Ah … prepare yourself for entertainment … at my expense.

I’m hooked on Social Girl for the iPhone. Why? Because it’s pretty. Why did I download it in the first place? It ranked popularly as a Top Free game in the App Store. In its first week, it was downloaded over a million times. And right now, it has over 737 ratings, with an average of four stars. I was curious. And I can totally see the appeal.

It’s a bad relationship. It’s a bad virtual world. It sets terrible examples for girls, and yet all I want to do is buy beautifully designed outfits, unlock new ones, mix and match clothing, and see where my “boyfriend” will take me for dates, which range from yachting and hang gliding to picnics and the Taco Hut.

I also want to know what happens when I unlock “skin colour” when it comes to changing him, supposedly for the better, since you can change his name, hair colour, hair style, clothing and face. It’s like watching a terrible, terrible movie, just to see what happens in the end.

Made by CrowdStar, a social gaming company based in California, the point of the game is to develop a relationship with your crush by going on dates.

Before going on dates, you have to dress “properly”, which means assembling outfits with items that have certain values assigned to them. Each date requires a certain combination total from a genre of clothes, be it Sporty, Hipster, Preppy, Rocker or Girly.

To get ready for these dates, you can choose different items from your closet. When you’re short on your “properly dressed” total, you can go shopping for items to make up the balance.

How do you get coins? By hanging out with various cliques and making friends. While each clique has six friends, you need to make friends with them in order of coolness. And the game will actually tell you when you’re not cool enough.

To “complete a friendship”, it’s a combination of hanging out and gossiping with the friend in order to unlock clothes of that category (or using real currency to skip some of this). You need energy to do that, and one energy unit takes five minutes to replenish so that your bar (which starts at 18 units) is full.

Yup…I’ve been a slave to that energy bar, waiting to accumulate enough coins so I can buy the pretty top for four more points that will let me go on my date with my crush, who I’ve now renamed from my husband’s actual first name to Dud, for the purposes of making screenshots for you, the lovely public. (My husband is in no way a dud but it also became confusing when exclaiming, “Look!  We’re going to a cooking class!”)

It’s ridiculous. I’m quite aware of that.

But little girls aren’t.

So how about making a really popular game for them, that teaches them something … good? Or even great?

Here’s my open call to CrowdStar and all game developers, especially in Canada where you can get funding to help you develop and market such a game. If you’re with me, I will draft the first revision of the Game Design Document in full.

Let’s make a game for our daughters to play.

Instead of the game being all about your boyfriend, how about this game focuses on you, Independent Girl?

At the start of the game, you choose a career path, whether it be solely for your career or a combination of career and family.

Instead of your energy bar being used for gossiping and hanging out, how about this game focuses on making good choices?

I propose three energy bars which can sometimes work in tandem, for example, exercising boosts “Health” but drains “Energy.” Enough exercising increases the Energy and Self capacities.

“Health”
You can build up this bar by:

• Exercising
• Spending (quality) time with your friends, who instead of saying flaky things like “My parents have the coolest sailboat”, “Everyone wants to be me” and “Preppy girls are way better than girly girls”, they say things like, “I’m proud of you!”, “Good for you for standing up for yourself!”, “Thanks for lending me that great novel.”
• Cleaning your apartment by doing various differently-valued activities.
• Taking classes like learning a language, swimming, rock climbing, woodworking, car mechanics, cooking, motorcycle driving. Different classes unlock quests.

“Energy”
Determined by food choices (like the Eat This, Not That! game) where healthier options give you a boost to Energy, Health, and Self.

“Self”
This bar relates to the user’s overall stamina, career path, and goals achieved. Karma points can also boost this bar with activities like donating blood, volunteering, taking care of a sick friend, donating clothes, food or coins.

There will always be critics, but how about making a game that gives girls more choices, and sets up rewards in a different fashion than gaining favour of the hottest guy and getting into the “best” cliques? Who’s with me?

Image source: Venture Beat

To mark the release of this exciting new mode, Z8Games will be hosting events through February 5^thin which players can earn new weapons and items, just for playing. For current players, the update will download automatically upon launching Cross Fire.

The electricity-infused alien, Xeno, has landed. Under its leadership, Mutants everywhere are now united towards the goal of conquering Earth!  To combat the alien threat, an elite squad of super Commandos armed with dual Kukri’s and a no fear attitude has risen up. Play as either Xeno or Commando in the new Hero Mode X and earn three new ribbons to show off on your profile as a symbol of your participation in Earth’s final battle! Hero Mode X debuts with two maps: the multi-level “Mansion”, and the gritty, suburban “Rooftops”.
The Hero Mode X update also includes six new weapons: a Remington 870 shotgun, an RX4 Storm assault rifle, a tiger-striped AWM sniper rifle, a camo-skinned QBZ95, and an MG3 machine gun with an alternate gold-skin variant. These weapons are available via the in-game Store and Black Market.

Cross Fire is a free online military first-person shooter for the PC platform. It includes a military ranking system, in-game friends lists, an integrated clan system, deep character customization options and social media integration via the Cross Fire website. More MAPS. More GUNS. More MODES. More HEADSHOTS. Join millions of players online today in the ultimate military FPS experience.

Gameplay is simple button mashing. You get points to purchase upgrades for your webhead. The problem I found with this is that there are so many upgrades it is a little difficult to remember all button combinations. I found myself pounding random buttons with the hope I would do a combo by fluke.

Depending on what spider-era you play will result how you play. In the noir era you will need to master stealth while in 2099 you will need to master speed and
co-ordination.

Hats off to Beenox for getting the voices from previous spider cartoons to voice the characters. (Except the guy from the 60′s cartoon).

For all you comic lovers out there, Shattered will leave you satisfied. Is it worth paying full pop…no. It is, however, definitely picking up used.

I give Shattered Dimensions 7 web slingers out of 10.

In the words of the great Stan Lee “Excelsior true believers.”

Staying in shape for the New Year is more fun than ever with Just Dance 3. The Sweat Pack #2 supplements the game’s existing Just Sweat Mode on Wii and the Xbox360 Kinect and allows players to combine exercising with dancing by offering fitness-focused dance moves.

The new DLC includes the Sweat Invaders’ “Cardiac Caress,” “Merengue” and “Boomsday,” and The Sunlight Shakers’ “Who let the Dogs Out?”. The Sweat Pack #2 includes all three of the Sweat Invaders tracks which will have you breaking a sweat on the dance floor!

Other recent DLC additions include: Anja’s “Baby Don’t Stop Now,” Studio Allstars’ “Jump,” Olé Orquesta’s “Jambo Mambo,” The Girly Team’s “Twist and Shake It,” “U Can’t Touch This” and “Soul Searchin” by Groove Century and “Fame” (in the style of Irene Cara), priced at 250 Wii Points each.

Made available earlier this month for both Kinect for Xbox360 and Wii, “Sweat Pack #1” includes Sweat Invaders’  “Beat Match Until I’m Blue,” “Touch Me Want Me” and “Dun N Dusted”.

Featuring no less than 10 unique and massive bosses (one for each level!), 7 powerful weapons, a full set of marine upgrades, 3 separate gameplay modes including Boss Rush & Survival Mode, 30+ Game Centre Achievements, and over 100+ in game challenges through 4 unique worlds, ‘Star Marine: Infinite Ammo’ is locked and loaded full of features. As GlitchSoft’s latest and most exciting entry, Star Marine: Infinite Ammo is the first to solve Run n’ Gun for iOS touch controls!

Dark Incursion is a game that takes place in an alternate reality in the late 1800′s, amidst an industrial revolution and a world war. Play as Anya, one of the few who knows about a secret bunker where scientists have been attempting to bio-engineer their own soldiers, hoping to turn the tide in war.

