LucasArts has announced a revolutionary technology that will be incorporated into their upcoming Indiana Jones game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It’s called Euphoria, a behavioral-simulation engine that enables in-game characters to interact with the player realistically based on the given situation.

Imagine a swaying rope bridge. With euphoria in action,
characters visibly attempt to balance themselves, their feet stumbling,
their arms flailing, and their hands reaching for security as the
unpredictable movements of the bridge threaten to send them plummeting
to their doom. Perhaps they all survive. Perhaps they all fall. The use
of euphoria means the action isn’t scripted – it’s simulated –
so you’ll never be able to predict exactly what will happen, no matter
how many times you’ve experienced a certain scenario.

Via LucasArts

Technorati Tags: Indiana Jones, LucasArts, Xbox 360, PS3, Playstation 3, Euphoria

Valve Software, the makers of the highly successful Half-Life series, have announced support for the Xbox 360. Forthcoming titles will utilize a customized version of Source™, the technology behind Half-Life® 2.

“The combination of Source and the 360 provides game designers the chance to create powerful entertainment experiences,” said Gabe Newell, president and co-founder of Valve. “Whether developing a traditional FPS, RTS, RPG or delving into new genres, the Xbox 360 is a great platform for expanding Source and our game experiences.”

Via Valve
Technorati Tags: Valve Software, Xbox 360, FPS, Half-Life, Half-Life 2

Today SEGA announced their software entry for the Nintendo Revolution. Super Money Ball: Banana Blitz features AiAi and his friends taking on new mind-blowing puzzles and fun party games that will utlizes the innovative Revolution controller.

“The Nintendo Revolution presents a totally unique avenue for our
developers to explore the art of game design,” said Scott A. Steinberg,
Vice President of Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. “Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
will present a mind-boggling array of gameplay innovations that will
excite and challenge gamers while pushing the boundaries of imagination
forward.”

Via SEGA
Technorati Tags: Super Monkey Ball on Nintendo Revolution, SEGA. Nintendo Revolution, puzzle games, party games

Via SPONG
Technorati Tags: Star Wars Revolution Video, Revolution controllers, light sabres, Nintendo Revolution

As well as offering a number of Mech variants, the game will also feature customisable options including a range of weaponry, and extensive Xbox Live modes."With dramatic cockpit views and exquisitely detailed mobile suits, we fully expect 'Mobile Ops' to immerse gamers into a futuristic world where giant mechas loom against a war-torn horizon," said Yoshi Niki, Business Director at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. "As desperate battles ensue in both open battlefields and urban environments, players can choose to engage enemies on foot, in vehicles or in mobile suits."

Via TotalVideoGames
Technorati Tags: Namco Bandai, mech game, Mobile Ops, Xbox 360 exclusive

Chock full of RPG goodness, Square-Enix has announced their software lineup for E3 2006. Leading the pack is their hugely successful Final Fantasy franchise that will play across multiple platforms.

Featuring two additions to gameplay in the form of an 'Active Dimension Battle' system, which switches between battle and exploration modes seamlessly without loading times, and a new combat system that sees player earn license points for gamers to spend during the game, Final Fantasy XII will also be appearing at the show next month ahead of its release towards the end of the year on PlayStation2.

Square-Enix will also be bringing the previous installments of the Final Fantasy franchise to E3 in the form of Final Fantasy V Advance and Final Fantasy VI Advance for GameBoy Advance, and Final Fantasy III for Nintendo DS. Recreated with 3D graphics, Final Fantasy III will be the first time that the series has reached Nintendo DS (and Western shores). Like the GBA versions of Final Fantasy V and VI, the only release period announced for Final Fantasy III so far is '2006'.

Via TotalVideoGames
Technorati Tags: E3 Software Lineup for Square-Enix, E3, Final Fantasy

Japanese mobile phone users will soon be able to play Pokemon via an e-mail application. On-the-go gaming may have just gotten a little more addicting.

Pokemon is coming to mobile phone handsets in Japan at last, in the form of an email application with virtual pet functionality which is being created as a collaboration between Nintendo and publisher Square Enix.

The new product, which will feature the signature Pokemon characters – including Pikachu – heavily, is the latest cautious move by Nintendo towards the thriving mobile phone content market in Japan.

Via GamesIndustry
Technorati Tags: Pikachu on-the-go, Mobidle Pikachu, On-the-go Pokemon

In a report from GamesIndustry, SEGA has announced the third installment in their Virtua Tennis franchise for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

"Instant appeal and all the best of the VT brand is being added to an array of new gameplay features. Virtua Tennis 3 provides a must have in-depth experience – though I'd say the graphics alone are reason to buy and the quality is so sharp and clear you can even see the veins on the players necks!" he says.

Fans will also be pleased to hear that more tennis players will make it in, while the game's character-creation tool is likely to be one of the most in-depth yet seen in a sports title.

Via GamesIndustry

Early warnings given on new Painkiller ports, next-gen Nokia platform, Hudson’s Revolution flight game, and new Dungeon Explorer.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo today released a list of “first look” products that will be debuting at the show May 10 to 12, and while most of the list reads like a who’s who (or a “what’s that?”) of Kentia Hall, some notable items found their way into the list.

While the released list was nearly devoid of next-generation console games, Hudson Entertainment confirmed that it is working on a pair of next-gen console projects. First up is the tentatively titled Flight Game for the Revolution. As one might expect, the game will make use of the Revolution’s controller to let players control…

More at GameSpot
Tags: E3, E3 Expo, Electronic Entertainment Expo, E3 Sneak Peek, E3 Preview

Related:
Konami quietly announces their Summer and Fall game line ups
Red Steel, MGS4, Gears of War get E3 session
Disney To Unveil Pirates Of The Caribbean MMO At E3
PS3 & Revolution Cage Match

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When the original PlayStation launched in the US, Namco supported the system with three classic games: Ridge Racer, Tekken, and Air Combat (the first in what is now known as the Ace Combat series). Now that trinity of titles is confirmed to be reunited on Sony's handheld hardware, as Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (working title) will join PSP launch title Ridge Racer and Tekken: Dark Resurrection when it releases later this year.

The game once again will feature real-world aircraft (like the F-14D and the Tornado F3) dominating the skies in a fictional universe. However, this is not the same fictional universe featured in the PlayStation 2 installments of Ace Combat. In Skies of Deception, players don the flight suit of a pilot attempting to liberate his country of Aurelia from the invaders of neighboring Leasath…

More at GameSpot
Tags: Ace Combat for PSP, Namco Confirms PSP Ace Combat, Sony PSP, Namco, Skies of Deception, F-14D, Tornado F3

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