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Gamers defend the Human Race against zombie attacks in upcoming downloadable game

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced Zombie Apocalypse, an upcoming downloadable game for Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation Network. As heavily equipped gunslingers, Zombie Apocalypse sets players on a mission to destroy as many zombies as possible in order save the last remaining human survivors.

Using an array of up to 11 lethal weapons including assault rifles, flame throwers and a teddy bear filled with C4 explosives, up to four players can play locally or via the Internet to stop the zombie attacks and rescue survivors as they compete for the highest scores. Players can use a chainsaw to melee zombies and protect themselves against becoming one of the undead. As an added line of defense, players can also use environmental hazards to crush, burn, slice, or cause other types of destruction on the masses of zombies.

“Konami is committed to providing original, quality entertainment through our diverse offering of console, handheld and downloadable content,” said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “As a downloadable title, Zombie Apocalypse delivers all the fun and action of a console game at a fraction of the cost.”

The action-packed, arcade-style shooter will test gamers’ dual analog stick shooting skills and ability to survive 55 days of battles across seven environments, all the while attempting to not become a brainless zombie. Upon completing the mission, players can re-live the apocalypse with seven challenging unlockable game modes.

Zombie Apocalypse will be available in Q2 2009. To download assets, please visit: http://www.konami-data.com/pr/index.php.

Country music artist Jamey Johnson, the singer behind the classic aums The Dollar and That Lonesome Song, will play NASCAR 09 with Xbox LIVE Gold members March 25. If you’re an Xbox LIVE Gold member (if not, upgrade now!), and you want a chance to play with Jamey Johnson, send a friend request to the following Gamertag and be online half an hour before (5:30 P.M. ET) the Game with Fame session starts on Wednesday, March 25, 6:00 P.M. ET. If you get a chance to play with Jamey Johnson, we want to hear about it! Send us an e-mail to xlmail@microsoft.com with the subject: “GWF – Jamey Johnson.” Be sure to include your Gamertag and home town.

Co-writing the CMA and ACM 2007 Song of the Year “Give It Away,” recorded by George Strait, was a big feather in Johnson’s cap but he’s not satisfied just to write the songs. “Writing is not enough for me,” says this intense artist. “I did not come here to just be a writer. I live to play … I’m not here to take a stab at it. I am going to DO it.” His most recent album, That Lonesome Song, proves to the world he’s a superstar country singer that can reach people with his music. From the moving single “In Color” to the thoughtful “Place Out On the Ocean” to the autobiographical “Stars in Alabama,” every song on the album attempts to reach out and touch the listener. “That’s what music is for,” says Johnson. “It’s to reach people. And I carry that with me today. I honestly don’t care about the money.”

Game With Fame featuring Jamey Johnson
Date: March 25th
Location: Nashville
Time: 5PM – 7PM (CST)
Game: Nascar ‘09
GAMERTAG: Jamey J GWF (**space between Jamey and J and GWF)

URL: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/calendar/gamewithfame/2009/0325-jameyjohnson.htm

If you want to sample the sound of Jamey Johnson, check out Xbox LIVE Marketplace for his ‘In Color” video:

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/0bdda97b-ac9d-465a-b717-21b30f087427

Rock Band and Microsoft to Host Game with Fame session with Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron on Friday, March 27th at 7pm ET

In honor of the re-release of Pearl Jam’s debut album Ten on Epic/Legacy Recordings, in retail stores nationwide day-in-date with its launch in the Rock Band Music Store, MTV, MTV2, VH1, and VH1 Classic and Rock Band are teaming up to roll out a two-week long lineup of content that celebrates the band, its successes and the band’s debut in the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content. Exclusive features include the VH1 Classic premiere of “Pearl Jam Ten Revisited,” including the never before seen version of the music video “Jeremy,” and covers of Pearl Jam classics by current artists on MTV2.

Premiering on Saturday, March 21st at 2:30pm ET/PT on VH1 Classic, “Pearl Jam Ten Revisited” takes you on a half-hour look back at Pearl Jam’s seminal debut album, Ten that brought alternative rock to the mainstream by showcasing videos for “Even Flow,” “Alive,” “Porch” (from the band’s Unplugged performance), and the television premiere of the uncensored version of “Jeremy.” With the help of archival footage and interviews from the band the viewer will be taken back to the early 90’s to reflect on the album’s importance to alternative music. VH1 will air the special “Pearl Jam Ten Revisited” on March 25th at 11:00am ET/PT.

Pearl Jam fans also won’t want to miss MTV2’s “Rock the Deuce” beginning on Monday, March 16th through Thursday, March 19th at 8pm ET/PT and on Saturday, March 21st at 1am ET/PT when the network airs cover performances of Pearl Jam classics by artists including:

*
Aaron Lewis of Staind – “Black”
*
William Beckett of The Academy Is… – “Jeremy”
*
Hoobastank – “Evenflow,” “Alive” and “Oceans”
*
P.O.S. – “Why Go”

In addition, MTV, VH1 and VH1 Classic will celebrate Pearl Jam through the end of the month by airing blocks of other Pearl Jam music videos and feature videos and editorial on MTV.com, MTV2.com and VH1.com, as well as VH1 Classic. VH1.com and VH1Classic.com will also be celebrating the re-release of Ten by streaming the full album the week of release.

