Electronic Arts Inc. announced  that STRIKEFORCE, a world-class mixed martial arts fight promotion, will be featured as a premier league in the upcoming EA SPORTS™ MMA video game. In addition, Brett Rogers and Jake Shields, both of whom will be competing in the STRIKEFORCE and M-1 Global co-promoted fight on November 7 (broadcasted live by CBS), join the EA SPORTS MMA roster of fighters.

With this partnership, the STRIKEFORCE cage and the league’s commentary team of Frank Shamrock and Mauro Ranallo, as well as ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., will be incorporated into the game. Legendary mixed martial arts referee “Big John” McCarthy will preside over the in-ring action and bring his knowledge and experience in MMA to help deliver a truly authentic MMA experience.

“We are honored that EA SPORTS has selected STRIKEFORCE to serve as a premier league in its forthcoming MMA title,” said STRIKEFORCE President Scott Coker. “EA SPORTS has long been recognized by gamers as a highly innovative, ground breaking provider of sports gaming entertainment. We are confident that EA SPORTS MMA will function as a great ambassador for STRIKEFORCE’s fighters and effectively promote our sport to a new audience as well as to longtime fight fans.”

“We are very excited to be working with STRIKEFORCE and feature them as a premier league in our game,” said Executive Producer Dale Jackson. “They have a wealth of mixed martial arts expertise, put on great shows and have a great stable of top-notch fighters. Together we look forward to growing the sport and delivering an immersive interactive gaming experience.”

Tomorrow night’s STRIKEFORCE fight, to be broadcast on national network television by CBS, will undoubtedly be one of the most watched mixed martial arts fights in history. EA SPORTS MMA fighter roster will feature four of the main card’s fighters, including Fedor Emelianenko, Brett Rogers, Jake Shields and Jason Miller.

Brett Rogers is preparing for the biggest fight of his career as he gets set to take on Fedor Emelianenko tomorrow night. A 6’5”, 265 pound heavyweight, Brett is currently undefeated and holds a record of 10-0-0. In his last fight, he knocked out Andrei Arlovski in just 22 seconds in the first round of action.

Jake Shields, a native Californian, will be taking on Jason “Mayhem” Miller for the STRIKEFORCE middleweight title. This 5’11”, 170 pound fighter, holds a current record of 23-4-1 and comes into tomorrow night’s middleweight title bout with a 12-fight winning streak. He is also the first and last Elite XC Welterweight champion and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Also slated to appear on the fighter roster for EA SPORTS MMA are STRIKEFORCE stars Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. Miller and Lawal were announced via a video last month during their visit to the development studio.

EA SPORTS MMA will feature the most authentic, intense and broad mixed martial arts experience to date – complete with a vast array of top fighters and fighting styles from around the world. EA SPORTS MMA will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in 2010.

For more information about EA SPORTS MMA, visit www.easportsmma.com or follow the game on Twitter at www.twitter.com/easportsmma and Facebook at www.facebook.com/easportsmma.

It was among the most heinous incidents in video game history: In 1986, Princess Zelda™ was kidnapped from the land of Hyrule, setting off an intrepid rescue adventure for young hero Link™. Unfortunately for Zelda, this offense has been repeated more than a dozen times since, leaving her largely out of sight while Link traversed dark dungeons and confronted monstrous enemies alone in order to save her.

This time, in the new Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ adventure The Legend of Zelda™: Spirit Tracks, that all changes.

For the first time in the 23-year history of The Legend of Zelda series, Princess Zelda is leaving the villainous clutches of the underworld behind and joining the adventure with Link. In The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks, the spirit of Zelda accompanies Link on his quest to save Hyrule. Directly impacting game play like never before, Zelda’s spirit can take control of hulking suits of armor known as Phantoms, allowing the player to direct both Link and these new allies as they battle enemies, solve puzzles and uncover secrets. Zelda also rides alongside Link on his customizable train, offering wisdom that will help players find new areas, storylines and items. The team of Link and Zelda presents countless new storyline details for fans to enjoy, including a closer look at Princess Zelda herself, one of the most iconic video game characters of all-time.