In Dark Incursion, players have a multitude of bio-engineered weapons at their disposal with which to eradicate the abominations from the city. Weapon and ability upgrades will get more powerful the deeper players get and the more advanced the monsters become.

Can Anya complete her mission before the allied forces enter the city and mistakenly allow these creatures to escape?

Features:

• Stereoscopic 3D using classic Red/Blue 3D glasses
• Countless enemies from super soldiers to monstrous creatures
• Customizable bio weaponry with hundreds of deadly combination
• Intriguing story
• Fantastic Steam Punk art style

“The holiday events have already begun heating up the servers and players have been incredibly creative so far in our Deck The Walls Wallpaper Contest,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “We are looking forward to seeing how players approach the new weapons challenge and which arms become the most popular!”

All new seasonal Costume Bundles, accessories and weapons are here-including Naomi’s new Holiday outfits, which include a Sleigh Ride Get Up and a Santa’s Elves Outfit that might not be ideal for keeping her warm in the winter cold, but are sure to heat up the battlefield!  Players can also perform their best Santa impersonation in C.H.I.P.’s Saint Nick and Kris Kringle Costumes! Give those naughty MicroVolters a good whack and a taste of the new Candy Cane melee weapon and don’t forget about the new line of grenade launchers that also comes out today.

With the introduction of a new game setting, MicroVolters will be tested on their weapons expertise- If limited to only three weapons in your arsenal, which would you choose?  With this new game setting, players must choose wisely and learn their counter weapons!  Players will start the match with only a melee weapon and 2 weapons of choice. but will they remain a weapon loyalist or can they adapt their arsenal to stay on top?

Armed with all the new accessories, weapons, outfits and more, MicroVolters can also jump in and enjoy the ongoing Holiday events.  There is still time to sign up for the Deck the Walls Wallpaper Contest and players can stay on top of their game by participating in the 12 days of MicroVolts event.  In addition, MicroVolts will be holding a big Boxing Day sale on December 26th.

Getting into the holiday spirit is easy with Brawl Busters!  Players can dress up in festive Santa Claus outfits, or they could deck the halls with themed Yuletide weapons to ensure all the naughty boys and girls straighten up before present time arrives.

Ready to kick butt and chew bubble gum at the same time?  You may want to reconsider after watching this trailer!  The first Boss Battle revealed for Brawl Busters is the dreaded “Bubble Yum.”  He may look tasty, but don’t let his meek appearance deceive you. This huge pink monstrosity isn’t going to make things easy, and you especially need to watch out for Bubble Yum’s nauseating gas emissions. As if that wasn’t enough, he also tends to spawn armies of zombies. Don’t even try to take him on without backup – a full crew of experienced Busters will be required to bring this guy down!

“The new Boss Mode is exactly the type of challenge our community requested; this chewy gooey opponent wasn’t scraped from the bottom of any desk-he’s the real deal,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “The new trailer and screens shows off a fantastic cross-section of the game, including the new finishing touches players can add to their characters – with a variety of glasses, masks, goggles, and facial hair, players can re-create themselves in-game with more accuracy, or create the hero they have always wanted to be.”

Are you afraid of the dark? You’ll have to lose that phobia if you want to play in the all-new City Hall Station map which will test a player’s fear and keep them on their toes as they delve into this all-new nighttime map.

Rock Hippo has also partnered with Xfire to bring free in-game voice chat, messaging, screenshot and video sharing, live broadcasting, special events and much more to Brawl Busters players.

“We know that tweens and teens are aspirational by nature, so what we are offering them with WoozIn is their own social network where they can communicate with like-minded and -aged people,” said Eric Brassard, CEO of Woozworld. “This is what truly makes WoozIn different than any other social network, as we provide life and personality to each Woozworld avatar. Basically, we are melding a virtual world and social network — it’s like Facebook meets Second Life.”

Woozworld users access WoozIn in a completely safe environment; in fact, Woozworld grants the first true online and COPPA-compliant virtual identity for teen and tweens. With this new social network, Woozens can:

• Connect with their real and online friends
• Feed a now incredibly complete virtual identity
• Share, comment and like their friends’ updates, pictures, videos and more
• Follow their favorite Stars and get in touch with them
• Show their achievements and virtual spaces

Woozworld is an online place where tweens and teens build entire worlds to creatively engage with their peers, build businesses or set up restaurants, hotels and games as they choose, with their imaginations being their only limit.

Woozworld users continue to rise to the challenge:

• Woozworld users play an average of 50 minutes per day
• There are more than 8 million avatars created in Woozworld
• Woozworld has over 16 million user-generated virtual spaces
• Woozworld’s user-base has tripled in the last 10 months

Woozworld, recently named one of the top-20 most innovative companies in Canada by the Canadian Innovation Exchange, continues to dedicate itself to creating a safe gaming environment that tweens can enjoy and parents can trust. Targeted for children ages nine to 14, Woozworld provides an engaging and interactive experience by allowing members to create their own world where they can fashion their own characters, make new Woozworld friends, and conduct virtual businesses. All personal information is protected, and Woozworld strictly conforms to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

Making MicroVolts merry and bright, the upcoming Holiday Special Update will gift players with a variety of cool new holiday items including new Holiday Costume Bundles for Naomi and C.H.I.P that will have players rockin’ around the battlefield.  In addition to the Santa-size sack full of holiday accessories and weapons, MicroVolts is also hosting a 12 Days of Christmas event and a Deck the Walls wallpaper contest!  This seasonal contest will give players a glimpse at some of the all-new content coming up in the next update!

“The Holiday season is a time for fun and giving and we wanted to share that spirit with our loyal community,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “We invite new recruits and current MicroVolters alike to come check out all of the holiday fun starting this Friday!”

Coming in 2012 to MicroVolts is the exaVolt Tournament System, sponsored by The MicroVolts Team and spear-headed by MicroVolt community leader [MOD]Bacon and his team. The exaVolt Tournament will be a series of tournaments held every Saturday, featuring exclusive prizes for winners and clan rankings that will intensify the clan war system in MicroVolts. Here’s a sneak preview:

Those short on time that want to see Commander Jefferson at his most lethal can purchase the full suite of available upgrades for only $4.99 – 50% off the original price. Individual upgrades are also available for 99 cents each.

The update is coming soon to iOS (Download from the iOS AppStore) and the Xperia platform.

Rock Hippo has also partnered with Xfire to bring free in-game voice chat, messaging, screenshot and video sharing, live broadcasting, and much more to Brawl Busters players. To kick-off the partnership, Xfire will be broadcasting a live stream event on December 14^th where players can get a sneak preview of the Official Release.

The exciting new content coming next week for players includes a new mode, tons of cool new accessories and delightful holiday themed items.  A new district will also make its debut: City Hall Station will test player’s fear of the dark and keep them on their toes as they delve into this all-new nighttime map!

FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction is the sequel to IGN’s 2006 racing game of the year FlatOut 2. In the tradition of the franchise FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction will include the ever-popular Rag doll party games while at the same time introducing innovative game modes.

“FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction will provide the millions of fans of the franchise wide ranging game modes, extensive content, new vehicles and much more. We have more than doubled the amount of game play hours from previous installments and for the first time offer a fully integrated motion controller powered by Sixense which will complement SteamWorks. The game has received enthusiastic feedback from the FlatOut fanbase who were extremely involved in its development.  We are confident that this sequel will surpass the already high expectations of our loyal fans,” commented Strategy First Director Emanuel Wall.

FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction is a Steamworks title that offers over 30 steam achievements featured through out all 9 different game modes.  Some achievements involve maximum scores, fastest times, fastest speeds, and win/loss record to name a few.

