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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

GAMING UPDATE

June 2010

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

THE ADVANCE GAMING UPDATE

2010 has already been and continues to be an exciting year for video games and gaming technology. At Advance, we’ve decided that this is the perfect time to launch our bi-weekly Gaming Update; your quick overview of the gaming world. It’s all here, from console gaming, mass multiplayer games and game marketing all the way to the latest gaming technology. Every two weeks, you can take a quick dip into the gaming universe to stay up-to-date with the latest trends. Our very first issue focuses on the upcoming E3 gaming con-ference in Los Angeles. Expectations are high for this year’s parade of new games and gaming technology. With buzz-words such as 3D, motion control and social gaming, we’re getting one step closer to the future.

In this issue, you’ll find out what all this buzz is about. In our follow-up issue, we will analyse whether the expectations for the E3 conference were right; what was disappointing and who actually took it further than we expected.

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

MMO UPDATEThere’s a lot going on in the world of massively multiplayer online games. With many new releases coming to the market this year, there’ll be something for every taste and age. Here is an overview of the most exciting MMO’s waiting to roll out:

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

DC UNIVERSE ONLINE//YOUR PERSONALIZED HEROIt is getting very crowded in the world of super hero MMO’s: Champions Online, City of Heroes, City of Villains and Marvel’s Super Hero Squad Online are just a few. There’s something for every kind of fan, but DC Universe will be taking the more grown-up position. This action-based MMO will let you take full control of the super-powers of your person-ally-created hero. Along the way you will fight with or against a whole list of DC characters including Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and even that psychopathic Joker. Coming in November. TRAILER dcuo.station.sony.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

MARVEL SUPER HERO SQUAD//HEROES UNITEDEven more super heroes at Marvel, just slightly cuter than their DC Universe counterparts. This kid-friendly MMO might look a bit too childish for the older Marvel fans, but their kids will have a blast. The young gamers can explore locations from the Super Hero Squad TV show and battle the bad guys with Hulk’s massive fists or Wolverine’s sharp claws. Together with their buddies, they can team up to fight together and collect thousands of cool items. All of this in the guise of your favorite Marvel Super Hero. TRAILER shsonline.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

ALL POINTS BULLETIN//WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON?

When the mayor of modern-day San Paro passed a law that every citizen could fight crime with weapons, things got out of hand. Now it’s a place where both factions, criminals and ‘enforcers’, are in a constant battle for fame and fortune. You choose which side you’re on. Keep yourself alive and accept missions to earn extra money, which then can be used to upgrade weapons, vehicles and ap-pearance. Release date: June 29th in North America and July 1st in Europe. The game (€49.99) comes with 50 hours of game play, afterwards you can top up your action time (€6.29 for 20 hours) or switch to a 30-day unlimited pass (€8.99) TRAILER apb.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

THE MUMMY ONLINE//MMO IN THE SANDIf you like sand and your mind goes wondering when you hear the name Ramses, this might be the MMO for you. Based on the ‘The Mummy’ adventure movies, this release will let you explore the tombs and crypts of Egypt as a 1930’s explorer. Exciting quests and over the top action will keep you busy for hours…for free! On top of that, it is a browser-based game, so no need to download and install large files. The release is planned for this winter; no better time to escape virtually to Egypt. themummy.bigpoint.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

CLONE WARS ADVENTURES//FREE STAR WARS MMO FOR KIDSSony Online Entertainment recently announced the develop-ment of a free-to-play, action-packed virtual world for young Star Wars fans. The mass multiplayer online game is based on the widely-popular animated television series, ‘The Clone Wars’. Hitting the shelves this fall, this online game for kids and fami-lies will offer exciting minigames, thousands of customization options and a safe online environment in which to have fun. Parental control allows for the customization of safety options, including safe chat and playtime settings. The Clone Wars virtual world will seamlessly integrate with the TV series and will be an extension of the show. The game is free, but players who want to take things to the next level can purchase a monthly membership. Through Sony’s Station Cash, players can also buy Star Wars universe items from within the game. TRAILER clonewarsadventures.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

CLONE WARS ADVENTURES//FREE STAR WARS MMO FOR KIDS

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

MOTION CONTROL UPDATEThe most anticipated technology of the year is motion control. We all know the Nintendo Wii, but that is just ‘so 2006’. This time round, Sony and Microsoft are the two giants to look at.

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

MOTION CONTROL//PLAYSTATION MOVE

Sony Playstation is showcasing Move at E3 this week, a motion control system that tracks your every movement. The big differ-ence from Wii is that Move can track its controllers within a real 3D space, immersing you more fully into the gameplay. With a controller in each hand, you can for example precisely mimick shooting a bow and arrow. In addition, Move uses a gyroscope and an accelerometer, mak-ing it possible to define the angle, orientation and acceleration of the controller. Expect an immersive game experience and be wary when play-ing a tennis game with grandma. Remember she’s not at the other side of the court, but right next to you. Coming this fall 2010 INTRODUCTION MOVIE playstation.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