“More than two decades into its rich history, The Legend of Zelda has introduced another historic first for players as Link and Zelda unite to save Hyrule in The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Combining these unprecedented new story and game-play elements with the series’ innovative touch-screen interface on Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, the game is sure to surprise and delight new and longtime fans.”

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks launches in North America on Dec. 7. For more information, visit www.Zelda.com/SpiritTracks.

Electronic Arts Inc. announced the addition of Madden Ultimate Team, a new, strategic game mode for the critically acclaimed Madden NFL 10 on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system. Take the challenge to create the definitive NFL team, by collecting virtual cards that include everything from NFL superstars, head coaches, stadiums and much more. Perfect for card collectors and fantasy football gurus, Madden Ultimate Team provides a unique football experience, giving you total control over building a single team in the quest to be crowned the ultimate Madden team.
The award-winning Madden NFL 10 has achieved new franchise records for online play, with over 45 million online games played on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, since its worldwide launch on August 14, 2009. With more than 2 million online users waiting for a new challenge, Madden Ultimate Team provides the opportunity to put your personally crafted team up against the rest of the world.

“Madden Ultimate Team is yet another example of how EA SPORTS is expanding the Madden NFL experience to all types of gamers. Card collecting and fantasy football are huge parts of an NFL fan’s lifestyle and we took the best of both worlds and combined it with Madden NFL 10,” said Jeremy Strauser, Executive Producer for Madden NFL 10 and Madden Ultimate Team. “It’s not just about building a team of players, as you have to also manage coaches, injuries, and team chemistry. It doesn’t matter if you’re a hardcore Madden NFL player, a fantasy football fan, or just an NFL fan – Madden Ultimate Team brings something for everyone.”

Madden Ultimate Team allows fans to collect up to nine types of cards through, platinum, gold, silver and bronze virtual packs. The customization options are endless as you are responsible for selecting everything from the team playbook to the uniforms. Earn coins to buy new cards or card packs through your performance on the field, acquire new cards through the auction block, or purchase card packs through the in-game store. Collect cards with players from the same pro and college team to get an on-field chemistry boost. Collect rare, legendary player cards to put your team over the top, like the 1999 Vikings Randy Moss and the 1995 Packers Brett Favre player cards. You can even back up Brett with his 2009 Vikings player card. Build a dynasty through weekly online deals or find the final missing piece to your team’s puzzle.

Easily select the starting offense, defense, and special teams or have Madden Ultimate Team do it for you. Once your team is set to your liking, put it to the test against human opponents or against the CPU. See how your team stacks up against other Madden Ultimate Team players via online learderboards and prove you are the best of the best.

The Madden Ultimate Team game mode will be available free for Madden NFL 10 in January, via Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network. NFL fans can experience the new game mode by creating a team with the provided starter pack of players and other virtual cards, and jump right onto the field. Madden NFL 10 and an internet connection is required for play.

Madden Ultimate Team is rated E for everyone by the ESRB and is developed in Orlando, Florida by the EA Tiburon studio, which also produces NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and EA SPORTS™ MMA.

GOOOOOAL!! Pro Evolution Soccer is back and better than ever! Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. announced that Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 has shipped to stores for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. The latest iteration of the popular franchise scores with all new features, updates and improvements generated from fan feedback, making this the best PES game to date!

The most realistic soccer game on the planet – Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 – lives up to its name by delivering dramatic improvements in the amount of licensed content as well as in-stadium atmospheres and player likenesses. True soccer fans will recognize that the specific moves of real-life players – including cover athlete Lionel Messi – have been incorporated into this year’s version, ensuring that they will feel that the actual player is on the field. Further building upon the games’ realism, PES takes place on the largest stage in soccer – The UEFA Champions League. Additionally, the most robust online offerings in the history of PES will include team and content updates post launch.