FEATURES:

• Physics Engine capable of delivering over 20,000 fully destructible objects on every track
• 47 vehicles with everything from muscle cars, monster trucks, tanks, bulldozers and more
• 9 game modes plus challenge mode that incorporates all game modes into one with 50 events
• 10 racing environments with 62 different race tracks
• 3 stunt mode environments with 12 stunt tracks
• 9 Destruction Derby Battle environments
• All new Monster Truck, Nightshift, Off Road, and Speed modes
• 8 multiplayer modes with support for up to 16 players
• Force Feedback support for racing wheels
• Larger Destruction Derbies with 24 players
• Complete Chaos in Off-Road Mode
• Complete Destruction in All new Monster Truck Mode
• Head to Head in nightmarish, thunderous, rainy, fog weather in Night Shift Mode

FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction is available for $29.99 upon launch. Pre-Order is available with a 10% incentive. Also available is the FlatOut Complete Package which will feature FlatOut, FlatOut 2, FlatOut Ultimate Carnage and the all new FlatOut 3: Chaos & Destruction for only $39.99.   Pre-Order is available with a 10% incentive.

All offers are available at http://store.steampowered.com/app/201510

Players can customize their characters with a variety of weapons and armor choices, as well as headgear, boots and gloves. As in many role-playing games, players can then gain experience and upgrade their characters. Players can watch their enemies, learn their tactics and unleash real-time counterattacks.

The vast open world of Xenoblade Chronicles is ripe for exploration. Players can avert their focus from the main story and venture out looking for other challenges and side quests. Hidden areas and unique monsters are scattered throughout the game’s massive world, which players can explore freely.

Xenoblade Chronicles has already launched in Japan and Europe, and has received unanimously positive reviews, including several perfect scores.

Created as an epilogue story occurring entirely after the events of the movie, the game features the return of free-roaming web-slinging all over the city and evolutionary improvements to navigation and combat, as the newly anointed Spider-Man is plunged into an all-new storyline charged with protecting Manhattan from a variety of criminals.

The Amazing Spider-Man is in development at veteran game studio Beenox, and features an original narrative crafted by Hollywood writer Seamus Kevin Fahey (episodes of Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica) that continues young Peter Parker’s adventures following the events of the new film.  Using the game’s new Web Rush mechanic allows players to pull off a vast array of moves never before possible.  With a story that takes players through many areas all over (and under) Manhattan, fans will feel what it’s truly like to be a Super Hero, as they experience the cinematic adrenaline rush of web-swinging through the city and fighting crime using Spider-Man’s spectacular acrobatic moves and attacks.

Fans can check out the World Premiere Exclusive Trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man video game during Spike TV’s Video Game Awards, airing live on Saturday, December 10 at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT.

The Virtual Human Body App features lifelike depictions of 10 systems of the human body, including:

• The Morphology (of both man and woman)
• The Skeleton
• The Muscles
• The Nervous System
• The Lymphatic System
• The Cardiovascular System
• The Respiratory System
• The Digestive System
• The Urinary System
• The Reproductive System (of both man and woman)

Other educational features:

• Over 1000 anatomical structures named and defined
• An anatomical dictionary including a textual search engine
• Ability to view two systems simultaneously, displayed one overlapping the other, making it easier to understand the relationship between the bones, muscles and organs
• Featured structures linked to informative labels highlighting their proper name and role, and organs which can be viewed in context and found via alphabetical index or search function
• Integrated tools that leverage the Multi-Touch capabilities of iPad, letting users zoom in and out, pivot the model (a variable combination of anterior, lateral, posterior, superior and inferior views is available for each system) or go deeper to view cross-sections of organs

The Virtual Human Body App has been rated 12+ for Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content or Nudity. The App is compatible with iPad devices running iOS 4.3 or later.

Up to four players may play Scene It? Movie Night simultaneously, thinking quickly to buzz in with the fastest correct answers to a variety of questions and puzzles about everyone’s favorite blockbuster movies. Players watch film clips and answer detailed questions, or fill in missing dialogue and solve visual puzzles. Fourteen different puzzle types keep the excitement going for everyone, from casual movie buffs to diehard film fanatics. Each round ends with a rapid-fire “Quick Pitch” battle, during which you can win the game—or lose it all—in one thrilling, button-mashing finale!

• Think Fast: Fast-paced single and multiplayer modes feature 14 different puzzle types

• Blockbuster Films: Mega Movies features clips from 20 top films including Saving Private Ryan, The Godfather, Forrest Gump, Ghost, and many more

• Big Screen Experience: Play and watch full screen HD video clips from the biggest movies of all time

• Fresh Content: Future Scene It? Movie Night Game Packs – each one will have as much content as Mega Movies – will feature all new movie clips, challenges and puzzles tied to popular movie genres, such as science fiction and comedy

“This is our first PSN and second XBLA launch,” explained Guy Boucher, President of Sarbakan. “The fact that Screenlife chose to work with us attests to just how much of a creative powerhouse Sarbakan is. We not only have an eye for design but also a great mind for innovative gameplay and a nose for just what works to get players coming back for more.”

Assassin’s Creed Rearmed requires iOS 4.3 or later and is available as a free download on the iTunes App Store. The game is rated 12+ for Frequent/Intense Realistic Violence and is compatible with:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 4S
• iPod touch -2nd, 3rd and 4th generation models
• iPad

Featuring an all-star cast including Mad Men star Christina Hendricks, Never Back Down’s Sean Faris, 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model Irina Shayk and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen, Need for Speed The Run takes players on a thrilling cross-country race known simply as “The Run.” With $25 million on the line, players take the wheel as Jack Rourke navigating thousands of miles of treacherous terrain from San Francisco to New York squaring off against 200 other racers all while evading the cops and the mob, who are hot on his trail.

“This is the biggest, fastest and most dangerous Need for Speed game yet,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer, Need for Speed The Run. “Need for Speed The Run delivers the series’ trademark thrilling racing and ups the ante with incredible action sequences and stunning performances from our all-star cast.”

And the action doesn’t stop when players cross the finish line in New York. Need for Speed The Run delivers an addictive challenge series and highly-competitive multiplayer. The acclaimed Autolog feature also returns, delivering moment-by-moment performance feedback to ensure players are always in head-to-head competition with friends, enemies and online competitors.

The expansive vistas and impressive tactile environment in The Run are made possible by the Frostbite™ 2 engine. The raw power of the DICE game engine, that enhanced real time warfare in Battlefield 3, enabled the massive scale and scope of Need for Speed The Run from visually stunning courses like the slippery slopes of Independence Pass, CO to the hottest vehicles, including the all-new 2012 Porsche Carrera S and 2012 Lamborghini Aventador.

The Run is the 18th entry in the Need for Speed franchise. Started in 1994 with The Need for Speed, the franchise has sold over 115 million units and totaled more than 1 billion dollars in revenue. Need for Speed The Run is available now in North America and will be available on November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™. Need For Speed The Run is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

As part of MicroVolts’ new Capsule Machine feature, players can take a shot at winning exclusive parts and accessory items such as the highly coveted, but extremely rare, “Gold Rifle” or the “Musashi” (Samurai) outfit for the popular character, C.H.I.P.   With each spin, players gain Luck Points which increases their chance at winning the ultimate jackpot prize of hundreds of thousands, or even millions of Micro Points.

In addition to the Capsule Machine , MicroVolts is also launching a brand-new Weapon Upgrade System that will dramatically intensify gameplay for both casual and competitive players.  Through acquiring Energy, players can fill their Battery in order to upgrade their permanent weapons.  Everything from an improvement in the accuracy of a rifle, a faster run speed while wielding a melee weapon or  an increase in the damage radius of a grenade launcher is all possible with this new feature.

“Every time our players think we have packed as much fun and excitement into MicroVolts as possible we surprise them by giving them even more!,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “I think players can tell from this latest update that we are committed to listening to our community about the items and features they covet.  We encourage our players to continue to share their feedback because after all, this is their game.”

