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I’m a Fallout fan. I’ve been following this game since it was a GURPS title. I was saddened when Interplay lost their way and the franchise seemed doomed to obscurity but when Bethesda scooped up the game three years ago I found renewed hope.

Last year Todd Howard, and the team fresh off of The Elder Scrolls Oblivion showed a very tight, controlled demonstration of the game in action, and this year I actually got 30 minutes of hands on time with the title. While the areas shown in the live demo area covered much the same content as last years presentation I didn’t care. This wasn’t my shot to gauge the story or the acting; this was about finding out if Fallout could translate to the 1st person RPG space and not lose its charm.

Well I have good and bad news for Fallout fans. Fallout 3 makes the transition well but only if you’re a fan of the Oblivion style of gaming (which I most definitely am). Controlling the character, implementing stat points and choosing perks using the Pip boy interface were all simple and intuitive.

Unlike Oblivion, Fallout 3 does not rely on a clunky interface. There is inventory management but its reminiscent of the older Fallout’s turn based grid with a few modern updates. The change of setting - from a medieval combat system to a modern gun-slinging wasteland works well also. I demo’d the game on the 360 and the title showed the same visual finesse of Bethesda’s earlier game. Those who found fault with the dialog interface or camera system of that title will find it virtually unchanged.

I spent a good deal of time navigating and interacting with NPCs. Dialog choices that could be influenced by skills were set apart - including the percentage chance of success, though the actual “roll” was hidden it was obvious when you succeeded or failed. This little tweak felt like a good reflection of the classic games and the content of the dialog also followed a more adult, humorous bent in the area of Megaton.

Wading into combat with some rabid scavengers in an old elementary school, I used every chance possible once engaged to test out the V.A.T.S. targeting system. This turn-based mode freezes combat momentarily and displays a digital overlay of a foe. The various target spots of the baddie glows and players can choose trick shots with likely success indicated by percentages based on skills and perks your character has.

All in all I’m just as excited about this game as I was last year. The hands on experience felt familiar in many good ways and with the game coming soon on the 360, PC and PS3 at least I won’t have to wait long to wander around at the end of the world nuking super mutants.

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Not much going on in the way of demos this week, so to be quite honest with you, I am going forgo downloading any myself tonight and instead watch my newest DVD purchase - “Throw Mamma from the Train” - and drink until I drunkenly believe I am the bloody Queen of England.

Meanwhile, my coworkers will be flying to LA in pursuit of some of the grandest information being divulged at E3 2008, while Chris and I post their findings starting Monday. Personally, I would rather watch Anne Ramsey slap Danny DeVito around than fly all the way to LA to be quite frank, esp. since airlines are charging you scandalous amounts of cash just to breathe the recycled air on their flying death machines.

Hopefully after all the E3 2008 madness wears off, gaming companies will be a bit more willing to send out some demos, but until then these should get you through. If you want to see what else is available, you are a bit out of luck as far as new ones go, but FileFront has tons to keep you occupied in case you want to try something different out.

• International Cricket Captain 2008: International Cricket Captain 2008 is the most realistic and in-depth cricket management game to date. With a complete statistical update, a remodelled game engine and a vastly enhanced and re-designed interface and the most up to date statistics available, International Cricket 2008 is set to reclaim its place amongst the sports management elite.

• Dynasty Warriors 6 (Japanese): Dynasty Warriors 6 will deliver the massive scale and realistic atmosphere that players have come to expect from the series, but will redefine the Tactical Action experience, with completely re-imagined character designs and weapons, yet maintaining familiar characterizations that are accurate to culturally depictions.

• Frontlines: Fuel of War PC Beta: Kaos has released a beta version of the multiplayer demo featuring the Oilfield and GNAW maps, updated with the latest v1.1.1 code. Since this is a beta version you may have to uninstall/reinstall when the full release is out.

• Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island: City Interactive has released a playable demo of Code of Honor 2: Conspiracy Island.

Here are some of the patches that hit this week:

Myth War II v1.0.4.21 to v1.0.4.22, CnC3: Kane`s Wrath v1.01 (English), Race Driver GRID v1.2, Neverwinter Nights v1.69 Windows, NWN: Hordes of the Underdark v1.69 Windows, Commander - Europe at War v1.06 Hotfix (English). All Neverwinternights patches are also available for Linux.