MOTION CONTROL//PROJECT NATALMicrosoft’s (Xbox) Project Natal has been the talk of the town for quite some time now. Will they be able to deliver on the high expectations of the audience? We hope E3 will enlighten us. The big difference compared to Sony’s Move is that Natal doesn’t use a controller. You, in fact, are the controller. The device is ca-pable of voice and face recognition, all of which makes the Natal a very individual experience. Microsoft says that the only experience you need to be able to use Natal is life experience. Which makes trying to explain the controls pretty pointless… Coming holiday season 2010 INTRODUCTION MOVIE xbox.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

KUNG-FU LIVE//YOU AS THE HERO! Using your body movements to interact with video games is noth-ing new, but the next generation of motion control technology will be the center of attention at E3 this month. Taking it one step further than controlling the game with your body, Kung-Fu Live actually puts your body in the game. It is an interactive experience for Playstation and the PS Eye Camera. With accurate tracking and background removal, the player’s real-life image is transported inside the game. Boosted with super-human abilities, the player literally becomes the hero of the game. kungfulivegame.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

TECH UPDATE3D is coming to the gaming world, mobile is getting even bigger and what seemed to be a far-away future is now at our doorstep. To use software you need hardware, just how far can this hardware take us today?

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

PLAYSTATION 3//3D GAMING IS HEREThanks to movies like Avatar and Alice, 2010 is becoming the year of main-stream 3D. The gaming industry can’t stay behind and is gearing up for an exciting ride. All the game shops are working on new 3D titles but for Sony, things can’t go fast enough. The Japanese electronics giant is in a hurry for the launch of the new 3D-capable Bravia television sets. With their ‘retrofit’ strategy, the company will be upgrading a couple of their previous releases with 3D. Old games, new perspectives and the start of a whole new generation of games. playstation.com

NINTENDO 3DS//NO NEED FOR GLASSESAt the E3 conference, Nintendo will introduce the new myste-rious 3DS. Everyone’s talking about it, but how the 3D effects will work without glasses and what the device looks like, nobody really knows. What we do know is that the graphics will be highly detailed and that 3DS contains a motion sensor. More news after E3! nintendo.com/ds

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

PLAYSTATION 3 + PSP//REMOTE PLAYPlaystation’s Remote Play lets you connect your PSP with your PS3. Using built in Wi-Fi, you can now access your Playstation console from anywhere in the world. Use your portable device to switch on your PS3 at home from a beach in Thailand, access photos, music and video files stored on the hard disk and stream everything straight to wherever you are. playstation.com

NINTENDO Wii//VITALITY SENSORPresented last year but expected to be showcased at this year’s E3 conference, the Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor is a fingertip pulse sensor that connects through the Wii Remote. No specifics have been released yet, but as Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime suggests, video games may soon be used for relaxation… No need to go to expensive spa’s anymore?

wii.nintendo.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

TALK OF THE TOWNWhat is hot, where do the crowds flock to and what do they do there? What websites, viral videos or online campaigns do we talk about at the coffee machine in the morning?

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

MOBILE//FARMVILLE COMES TO IPHONEWith over 80 million users, Farmville is the biggest online game to date. Combine that with the best-selling smart phone and you’re talking serious sparks. With the announcement of the new iPhone 4, it was also revealed that there is a Farmville iPhone app in development. The game that started on Facebook will seamlessly cross over to Apple’s mobile device. You will be able to synchronize with your Face-book farm, so there’s no need for you to buy two tractors. farmville.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

IPHONE AD GAME//VOLKSWAGEN TOUAREGIt only took a week for this Volkswagen ad game to make the top ten in the iTunes charts. 1,000,000 downloads and counting. What’s more, with an average playing time of eight minutes, 3,500 real-world test drive requests, 50,000 players using the integrated dealer search and an average age of 35 years, this little game was a very effective marketing tool for Volkswagen to reach the Touareg’s target group. High-quality free entertainment not only creates brand interest, it can also generate genuine leads when targeted correctly. TRAILER

DOWNLOAD

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

RED DEAD REDEMPTION//SHORT FILMThe makers of Grand Theft Auto took the idea behind their gaming success to the wild wild west, circa 1911. Exchange the cool GTA cars for a horse, wander through beautiful open spaces and get into trouble whenever you see the chance. Graphically, the game is a masterpiece. So why not make a short film entirely composed from the Red Dead Redemption engine and air it on Fox? Director John Hillcoat (The Proposition, The Road) was hired to create a 30-minute film that introduces many of the characters and locations featured in the recently-released western game. Good marketing or a waste of money? With Red Dead Redemption being number one in all the charts, we can’t really argue. TRAILERSHORT FILM rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

R U THERE//HALF MOVIE HALF SECOND LIFEA Dutch-French co-production, partly shot in Taipei and partly in Second Life? Yes, it really exists, and what’s more was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year. The quick synopsis: A young Dutch professional gamer travels the world to compete in video game tournaments. During a stay in Tai-pei, he is forced to take a few days rest because of an arm injury. In his hotel, the gamer meets a beautiful Taiwanese girl who takes him inside the virtual world, Second Life. There he starts to realize what it means to be human in the age of the virtual world. It will be interesting to see if people can emotionally attach to the scenes shot inside Second Life. Will that environ-ment evoke the same feelings as the scenes shot in real life or will apathy come in to play when the movie cuts to virtual images? A test for the future. TRAILER rutherefilm.com

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GAMING UPDATE // June 2010

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