The Black Eyed Peas Experience features 24 tracks in the Wii version and 28 tracks in the Kinect for Xbox 360 version:

• Boom Boom Pow
• Cali to NY (feat. De La Soul) – Kinect only
• Disco Club
• Don’t Lie
• Don’t Phunk With My Heart
• Don’t Stop The Party
• Dum Diddly
• Everything Wonderful (BEP & David Guetta)
• Fashion Beats
• Hey Mama
• I Gotta Feeling
• Imma Be
• Just Can’t Get Enough
• Let’s Get It Started (Spike mix)
• Love You Long Time – Kinect only
• Meet Me Halfway
• My Humps
• My Style (feat. Justin Timberlake)
• Pump It
• Shut Up
• Rock That Body
• Smells Like Funk – Kinect only
• Showdown – Kinect only
• Take It Off
• The Best One (The Boy)
• The Situation – Kinect only
• They Don’t Want Music (feat. James Brown) – Wii only
• The Time (Dirty Bit)
• Whenever

Players can expect a variety of new features including two exciting new modes.  In “Rumble Factory” disaster has struck and scalding hot lava is making Busters think twice before leaving the safety of high ground.  This new mode puts an exciting twist on Team Deathmatch.  In “Free for All”, there’s no blaming teammates for losses; it’s a perfect mode for the lone-wolf kind of Buster.

The game update will also include something for everyone with a variety of brand-new weapons and outfits.   Additionally, all players are invited to join the Brawl Busters community at the Busters Centre where they can customize their player profile, meet friends and rivals, check game stats, earn exclusive rewards and even become a famous Buster!  Players are reminded to check back often as the Busters Centre will continue to expand with upcoming features.

“We are excited to officially open the Brawl Busters experience up to everyone,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “We hope our fans will love the new updates, and all that’s in store for this next exciting phase.”

As a special thank you to all the closed beta participants, Rock Hippo would like to give all Closed Beta players an Original Buster exclusive tattoo and medallion for their characters.  This will officially declare their status as Original Busters!

Bay is the world-renowned director of some of the biggest, most visually spectacular action films of all time, including Transformers, Pearl Harbor and The Rock. To create this unique promotional spot, Bay spent time playing the game and spoke with the creative production team to get a feel for Need for Speed The Run and the franchise itself, which is known for bringing exhilarating racing action to the forefront of real-life car culture. In the trailer, Bay brings his vision and signature high-octane Hollywood style to The Run, adding his explosive touch to the blockbuster action already in the game.

“Working with Michael and his company, The Institute, was such an honour. He’s known for delivering exhilarating, over-the-top, action – exactly what players are looking forward to experiencing in Need for Speed The Run. We knew from the moment we met with Michael that he was the perfect person to bring our game to life for gamers seeking non-stop action,” said Jason DeLong, Executive Producer, Need for Speed The Run. ”I encourage everyone to visit our Facebook page and help get the commercial unlocked for the entire world to see!”

Need for Speed The Run features Mad Men’s Christina Hendricks, Never Back Down’s Sean Faris, 2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Model Irina Shayk and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Chrissy Teigen as characters in an intense race-for-your-life story taking players on a cross-country race from San Francisco to New York. Powered by Frostbite™ 2, Black Box Studio makes its return and takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road at insanely fast speeds. The game is the action racing blockbuster of the holiday.

Need for Speed The Run will be available this November 15th in North America and November 17th in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

From the peaks of the Himalayas to the waterfalls of the Amazon, Motionsports Adrenaline offers six awe-inspiring locations, where players can enjoy a wide selection of extreme events such as:

•        Wingsuit
•        Mountainbike
•        Rock climbing
•        Kayak
•        Kitesurf
•        XTRM Ski

Leveraging the Kinect and the PS Move technology, players benefit from intuitive motion control during the events which requires uninhibited motion and distinct gestures, letting them feel the exhilaration of the breathtaking locations and events while having a lot of fun.

With Motionsports Adrenaline, up to 4 players at a time can enjoy all the adrenaline of game challenges like relays and trick trails in the Party Mode, where they can co-operate with or face off against their friends and family by using collectable items to affect their opponents. All adrenaline junkies will also compete against the rest of the world in online challenges, which include seamless features where performances can be compared to other online players’ results.

The Need for Speed The Run and adidas promotion will be celebrated at three of the USA’s and game’s most iconic locations: Chicago, San Francisco and New York, where American consumers will get exclusive access to the limited edition Need for Speed The Run shoe and video game.

“Our goal with Need for Speed is to be more than just a videogame franchise, as we view ourselves as a leader in youth and automotive culture as well. adidas is one of the biggest lifestyle brands in the world and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with them on Need for Speed The Run,” said Kevin Maher, Senior Director of Marketing at EA.

“When we heard about Need for Speed The Run, we felt like it was a great fit with our brand and our core consumer, as Need for Speed shares our same vision of striving to be the leading lifestyle brand in their respective industry,” says Simon Atkins, head of Sport Style Division at adidas North America.

The Need for Speed The Run and adidas Originals promotional events kick-off on October 12 in Chicago. 50 pairs of the limited edition Need for Speed The Run Top X shoe will go on sale today at the adidas Originals Chicago store. The first ten consumers to purchase a pair will get a ticket to the exclusive kick-off event at the store on October 12. Promotional disclaimer: While supplies last. Must be 21+. Transportation to and from event not included. Additional conditions and limitations may apply. See retail store for details.

Headlined by DJ Neil Armstrong and Kids These Days, guests will also be able to get an early taste of Need for Speed The Run, playing as Jack Rourke in the race to be first to New York, equipped with the classic adidas Superstars.

The next event will be in San Francisco on October 27 at the adidas San Francisco store. An additional 50 pairs of the limited edition shoe will go on sale October 22 at the store. The first 20 consumers to purchase a pair will get a ticket to the exclusive event at the store on October 27 headlined by Mick Boogie*. It all culminates in New York on November 15 to celebrate the game’s launch.

Need for Speed The Run will be available November 15, 2011 in North America and November 17, 2011 in Europe for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, PC, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™.

I also found out that Other Ocean has created a Sour Patch Kids game title for iOS devices. It has been in the iTunes App Store since September 20th. Sour Fling is a free download that invites gamers to help the Sour Patch Kids collect and find their missing friends by flinging, sticking and floating around the candy factory. In this mobile title, you will get the chance to help the Sour Patch Kids get to the factory exits while collecting their friends. Make sure to avoid the dreaded Gum Monster, the Light Bulb of death, the scary moving electrical platform, and even the infamous juicy lake of doom.

Sour Fling is rated 12+ for Frequent/Intense Profanity or Crude Humor and Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. If you own an iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd or 4th generation) or iPad device running iOS 3.1 or later you can play Sour Fling. My iPod Touch is 2nd generation, so sadly,  I am not able to play it.

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and is available on the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™, all developed by Beenox, with the Nintendo 3DS edition marking the debut of Spider-Man on Nintendo’s newest platform.  A Nintendo DS™ version, created by developer Other Ocean, is also available and features a platforming adventure full of unique villains, such as the first-ever appearances of Overdrive, Arcade and Big Wheel 2099, created exclusively for this version.“Just like with Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Beenox is bringing a fresh perspective to the series with Spider-Man: Edge of Time,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Activision Publishing, Inc.  ”Dee Brown and the team at Beenox worked closely with Marvel’s own veteran writer and co-creator of Spider-Man 2099, Peter David, on a high-stakes narrative experience where the ultimate challenge is not only to save the world, but also save Spider-Man himself.”