As previously announced, Ten, the debut album that sold 12 million copies and introduced the world to Pearl Jam (http://www.pearljam.com) in 1991, will also be offered for download in the Rock Band Music Store day-and-date with the re-issue of the album in stores on March 24, 2009. Ten, on Epic/Legacy Recordings, will be reissued in four new and expanded editions and will serve as the launch of a planned two-year catalogue re-release campaign leading up to the band’s 20th anniversary in 2011. Fans can preorder the re-issue of Ten now at www.PearlJam.com.

In addition, Rock Band partner Microsoft will be hosting Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron for a Game with Fame session on Friday, March 27th at 7pm ET. Fans with an Xbox LIVE Gold membership can play Rock Band 2 with Matt Cameron by sending a friend request to Gamertag “Pearl Jam GWF” and be online half an hour before at 6:30pm ET.

Pearl Jam released Ten on August 27, 1991. The album reached #2 on the Billboard 200 chart, sold over 12 million copies and became one of the cultural touchstones of the 1990s. Songs such as “Alive,” “Black,” “Even Flow” and “Jeremy” became staples of rock radio, and still make frequent appearances on the band’s ever-changing concert set lists.

For more information on Rock Band and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com and www.harmonixmusic.com. Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix. EA is the exclusive distribution partner for Rock Band.

Limited-time preorder offer begins today: save 25% and get two free games

Interactive entertainment pioneer Telltale, Inc. and Aardman Animations are announcing that Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures, the new comedy game series based on the colorful claymation duo, will premiere for PC on March 24. The digitally-distributed four episode series of Wallace & Gromit adventures will be delivered monthly from http://www.telltalegames.com. The series’ Xbox LIVE Arcade debut will follow soon.

In Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures, the world of West Wallaby Street comes alive in four brand new stories you can play. Like the films, each Wallace & Gromit episode finds the earnest inventor and his faithful canine companion embarking on ambitious new ventures laced with unexpected (and always amusing) complications. Players will experience all of their favorite elements from the acclaimed Wallace & Gromit films: imaginative storylines; warm, character-based humor; creative contraptions; physical comedy; and a distinct visual style. A demo that showcases both Wallace and Gromit as playable characters can be downloaded exclusively from Yahoo (http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/wallace-and-gromit/) and FilePlanet.com today. Starting tomorrow, the demo will be available from Telltale’s website and mirror sites around the web.

For PC, Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures is available as a downloadable, four episode bundle from Telltale’s website (http://www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit). In the March 24 premiere episode, “Fright of the Bumblebees,” Wallace & Gromit are struggling to find success with a honey business plagued by giant problems. Subsequent episodes, scheduled for May, June, and July, will take the duo from an underground beach resort to a sprawling carnival to a country club hiding an age-old mystery.

In a special preorder offer, which starts today and will run through March 23, customers can get the full, four episode series on PC for just $26-a 25% discount off the regular $34.95 price. Customers who preorder will also receive two free bonus episodes, one from Telltale’s acclaimed second season of Sam & Max (named Adventure Game of the Year by PC Gamer, IGN, and Adventure Gamers) and one from Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People (runner-up for IGN’s Adventure Game of the Year award).

To take advantage of this limited-time offer or to view the latest game trailer, visit the official Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures website at www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit.

Progressive metal band Mastodon, celebrating the release of their fourth full-length album Crack The Skye, will play F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin with Xbox LIVE Gold members March 19. If you’re an Xbox LIVE Gold member (if not, upgrade now at http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/goldBenefits.htm), and you want a chance to play with Mastodon, send a friend request to the following Gamertag and be online half an hour before (6:00 P.M. ET) the Game with Fame session starts on Thursday, March 19, 6:30 P.M. ET. If you get a chance to play with Mastodon, we want to hear about it! Send us an e-mail to xlmail@microsoft.com with the subject: “GWF – Mastodon.” Be sure to include your Gamertag and home town.

After three well-received albums, and a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for the song “Colony of Birchmen” off Blood Mountain, Mastodon’s latest effort, Crack The Skye, is an intensely personal work and an emotional journey. Guitarist Bill Kelliher says, “This is the record we’ve always wanted to make.” And bass player Troy Sanders chimes in, “It’s not just seven songs, but an up-and-down journey. It was to truly dig in and pull personal inspiration from both the darkest and dearest parts of our souls, and simultaneously with our wonder and amazement of the entire universe.” The band consists of Kelliher, Sanders, drummer Brann Dailor, and guitarist Brent Hinds. The band worked with producer Brendan O’Brien to get a more old-school rock feel to the album. Kelliher calls the band’s sound, “Progressive on top of progressive, on the roots of Mastodon, still those heavy things and have your fans grow with you. There’s no formula. We can play any style we want for as long as we all feel it. And on this record there’s a lot more singing and harmonizing, less screaming. We’re honing our skills in our music. We just made a better record than the last record and that’s what we want to do the rest of our lives.”

