Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced its first downloadable WiiWare titles, as it outlines the role of its new Network Business Development Department.

Konami has created the all-new Network Business Development Department, which is designed to extend Konami’s online activities across Europe. The new team is headed by Florian Stronk, who will oversee all future downloadable content and mobile titles, including WiiWare, PSN, XBLA and DSiWare as well as iPhone and other mobile phone platform releases.

The first titles to emerge from the group will be released in the coming months, with Gradius Rebirth, followed by DRiiFT MANIA later this month, and the all-action Contra Rebirth in August. Each title is an all-new game, with Gradius Rebirth marking the welcome return of one of gaming’s most acclaimed shooters of all time.

Gradius Rebirth retains the 2D space-based action the series is famed for, with players guiding their Vic Viper ship through a series of horizontally-scrolling stages infested with thousands of aliens and huge end-of-level bosses. Power-up capsules allow the user to add lasers, secondary weapons systems, shields, etc, to their craft, while new additions include a Score Attack Mode wherein high-scores can be compared, and a Replay system where hard-fought battles can be reviewed.

DRiiFT MANIA will follow later in July, and is a top-down racer that allows up to eight players to race each other, using cartoon-style characters. Featuring twelve different tracks based on four themed environments – cityscape, hills, snow and a desert oasis – players can also select one of 34 vehicles from four categories. Each category is tailored for use within the different environments, with variations of speed, acceleration and handling and grip levels making specific vehicles ideal for particular locations.

DRiiFT MANIA ‘s multi-player modes allow users to play using combinations of Wii Remotes, Nunchucks and Classic Controllers, and seven game modes are on offer. These include single-player and multi-player championships, and Team Race; wherein participants are divided into two teams, with the winner those that amass the most points. The VIP mode elects one player per team as a VIP vehicle, who must be protected at all costs from the opposition cars, with the removal of the VIP car resulting in a win for the attacking team.

DRiiFT MANIA also has a fun ‘Contamination’ idea, where a player is marked contagious and must contaminate very other player within a set period, while ‘Cold Potato’ mode charges the user with collecting said vegetable and holding on to it for as long as possible! Finally, the ‘Meteorite’ option sees players embarking on a normal race, while trying to avoid a series of meteors as they fall from the sky.

Completing the trio in August is Contra Rebirth, a welcome return for Konami other celebrated shoot ‘em up series. Armed soldiers are charged with running and jumping through a series of 2D levels, each littered with alien forces, vehicles and face-offs with massive bosses. OTT weaponry is the order of the day as homing missiles, flame-throwers and high-powered lasers are used to blast a path to the end of each stage, while agility and dexterity are required to clamber over seemingly impassable areas, and scale crumbling buildings.

The Network Business Development Department will also be overseeing the release of Konami’s previously announced Vandal Hearts and Zombie Apocalypse titles for PSN and XBLA. “We have an enviable starting line-up, and are looking to continually offer a strong mix of updated classic Konami IPs and new ideas,” commented Florian Stronk, Head of the Network Business Development Department for Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH. “Using a mixture of both internal and external talent, we look forward to some very exciting announcements in the coming months.”

505 Games has announced the release of Guilty Gear 2: Overture exclusively for Xbox 360. The latest in the popular series launches on 4th September 2009 and will take fans in a bold new direction, borrowing elements from genres outside of the traditional one-on-one fighting action for which Guilty Gear has become famed.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture developer Arc System Works has blended action and real time strategy for their latest instalment, and for the first time have introduced 3D graphics to its most popular and enduring series. As well as taking control of their chosen character, players will command legions of loyal followers to crush all in their path. Battles are won and lost by destruction of opponents’ strongholds, known as ‘Masterghosts’ and by successfully defending one’s own from enemy attack. Effective and tactical use of support troops, or ‘servants’, to achieve these aims as well as sharp fighting technique are the keys to victory.

