Princess videos. Yesterday it put four gameplay videos of Link fighting in a field on the official Wii website.

Click here to read the full article

Molyneux: 'I'd love to play around with Wii'
   Lionhead boss tells CVG that Wii is "something I would've loved to have got my teeth into".
Lionhead boss Peter Molyneux has revealed how he would have loved to have developed for Nintendo's Wii. "[It is] something I would've loved to have got my teeth into," he said in an interview with CVG, part one of which is hitting these pages imminently.

Click here to read the full article

Star Fox blasts off in January
   Fox McCloud's new tactical DS outing set for New Year release.
Star Fox Command, the latest in the long-running series of space shooters, will land in UK stores on DS on January 26.



Click here to read the full article

F.E.A.R. 360: 15 new screens
   F.E.A.R. - bringing blood, guns and horror to an Xbox 360 near you.
Call of Duty 3, Gears of War, Rainbow Six Vegas and... F.E.A.R. All four games are out this month on Xbox 360, turning November into shooter-love season for Microsoft's console. It's also going to turn our bank accounts into sobbing piles of despair. If only money really did grow on trees...



Click here to read the full article

PS3 Ratchet & Clank underway
   Insomniac reveals what's next after Resistance: Fall of Man.
Insomniac has revealed that it's full steam ahead on a Ratchet & Clank game for PlayStation 3 at the studio.

Click here to read the full article

New Halo 3 multiplayer details
   Game modes and weapon information revealed by French gaming press.
Following last week's Swedish mag revelations, more Halo 3 multiplayer details have surfaced from the French edition of Official Xbox Magazine.

Click here to read the full article

Cartman needs a Wii
   Nintendo Wii features in South Park.
Mere weeks after World of Warcraft was made the subject of an entire episode of South Park, the outrageous cartoon returns to videogames again - this time featuring the Wii.

Click here to read the full article

Codemasters serves touchscreen tennis
   DSNew dual-screen, touch-controlled tennis action coming to DS - screens inside.
Codemasters will publish Rafa Nadal Tennis, a new tennis game on DS which will feature an interesting new touchscreen control system.



Click here to read the full article

XNA Game Studio's New Features
   Microsoft has released the second iteration of its XNA Game Studio Express Beta, the software that lets budding game designers make their own Xbox 360 games. Beta 2 includes a slew of new features enabling users to more easily integrate game content into their creations. Included is the XNA Framewo...

'Ultimate Alliance' Arrives Early for PS3
   It's not uncommon for some games to ship to retailers one or even two weeks prior to a system's launch. Activision confirmed today that 'Marvel: Ultimate Alliance' will be available a week prior to the debut of the PlayStation 3. Shipping ...

Download EA's Latest Titles
   EA is no stranger to digital distribution. The games industry's largest third-party company has made each of its 2006 PC titles available through EA Downloader. In an effort to expand on digital distribution, EA has retooled and renamed its download service.

Downloadable 'Vegas' Demo Drops
   Gamers disappointed that the Wednesday Xbox Live Marketplace update only included a 'Kameo' skin for Uno can rejoice. Ubisoft has upped the Wednesday ante with the release of the highly-anticipated

Koei Unveils New PS3 Game
   Koei has made its name with historical action epics. 'Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War' continues the 'Dynasty Warriors' tradition, this time bringing the 14th century French conflict to life exclusively on PS3. Today, Koei released new details on the title. As the English and French battle in ...

Wal-Mart Bundles Up
   Wal-Mart is doing its part to increase Xbox 360 sales. Newly available in stores are two Wal-Mart exclusive 360 bundles. For $399.99 gamers can choose between the 'MotoGP 06' and 'Burnout Revenge' bundles. Each comes with the respective game, one controller, a 360 and a hard drive. This is the exact...

New Colors Coming for PSP & PS2
   Following a couple of years of black and white, Sony is at last getting on the ball with new PSP colors. Japan will be getting pink, silver and blue variations later this year, the company announced today, and will be joined by silver and pink PS2 units. The release of the three new PSP colors will...

Game Pro Expo Takes Over for E3
   Since the Electronic Entertainment Expo called it quits last summer, many have wondered who would step up to take the place of its spectacle. The Game Developers Conference has inherited many exhibitors who were left out in the cold in E3's wake, but it remains an industry-only event that focuses on...

Xbox 360 Update Killing Consoles?
   Yesterday Microsoft gave Xbox 360 owners a Halloween treat and updated their firmware with enhancements including support for native 1080p games and movies, faster XBL Arcade game list display times, and additional choices for video playback. Some users also received a trick, however, and found thei...

More 'Halo 3' Details Emerge
   Following Microsoft's strategic reveal of 'Halo 3' last week, the French Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) today added new fuel to the Covenant fire. The magazine details were revealed by a European reader on ...

GDTW 2006 Conference Announces Details
   

The Fourth Annual International Conference in Computer Game Design and Technology (GDTW 2006), which takes place November 15-16, 2006 at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology Centre in Liverpool, United Kingdom has revealed speaker and session details.

Microsoft Releases XNA Game Studio Express Beta 2
   

Officials from Microsoft have announced the release of the second major iteration of XNA Game Studio Express beta, the software toolset aimed at PC and Xbox 360 homebrew programmers and students, including many improvements and optimizations.

Fall update not compatible with modded 360 ?
   It appears that the Fall update for 360 users will well for just about everyone. About 1% of 360 users that updated with this new Fall update have been left with a pretty paper weight. It's rumored that these consoles that have failed when the new update has been applied were possibly modified.

Although this is just a rumor, it may be a message from Microsoft for users to quit messing with the hardware. Microsoft states that they are committed to fixing the problems, whether it's repairing a console, or shipping a brand new one.

We'll keep you updated when more information is obtained.

XNA Express beta 2 out
   "Near final version" of Microsoft's Windows and Xbox 360 development tool ready for download.
Microsoft has released the second beta version of the XNA Game Studio Express toolset, calling it "a near final version of the tool".

Click here to read the full article

Fox puts rush on "X-Men" for PS3 Blu-ray (Reuters)
   Reuters - Seeking to ride PlayStation 3 momentum, 20th Century Fox is rush-releasing "X-Men: The Last Stand" to Blu-ray Disc on November 14, three days before Sony's next-generation video game console makes its U.S. debut.

Nintendo picks GameStop, Toys "R" Us for Wii launch (Reuters)
   

Reuters - Nintendo Co. (7974.OS) said on Thursday that it chose GameStop Corp. and Toys "R" Us as the U.S. retailers that will host the launch of its new Wii video game console, which goes on sale on November 19.