Gamersnewsbits.com

Platinum-selling artists Snow Patrol will be on Xbox LIVE February 13 to play members in Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. If you’re an Xbox LIVE Gold member, and you want a chance to play with Snow Patrol, send a friend request to the following Gamertag and be online half an hour before (10:00 A.M. ET/7:00 A.M. PT/3:00 P.M. in UK) the Game with Fame session starts on Friday, February 13, 10:30 A.M. ET. If you get a chance to play with Snow Patrol, we want to hear about it! Send us an e-mail – xlmail@microsoft.com – with the subject: “GWF – Snow Patrol.” Be sure to include your Gamertag and home town.

Snow Patrol’s fifth album, A Hundred Million Suns, released in October of 2008 and was recorded both at the famous Hansa Studio in Berlin and at the Grouse Lodge Studio in Ireland. Hit songs on the album include “Take Back the City” and “Crack the Shutters.” The band consists of Gary Lightbody (vocals), Johnny Quinn (drums), Nathan Connolly (guitar), Paul Wilson (bass), and Tom Simpson (keyboard).

Click here to check out the new Snow Patrol video, Crack the Shutters, and download it to your Xbox 360: http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/6973c2c0-66f3-4a57-8d76-5071d7f74746/

For more info on the Snow Patrol Game With Fame visit: http://www.xbox.com/GwFSnowPatrol

Game With Fame featuring Snow Patrol
DATE: February 13th
TIME: 3:30 – 5:30 (GMT – Greenwich Mean Time)
LOCATION: London
GAME: PES ‘09
GAMERTAG: Snow Patrol GWF (**space between Snow and Patrol and GWF)
URL: http://www.xbox.com/GwFSnowPatrol

Fun and Frantic Hospital Game Coming to Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PC in April 2009

Oxygen Games is pleased to announce a new, fun and frantic multi-platform gaming experience with Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward.

At Hysteria Hospital, life will prove to be a manic challenge. Players will have several levels of the hospital to navigate, and they will have to reach desperate patients and demanding doctors within a set period of time. The frenzy inside the hospital will increase as the game progresses with more and more demanding patients desperate to be cured!

It’s just a usual day in Hysteria Hospital – another torrent of patients threatens to turn the emergency ward into chaos. Only one person can control the frantic situation – can you keep your patients happy when your ward is overrun? Play as a female or male nurse and organize the ward and direct the patients to treat their conditions as quickly as possible. Design and improve your ward for life-saving efficiency to be the best head nurse in America and save the hospital from being overrun!

Each of the patients have many humorous conditions, all with cures using the latest, bleeding-edge treatment machines ranging from basic x-rays to ‘steam therapy’ to the hilarious De-Stress machine. There are 7 different wards to run, from a local Maryville clinic through to New York Central Hospital, and over 60 levels of gameplay including the ‘Endless’ mode that steadily increases in challenge as you progress.

“We’ve spent a lot of time researching what audiences want in a good casual game and we’ve incorporated these into Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward,” said Oxygen Games CEO Jim Scott. “Hysteria Hospital is very funny, very frantic and is sure to entertain gamers of all ages.”

Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward is set for release on Wii, Nintendo DS and PC in April 2009.

For more information about Hysteria Hospital: Emergency Ward and Oxygen Games visit: http://www.oxygengames.net.

 Have a blast this Valentine’s Day with Minesweeper Flags! TikGames announced today the title’s release via Xbox LIVE Arcade, so grab a controller and have fun with that special someone, blowing each other into oblivion for just 400 Microsoft points.

Minesweeper Flags brings explosive excitement from your computer to Xbox LIVE Arcade! In this all-new take on the classic PC game, players can choose the Classic mode, where the beloved game is available in all of its glory, or revel in never-before-seen modes like single player Campaign, featuring over 100 non-square levels, or multiplayer Flags. This weekend, TikGames encourages you to cuddle up on the couch and challenge your significant other to a Flags local multiplayer game, where your goal isn’t to avoid the mines, but to find and discharge them before your opponent – err, sweetheart – does. Plus, don’t forget to share both of your scores and climb the ranks of minesweepers worldwide via the Xbox LIVE Leaderboards!