Offering a full single player campaign, four way multiplayer over Xbox LIVE! or two player local multiplayer, Guilty Gear 2: Overture will also feature 50 unique units designed by famed series artist Daisuke Ishiwatari. Many familiar characters return to the game, including Sol Badguy, Ky Kiske and the mysterious That Man, all of whom have their signature special attacks recreated for the first time in glorious 3D.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture will be published exclusively for Xbox 360 on 4th September 2009 by 505 Games.

Bringing the game closer than ever to the arcade experience, the TEKKEN 6 Arcade Stick Edition includes the game, a stunning 100 page heavyweight art book containing a wealth of images chronicling the story, characters and the game’s development, plus an exclusive TEKKEN 6 customised wireless arcade fighting stick. Produced by renowned arcade fight stick specialists Hori, the arcade stick is a brand new exclusive design, available in two differently customised versions for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 versions respectively.

The TEKKEN 6 Collectors Edition, the second limited edition available at launch, includes the game, 100 page art book, exclusive poster, and unique TEKKEN 6 hooded sweatshirt designed by the development team and featuring different designs for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 versions.

Developed by NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., TEKKEN 6 brings the blockbuster fighting series onto multiple platforms for the first time in the history of the TEKKEN franchise with stunning realism, uncompromising quality, major gameplay enhancements and the largest character roster ever seen in the TEKKEN series.

In a first for the series, the Scenario Campaign mode in TEKKEN 6 features a unique hybrid control system combining conventional fighting game controls with free movement allowing players to progress through the story and mow down hordes of enemies with relative ease while still enjoying the fight action. In addition to hand-to-hand fighting, players have an arsenal of staffs, machine guns, flame throwers, and even giant robots at their disposal.

Rendered in vivid high definition detail, TEKKEN 6 heralds the dawn of a new era as a new King of the Iron Fist Tournament opens for business, with intense gameplay modes, new features and environments that guarantee blistering fight action, lightning-paced brawls and bone-crunching punch-ups.

TEKKEN 6 introduces a host of new characters alongside familiar faces with each customizable fighter equipped with their own deadly techniques, moves and attack combinations. To complete the package, multiplayer gameplay lets fans compete for world domination.

With an illustrious 14 year legacy, TEKKEN is among the world’s most popular and well-known gaming brands with franchise sales of more than 33 million units to date. TEKKEN 6 is a must-have for any fan of console arcade fighting.

For more information on TEKKEN 6 visit http://Tekken.Namco.com or http://www.namcobandaigames.eu/ and for Atari’s entire product line-up visit www.atari.com.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced that three exclusive tracks from multi-platinum, Grammy® Award-winners Green Day, as well as eight songs from artists performing at the premiere of the RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, will be added to the Rock Band® Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ system.

The Green Day tracks available next week are the first in an exclusive partnership between MTV Games’ Harmonix and Warner Music Group’s Green Day to bring the band’s songs to the Rock Band platform as downloadable content. These first songs, “21 Guns”, “Know Your Enemy” and “East Jesus Nowhere,” are from the band’s latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

Selling nearly 50 million records worldwide, Green Day has won critical acclaim and numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot and Record of the Year for their smash hit “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.” Green Day recently released their eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, on Warner Music Group’s Reprise Records. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, as well as on the Rock, Active Rock and Alternative charts, fueled by the Alternative radio No. 1 single “Know Your Enemy.” 21st Century Breakdown, which Rolling Stone has called “a rock opera in which the rock always comes first,” is also a hit around the world, topping the charts in 24 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Japan.

Eight songs from artists performing at the RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, including Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse, Marilyn Manson and Slayer, will also be available for download next week in the Rock Band Music Store. The RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival is a new summer touring metal and rock festival in the United States during July and August, assembled by Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman. Rock Band fans can also play tracks by RockStar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival performers Killswitch Engine and Bullet For My Valentine, previously released as downloadable content.