“We’re very excited to bring Spider-Man: Edge of Time to Marvel fans everywhere,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games Production, Marvel Entertainment. “Activision and Beenox have managed to pack more fun, excitement and challenge into this game than their previous hit Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions; and we’re eager for fans – both new and old – to dive into Spidey’s latest pulse-pounding adventure.”

Playing as the two extremely different personas of Peter Parker and Miguel O’Hara, both heroic web-slingers must urgently work together to correct a timestream gone awry, save each other, and prevent the death of the Amazing Spider-Man.  With the story’s two timelines evolving in parallel, each Super Hero must navigate through “cause-and-effect” gameplay moments, utilizing Spider-Man: Edge of Time’s picture-in-picture display where the actions of one Spider-Man can result in immediate, and sometimes unexpected, effects on the other Spider-Man and his surroundings.  Players will battle a variety of fan-favorite and all-new villains, including Anti-Venom and Black Cat 2099, using expanded combat abilities specific to each timeline — from Spider-Man 2099′s close-quarters brute force, futuristic enhancements and gravity-defying acrobatics, to the Amazing Spider-Man’s evasive techniques, upgraded web abilities and ranged tactics, as they race against time to preserve the balance of both worlds.

The game includes an all-star voice cast, beginning with legendary film star Val Kilmer as Walker Sloan; Smallville and V mainstay  Laura Vandervoort as Mary Jane; Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff as Black Cat; “The Spectacular Spider-Man’s” Josh Keaton as the Amazing Spider-Man; and Christopher Daniel Barnes, who voiced the iconic Marvel web-slinger in the 1994 “Spider-Man” series, as the voice of Spider-Man 2099.

Spider-Man: Edge of Time is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB and is available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™ and Nintendo 3DS™, all developed by Beenox, with the Nintendo 3DS edition marking the debut of Spider-Man on Nintendo’s newest platform.  A Nintendo DS™ version, created by developer Other Ocean, is also available and features a platforming adventure full of unique villains, such as the first-ever appearances of Overdrive, Arcade and Big Wheel 2099, created exclusively for this version.

To kick off the latest update, MicroVolts will celebrate German style with their very own Oktoberfest complete with sleek new Bavarian outfits for both Knox and Naomi.  Players can raise a stein, snack on some pretzels and whack some enemies with a new melee weapon: “Feast on a Fork!”  Additionally, a new map is revealed – Hobby Shop.  Players will wreak havoc as toys convene after-hours in this large scale map with hidden passageways that are perfect for surprising unsuspecting enemies.  This new map is sure to have the shop owner scratching his head when he arrives in the morning.

“October is more than just pumpkins and costumes, it’s also time for old world celebrations and that’s just what we are offering in this unique Oktoberfest update,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “We think this is a great way to kick off the latest update and hope players get a real kick out of it too.”

“What’s better than an update to your favorite game but two updates for two awesome games at the same time, said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “Constantly creating fun and fresh new content for MicroVolts and Brawl Busters is really important to us and our players and there will be a lot more fun in store.”On Thursday, September 29th the successful cartoon style third-person action shooter MicroVolts will launch its Invasion Update which will bring a whole new type of gameplay to the already fast-paced shooter game.  Single player mode, Oktoberfest items and a huge new map are just some of the cool features that will be unveiled later this week!

Not to be outdone, the highly-anticipated funky title Brawl Busters will enter its second phase of Closed Beta testing, complete with network upgrades, new weapons and costumes and a wacky new district in which to battle.  Current beta testers will also have the option to invite their friends to play along without the need for a beta key.

X-Men Destiny for Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and Wii™ was developed by Silicon Knights, while the Nintendo DS™ version of the game was developed by Other Ocean. The games are published by Activision and carry ESRB ratings of T for Teen and E10+ (DS version).

“For the first time ever, gamers can play as a new Marvel mutant and make the key decisions that lead to their siding with either the X-Men or Brotherhood,” said David Oxford, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Activision Publishing, Inc.  ”The opportunity to play out X-Men Destiny’s branching story arcs as three all-new characters provides a unique way of experiencing the X-Men Universe — one that we think fans are going to love.”

“A great story delivered by Mike Carey, coupled with a game landscape that allows players to make key decisions that shape their journey, is a combination we’re really excited about and think fans of the Marvel Universe will be as well,” said TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games Production,  Marvel Entertainment.

Fighting alongside and against some of Marvel’s greatest X-Men characters, including Magneto, Cyclops, Wolverine and Gambit, gamers will evolve their mutant skills through X-Men Destiny’s upgrade system, allowing them to mix and match X-Genes and abilities from various X-Men and Brotherhood characters such as  Iceman’s freeze powers and Emma Frost’s diamond skin.

X-Men Destiny’s three new mutants — Grant Alexander, Aimi Yoshida and Adrian Luca — are brought to life by the voices of some of young Hollywood’s most popular talent:  Heroes icon Milo Ventimiglia, Sucker Punch and The Hangover Part II actress Jamie Chung, and Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter.

They Bleed Pixels tells the story of a young girl haunted by a mysterious book and her violent Lovecraftian nightmares. The game features a robust one button combat system and a mid-level save system that requires players to execute stylish kills in order to earn checkpoints.

“We’re big fans of community collaboration and wanted to give some of the talented folks we know a chance to play in our world,” said Miguel Sternberg, Creative Director at Spooky Squid Games. “This is the first of two secret collaborative projects we’ve been cooking up—folks will have to wait till the release date announcement to learn about the second one.”

“As the trailer mentions we’re moving the release of the game back a bit from the Summer release date.,” Miguel continued. “While our debut trailer was met with a lot of excitement and anticipation we made the call to delay and add more polish and content rather than rushing the game out the door.  We promise it will be more then worth the wait!”

The four guest levels are much more than simple extras: Spooky Squid Games worked with each of the guest creators to blend the visual style of their work with They Bleed Pixels, changing backgrounds, writing, colours and a few choice enemies.  Chunky pixels are replaced with crayon drawings; squid with evil lemons or abstract nightmares.  Take a sneak peek at them in this new trailer:

They Bleed Ponycorns! – Ryan and Cassie Creighton
The father-daughter team behind the hit viral game Sissy’s Magical Ponycorn Adventure returns in the unlikeliest of crossovers. Featuring collectable ponycorns, crayon art, evil lemons, fountains of adorable pink blood and a ponycorns tribute mix by musician DJ Finish Him!

exp. issue 0.666… – Mathew Kumar
Journalist and designer Mathew Kumar’s acclaimed videogame ‘zine exp. Magazine makes the jump from photocopier to silicon. Featuring black and white photocopy art, an extra rare copy of exp. minus two, and words like orotund, grandiloquent and turgid!

Ninjas Bleed Techno – Dance Party! – Michael Todd
The creator of Silent Skies, Broken Brothers and Engines of War gives a sneak peak of his upcoming XBLIG platformer Techno Ninja, from his new company Happy Little Smile. Featuring cheesy rave flyer art, trendy black silhouettes and eye-searing amounts of the colour pink!

They Bleed Star Dust – Alex Bethke
Golden Gear Games’s Bethke brings a level visually themed around his game Starfall, the top pick from the Experimental Gameplay Projects: High Velocity theme. Featuring a glowing shiny protagonist, abstract nightmares, an outer space background and punishing difficulty.

Players near Austin or Winnipeg will get a chance to preview the game at the Fanastic Fest Arcade this September 22nd through 25th and at the Winnipeg Art Gallery Nuit Blanche ARTcadia event on October 1st.

Yip, it’s finally happy hour and Giggle Water with its proprietary “blot-o-meter” and curiously intoxicating beverages will have players excitedly swinging, swilling, swaying and swaggering with their iPhones and iPads until last call.

