Village Gamer

Congratulations to all of the Canadian nominees who were named today by the Spike Video Game Awards show:

Bioware’s Mass Effect 2, is the only Canadian-made title in the Game of the Year category, and Bioware is the only Canadian studio nominated for Studio of the Year. Mass Effect 2 was also named in the Xbox 360 Game of the Year, PC Game of the Year, Best RPG, Best DLC and Best Original Soundtrack categories.  Bioshock 2, which carries work done by Digital Extremes, is nominated as Best Shooter, while Ubisoft Montreal’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is nominated for Best Action Adventure but overlooked for Soundtrack. What I’m sure is a surprise to many, Shaun White Skateboarding is the only Canadian title nomintaed in the Best Individual Sports category, and unsurprisingly, EA Canada’s FIFA Soccer 11 was named in the Best Team Sports category.

Spider Man: Shattered Dimensions from Beenox received a nod in the Best Adapted Video Game category. In the voice performance categories, Martin Sheen has been nominated in the Best Performance By A Human Male for his role as the Illusive Man in Mass Effect 2, while Neil Patrick Harris was nominated for his portrayal of Peter Parker in Spider Man: Shattered Dimensions. As for the Best Performance By A Human Female, Mass Effect 2 gains two more chances to rack up some serious hardware with the nominations of Jennifer Hale as the female Commander Sheppard while Yvonne Strahovski was nominated for her role as Miranda Lawson. Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Chengdu share the nomination for Best Downloadable Game with Scott Pilgrim vs The World: The Game. ModNation Racers, the debut title from United Front Games, received two nominations – Best Driving Game and Best PS3 Game.

Bioware also revealed a new advertisement today, teasing gamers about the studio’s next big title – the name of which they will share with the world during the Spike VGA’s broadcast. Personally, I think it’s going to be Mass Effect 3. Take a look at the TV spot:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqDcoQXhOqw]

EA Sports™ NBA JAM —in high definition and featuring online play (Restrictions and conditions apply)—for the PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® is in stores now throughout North America. Featuring gameplay that is true to the original, two distinct game modes—Classic Campaign and Remix Tour—plus a full complement of online modes, EA Sports NBA JAM offers something for everyone.

For the first time ever play the arcade classic basketball game online with every online feature available immediately through a free title update for all connected fans. Gamers can take on all rivals playing Classic 2-on-2 online, measuring their success on Friends and Global Leaderboards. Connected fans will be able to team-up locally to compete online in Remix Games, including Domination Free-for-All, Elimination, and 21. Fans will also be able to make it a Jam Party online by inviting up to 3 friends on separate consoles to play. Plus, gamers will be able to take on the world in Online Progression, levelling up through a series of challengers and secret online NBA JAM Challenges to unlock online exclusive rewards and hidden content in the ultimate quest for global bragging rights.

In Classic Campaign, players can take a trip down memory lane, individually or with a friend, as they play all 30 teams in the NBA in a worst to first ladder tournament. In Remix Tour, players will be faced with a new twist on the traditional NBA JAM experience. From boss battles against some of the NBA’s greatest legends, to half-court game modes with distinct challenges and winning conditions, players will be taken through an NBA JAM experience completely unique to the basketball videogame genre while demonstrating classic arcade hoops at its best.

EA Sports stays true to the original NBA JAM with Tim Kitzrow reprising his role as the legendary announcer voicing all the classic lines from the original, unmatched player likeness and reactions that exaggerate the outrageous moves that make up the core NBA JAM experience, and hundreds of characters, secret teams, courts and secret items to unlock.

Described by Gamesradar.com as “virtually perfect”, EA Sports NBA JAM for Wii™ is available in stores now everywhere. It is currently the 8th highest rated sports game ever on the Wii (according to Metacritic.com as of Nov. 10). EA Sports NBA JAM is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB. The MSRP on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 versions is $49.99 USD.

EA also announced today that through their partnership with Blue Planet Software, Inc., the company that manages the exclusive licensing rights to the Tetris® brand, Tetris by EA Mobile is now available for the PlayStation®Network (PSN). Millions of players worldwide on Sony PlayStation® 3 systems will now have the opportunity to download and play the game with crisp 1080p high-definition (HD) graphics, high-quality 5.1 surround sound audio, and all-new ways to play including online against other Tetris players from around the globe. The Tetris game is one of the best-selling games of all time, with more than 100 million paid mobile downloads.

“EA has developed Tetris on more than 15 platforms to date, and we’re excited to bring Tetris to millions of gamers worldwide on PlayStation Network,” said Adam Sussman, Vice President of Worldwide Publishing for EA Mobile. “With new gaming modes, stunning HD visuals and the enhanced audio experience, this truly is the definitive Tetris experience for PlayStation Network.”

“This is Tetris made for a big screen,” said Alexey Pajitnov, creator of the Tetris game. “We’re very excited to bring Tetris to PlayStation Network with new game modes offering different and fun new ways to play. With high-definition graphics and surround sound, this Tetris game is a full experience. We’re thrilled to bring this unique game to longtime fans and new players. We hope everyone shows it off in their home ‘theaters!’”

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T4vwcbfsh8]

In addition to stellar audio and visual qualities, Tetris players can now play online or locally with up to six friends in all-new game modes. For those that play well with others, “Shared” mode enables two players to team-up in a single matrix to combine efforts and clear lines together. On the other end of the spectrum, “Team Battle” is the ultimate competitive match-up that allows two teams of two to play against one another, alternating between offense and defense as they compete for the win. Even the well-known “Battle” mode has been enhanced with new Power-Ups for more fast-paced fun.

And long-time Tetris fans need not worry, as Tetris for PSN also includes the famous “Marathon” mode. But for a new twist, now multiplayer games let up to four players locally play “Marathon” mode at the same time. Also included is the new “Challenge” mode, which allows players playing “Marathon” mode or any of the 12 variants to try to beat “replays” of either friends or some of the best Tetris players in the world. Additionally, players can see how they stack up to the best Tetris players internationally by checking out worldwide and regional leader boards, which are refreshed weekly.