With over 300 new movements added to the game, Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, features animations that have been greatly improved, including more individual skills also on show, such as new flicks and tricks. Several elements have been completely reworked as well, with the dribbling, turning and kicking animations greatly enhanced, including an intelligent revision to the passing game. Passes made on the run will realistically differ from passes made at a stand-still. This year’s version also focuses on enhanced excitement of matches between players, making for a challenging experience that will constantly test the player. Intuitive zonal defending will cover spaces and players need to look constantly for new ways to attack. Lastly, enhancements to the Master League features more team managerial elements such as sponsorships and youth team coaching, bringing out the inner sports mogul in every fan.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and is now available in retail stores on Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 system for the SRP of $59.99. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 will also be available later this month on the Wii™ for the SRP of $49.99 and PlayStation®2 and PSP® for the SRP of $29.99.

Source: www.konami.com

Hudson Entertainment is preparing to serve up a piping hot helping of Diner Dash® on November 18th for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. A new version of Diner Dash, the award-winning casual game franchise created by PlayFirst that has sold over five million units, is coming to Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the first time.

“Diner Dash will feature the classic gameplay that fans have come to adore along with updated HD graphics,” said Sabine Duvall, vice president of product development at Hudson Entertainment. “With a brand-new 8-person multiplayer mode, a whole new group of players are going to enjoy Diner Dash.”

Diner Dash will come to life in 3D on next generation consoles when players have the option to take direct control of Flo as she runs around to seat patrons, take orders, deliver food, receive payment and bus tables as efficiently as possible within the time limit allowed. Players fond of the traditional control schemes may also use a point-and-click style with hotkeys to aid Flo in her quest for customer satisfaction, which is reflected in a heart meter that empties as customers lose patience. If the meter empties completely, then the customer will leave the restaurant. Servers looking to play with co-workers can join with up to seven other players in multiplayer across four diners in Team Dash or go 1 on 1 in head-to-head mode.

For more information on Diner Dash, please visit Hudson Entertainment at http://www.hudsonent.com/dinerdash/

Award-winning composer Jesper Kyd has created an epic soundtrack for Assassin’s Creed II, the sequel to the fastest-selling new IP in video game history. Following his atmospheric score for the original Assassin’s Creed, Kyd takes the music in an adventurous new direction and crafts an immensely diverse, melodic and progressive musical pallete featuring acoustic and symphonic orchestrations with emotional depth and diversity.

The original score was recorded with A-List musicians and a Hollywood orchestra and choir at the world-renowned Capitol Studios. The Assassin’s Creed II Original Soundtrack will be available for digital download from popular music stores on November 16th.

Assassin’s Creed II features a new hero, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian noble, and a new era, the Renaissance. The game tells an epic story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in the pristine, yet brutal, backdrop of a Renaissance Italy. Ezio befriends Leonardo da Vinci, takes on Florence’s most powerful families and ventures throughout the canals of Venice where he learns to become a master assassin. The music propels the action, captures the allure and mystery of the story and immerses players in the breathtakingly detailed settings.

Patrice Desilets, Creative Director at Ubisoft: “Jesper Kyd’s score for Assassin’s Creed II brings players into the Italian Renaissance by providing a true sense of depth for the poignant moments, while also giving a jolt of adrenaline to the action-packed sequences. We are thrilled to have Jesper Kyd back with us in making Assassin’s Creed II an epic title on all levels.”

Jesper Kyd: “We created a unique musical identity for Assassin’s Creed II that reflects the character and story of Ezio and elevated the music, both in terms of creativity and live production, to a whole new level.”

Assassin’s Creed II is the product of over two years of intensive development by the original creative team behind the Assassin’s Creed brand. Assassin’s Creed II is scheduled to launch on November 17th, 2009 for the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PC.

www.assassinscreed.com

The video games industry was recognized as the fastest-growing entertainment medium and the UK was acknowledged as a centre of creative excellence today as the winners of the world’s most popular video game awards show, the 27th annual Golden Joystick Awards were announced in London.

Fallout 3 was crowned “Ultimate Game of the Year”, whilst Call of Duty continued its annual winning streak with a hat-trick of accolades.

With UK consumers spending £2.7billion on gaming over the last year, the industry remains resilient through the current downturn. As games continue to increase in popularity, organisers of the Golden Joystick Awards reported a 47% surge in voting, with over 1.2m votes in another record breaking year.

The popular Call of Duty series from Activision Blizzard once again proved it was a fan favourite, scooping a trio of awards in 2009. Call of Duty: World at War won “Multiplayer Game of the Year” and “Nintendo Game of the Year.” The forthcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 looks set to rule Christmas 2009, bagging the “One to Watch” award.