In Giggle Water the fun comes from trying to quench Alfie’s thirst! It’s a humorous, tilt-based, universal iOS game and in fine “Roaring 20′s” style, the 2D-cutout characters get quite wobbly at the local speakeasy while players work to help them pour a decent drink. The game’s slapstick humor is great for a quick laugh that you’ll want to share with friends.

The game’s main character Alfie is a distinguished gentleman in a fancy fedora. Exotic spirits flow generously through the taps at his favorite gin joint, while lively ragtime tunes play in the background. However, after just a few drinks this dapper chap quickly turns into one tipsy fellow.

The app is super simple to use. All you have to do is get a glass of hooch into Alfie’s mouth without spilling it. However, there’s a catch: The more you drink, the more fun he becomes to control! This amusing, martini-swilling character responds to your iPhone or iPad’s tilts and with each drink becomes slightly more inebriated and uncoordinated.

“We really worked hard to deliver a good-natured, entertaining app that takes full advantage of the iPhone’s accelerometer in a humorous way,” said Binary Dawn President and lead developer Roddie Kieley, “We developed a fun physics-based control system and we really hope users will be in high spirits after playing a few rounds!”

Giggle Water is optimized for Retina Display and it is a universal app for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1.3 or later. The game is rated 12+ for Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes and Infrequent/Mild Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References.

The Unilever campaign is the first to deliver both a French and English language version of the experience, dynamically targeting users based on their language preference. Powered by WildTangent’s BrandBoost ad platform, the campaign unlocks pay to play games for consumers who engage with a Degree Adrenaline Series video commercial. Games in the Degree channel are typically $19.99 to own or anywhere from approximately $.25 to $1.00 to rent, but Canadian players will be able to enjoy free unlimited, uninterrupted play during the campaign courtesy of Degree Men Adrenaline Series.

“The Degree Games channel is a great way for Unilever to build equity with gamers by giving them free access to the games they love,” said Linda Kessler, director of sales for WildTangent in Canada. “Our BrandBoost platform allows Degree to dynamically target video advertising to our Canadian users in their native language across a selection of contextually relevant games. That is scalable, addressable engagement at its best.”

Editor’s Note: Is it just me, or do you lady gamers out there find this campaign’s focus a little…short sighted?

MicroVolters will have to amp up their competitiveness in new mode, Arms Race! Players have 20 weapons to conquer and must rapidly master each weapon to defeat their opponents before they are able to upgrade their arsenal. The toy war continues in the new map, Toy Fleet, where players will quickly find out that this is no ordinary kiddie pool! From steamboats to battleships, MicroVolters will have to dodge enemy bullets without falling in the water!

In addition to the new mode and map, new weapons, Parts & Accessories have also been introduced. With summer almost over and back to school season upon us, the MicroWorld is celebrating both occasions! MicroVolters take one last strut down the beach in Naomi’s Grey Tank Top before pulling out Knox’s School Ready Hoodie to gear up for class. School yard bullies will be seeing red after being whacked by the Red Drawing Pencil!

“The MicroVolts community had a great summer and now it’s time to head back to school-but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to have fun!” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “From the new Toy Fleet map to the fast paced Arms Race mode to all the new accessories, there will be plenty for MicroVolters to enjoy well into the Fall!”

Rock Hippo invites all their Canadian fans to come and see MicroVolts on exhibition at Fan Expo in Toronto this weekend. Visitors can participate in the special promotion for in-game currency as well as come grab some cool gaming swag at Booth 1445.

Between August 25th and 28th, Rock Hippo will exhibit its two free-to-play games, MicroVolts and upcoming Brawl Busters, at Fan Expo Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Booth 1445. Players who visit the Rock Hippo booth at Fan Expo Canada will have a chance to play the new action brawler, Brawl Busters, which just recently went into Closed Beta phase. In addition, visitors can participate in the special promotion for the company’s recently released third person action shooter, MicroVolts, to receive in-game currency and pick up all kinds of gaming swag.

“Gamescom was a huge success for us. We were able to show off our games to so many of our fans and give out some great prizes. We want to congratulate the winners of our tournaments who took home some awesome Alienware gaming gear,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “We aren’t done yet. We are now looking forward to meeting the gamers at Fan Expo Canada this weekend, which is celebrating its 17th year, and we are proud to be part of such a popular convention which celebrates everything from gaming to anime and comics and more.”

In order to give the Red Nova a chance to escape and warn the rest of the fleet you have volunteered to attack the aliens head-on. With a choice of any of the fighters on deck, you have to use your wits, guns, and ample supply of homing missiles to survive the alien onslaught for as long as possible.

In Episode Two: Mercy, the ESC has been receiving reports that a massive alien mothership has begun an assault on the shipyards at Gamma Crucis, a mere 88 light years from Earth. It has disabled the fleet there and without your help the crew of those ships will perish.

While the Red Nova occupies the mothership you must use your skill to pilot your heavy transport ship, the Raven, against the alien’s fighter onslaught launched from the mothership. Battle through the waves of enemy ships and rescue the stranded citizens at the shipyard before it’s too late.

Episode Two is a free update for those who already own Episode One – if you haven’t yet purchased this challenging game for your iOS mobile device, you can get it in the iTunes App Store for only 99 cents (USD) – a very good value for such a polished title.

New features added in Episode Two include an added “Gun Pod” power-up which, when activated, will orbit your ship, targeting the nearest enemy and firing at a rapid rate. Gun Pod is backwards compatible with Episode 1. Another new feature is the anti-capital-ship explosive enemy type, which is only featured in Episode 2. This feature offers lots of hit points and will only attack capital ships.

Fixes included with the Episode 2 Update:

• Optimized rendering engine, should improve performance
• Changed pause button to make it easier to see the radar
• Radar markers now change size based on distance to target
• Fixed a pause/resume bug that would occur when the game entered the background during “Game Over”
• Increased the range at which energy orbs will become attracted to the ship
• Improved loading time from optimized data files
• Improved menu navigation

Red Nova is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1.3 or later and is Rated 9+ for Frequent/Intense Cartoon or Fantasy Violence. For even more insight into the Red Nova story, check out the short story Test Pilot by game creator Colin Walsh.

Jens Uwe Intat, Senior Vice President of EA European Publishing, said, “The old model of making games every few years to coincide with new hardware launches is gone. We have a very powerful set of games for today’s consoles, and now we offer that IP to players as year-round entertainment across all of their devices and platforms. We’re looking forward to our fans’ response when they get hands-on with our line-up at the show – we think they’ll like what they see”.

Canadian-made games at the show include:

• FIFA 12: Huge space that puts players on the pitch to experience the gameplay action.
• Need for Speed™ The Run: Get behind the wheel in a race for your life from the Golden Gate to the Empire State.
• Mass Effect™ 3: Bioware’s high octane alien invasion adventure explodes in an all-out galactic war. The time has come to join the war effort and experience the industry’s most critically acclaimed RPG first-hand.
• The Secret World: Funcom producers will be showing an exciting live demo in one of many dungeons, highlighting combat, progression and boss fights.

Brawl Busters is a Free2Play dynamic new action brawler that features competitive and co-operative battle modes all in a unique third person view.  With its simple and intuitive controls, this easy to pick up and play game makes team strategy a must as player’s battle against each other or team up against computer controlled enemies.

“Our fans ask us every day when they will get their hands on Brawl Busters so we are excited to finally be able to let them know the countdown has started and they only have to wait one more week!” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “We invite players to go to the website now and sign up so they can make sure to get one of the coveted closed beta invites, and while they are there they should make sure to check out the weekly video lessons we have posted teaching them about Brawl Buster’s gameplay features. This way, they can be ready to jump in and be one of the best Original Busters next Thursday.”

The gameplay lessons help players to learn more about what to expect when they enter the world of Brawl Busters. The video lessons can be found on the front page of the Brawl Busters website and feature a breakdown of each of the five character classes, the missions, the customization, environment and items and much more!