For the full list of demos and patches, as always, click here and here. Have a great weekend, and while you are at it, “go get me a soda with some ice in it”, because “he bought me the unsalted nuts, and the unsalted nuts make me choke”.

GRID players on Xbox 360 have likely taken notice by now, but for those who aren’t aware, Codemasters recently wiped clean all ranks and leaderboards due to widespread cheating. While things like fastest lap times and other stats were maintained, many legitimate players lost their hard-earned ranks as a result of the reset.

“Resetting the leaderboards was a no-brainer; the players that are capable of consistently posting legitimately great times will be able to do so again,” wrote one fan on the Codemasters forums. “But resetting the Ranks?!?!?!?! Yes, some players have probably gotten Elite and/or Legend with the help of the brown screen glitch and other glitches, but some people, like myself, worked REALLY Hard to get the Rank we HAD.”

Codemasters has since responded with some answers, although I doubt they’ll make it any easier for hardcore players to swallow the reset.

“Given the number of reports we’ve had of people abusing the ranking system to get unfair ranks, it was only fair that we did a reset,” said Codemasters’ Rich Tysoe.

“It’s never an easy decision to make, and we’d rather it hadn’t come to this, but changes in the patch should make gaining those ranking points back fairer.

“We’d like to think that people play online for the fun of it, not so much the amassing of points, but if you find yourself in this sort of situation, it’s the fairest solution.”

It’s a difficult decision to make, as you can imagine. Is it better to let the cheaters get away so that you don’t affect the other players, or would it be better to pull everyone back to square one and force the cheaters to play like everyone else? I can see why some would pick one answer over the other, but as with any decision, you can never make everyone happy.

via Eurogamer

This is the fourth and final post in our Gears of War 2 Screenshot Extravaganza. Where as part three showed campaign artwork, these are actual screenshots and this time we have more than just pretty pictures, we have some actual multiplayer map descriptions too.

Here are the maps we know about so far:

• GRIDLOCK: A tranquil highway next to a river rapidly filled with evacuating vehicles immediately after the Locust emergence. Few of the panicked owners made it out alive as ruthlessly efficient Locust squads swept through the area, taking out civilians one by one.

• RIVER: Old grain mills located on the outskirts of the city of Landown make the perfect setting for a cross-bridge clash.

• SECURITY: Older Coalition technology was built to last, as witnessed by the laser fences and security turrets located in this Pendulum Wars–era work camp. Soldiers must first deactivate the lethal defenses before making a dash for the weaponry in either wing of the arena.

Screens for each map are posted after the jump along with more screens from the game featuring Grenadiers, Hammerheads, Dizzy, Cole and more.

Be sure and check out the other GoW2 screens posts:

• Pt. 1
• Pt. 2
• Pt. 3

Read the full article

For those of you who are not into the Metal Gear Solid Series and could care less about the the fourth installment causing a huge media storm across the globe, or if you happen to be a PC gamer who is lamenting the the fact that nothing really worth mentioning was released this week, there may be a demo or two here for you to play.

The following PC demos should keep you occupied until Spore Creature Creator Complete is released next Tuesday:

• Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice: In Nancy Drew’s most exciting adventure yet, players will work to uncover the mastermind behind a series of unsolved thefts that have taken place in Venice — one of the world’s most unique cities known for its interlocking canals and sleek gondolas.

• Fishdom: Build up and develop your Fishdom! Progress through challenging boards and solve immersive puzzles to earn cash. Use the money to buy eye-candy fish and attractive ornaments for your dream aquarium. Get accessories and supplies to create the perfect conditions for your finny pals and ensure their comfort. Win awards and upgrade your virtual tank as you perfect your aquarium design skills and have fun with the lovely fishy sims. Being a unique fusion of classic game play with brilliant new ideas, this game with unlimited replayability will bring you lots of joyful moments!

• GRID eBay Motors: Codemasters has released a free playable two track demo exclusively provided by eBay Motors featuring the eBay Motors Muscle Series.

• Aces of the Galaxy: Aces of the Galaxy is an old-school arcade thrill-ride! This pick-up-and-play game thrusts players into the midst of epic space warfare as they experience over-the-top action in a battle for survival! Play in the 3rd person viewpoint flying through intense dogfights. Take control of your spaceship and aim the reticule to vaporize waves of enemies.