Tracks:
Green Day “21 Guns”
Green Day “East Jesus Nowhere”
Green Day “Know Your Enemy”
Behemoth “Conquer All”
Black Dahlia Murder “What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse”
Cannibal Corpse “Hammer Smashed Face”
God Forbid “Empire of the Gun”
Job for a Cowboy “Embedded”
Marilyn Manson “Disposable Teens”
Slayer “Black Magic”
Whitechapel “This Is Exile”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Green Day Pack” or “Mayhem Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Release Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009
(Wii and Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
(PlayStation®Store)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Green Day Pack”
$13.49 (1,080) Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Mayhem Pack”
$2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation®Net
In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through
the Wii™ Shop Channel)

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now more than 700 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 45 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

To celebrate 10 years of the popular NBA 2K franchise, and the milestone of having sold two million units of NBA® 2K9 worldwide, 2K Sports  announced that the NBA® 2K10: Anniversary Edition is planned for release in North America this fall for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will come packaged in a specially designed 2K Sports locker configured for game storage, and include exclusive items featuring 2009 NBA Finals MVP, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, along with a special commemorative video looking back on 10 years of the NBA 2K franchise and its past cover athletes.

As part of a limited edition offering of only 30,000 copies, each NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will be individually numbered for authenticity. Fans can now preorder their copy online and at local retail outlets across the country. Ten lucky fans will have the rare opportunity to find an autographed Kobe Bryant fine-art print, designed by Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One, which will be hidden and randomly packaged among the different lockers. Gamers with Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network and PlayStation®Network membership will also be able to enjoy special privileges for NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition, including exclusive access to an online lobby – the Gold Room – where celebrities and other VIP members will go to play, and only players with the Anniversary Edition will be allowed to enter.

NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will include:
• NBA 2K10 video game
• 2K Sports’ NBA 2K10 game locker
• 3” Figurine of Kobe Bryant by McFarlane Toys
• 16” x 36” Kobe Bryant poster
• Commemorative NBA 2K 10th anniversary DVD
• Access to the Gold Room, the NBA 2K10 VIP online lobby (accessible only with Xbox LIVE® and PlayStation®Network membership)

“NBA 2K is the premier basketball video game franchise for serious players, deeply rooted in rich and pure authenticity that real hoop heads get, which is why we’ve been the favorite NBA simulation for so long,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of sports development for 2K. “We’ve always been very proud of how we engage our fans on a community level, and NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition is our way of giving back to all those that have supported us along the way.”

Coming this fall, NBA 2K10 is expected to deliver the most realistic, stylistic, and feature-rich simulation experience ever available in the NBA 2K franchise – from gameplay to graphics, presentation and online features. Developed by Visual Concepts, NBA 2K10 is not yet rated by the ESRB and will be available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™ system from Nintendo, and Windows PC. NBA 2K10: Anniversary Edition will be available for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3. For more information, please visit http://www.2ksports.com/games/nba2k10ae.

WORMS™ has been one of the most successful and consistent Xbox Live titles since its launch in March 2007 and now it’s back, bigger and better than ever for this stunning and feature packed new edition, launching on the 10th anniversary of the release of Worms Armageddon.

Team17 have listened hard to the fans response and have delivered in spades, with cult weapons returning, amazing new weapons, incredible customisation of Worms teams (including around 60 voice sets, hats and more), tons of game options, totally new physics & more dynamic play, persistent fire and much, much more.

The game builds upon the fine heritage of the 1999 hit ‘Worms Armageddon’ by massively extending the feature set of the original, award-winning Xbox LIVE WORMS and including the favourite weapons & features of the cult game as well as a raft of exciting new weapons and game content, modes and extensions.

Offering potentially hundreds of hours of replay value, an engaging single player campaign, tons of player customisation, laugh-out-loud multiplayer escapades and leaderboard challenges, Worms 2: Armageddon should prove even more popular than the original WORMS for Live Arcade!

