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G4TV’s X-Play host Morgan Webb reviewed Square Enix’s “The Last Remnant”.   Her review was not too favorable.

Guildford, UK - October 24, 2008 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Dead Space™, the award-winning new action-packed, survival horror game from EA hits shelves today at British retail and reminds parents of the game’s 18 rating. The game will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC.

“Dead Space is a bold and often bloody gaming experience filled with tension and terror - this one isn’t for kids,” said Keith Ramsdale, Vice President and General Manager of EA UK, Ireland and Nordics. “We recognize the need to help British parents better understand the age rating system for video games, and 18 means a game is not appropriate for minors. But for adult gamers who crave gruesome action in a survival horror fiction, Dead Space promises to be a big hit!”

Dead Space is a science fiction survival horror game set in the far future that sees the main character, Isaac Clarke, battle against a malevolent alien presence. The 18 rating advises consumers of the presence of adult content in the game.

Age-ratings for video games range from 3+, 7+, 12+, 16+ to 18, all clearly indicated on-pack to give players an easy to understand visual coding that assesses content appropriateness for a given age group.

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Guildford, UK – October 8, 2008 – Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today unveiled the online modes in Need for Speed™ Undercover, including the all-new multiplayer mode, Cops and Robbers. This visceral team-based mode pits two teams of four players against each other in the ultimate battle-royale.

Robbers must pick up the package and take it to the drop-off point while the cops attempt to prevent the delivery. Each game consists of two rounds giving the players the chance to play as cops and robbers. Up to eight players will also be able to prove their driving prowess in sprint and circuit multiplayer race modes.*

“High-intensity police chases are a signature component of Undercover and this extends to the multiplayer experience as well,” said Bill Harrison, Executive Producer at Black Box. “The cops and robbers mode will thrust players into adrenaline-pumping battles as they utilize the Heroic Driving Engine to deliver or prevent the delivery of the package to the safe house.”

Need for Speed Undercover also features a diverse soundtrack of over 30 songs from artists like The Prodigy, Tricky and Justice. To hear samplings of each song please visit www.ea.com/eatrax/.

Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate. The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine’ — a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles.

Need for Speed Undercover is being developed by Black Box in Vancouver, B.C., and is slated to be in stores in Europe on November 21. The game will be available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Wii™ as well as the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) handheld entertainment system, PC and mobile. More information can be found at www.needforspeed.com.

*PLAYSTATION 3, Xbox 360 and PC versions only. INTERNET CONNECTION required. See product pack for additional details.

“m.o.v.e returns to their synth pop, electronica roots with another ‘Initial D’ related theme song for their 29th CD single ‘DIVE INTO STREAM.’”

ARTIST: m.o.v.e

CD SINGLE: DIVE INTO STREAM

LABEL: avex tune

CATALOG #:  AVCT-30129

DURATION: 26:09

RELEASE DATE: July 2, 2008

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

1. DIVE INTO STREAM
2. KEEP ON MOVIN’
3. 蒼穹のflight
4. DIVE INTO STREAM (Instrumental)
5. KEEP ON MOVIN’ (Instrumental)
6. 蒼穹のflight (Instrumental)

The pop trio m.o.v.e and the manga/anime series “Initial D” has a long history together as music of m.o.v.e has been featured on the anime and video game series based on street racing and drifting.

m.o.v.e’s 1998 CD single “around the world” (their second CD single) was used as a theme for the anime series and from that point on, seven more songs would be used as an opening or ending theme for “Initial D” and ten years later, they are back with another theme but this time for the Playstation 3 video game “Initial D: EXTREME STAGE”.

This CD single returns the group to their original roots by featuring more synth-based electronica pop courtesy of member t. Kimura, rap by Motsu and vocals by Yuri.

“DIVE INTO STREAM” features that original style captured by songs such as “around the world” or even “DOGFIGHT” with the fast synth-based music and fast uptempo beat.

The coupling track “KEEP ON MOVIN’” is another upbeat track, vocally almost like a ballad that incorporates more synth-based music but almost in a ballad style way, t-kimura utilizes an electric piano style of playing in the background.  Overall a cool track!

The second coupling track “蒼穹のflight” is another song reminiscent of their past works.  Upbeat, synth-based and utilizing electric guitar.

The CD single features the lyrics to the tracks and a mini-flyer that contains information on other m.o.v.e recent releases.

Fans of m.o.v.e, especially their original style of music and fans of “Initial D” will no doubt enjoy this CD single.  It’s full of that synth pop, high-energy music that you would expect from an “Initial D” related song.

For me, the song was alright.  It didn’t hook me like “DOGFIGHT”, “Blazin’ Beat”, “Gamble Rumble” or even “around the world” has done, where I simply fell in love with the balance of the music, Yuri’s vocals and Motsu’s hip hop.  Everything just melded together right.  It’s not that “DIVING INTO STREAM” didn’t, I just found it good, not great.  But I really did enjoy the musical arrangement for “DIVE INTO STREAM” and actually listened to the instrumentals quite a bit.

I did enjoy “KEEP ON MOVIN’” and it’s hard to call it a ballad but I can see t-kimura or even motsu remixing this track, especially making a ballad version of it and could see the guys pulling that off.  It’s a very cool song and enjoy t-kimura’s inclusion of the piano playing and I enjoyed “蒼穹のflight” a lot as well.

I do have to say that I am a bit disappointed that there is not one remix on this CD single.  It’s one thing I tend to look forward from the group is some sort of remix of their songs on the single but there are none.

In fact, I was surprised there is no CD+DVD release as well.  Would like to see some promotionals for the new video game at least.

But enough of my nitpicking.  All in all, it’s a pretty good CD single.

Check out more of our reviews at J!-ENT’s World Groove

Buy this CD Single:

Dive Into Stream

m.o.v.e

Christoph Mark of the Daily Yomiuri reported, “With so many graphics-intensive video games on the market, one in which the player moves a nondescript mannequin around a screen composed of nothing but black lines and white space seems an unlikely hit. But Mugen Kairo (infinite corridor), also marketed as Echochrome, is proving to be just that.”

“The concept is deceptively simple: “In this world, what you see becomes the truth,” the game’s narrator explains. By changing the camera angle on your screen to alter the reality of the game’s world, you can help your character pass over nonexistent bridges or avoid falling through holes or being blown upward by fans. In a way, the hazards of this M.C. Escher-like world are a lot like the Bugblatter Beast from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: If you can’t see it, it can’t see you.”

“Upon first playing Echochrome, which is available on the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable, players are presented with a quick tutorial that runs through the Five Laws or “mysteries”: Perspective Traveling, Perspective Landing, Perspective Existence, Perspective Absence and Perspective Jump. These rules are all one needs to play the game, making it vastly more simple than much of what’s out there.”

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Our Video Game CM Pick of the Day goes to “Armored Core Answer” for the Playstation 3.

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In an article on BBC News, “The figure covers the period between 23 November and 31 December and accounts for about two thirds of last year’s sales, research firm NPD Group said.”

“The PlayStation brand ended the year in a very strong position,” said Sony boss Jack Tretton.

“The PS3 has been battling Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 for sales.”

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