• Legend of Zelda - Dragon Blade: Demo of a new Zelda game, created by Astral Gaming Corp. More info on this game can be found in the “read me” file, so I apologize for the lack of information on it.

• Supreme Ruler 2020: Supreme Ruler 2020 is a strategic and tactical geo-political game where direct control of the military and the policies of a nation becomes the key to survival.

• Simcity Societies: EA has release a demo for its latest city builder, up to date with the latest code after several patches, and includes a tutorial, a scenario and two major disasters.

Here are the latest patches to hit FileFront this week:

• Universe at War: Earth Assault Patch 3
• CoD4: Modern Warfare v1.6 Patch (Direct2Drive)
• Mount & Blade v0.955 Patch
• TrackMania Nations Forever Patch
• Race Driver: GRID v1.1 Patch
• Enemy Territory: Quake Wars v1.5 Mac Patch

As always, for the full list of demos and patches, click here and here.

See you next week.

Not sure why we missed this yesterday. Might possibly have had something to do with all of the MGS4 hoopla and various other misfires of the brain, but today we have the latest GameTap updates for you and while it may indeed be a day late, its no matter. Why you ask? Because Earthworm Jim is back my pretties along with Sacred Gold and for those wanting to go the chintzy route, its BurgerTime for you my friends!

• Earthworm Jim: From the minds of game developer Dave Perry and madcap cartoonist Doug TenNapel comes Earthworm Jim. Incredible animation and a wildly imaginative cast of characters makes this side-scrolling action title stand out from the rest of the pack. It doesn’t just look great, either — Earthworm Jim’s lengthy levels and sharp control ensure that you’ll be hooked the moment you pick up the controller!

• Earthworm Jim 2: The zany cartoon antics just keep on comin’ in Earthworm Jim 2, the sequel to the award-winning game by Shiny Entertainment. When Jim’s girlfriend is kidnapped by the nasty space criminal Psycrow, it’s up to the worm-turned-galactic-hero to find her. Where could she be? You’ll take a long, strange trip through the galaxy before the answer is revealed!

• Earthworm Jim 3D: Earthworm Jim. Once-humble worm made mighty thanks to the power of an atomic super suit, a really bad attitude, and a desire to fight evil. Jim has destroyed some strange enemies — but nothing’s stranger than his own mind. When a cow falls from the sky onto Jim, all his marbles get scattered. Now you must lead this slimy hero through the corridors of his mind to collect the marbles again!

• Sacred Gold: In a fantasy world crawling with monsters, unlikely heroes emerge. Whether they quest for treasure, fame or power, these individuals brave many terrors and face down thousands of foes both above the ground and below…and unlock the secrets of a deadly conspiracy to overrun the land of Ancaria with evil. For those with the strength, untold riches await, but the fight will be long and dangerous.

GameTap has released the following free games this week for those who are not golden with the site. Why is that anyway? Think of all the cool games you are missing out on like Baldur’s Gate I & II?

• BurgerTime: Evil hot dogs, pickles and eggs are loose in Peter Pepper’s kitchen, and he’s a chef with orders to fill. Stomp across buns, lettuce and patties on a quest to build the perfect burger. Keep your eyes open for yummy ice cream, coffee and French fry bonuses. Use your peppershaker to stop your enemies dead in their tracks, or smash them flat with a well-placed patty. Who knew fast food could be so dangerous?

• Flip Words 2: You’ll flip over this word puzzle! Not only are you trying to build words out of a grid, you’re also assembling a secret phrase, letter by letter, in a fashion such as to make Vanna White green with envy. Guess the phrase and you’ll score some massive points!

• Pop-A-Tronic: You’ve swirled until you collapsed… but are you ready to pop? There’s a cascade of colored machines, and it’s your job to clear them out! Match the colors before your parts bin overflows, and keep an eye out for bombs and other helpful tools in this frantic puzzler!

Those three games bring the total of freebies up to 128, so what are you waiting for? Head on over to GameTap to see what else they have in store for you.

Yes, XBLA Hors D’oeurvres are back. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re simply a weekly feature where I play the latest Xbox Live Arcade game – in trial form – for no more than 10 minutes, and then summarize my impressions of the game based only upon that.