SENSATIONAL NEW WEAPONS!
• Sentry Gun! Defend your position with this deadly guardian.
• Electro Magnet! Attract or repel deadly metallic explosives with this unique item.
• Bunker Buster! Use this vertical missile to dig out enemy Worms that have snuck away!
• Buffalo Of Lies! The Donkey’s nemesis, this Trojan Buffalo will cause havoc!
• Super Bunker Buster! Devastating below ground charge!

RETURNING CULT FAVOURITES FROM ARMAGEDDON (includes previous WORMS weapons)
• Super Sheep! Take your fluffy flocking friend to the air! A controllable, flying super sheep!
• Holy Hand Grenade! Hallelujah! The Deity’s weapon of choice!
• Concrete Donkey! It’s back! As mad and wildly destructive as ever!
• Napalm! Love the smell of burning Worms in the morning?
• Petrol Bomb! This cocktail packs a mighty roasting for enemies. Lob one today.
• Armageddon! Not quite the end as we know it, but it could be for your enemies!
• Parachute! A roper’s best friend! Drop huge heights with wind assist…
• Drill! Dig to victory with the pneumatic drill.
• Baseball Bat. Whack out enemy Worms for a home run cheer!
• Earthquake! Can you rumble the opponent?
• Poison Strike! Germ warfare!

NEW GAME FEATURES
• All new high definition, widescreen artwork based on the original Armageddon artwork.
• Reworked audio-visuals throughout, including all new sound-fx.
• Fire! Persistent fire eats and burns away the landscape. Hot stuff!
• Crazy Crates! Start with basic weapons and shop as you go!
• Fort Mode! Start teams on your own bases.
• Rope Racing mode.
• Massively enhanced & improved game physics & laugh out loud reactions.
• Speedier, more direct gameplay.
• Speak your mind! Massive variety of comedy voice sets with many all new.
• All new crazy achievements.
• All new extensive customisation, Worm Hats, voices, graves, dances, colours, forts!
• Uses NXE Avatars to reflect game status in game!
• All new Single Player adventure combines death matches and puzzles.
• Win tokens in the all-new 30 chapter single player campaign to win prizes in the game SHOP, unlock new landscapes, voices, hats and more.
• Enhanced CPU AI for more challenging single player games.
• Improved online handling, including host migration for network play.
• All new leaderboards and leaderboard objectives.

NEW GAMEPLAY LEVELS
• All new landscapes graphical types modelled on the original Armageddon style. Battle in Medieval England, Cheese Moon, Construction site and more.
• 130 base landscape styles (compared to just six on original) for diverse play levels.
• Vertical Levels! Play on tall, narrow strips or caverns as well as traditional ‘wide’ levels.
• Mix combinations of landscape type, style, your own game rules and more to create thousands of possible levels and hundreds, if not thousands of hours of replay value.

WORMS 2: ARMAGEDDON launches on Wednesday 1st of July, at an amazing value of 800 MSP.

WiiWare

Water Warfare™
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1-8
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10 and Older) – Cartoon Violence
Price: 800 Wii Points™
Description: Water Warfare is a comical first-person shooter that uses water guns to battle and soak opponents. A map with a particular theme – Playground, Beach, Plaza or Nature Park – is generated automatically when the game begins, so you can think up new strategies each time you engage. Game modes include Single Player Missions, CPU Match and 2-Player Split Screen. On top of that, players with broadband Internet access can use Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection to battle with up to eight players from around the world, or participate in Ranking Mode.

Reel Fishing® Challenge
Publisher: Natsume, Inc.
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Reel Fishing Challenge offers a fun and challenging experience for novice fishers and master anglers alike. Put your skills to the test and discover new types of fish in the challenging mission mode, or relax and enjoy the game at your own pace in free play mode. No matter which mode you play, the game’s beautiful graphics and natural setting bring the fishing experience to life. Choose from a variety of lures to attract and hook the game’s numerous fish. Each fish looks and moves like the real thing – it’s the closest you can get to real-life fishing without putting on your waders.