Trailer Park King features a number of unique and interesting cast members. The role of the sexy Canadian Babe is being played by Celine.  Celine is actually part of the Freelance Games marketing department.  With just a few minor alterations and a tattoo,  provided by yours truly (with some help from our artist), Celine has been transformed into a shop keeper from Montreal.

In a nutshell, Trailer Park King is a fun adventure that tells a unique story in an interesting way.

“The online gameplay of MicroVolts and Brawl Busters make them a perfect fit for Steam, and we are thrilled to be among the first free-to-play games to launch on the platform,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “We look forward to introducing both games to the millions of Steam users so they can experience all of the fun, excitement and non-stop action our games offer with all the ease of use that Steam provides.”

MicroVolts features fast paced, third person shooter action and pits players against each other in a secret battle that has been waged and going unnoticed right in our own backyard for years.  No one knows for sure when or where the first toy declared war but rumor has it that the uprising began with four original limited edition figures, code named MicroVolts. Battle lines were drawn when Naomi, Knox, Pandora, and C.H.I.P.-the prototypes -were soon joined by an endless number of modified versions. Now, toy figures around the world are engaged in an all-out war for valuable battery resources and supremacy of the Micro World.  All we can do now is stay out of their way and wait for a champion to be declared!  Featuring a ton of weapons, fresh character designs, and a huge list of customization features,

Game modes include Free for All, Team Deathmatch, Item Match, Capture the Battery, Zombie Mode and many more featuring various maps designed by toy concept. Players can also check out the recently released Summer Recharge patch that includes a brand new map, Magic Paper Land, new weapons and hot summer items such as a Pink Polka Dot Bikini that is sure to heat up the battlefield.

Brawl Busters is an upcoming action brawler that features competitive and co-operative battle modes all in a unique third person view. With its simple and intuitive controls, this easy to pick up and play game makes team strategy a must as player’s battle against each other or team up against computer controlled enemies.

Players will find five unique character classes including the Slugger, the Firefighter, the Rocker, the Boxer and finally, the Blitzer. With its signature funky visual style, the game will offer tons of exciting maps and will also feature a huge variety of customization options including body type, gender, weapons, costumes and accessories along with the ability to upgrade weapons and costumes with new abilities. Brawl Busters will feature an intense training mode, challenge missions, leaderboards and persistent stat tracking.

Now is the time to choose which faction you will control and which strategies you will employ to safeguard your way of life and that of your country’s. As leader of the United States or the Soviet Union, you must make the correct decisions to successfully navigate your country through this dangerous historical era.

Supreme Ruler: Cold War is now available on all major digital download portals with the suggested retail price of $29.99 USD. Take a peek beyond the iron curtain and the wealth of strategy features available to ambitious world leaders, in the release trailer for Supreme Ruler: Cold War.

Supreme Ruler: Cold War Features:

• Play as the United States or Soviet Union in Campaign Mode
• Control any Nation in Post-World War II Era in Sandbox Mode
• Use Diplomacy, Trade and Espionage to influence the policies of other nations
• Research new Technologies to give your nation an edge
• Grow and Modernize your Economy
• Control Military production and deployment, or let your Ministers take care of the details
• Experience the redesigned GUI with improved On-Map feedback and streamlined controls
• And when Diplomacy Fails… Sophisticated Real-Time Strategic and Tactical Control of your Military Forces!

MicroVolts is celebrating summer in style with a brand new map, Magic Paper Land and all-new weapons such as the Thunder Grenade Launcher and Hornet Rifle. The “Summer Recharge” patch also includes hot summer items such as a Pink Polka Dot Bikini that is sure to heat up the battlefield! For players looking for even more bonuses and special privileges can check out the new rewards available through the Battery Charge Program. Players who complete certain objectives, such as joining a clan or reaching 100 forum posts, can unlock rewards such as a 30-day Rock Hippo Costume Set or the coveted ability to cast polls and post videos in MicroVolts forums.

“MicroVolts continues to be a huge success with its player base and clans reaching new heights. Hundreds of thousands of players and over 2500 clans have already joined the MicroVolts community with thousands more players joining each day,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions. “We don’t want our players to experience any summer boredom, and the MicroVolts team looks forward to bringing the community even more new updates and content in the near future.”

MicroVolts is also hosting the first-ever MicroVolts Clan Tournament, “Clan Clash”, from July 15 – August 11th. Clans will battle it out for a 1st place prize of 18, 000 Rock Tokens and a 7-day Happy Pack accessory item!

MicroVolts will be at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, August 18-21st! Players are invited to meet the Rock Hippo crew, grab some neat giveaways such as an Alienware gaming mouse and participate in the on-site tournaments! MicroVolts will also be at FanExpo in Toronto, Canada, August 25-28!

MicroVolts features fast paced, third person shooter action and pits players against each other in a secret battle that has been waged and going unnoticed right in our own backyard for years. No one knows for sure when or where the first toy declared war but rumor has it that the uprising began with four original limited edition figures, code-named MicroVolts. Battle lines were drawn when Naomi, Knox, Pandora, and C.H.I.P.-the prototypes-were soon joined by an endless number of modified versions. Now, toy figures around the world are engaged in an all-out war for valuable battery resources and supremacy of the Micro World. All we can do now is stay out of their way and wait for a champion to be declared! Featuring a ton of weapons, inventive character designs, and a huge list of customization features, MicroVolts is destined to invigorate and re-energize the Free2play space.

Game modes include Free for All, Team Deathmatch, Item Match, Capture the Battery, and many more featuring various maps designed by toy concept.

“Attention people of Earth! It is I, Commander P Jefferson, sending this message from the future to alert you that the galaxy is finally safe from alien scum. How did it become safe, you ask? Well, because I kicked their ugly alien butts!

On July 28, you will be able to recreate my epic battles with the forces of evil (a.k.a. anything that isn’t human) by downloading A Space Shooter for Free!, an exciting shooter that takes place in—wait for it—space! I bet you humans from the past are neither smart nor handsome enough to grasp that concept. A Space Shooter for Free! costs nothing to try and features an infinite supply of aliens to obliterate. The big ASS version, with more special weapons, more bosses and more power-ups can be unlocked in-game for only $0.99.

Within this epic and critically acclaimed game, previously available for the PSP, yours truly will yet again demonstrate how to kill aliens dead by blowing up their ships, earning loot to upgrade the USS Eradicator, and blasting even more aliens dead.”

From now through to July 20th, Kard Combat will be featured as OpenFeint’s Free Game of The Day. Players who download Kard Combat during this first week will receive Catastrophe, one of the most powerful cards in the game, and a +1 Life Crystal Shard.

The free download includes:

* All 4 mage classes, each with unique strategies: Holy, Death, Machine and Dominator
* Over 40 Kards to use in battle
* Unlimited, turn-based multiplayer battles
* 5 Tower battles, complete with rewards
* 3 Single Duels
* 3 Difficulty levels to match any player’s skill
* OpenFeint and Game Center enabled, with achievements and leaderboards

For the minimum in-app purchase price of $0.99, players will also receive:

* The full, 33 battle Tower campaign
* Unlimited Single Duels
* Access to over 100 incredible, hand-crafted cards
* The ability to run up to 20 simultaneous multiplayer games

Lending his vision to co-design the game, Richard Garfield, creator of the wildly popular card game, Magic: The Gathering, stated “for years I’ve wanted to create a Magic-like experience for people who play video games. Kard Combat on iPhone and iPad does this and is simple enough for anyone to pick up and play, but with plenty of depth for the hard core player. Hothead has created a truly magical game.”