I think the most telling part about Buku Sudoku is that I really had a hard time putting my controller down after 10 minutes. (I actually ran over and play for 11:36, according to the handy in-game clock.) If you’ve ever played a Sudoku puzzle before, then you’ll know precisely what you’re getting into. I’m far from an expert on this particular genre of logic puzzle, but I do enjoy the occasional Sudoku.

When I wrote this week’s XBLA Wednesday story, I said, “As much as I like Sudoku, though, I can’t imagine buying this. When I first heard about it I was excited, but then I realized: Do I really want to stare at numbers on my TV screen?”

As it turns out, I really do.

Read the full article

I’ve been talking about the upcoming revisions to Dungeons & Dragons for awhile now. Well the chance to finally test out the changes introduced with this new version arrived on May 20th in the form of the first 4th Edition module – Keep on the Shadowfell. I was one of the few lucky folks who had the module in hand before the release date but unfortunately coverage was embargoed until that point and well, life got in the way of getting this up the day it came out.

Before I jump into all the gory details about how the system works and how it plays let me first say that this is a very different game than its predecessor. Many of the same terms are used. There are still Hit Points, Armor Class and Feats, but some of the sacred cows of the D&D system are wearing new leather coats.

Be warned, this extra-long edition of The Analog Gamer might spoil some secrets about the forthcoming D&D game.

Keep on the Shadowfell is a well designed module. It comes with a nice thick cardstock cover containing a number of maps suitable for miniature game play and 2 booklets. The first book is a character folio that includes an overview of the basic 4th Edition rules as related to characters. The other is the DM booklet that contains an expanded version of the introductory rules aimed at running the game along with the full adventure itself.

Read the full article

Codemasters’ Race Driver GRID Demo has gone platinum. In just the few week’s it’s been available GRID has been downloaded over one million times.

In order to get bums-on-seats, Codemasters have decided to dump the real race style and go for a hybrid that combined a little of V8 Muscle Car, some European class and Japanese Drifting. All of which have their own special following in their respective regions. A combination that could be a good thing, or a bad one if it’s not executed properly. One would hope that they get it right, as it’s not the best to be called a “Jack-of-all-trades”, which they could become if it isn’t pulled off properly

Given the statistics on the demo downloads, it seems that Codemasters may have found a winning formula. We’ll have to see if those demo downloads translate to sales when Race Driver GRID crosses the finish line May 30 in the US, June3 in the UK and June 12 in Australia.

via Xbox.com.au

Yes, it looks like this is going to be one of those weeks for the XBLA. You know, the kind where the Marketplace gets one boring game and one updated arcade classic. This Wednesday will bring two new XBLA titles with Buku Sudoku and Warlords. Buku Sudoku is…well, sudoku with the usual XBLA additions of HD graphics and online modes. The game will contain 1200 puzzles and three difficulties, as well as a new Battle Mode, where completing a line or block removes numbers from another player’s grid. Warlords is the classic arcade game, but now with a new “Evolved” mode that features updated graphics. As usual, you and four other players will attack each other’s fortresses while trying to protect your own with a paddle. The XBLA version will of course feature online play as well as support for the Xbox Live Vision Camera. Both these titles should be available next Wednesday for you to try out the trial and then never purchase.

Via Press Release

This week’s update is a fairly tame one, although I believe some new ground is being broken with the release of a game’s soundtrack on the PlayStation Store. $2.99 will net you the original soundtrack to PixelJunk Monsters, which includes 24 tracks in total. That’s not a bad deal for $3, but if you want music you can actually do something with, there are nine new Rock Band tracks for $2 each, or you can find two songs — “We Care a Lot” by Epic and “All the Small Things” by Blink 182 — at the discounted price of $0.99 each.

There’s also the usual assortment of trailers and themes. Get all the details after the break. Read the full article

Another week has passed and that means I get to give you the regular list of wonderful demos and patches. Today, I cannot go much into the ins and outs of the week because I have to take my dog to his training class. Lately, he has not been minding very well and is chasing the cows and horses. Normally the fence would block the annoyance, but I would rather him learn to mind me than get kicked in the head. Plus, all he does is look at me like I am stark raving mad when I scold him. Damn dog.