Minesweeper Flags has been rated “E” for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for this platform.

Joymax Celebrates Love With Three Weeks of EXP Bonuses and Unique Items!

Joymax announced the start of Valentine’s Day festivities in fantasy MMORPGs Silkroad Online and Deco Online. For the next three weeks, players will receive bonus EXP while adventuring in both worlds, and will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of contests, from forum challenges to missions as an in-game cupid.

Players of Silkroad Online will receive 30 percent bonus experience from February 10th until March 3rd, and will have the chance to win extremely rare 10th degree Seal of Star weapons with every Silk purchase. During the next two weeks, they are also invited to visit the official Silkroad Online forums to participate in special Valentine’s Day discussions. The best answers to the official questions will have a shot at winning one of the many prizes being given away in the name of love!

From February 10th through the 17th, Deco Online players can earn cash item rewards by completing special “love messenger” missions. In addition, players will receive 200 percent EXP and 200 percent drop rate bonuses every weekend in February. The item shop also has some unique Valentine’s Day wares, including the chocolate stick emotion item and wearable angel wings.

Event information

Silkroad Online 
• Date: February 10th – February 24th 
• Event: Valentine’s Day Web Event 
• Prize: Offline prizes to be announced later and Skill Points 
• Link: http://www.joymax.com/silkroad

Deco Online 
• Date: Valentine Quest February 10th – February 24th \ Double EXP and Double Drop will be held every other weekend until March 8th 
• Event: Valentine’s Day Quest \ Double EXP and Double Drop 
• Prize: Redeem Love Box found from hunting mobs to receive one of 7 Rewards 
• Link: http://www.joymax.com/deco

A Virtual City to Offer an Experience Far Beyond Social Networking

Telos International, an independent videogame development company, announced today that City of Sinners & Saints, a massively multiplayer online social networking game is scheduled to open the gates to its virtual city (Manatee Bay) in Summer 2009.

“City of Sinners & Saints is being specifically built for the next generation of virtual world travelers,” says Sean Yeomans, president, Telos International. “Our vision is to offer a new kind of experience beyond the normal boundaries of social networking. The city is a place where visitors can enjoy rich content of cartoon-style graphics, comedic story lines, casual games, and social related quests that offer endless hours of challenging yet light-hearted fun.”

Built with the ground-breaking Multiverse Platform, City of Sinners & Saints is being designed for the next generation of social networkers looking for an expanded experience on a website. The city will offer virtual travelers from around the globe the opportunity to socialize with friends, create unique characters, play casual games, purchase virtual goods and real estate, and shop online for their favorite products – all within an original world where a laugh is around every corner.

City of Sinners & Saints offers:
* All the same key features found in other social networking products, while introducing a 3D comedic, cartoon-based style metaphor of the real world.
* A virtual friendship manager – track who is online, who is in your top ten, who you’ve interacted with and block those pesky players you don’t want to talk with.
* Animotes that break free of the simple happy faces that players have seen for years and come alive in pre-rendered animated comedic video sequences.
* An open world experience where players can complete comedic quests to earn in-game currency to purchase gifts for friends, acquire living space, new clothing, furniture and a variety of accessories.

Vicious Engine to Power Two New Games for the Wii System

Looks like I missed this yesterday!

Aspyr Media and Fileplanet team up for Men of War Multiplayer beta.

Be one of the First to Try World War II RTS Men of War, Exclusively at FilePlanet.com.

Aspyr Media and 1C Company are pleased to announce that fans of real-time strategy games are in for a treat on February 11th, courtesy of an exclusive Men of War multiplayer beta being hosted on FilePlanet.com. Developed by Best Way, Men of War will be released in North America by Aspyr under the 1C label this March.

By registering at FilePlanet.com users can now download the beta and get unrivalled access to the World War II real-time strategy title weeks before it launches anywhere else. Once players have downloaded the beta, they can then challenge others online in the game’s varied selection of multiplayer matches.