The haul of awards for Activision Blizzard continued with Guitar Hero: World Tour winning “Soundtrack of the Year”, while the gaming giant rounded-off its haul with “Publisher of the Year”.

There was strong showing for UK-developed titles, as “Family Game of the Year” was taken by Guildford-based Media Molecule for LittleBigPlanet on PlayStation 3 – an innovative platform game voiced by Stephen Fry. “Handheld Game of the Year” was won by Rockstar Leeds’ Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for Nintendo DS. The “UK Developer of the Year” category saw Cambridge company Jagex smash all-comers as the makers of Runescape – the biggest free massively multiplayer online role-playing game in the world – outflanked rivals in the category by an overwhelming margin.

The full list of winners in the 2009 Golden Joystick Awards is;

Family Game of the Year: LittleBigPlanet
Bliss Handheld Game of the Year: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
Retailer of the Year: GAME
Mobile Game of the Year: Metal Gear Solid Touch
Nintendo Game of the Year: Call of Duty: World at War
MSN Multiplayer Game of the Year: Call Of Duty: World At War
The Rampage Soundtrack of the Year: Guitar Hero World Tour
Xbox Game of the Year: Gears of War 2
PC Game of the Year: Fallout 3
Amiqus Games UK Developer of the Year: Jagex
PlayStation Game of the Year: Killzone 2
Publisher of the Year: Activision Blizzard
Online Game of the Year: Left4Dead
ShortList One to Watch: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Ultimate Game of the Year, together with Zavvi.co.uk: Fallout 3

Rounding off the afternoon in style, the Golden Joystick Awards themselves were officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the “World’s Most Popular Video Game Awards.” The Golden Joysticks polled 1,223,646 votes in its 27th year.

Emma Parkinson is Organiser of the Golden Joystick Awards:

“The games industry remains innovative and vibrant despite economic pressures. Many of the winners at the Golden Joystick’s demonstrate that UK talent remains crucial to the success of this industry across the globe and must be nurtured at all cost.
I’m delighted by the record number of votes – gamers deserve to have their say about their favourite games, having spent £2.7billion of their hard-earned cash in the toughest year the industry has experienced.”

On November 5, as a way to commemorate the release of Band Hero, Guitar Hero music aficionados can import 69 tracks from the highly acclaimed Guitar Hero 5 into Band Hero, or import 61 of Band Hero’s hits directly into Guitar Hero 5. Building the ultimate music set list is now easier then ever.

For a complete listing of forward compatible content, please visit http://hub.guitarhero.com/support/faq/song-import-information.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of his 1989 debut album, Let Love Rule, Lenny Kravitz will be returning to Guitar Hero on November 12 with a three song track pack that will set players’ fingers ablaze. The track pack features his debut single “Let Love Rule,” “Lady,” off his seventh studio album Baptism, and “Fly Away,” one of Lenny Kravitz most successful songs to date.

Back on the road again this fall to accompany the launch of their newest studio album Sonic Boom, KISS has decided to add one additional date to the tour. Look for KISS to headline the Guitar Hero stage on November 19 with a three song track pack that’s sure to satiate the KISS fan in everyone. The track pack will feature “Modern Day Delilah,” the first single off their new album, Sonic Boom, “Lick It Up” the title track on their similarly named 1983 album, Lick it Up, and “I Was Made for Loving You,” KISS’s second Gold single.

Guitar Hero wouldn’t be what it is today without the loyalty of its fans. As a thank you for all the years of support and encouragement, Neversoft proudly presents a free six song track pack of music from bands that feature Neversoft employees. The track pack, which will be available just before Thanksgiving on November 24 includes “Lemon Frosting” by Bunny Knutson, “RockNRola” by Nancy Fullforce, “From the Blue/Point of No Return/T.T.R.T.S” by An Endless Sporadic, “Love Holds It Down” by Dom Liberati, “You Really Like Me” by Davidicus and “Guilty Pleasures” by Tony Solis. The Neversoft Thanks the Fans track pack will only be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.