Anyway, here is what hit FileFront in the way of demos this week, the most popular of which was the GRID demo with the one for LEGO Indiana Jones coming in second and Mount and Blade third.

• Heresy War- Bear in mind that this is a product in development and what you are seeing is not final product quality.What is Heresy War? Heresy War is a combat space simulator set in a future where the humanity has reborn from the ashes after a catastrophic world war. The game puts the player in the cockpit of the most technologically advanced fighters in the human military fleet (The Core) as he witnesses the start of a civil war. Gameplay features for the final version: Mission-based , story-driven gameplay, Branching non-linear campaign based on player’s actions, Intuitive interface and controls, Complete freedom across all axes, Squadron command, Sequential capital ship destruction, Self-adjusting difficulty level, Arcade and simulation control

• Battleship Chess - Combine the classic naval stategy game of Battleship with the thoughtful turn-based moves of Chess and you get Battleship Chess. Move your naval fleet of battleships, battlecruisers, destroyers and submarines in search of the enemy. Once spotted, let them have it with your guns, torpedoes and depth charges. Play this turn-based naval strategy game against computer or human opponents, online or at the same PC.

• Larva Mortus - For both Windows and Mac. Rake in Grass has released a new demo for Lava Mortus, a top down shooter, offering fast and entertaining monster-hunting gameplay.

• Supernova 2: Spacewar - For both Windows and Mac. Sci-fi strategy game featuring a main part mainly based on the macromanagement of your space empire, and a classical turn based wargame part when a fight occurs.

• Virtual Villagers: Chapter 3 - For both Windows and Mac. Embark on a new journey with a group of villagers in search of a new part of the island to populate. Land on the hidden shores of the northern side of Isola and explore what was once a secret city.

Here are the patches that hit this week, and unless you were residing in a cave in the arctic someplace, you would know that the most popular with gamers was the new WoW patch. Other patches include: Mount and Blade, GH: III for Windows and Mac, Tarr Chronicles, and Lost Empire: Immortals amongst others.

As always, for the full list of demos click here, and for patches click here. See you next week.

Despite the issues reported with the first GRID demo released for the PC, Codemasters has fixed all blackouts and has submitted a new demo that is glitch free. You can get it by clicking on the badge below.

The Race Driver: GRID demo offers 3 events to compete in. The eBay Motors Muscle Cup sees you taking the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT-R and the streets of San Francisco, the Advan International Trophy hands you a Nissan S15 Silvia and your playground is Yokohama Docks, and the Euro Touring Car Series provides some old-school tin-top thrills with a BMW 320si touring car and the sweeping curves and hairpins of Jarama.

For more information on GRID check out our previous posts.

So I am off work for a week due to moving and I come back hoping that my usual Saturday post would give me something actually exciting to write about. Sadly, I was mistaken because there are little demos that are new this week. Seems like a growing trend as of late, but I digress.

The only really hyped up demo that was suppose to hit this week was the GRID demo from Codemasters, but unfortunately yesterday after it was put up, it was quickly pulled due to blackout issues. We received an email stating that it would fixed by later that afternoon, and then another email saying that it will be fixed by Monday. Therefore, if you are still interested in the demo, check back with us Monday and hopefully any outstanding issues with it should have been fixed.

Here are the demos that hit FileFront this week:

• Dead Wake Beta 4: Dead Wake zombie survival game is in production. The game brings barricades, blood, and weapons to zombie fans. Headshots and physics play a major role when player attempts to survive against the zombie hordes.
• The Amazing Brain Train Windows Demo: Grubby Games has released a Windows demo for The Amazing Brain Train, a title that offers 15 different brain games in 5 categories, three different ways to play, 32 unique trophies to unlock, and more. Also available for Mac and Linux.
• Droid Assault Windows Demo: Puppy Games released the Windows demo for Droid Assault, a modern-retro arcade shooter game which is aiming to capture the raw feel of 8-bit games such as Paradroid and Quazatron, with a slick shiny sheen of modern graphics and sound. Also available for Mac and Linux.
• Overclocked: A History of Violence English Demo: Created by award-winning developer House of Tales Entertainment, players will delve into the world of Overclocked to explore the deranged minds of three of the five patients admitted to the Staten Island Forensic Hospital. This highly anticipated Adventure game on PC DVD-ROM is available in stores now.
• Lights of Dreams Demo V2.15: This is the demo version V2.15 of Lights of Dreams : The Angelical Blade… It is free to play…Play as Xylvan to find a way to save the future Earth of 3800…
• The Lost Cases Of Sherlock Holmes Demo: Legacy Interactive release a demo of The Lost Cases of Sherlock Holmes, a whodunit casual computer game of theft, espionage and murder in which the player must tap their own powers of observation to solve puzzles and identify the culprits.
• Bee Oh Bee Demo: LunaKite has released a demo for Bee Oh Bee, an adventure casual game where you play as a God-bee, bees that live above in the sky to help homeless cute earth-dwelling honey-bees.