Up to 16 people can go head-to-head in four different modes, including Battle Zones, Capture the Flag, Combat and Combat FFA. The beta also features 9 different maps and 4 nations: Britain, Soviet Union, America, and Germany, each with their own unique troops and vehicles.

“We’re delighted to be working with FilePlanet on the beta for Men of War,” said Ted Staloch, EVP of Publishing, Aspyr Media. “This exclusive first look at the game will ensure that real-time strategy fans can get their hands on this incredibly realistic and in-depth title before anyone else.”

Men of War takes place across the globe during the height of World War II and features four different armies: Russia, America, Germany and the Allies, each with their own unique units, vehicles and missions. From the Russian missions starring two student comrades innocent to the horrors of war, players are soon catapulted into massive battles with dozens of units under their command.

The Men of War beta is available to download now. The full game will be released exclusively on PC by Aspyr Media under the 1C Label in the US in March.

Empire Interactive announced an exclusive, multi-year deal with American Mensa, acquiring the rights to develop and publish videogames based on the Mensa license in the United States. Through the agreement, Empire Interactive will create console, hand-held, and PC/Mac game adaptations. A similar deal was also signed with British Mensa.

“American Mensa is very selective about the companies we partner with, so we are especially pleased to have this new relationship with Empire Interactive,” said Dr. John Sheehan, Development Officer of American Mensa. “One of Mensa’s primary goals is to foster intelligence, and we are confident that with Empire’s unquestioned reputation for excellence, we will move closer to achieving that goal.”

“Signing a partnership with such a trusted and respected organization like Mensa is a tremendous honor for Empire Interactive,” said Karim Farghaly, Vice President of Empire Interactive. “We have always been committed to delivering quality products and are excited about the endless possibilities with the Mensa license.”

Empire Interactive continues to rapidly grow its U.S. presence and business through strategic partnerships like the deal with Mensa. The company continues to broaden its portfolio of high-quality games by adding new consumer-friendly titles for Nintendo DS and other gaming platforms, with many more already planned and under development.

For more information please visit www.us.empireinteractive.com.

As the release of the Penumbra Collection in February 2009 draws near, Paradox Interactive has released a brand new trailer and screenshots for the concluding expansion in the collection, Requiem. 

Released in August 2008 and developed by the talented creators ofPenumbra, Frictional Games, Requiem was originally a download only expansion to the series. Requiem ties up the loose ends from the previous two installments as our protagonist, Philip, falls deeper into madness and tries to discover the origins behind his father’s mysterious letter.

Watch the brand new trailer at: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xv-yxBn56rg 

Commenting on the conclusion of the Penumbra series, Lead Programmer and Co-Founder of Frictional Games, Thomas Grip, said, “Requiem is the epilogue for the Penumbra series that follows Philip’s continuing descent into insanity. The puzzle-oriented expansion ties together all the loose ends that the other games left unresolved. What really makes Requiem unique is the effort we put into advancing physics based puzzles and trying to create an intriguing and surreal experience.”

For more information on the Penumbra Collection, please visit:http://www.paradoxplaza.com/penumbra/ 

file this one under “You Lucky Brits”….. the UK magazine, Xbox 360 Gamer, has scored an exclusive hands on:

Xbox 360 Gamer Rides The Lightning With Guitar Hero: Metallica

Uncooked Media’s Xbox 360 GAMER magazine unleashes an exciting metallic foil cover design and exclusive hands-on preview feature of Guitar Hero: Metallica

11/02/09 – The latest issue of Uncooked Media’s Xbox 360 GAMER magazine explodes onto UK shelves Thursday 12^th February with an exclusive on the heaviest and most hardcore Guitar Hero yet – Guitar Hero: Metallica. Xbox 360 Gamer is the first magazine in the UK to get hands-on time with Guitar Hero: Metallica, the new entry in the worldwide Guitar Hero phenomena that allows gamers to experience what it’s like to be one of the biggest bands in the world.

I know some Barnes and Noble stores have import magazines, maybe someone will pick it up, but hopefully one of the next gen mags will have a crack at it in their next issue as well here in the US.