Kard Combat is rated 12+ for the following:

Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence
Frequent/Intense Horror/Fear Themes

Device Requirements:

Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.1.3 or later

Featuring a distinct visual style that blends pixel art with paper and ink textures, They Bleed Pixels is a singular mix of intense platforming and fierce beat-em-up action.  It tells the story of a young girl haunted by a mysterious book and her violent Lovecraftian nightmares.

They Bleed Pixels uses a simple one-button combat scheme with surprising depth at its core. Button mashing is discouraged while kicking shadowy monsters into saws, pits and spikes is rewarded thanks to a unique checkpoint earning system: instead of being evenly distributed at set locations, players must earn and place checkpoints through stylish kills.  The more and better you kill, the faster you fill your checkpoint meter. Avoid combat or button mash mindlessly and you’ll find checkpoints uncomfortably far apart.

“We’re crafting They Bleed Pixels with a healthy respect for the player’s abilities and the belief that action games should offer a genuine challenge,” says Miguel Sternberg, Creative Director at Spooky Squid Games. “We wanted to create a game that demands that players excel at both combat and platforming. Want a checkpoint before you take on that series of spike-lined pits? Then dash into the nearest enemy launch him in the air and juggle him into that nearby skill saw.”

“We are delighted to be launching M.A.T. 2.0 today,” said Sam Ho, Director of Wicked Interactive. “M.A.T. 2.0 comes with a massive amount new content and updates.  The biggest change is that the game is no longer in Open Beta status.  M.A.T. 2.0 strikes hard with its commercial release; rocking a new user interface, a new game mode, an expanded crafting system, seven maps and over a dozen weapons.”

Hybrid Invasion is a brand new game mode that is being introduced with this patch, expanding on the need to band together as team mates to survive.  Players will survive wave after wave of hybrid creatures that are a combination of AI robots, mummies and biological weapons.  If players survive long enough, they will encounter the Tyrant; a hammer-swinging monstrosity that’ll take a well trained and well armed squad to put down!

The expanded crafting system will allow players to create a variety of items out of multiple types of materials.  Before the patch, players had to collect just a robot part from AI Mode and use a Weapon Casting Machine on it to create one of several weapons.  With the new patch, players will be able to use all kinds of materials like PCB boards, diodes, metal, nylon, leather, dyes, etc to create not just weapons, but clothing and items as well.

The new Hybrid Invasion game mode will have 2 maps associated with it, while new maps are sprinkled over several game modes to spice them all up.  Ghost Mode will see the inclusion of Plesetsk Cosmodrome, a Russian spaceport.  Mummy Mode will see Ancient Tomb as an addition, furthering the exploration of the mummy outbreak at the heart of their origins.  Other additions include Trinity Rowe which takes place near a church, Metro Airport and Xingcheng Street.

To complement all of the exciting action, players will be engaged in a healthy supply of events that can land them all-new and powerful weapons.  The Porcelain QBZ-95 is a beast and can be acquired by winning 50 games over the event period.  Speaking of beasts, the M4A1 Golden Beast can be obtained by converting 40,000 Suba Points into Gold Coins.  A total of 30 hours spent online playing M.A.T. will land players a sleek camouflaged F2000 and collecting the letters “I L-O-V-E M-A-T” will score players the illustrious Golden AK-47 which was previously the first rare weapon obtainable through the lottery wheel.

While on the subject of the lottery wheel, M.A.T. is introducing multiple wheels, all with their own sets of items and rare weapons.  There will be three different wheels accessible for Gold Coins, one for Silver Coins and the beloved “daily 200 PVP kills for one spin” event continues on with a wheel of its own.

The summer is going to be an action-packed ride in the world of M.A.T. Register on the M.A.T. home page, download the game client and start playing immediately. M.A.T. is a free online military first-person shooter for the PC platform. It includes a military ranking system, in-game friends lists, an integrated clan system, deep character customization options and social media integration via the M.A.T. website. More MAPS. More GUNS. More MODES. More HEADSHOTS. Join millions of players online today in the ultimate military FPS experience.

Watch the video to learn how players can earn upgrades for their mage, items, and additional cards by completing the Tower campaign.  The walkthrough covers basic strategy, offensive and defensive tactics, card combinations, and powerful spells.  This particular battle is fought out on the Master difficulty level, but nothing less should be expected from the producer of the game.

Kard Combat is rated 12+ for the following:

* Infrequent/Mild Mature/Suggestive Themes
* Frequent/Intense Horror/Fear Themes
* Infrequent/Mild Cartoon or Fantasy Violence

Device Requirements: Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices running iOS 3.1.3 or later.

The first Brawl Busters Lessons, showcasing four of the five character classes feature the Rocker, the Boxer, the Firefighter, and the Blitzer, have already been released. Check out the fifth character class, the Slugger today, Friday June 24^th, when it launches this afternoon. The newly released videos show some of the many strategies and combinations players can use to beat down their opponents and come out on top of the slug-fest.  Players can equip their character with the best gear around, including matching spiffy head, body, and leg armor then pick up a weapon and get ready to hose enemies, bust heads with a variety of gloves, groove out on a choice of guitars and much more!

Brawl Busters is a dynamic new action brawler that features competitive and co-operative battle modes all in a unique third person view.  With its simple and intuitive controls, this easy to pick up and play game makes team strategy a must as player’s battle against each other or team up against computer controlled enemies.

“Brawl Busters looks and plays unlike anything else on the market today, and we love that,” said Howard He, President and CEO of Rock Hippo Productions.  “We’ve had phenomenal fan support since announcing the game last month, and we want to thank those fans by bringing them even more updates leading up to the Closed Beta.  Check back every Tuesday and Friday for a new lesson revealing various game play features.”

Currently, the Free2Play PC title is still in its pre-Closed Beta stage. But rest assured, Rock Hippo is working extra hard to bring the game out as soon as possible. If you want to be one of the first brawlers to try out the game, drop us your email address at via the game’s web site.

“We strove to make a game that is fun to play from moment to moment but also has a driving force that makes it compelling to explore levels, collect weapons and improve your character.” said Ben Kane, founder of Going Loud Studios. “Twin-stick shooting can often be a shallow experience. The variety of enemies and levels as well as the vast arsenal of weapons available gives Lair of the Evildoer the depth to make it worth playing, worth finishing and worth playing again.”

The evil Dr. Odious has you trapped in his lair. He’s also not very fond of you. Make your escape by battling through hundreds of monsters, collecting over 25 weapons and leveling up as you go. Procedurally generated levels will keep you on your toes in this action RPG shooter, ensuring a different experience with every playthrough.

Game Features:

Procedurally generated lair:
Dr. Odious’ lair consists of 20 levels procedurally generated by pure evil, ensuring unique experiences with every playthrough. Take the fight through the laboratory, the dungeon and even the wood-panelled decor of Dr. Odious’ 70s-era office. The wood panelling may be the most evil thing in the lair.

Over 30 types of enemies:
Standing between you and the exit will be hundreds of monsters of varying levels of evil. Classic creations like skeletons and the undead are flanked by Dr. Odious’ mechanical Killbots, automated turrets and even his zombie accountants. Not one to rest on his laurels, Dr. Odious has given the walking dead a set of wheels, creating what he likes to call “Zoombies”.

Weapon affix system, featuring 25 weapon types with dozens of variations:
Your only allies in your attempt to escape the lair have names like “Boomstick”, “Tommy Gun” and “Sledgehammer”. Fortunately, each of the 25 different types of melee and ranged weapons can come equipped with a variety of properties and special attributes. Keep hunting for the best loot! The “Trusty Axe of Slaying” could give you the edge you need.

Level up your character to survive:
Everything in Lair of the Evildoer is governed by a stats system that you can customize as you progress through the game. Improve your accuracy and ability to carry ammo if you prefer ranged combat. Beef up your melee striking power and reduce the effects of knock-back if you prefer to get up close and personal.