Here are the patches that hit this week:

• Harpoon: Advanced Naval Warfare v3.9.2 Patch
• Battlefield 2142 v1.40 to v1.50 Beta Patch
• Fury v35256 to v35416 Client Patch
• Albatross18 S3 Revolution v4.14 Client Patch
• Conquer Online v5021 to v5023 Patch

As always, for the full list of demos and patched available, click here and here.

The PlayStation Store has gotten a great update this week with three solid demos, new music for both Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, the expansion pack to PixelJunk, PixelJunk Monsters Encore ($5.99), and Rocketmen: Axis of Evil ($9.99). In addition to all that, there’s a number of trailers for games and movies, including an Iron Man trailer and one for WipEout HD and Mercenaries 2.

Check it all out after the break.

Read the full article

The GRID PC Demo that was slated to be launched today has what looks like a serious multiplayer issue. A black screen, dead state has been seen about once an hour in online testing.

Due to this issue, Codemasters has asked FileFront to pull the demo and if you have already downloaded it we apologize for any inconvenience and will keep you updated with the latest news as soon as we have it.

Hopefully a fixed version will be released shortly, so check back often.

***UPDATE***

We just received word from Codemasters that the PC demo is being fixed and will be up and running sometime Monday morning.

Codemasters has secured the exclusive video game rights to Formula One in a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Ltd. In turn, the developer/publisher will create a new generation of the multi-million selling Formula One game franchise across multiple consoles, handhelds and PC.

Here are some “gushing” quotes pulled from the press release:

“FORMULA 1 is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the FORMULA 1 audience and connecting them globally,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters.

“As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with FORMULA 1 is the jewel in Codemasters’ racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. FORMULA 1 has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host FORMULA 1 Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack.”

“Codemasters’ success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge,” said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters.“The combination of FORMULA 1’s new momentum of expansion and Codemasters’ contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen.”

This deal will provide Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, Formula One teams, cars, and driver likenesses. In addition, the FIA Formula One World Championship games will be developed using the evolution of the EGO Game Technology Engine, Codemasters’ cross-platform middleware technology. The EGO Engine is currently being deployed in the creation of Race Driver: GRID, the latest in Codemasters Studio’s international circuit-based racing series which will be released on May 30th.

The first FIA Formula One World Championship game is set to launch in 2009.

Via: Press Release

Over at the University of Michigan, some neuropsychologists have conducted a study that shows how mental exercise can make you smarter. Ok, but how does this apply to games? According to them, the more you play and the harder you play it, the “more smarter you’ll git”. Yes, I stated it that way intentionally.

During the study, participants were shown a computer screen with square patterns and if the pattern matched the same pattern that the participant was shown two squares earlier, they were suppose to hit a button with one hand while listening to letters being transcribed over a set of headphones. Just like the squares, id the said letter matched the one said two letters earlier, the participant would then hit a button with the opposite hand. One hand for letters and one for squares - basic multitasking I would think. The longer the game was played the longer the intervals - which means more squares and letters over time.

The study revealed to the neuropsychologists that 20 minutes of daily training over a period of time led to “significantly increased IQ vs. a control group”, and the “longer people played the game, the higher their IQ got”.

While this may sound a lot more boring than Brain Age, Christopher Null over on the Yahoo Tech Blogs has listed a few games that sound a lot less boring than the one the participants in the study were forced to endure. Null has listed five titles that will ” help you improve logical thinking, reaction time, and coordination”.