Check out Mastodon’s Artist of the Month Page here: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/artist/rock/mastodon.htm

Get a feel for the band’s sound by setting up these music videos for download through Xbox LIVE Marketplace:

* “Colony of Birchmen” – http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/1a2cc09a-69b1-41cf-9f35-511d339de916/
* “Sleeping Giant” – http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/videos/media/b5ff5bc8-6ee5-4685-b46f-6684cc6847c9/

GAME WITH FAME FEATURING MASTODON
Date: Thursday, March 19, 2009
Time: 6:30 P.M. – 8:30 P.M. ET/3:30 P.M. – 5:30 P.M. PT
Game: F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin
Gamertags: Mastodon GWF

PopCap Games announced this week’s launch of its hugely popular game Peggle on the Xbox LIVE Arcade (XBLA) online service of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 video game console. Featured as XBLA’s “Game of the Week,” Peggle will be available for download in all Xbox LIVE regions this Wednesday, March 11 for 800 Microsoft points. Peggle for Xbox LIVE Arcade delivers a number of new and exclusive features to the Xbox 360 gamer, including the first-ever online multiplayer Peggle experience with Peg Party mode, where up to four players can compete simultaneously over Xbox LIVE. The game also features local and Xbox LIVE 2-player Duel mode, downloadable content support, achievements, rich online leaderboards, HD graphics, and more.

“Peggle has become a cult gaming phenomenon, crossing over and becoming as big a hit with hard core gamers as it has with casual players. This makes XBLA the perfect platform for the game,” stated Greg Canessa, VP of video game platforms at PopCap. “With the XBLA version, we’re delivering even more features that appeal to the diehard enthusiast with an incredible multiplayer experience and community elements that take Peggle to new heights. When you combine the multiplayer experience we’ve created with some of the online features and downloadable content support, PopCap is providing an all-new way to play Peggle competitively with room for expansion and future growth. I know about 200 people at PopCap who can’t wait to see how they stack up against the rest of the Peggle universe!”

Peggle has been optimized for the XBLA platform, works flawlessly with the Xbox controllers, and looks dazzling in high definition. Among the game’s features are:

• A deep single-player experience, featuring 55 levels of ball-bouncing madness, 10 unlockable Peggle Masters, 75 Challenge mode levels, Quick Play Mode and more
• Two different multiplayer modes, letting the gamer experience Peggle competitively online for the first time ever (TrueSkill^TM ranked or player match)
o 2-player Duel Mode, playable locally or over Xbox LIVE
o 4-player Peg Party Mode, playable over Xbox LIVE
• Rich online leaderboards, spanning single player and multiplayer modes
• View instant replays of the highest scoring shots to learn a thing or two from true Peggle masters
• 12 Xbox LIVE Achievements
• Downloadable content support
• 720p HD graphics and surround sound
• Brand new animated backdrops set the mood for your favorite character
• Compelling trial experience featuring Adventure, Quick Play and Challenge Modes, allowing players to try out 3 of the 10 available Peggle Masters

Leader in Casual Games Strengthens Internal Console Development Team with Makers of Top-Selling Video Games

PopCap Games, Inc., the leading developer and publisher of casual video games, today announced the acquisition of Gastronaut Studios, the premier independent game development studio known for its Xbox and Xbox 360 titles. Gastronaut is the maker of several titles for the Xbox LIVE Arcade service, best known for the award-winning smash hit title Small Arms, one of the top-selling titles on XBLA, and for their work as developers of PopCap’s Feeding Frenzy 2 for XBLA and the upcoming adaptation of Peggle for XBLA.

Under the terms of the deal, PopCap has acquired the company’s assets and employees, who will join PopCap’s internal development team to begin work on several undisclosed projects. PopCap will also retain exclusive license to Gastronaut’s tools and technologies. The Gastronaut founders will retain exclusive rights to their original properties, including Small Arms as well as their upcoming action puzzle title Gel.

“The Gastronaut Studios acquisition signals PopCap’s continued commitment to internal development of top quality games for a range of platforms,” noted David Roberts, CEO of PopCap. “Given the success of Gastronaut’s top-selling Small Arms franchise in particular, there’s little doubt that PopCap has significantly increased its development capabilities and creative firepower. The team at Gastronaut has been a great partner of ours, and we’re delighted to have them join us here at PopCap. ”

“This acquisition is the perfect union as Gastronaut, much like PopCap, is dedicated to making accessible and addictively fun games for a wide range of consumers,” stated Jacob Van Wingen, Gastronaut co-founder. “We’ve enjoyed a fantastic working relationship with PopCap on their XBLA titles and we’re thrilled to be joining their team to create exciting titles that players of all stripes will love.”

I haven’t seen it myself, but if you fire up Xbox Live today, you’ll get a special EXCLUSIVE peek at an upcoming title. I won’t be reporting on it until tonight, and Capcom will not be releasing any information about it until Wednesday. So have fun you Live members, and remember that you get to see something that is supposedly going to be announced Wednesday!

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