Silver Star Reversi
Publisher: Agetec, Inc.
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Silver Star Reversi has two modes: 1-Player mode allows you to play a match against the computer opponent, and 2-Player mode allows you to play against another person. In 1-Player mode, you can choose from five different computer opponents, turn the background music on or off, adjust sound effects and access in-game help features. During each match, you can also redo your last move, save the game at any point, or resign from the game. After a match has ended, you can review each move and resume the match from any point you choose.

Virtual Console™

Fantasy Zone™ II: The Tears of Opa-Opa
Original platform: SEGA MASTER SYSTEM
Publisher: SEGA
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone) – Mild Cartoon Violence
Price: 500 Wii Points
Description: Ten years have elapsed since Opa-Opa restored peace to the Fantasy Zone. Now history is repeating itself, and the planets that make up the Fantasy Zone once again find themselves attacked by the mastermind of the Nenon planet forces. This mastermind is secretly constructing a huge fortress in the Fantasy Zone and aims to put an end to their ambitious plans. Just as he did 10 years ago, Opa-Opa must do battle to save the Fantasy Zone.

Nintendo DSiWare™

SUDOKU MASTER
Publisher: Hudson Entertainment
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Price: 500 Nintendo DSi Points™
Description: SUDOKU MASTER offers 150 unique puzzles that beginners and experts alike will enjoy. A handful of tutorials will help you learn the rules and controls as you go, and handy features like Write Mode and Temp Numbers make Sudoku pleasantly user-friendly. Feeling confident? Then try your hand at Title Mode to work your way up from Rookie to Sudoku Master. All puzzles were created by Sudoku veteran NIKOLI Co., Ltd., and tips from Sudoku godfather Maki Kaji are offered between games.

Nintendo adds new titles to the Nintendo DSi Shop™ and the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time on Mondays. Users with broadband Internet access can redeem Wii Points or Nintendo DSi Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo DSi Points can be purchased in the Nintendo DSi Shop. A Nintendo Points Card™ can be purchased at retail locations. All points from one Nintendo Points Card must be redeemed in either the Nintendo DSi Shop or the Wii Shop Channel. They are not transferable and cannot be divided between the two systems.

Remember that both Wii and Nintendo DSi feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other features, visit Wii.com or NintendoDSi.com.

Three songs each from alternative rockers Pearl Jam and punk favorites Mission of Burma will be added this week. Additionally, songs from The Offspring, Harvey Danger, Panic at the Disco, George Thorogood and more will be released June 30 to the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

These tracks come from the back catalog of Rock Band music already released to owners of Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION® 3 system. Wii fans can expect a rollout of previously released downloadable Rock Band content until the entire back catalog of more than 700 songs is available. With the addition of these tracks, there are now more than 345 tracks in the Wii Rock Band Music Store.

Release Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Tracks:
Deep Purple “Space Truckin’”
George Thorogood “Bad to the Bone”
Harvey Danger “Cream and Bastards Rise”
In This Moment “Forever”
Lacuna Coil “Closer”
Lacuna Coil “Swamped”
Mission of Burma “Mica”
Mission of Burma “That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate”
Mission of Burma “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver”
The Offspring “Gone Away”
The Offspring “Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)”
Panic at the Disco “She’s a Handsome Woman”
Pearl Jam “Brother”
Pearl Jam “Alive (Live: Drop in the Park)”
Pearl Jam “State of Love and Trust (Live: Drop in the Park)”
Snow Patrol “Take Back the City”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

Price: $2.00 (200 Wii Points) per track

Location: In-game Rock Band 2 Music Store (Wii Points must be purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel)

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PlayStation®2 systems and the Wii system. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points purchased through the Wii Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.
To view a complete list of the more than 700 tracks available in the Rock Band music back catalog, please visit www.rockband.com/music.

Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 45 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.
Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. The ESRB does not rate online downloads.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Harmonix and MTV Games announced that three additional tracks from artists performing on this year’s international Warped Tour, as well as a three pack from classic rockers Foreigner, will be added to the Rock Band®Music Store of downloadable content next week for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

The Warped Tour is an annual international music and extreme sports festival that began in 1994 and features a diverse line-up of bands, as well as pro-skating and BMX exhibitions. This week, five tracks from Warped Tour artists A Day to Remember, Bad Religion, Chiodos, Escape the Fate and Underoath were made available in the Rock Band Music Store, and next week, three more tracks from Warped Tour artists – Dear and the Headlights, The Devil Wears Prada and Thrice – will be available for download.

Three tracks from classic rock favorites Foreigner, which formed in 1976 and have sold more than 50 million albums worldwide, will also be available beginning June 30. “Blue Morning Blue Day,” “Feels Like the First Time” and “Head Knocker” will be available in the Rock Band Music Store. Additionally, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club makes their Rock Band debut with “Weapons of Choice,” from the band’s 2007 album, Baby 81.

Tracks:
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club “Weapon Of Choice”
Dear and the Headlights “Sweet Talk”
The Devil Wears Prada “Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?”
Foreigner “Blue Morning, Blue Day”
Foreigner “Feels Like the First Time”
Foreigner “Headknocker”
Thrice “Image of the Invisible”
(All tracks are original master recordings)
These tracks will be available for purchase as part of the “Foreigner Pack” or “Warped Tour 02 Pack” or as individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 systems.

Release Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2009
(Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360)
Thursday, July 2, 2009
(PlayStation®Store)

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change **

Price: $1.99 (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$5.49 (440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Foreigner Pack” and “Warped Tour 02 Pack”

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
PlayStation®Network

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii. The Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

There are now more than 700 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 45 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com.

Funcom announced the launch of Update 5 – ‘Gangs of Tarantia’ on the ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’ live servers. Players can now look forward to exploring a whole new area, the Tarantia Commons district, complete with a spectacular new storyline, more enemies to defeat, and more rewards to be had. This is the fifth installment in a series of updates that is delivering new and improved content to the game’s playerbase. ‘Age of Conan’ has seen a slew of updates since launching last year, adding countless hours of more content and new features to the game.

“The team has poured a lot of dedication and hard work into making this update a reality,” says Funcom game director Craig Morrison. “Not only are we adding a massive new area to the game where level seventy players can find hours of more entertainment, we have also made significant changes to core systems in the game that will hopefully make the game experience more fun and a lot more rewarding!”

Besides adding a wealth of new content, the update also introduces fundamental changes to how the game is played and experienced. Players will now find that items within the game and their associated statistics has changed radically, making items have a more profound impact on your character’s powers. This will make equipment even more valuable, and the process of obtaining new weapons and armor through quests and adventure even more rewarding. The update should make a significant impact on how gamers play ‘Age of Conan’ and how they now experience the gameplay with their characters.

The update also introduces a vast number of other changes and additions. For instance, guild cities will now see an increased activity as guards and merchants now walk the streets, bringing life to the settlement. Also, players can now gain PvP (player vs. player) experience from doing PvP mini-games, and even purchase social pets such as snakes, dogs, and cats. For more information on all the improvements the update has to offer, please visit the ‘Age of Conan’ community website.

Launching in May last year ‘Age of Conan’ quickly became a smash hit in retail, shipping over 1.2 million copies around the world. In North America, the most prominent online gaming market in the west, ‘Age of Conan’ became the third best-selling PC title of the year only beaten by ‘Spore’ and ‘World of Warcraft’. In the weeks after launch ‘Age of Conan’ simultaneously topped the charts in 17 countries, and the game received critical acclaim from gaming press across the globe. ‘Age of Conan’ is now available in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Polish, and is being prepared for launch in Korea as well.

For more information and how to buy ‘Age of Conan’ visit www.ageofconan.com