Here is the list pulled directly from his blog:

• Lumosity (Web): This browser-based game offers about a dozen mini-games, each designed to help with one area of cognition, including memory, processing speed, attention span, and “cognitive control.” Many games are surprisingly similar in design to the one in the Michigan study and some present a real challenge. ($9.95 a month, pictured)

• Brain Challenge (Xbox Live Arcade): Similar to Lumosity, this used to be a cell phone game that was ported to the Xbox. A series of mini-games asks you what comes next in a sequence of graphic designs, count items quickly, do basic math questions, and more. 30 types of rapid-fire games are available, and your progress is tracked by the game over time. (800 points)

• Rocky & Bullwinkle (Xbox Live Arcade): No, I wouldn’t have expected a game based on a hapless cartoon duo to be good for the brain, but this set of WarioWare-like micro games are great for those looking to boost reaction time and improve eye-hand coordination. Nothing here is too complex (quick: click the correct button in the next 2 seconds!), but it’s all good for working on the “twitch” reflex. (800 points)

• Blokus Portable: Steambot Championship (PSP): This challenging board game comes to the PSP, offering a grid in which you have to place your Tetris-like pieces in such a way that they touch only on their corners. It really works on your pattern recognition skills and gets exceptionally tough when playing with a group of four. ($20)

• Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii): No, it’s not a brain game at all, but really little kids won’t be able to manage the controls and strategies of most of the above titles. Still they shouldn’t be left out of the fun. Wild Earth isn’t exactly the most thrilling title on the market, but youngsters will enjoy looking at the animals on this virtual photo hunt while learning the names of all the beasts of the wild. Good for very small minds. ($30)

I guess this means that the more LotRO I play the denser I get. Oh well, at least I am in ignorant bliss.

Via: Yahoo Blogs

Today is Thursday, and as always we are happy to give you the latest updates on the games being added to GameTap.This week marks the addition of Alpha Prime, Chameleon Gems, and Flip Words 2 to the subscription games and the 121st title added to the free games list this week is Morning’s Wrath.

• Alpha Prime: Hubbardium is the most precious mineral in the universe. Unfortunately, it also drives anyone who comes in contact with it insane — by radiation or as a curse of Glomar the Greatest, whose very body is made of the stuff, depending on who you ask. And Arnold must now venture deep into the mines on Alpha Prime — while he’s immune to the effects Hubbardium, there’s plenty to be wary of there…

• Flip Words 2: You’ll flip over this word puzzle! Not only are you trying to build words out of a grid, you’re also assembling a secret phrase, letter by letter, in a fashion such as to make Vanna White green with envy. Guess the phrase and you’ll score some massive points!

• Chameleon Gems: You’ve done it with frogs and you’ve done it with crabs, but have you tried it with chameleons? Talking about matching colored gems as they zoom down a track toward a game-ending drain, of course.

• Morning’s Wrath: For centuries, the Leowyn Kingdom has been at peace. Now Ashidian invaders are at the door, and Leowyn’s army is weak. The castle is under siege as former allies betray the Leowyn cause. Princess Morning, descended from a line of noble warriors, must find her way into a dark world below the castle to purify the magic well and drive the invaders off. But the cost of victory may be her sanity…

Also, as an added bonus, on GameTap TV today, you can check out an exclusive interview on Plug and Play with award winning comic book author Brian Bendis talking about Halo Uprising.

As always, for more information on GameTap, check out the official website.

According to The Major, the demo for GRID has gone live. Unfortunately the PC demo has been delayed, but it will be up tomorrow so check back with us for the link to download it.

In Race Driver: GRID, players are taken to beautifully realised and dramatic race locations over three continents to compete in an unprecedented variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars – new and classic, circuit and drift – players will compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships and then go beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, through to road events and urban street races.

In Europe, race gamers will compete on the greatest official tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani.

Iconic cities across the U.S. – including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit and each with their own atmosphere and events – play hosts to diverse street races. Here, high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive closely fought pack competitions.

In the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, take drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There is also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama.

Content: GRID Demo
Price: Free
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: E (Everyone)] It’s time to get on the GRID as this superb demo showcases racing in the three regions playable in the full game; Europe Touring Cars at Jarama Circuit, U.S Muscle cars at San Francisco and Japanese Drift Racing at Yokohama Docks. Compete online in the European and U.S races and check out the time trial competitions for the chance to win a car and other ace prizes.

Thanks: Major Nelson