Wii™ owners have spoken and Guitar Hero has heard you loud and clear. Starting November 24, Wii and Metallica fans looking to get their fix will be able to download 8 additional tracks off Metallica’s Death Magnetic album which were previously only available on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The songs, which will be available only as downloadable singles, include “All Nightmare Long,” “That Was Just Your Life,” “The Day That Never Comes,” “The Judas Kiss,” “The End Of The Line,” “The Unforgiven III,” “Suicide & Redemption J.H.” and “Suicide & Redemption K.H.”

The Lenny Kravitz and KISS Track Packs will be available on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360 on the PlayStation®Store for the PlayStation 3 system and for Wii™. In addition, all songs in the Lenny Kravitz and KISS Track Packs will be released as downloadable singles for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. The Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero disc imports will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii. The remaining eight songs in Metallica’s Death Magnetic track pack will be released as downloadable singles for Wii for 200 Wii Points each.

Additionally, fans are now able to choose from more than 150 other downloadable songs or import select songs from Guitar Hero® World Tour and Guitar Hero® Greatest Hits to further customise their Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero set list.

Fret Nice is a unique platform game with a distinct art style, a lot of great music and support for all guitars controllers out there. Fret Nice is the first platform game ever to be played with a guitar controller. The game will be available from Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network in early 2010.

- “We felt sorry for gamers who bought a guitar only to be used for pure music games, so we made a platform game for them! Fret Nice is the perfect blend of two worlds.” – says Pieces Interactive CEO Johan Hellberg.

Pieces is an up-and-coming Swedish developer that has quickly garnered attention to their titles. Their unique style and innovative game mechanics, blended with great music has become a signature trademark.

- “The game industry is under a lot of stress, we have to differentiate our products against the competition. Fret Nice looks and feels like nothing else!” says Johan.

This autumn Pieces and Tecmo also launches Puzzlegeddon, an action-filled online puzzle game, available from PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade. Puzzlegeddon was recently released for iPhone and the game has received global attention when released to PC in 2008.

Pieces is also hard at work on two brand new IPs, Walkie Tonky – a destructive walk ‘em up and Kindle – The kite in the sky, an aerobatic adventure with innovative character control and subject matter. The goal is to sign a publisher for the titles this year as well as showing prototypes of the games at Game Connection in Lyon, France in December.

“Pieces is always pushing forward and growing, and we are ready to take on bigger productions and new challenges. Kindle is an ambitious project that will take the company to a new level. Its bold concept, slick mechanics and original character design is something we are very proud of.”, says Calle Kyhlberg, Game Director for Kindle – The kite in the sky.

Follow Pieces on Twitter! www.twitter.com/PiecesInt

PowerStation, the UK’s only multiformat videogames tips magazine has been redesigned to offer readers 20 pages of in-depth PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 reviews to sit alongside its staggering assortment of full game guides – all at the new price point of £2.89.

Launched in 1996 to coincide with the early success of the Sony PlayStation, PowerStation has brought its readers unrivalled assistance in completing the very best games around to produce full guides featuring in-depth level walkthroughs and detailed maps. Now the magazine has made a bold move to become the definitive one-stop publication with the inclusion of full reviews for the latest PS3 and Xbox 360 games.

Ryan Butt, Editor of PowerStation commented, “I’m very excited about this development for the magazine. PowerStation has long been synonymous with hints and tips, but now we want to offer our readers more by providing detailed reviews for the latest games that sit alongside the full guides. As we here at PowerStation are used to fully completing every game we cover in the magazine, we are in a strong position of being the only magazine to be able to judge the game from start to finish and provide the most rounded critiques available – and all at a fraction of the cost of more conventional reviews magazines.”

Nick Jones, Editor in Chief said, “With this redesign we’ll be offering our readers unbeatable value for money, and with our skilled and dedicated team it’s something that no other PlayStation magazine or PlayStation magazine publisher can offer.”

Imagine Publishing is one of the UK’s fastest-growing consumer specialist publishers. Formed in May 2005, Imagine now publishes 20 regular magazines and 30 websites in the videogames, computing, entertainment, motoring and photography markets. An Imagine magazine is purchased every ten seconds.