MapleStory is wooing main stream American youth with videos to air on television networks and as previews for the latest Harry Potter movie this summer. This brings MapleStory into the American public eye, the realm only pierced by  Halo 3 and World of Warcraft so far. The 2D side-scrolling MMORPG is already pretty popular enjoying a 6 million strong player base in North America alone. It’s aimed at kids 10 and up, but has a very wide age range of players, most of whom seem to take their cute super-deformed characters pretty seriously.

MapleStory is a free to play MMO with a cash shop that allows players to purchase Nexon Cash to trade for premium items. MapleStory Nexon Cash cards have been available at local retailers like Target, CVS and Best Buy for a few years. The MMO has also spawned the MapleStory card game and videogames for the Wii and DS. Still MapleStory seems to be simmering just below the surface of casual gaming culture. Perhaps these new videos can tip MapleStory into the mainstream spotlight. Look for the video shorts to start appearing on tv and in theaters later this month. Until then, you can check it out for yourself at http://maplestory.nexon.net.

The Sims 3 is the next generation of the original Maxis hit god game, The Sims. The game is definitely a technical evolution as I described in my impressions on Sims 3 Creation, Buy, and Build mode design mechanics, but how does it actually play after you’ve spent hours designing your Sims and their new homes.

Sims 3 breaks the sims out of the confines of their beautifully constructed prisons and allows them to freely roam the world around them. You can follow your sim to work at the theater or the military base or watch as they jog, bike, or drive to the beach for a sunny afternoon. You can walk around town collecting little treasures like unpolished gems and mystery seeds or go introduce yourself to your neighbors. Just walk up and ring the bell.
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Every week, Gaming Today brings you a list of all the demos and patches that have hit FileFront during the past seven days. Usually, if it is a major demo or patch we do an individual post on it because we feel it will be of special interest to our readers. However, big name games are not the only files worth mentioning and that is why we provide you with this weekly feature.

This week though, we are trying to consolidate the post by providing you with the demos and patches that have proved to be the most popular during the week–this way, you are not bombarded with loads of links to weed through. You can always view the full list for both demos and patches via FileFront, but this way we are saving you just a bit more time and also giving our readers a bit of insight into the minds of other gamers. It’s kind of scary what you see when you peak in there isn’t it?

Here are the most popular demos for the week:

• Strategic Command: WWII Pacific Theater: This demo includes three turn limited (1 game year each) playable campaigns: 1941 Operation Z is the main theatre campaign that starts on December 7, 1941 with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor followed by landings and advancement in South East Asia including Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies–1945 Operation Detachment was the United States capture of the island of Iwo Jima from Japan, producing some of the fiercest fighting in the Pacific Campaign of World War II.

• War Plan Pacific: Shrapnel Games has released a demo for War Plan Pacific, a turn-based computer war game for one or two players covering the entire war in the Pacific from 1941 until 1945.

• X-Motor Racing v1.11: Exotypos has released a new version of the X-Motor Racing v1.11 and the demo.

• RotoAdventures – 2 Chapters (Mac) (Windows) : From an enchanted forest to cybernetic mines and from school to a cursed castle, you will fight to survive and rejoin once again with your beloved owner. Only move a small nut to guide Momo thru its entire life choosing between the dark and bright side.

• Project Aftermath v1.1 Demo: Indie game developers Games Faction has released and updated demo of Project Aftermath, an arcade RTS game where you command up to four squads of soldiers in battles in a retro-futuristic world.

• Drakensang: The Dark Eye (English): dtp Entertainment has released an English demo for Drakensang: The Dark Eye.

• Jutland: Storm Eagle Studios has released a playable demo for Jutland. The JUTLAND Demo Edition features unlimited play of two Demo scenarios, including the multiplayer feature. An additional 17 scenarios can be previewed and played for 10 minutes while using the Demo Edition. These include 3 Jutland Scenarios.

• Legendary: Spark Unlimited’s FPS Legendary: The Box presents a world suddenly thrust into chaos and turmoil when ancient creatures of myth are unleashed into modern day society, and it is up to you, as the cause of it all, to stop it all.

Patches are listed after the jump.

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Battlefront is ready to give gamers a shot at Strategic Command WWII Pacific Theater with a new demo. Players will run combat simulations based on WWII in the Pacific where Macarthur battled in the Philippines and General Slim stood fast in the defense of India. The atomic bomb is featured in the game with simulations of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki included.

Strategic Command WWII Pacific Theater demo specifics are detailed after the jump.
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Battlefront.com and Fury Software have announced that their combat simulation/strategy game Strategic Command WWII Pacific Theater has just gone gold! In order to ease the wait for the much anticipated third title in the award-winning Strategic Command game series and have also just published an online version of the full game manual.

What does “gone gold” mean? It means that the game code has been “frozen” and a final release candidate has been created. It does NOT mean that the game is ready for release yet. They are now finalizing the testing, proofing all the print materials, creating and testing the installers, and preparing the online delivery system for the downloads. A firm release date as well as info about pre-orders will be announced Sunday, December 7 (yes, that’s a historic date). The game is a stand-alone third part of the series, does not require any previous games to play, and will cost $45.

For more information on the game, hit one of the links above.

Blitz Games Studios achieves a world-first with the public unveiling of its ground breaking, proprietary technology showing true stereoscopic 3D games running on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at the 3D Entertainment Summit in Los Angeles.

Andrew Oliver, co-founder and CTO of Blitz Games Studios, is the only game developer to be talking at the summit alongside movie industry executives from Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group, DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Dolby Laboratories and Real-D.

Blitz Games Studios’ in-house technology demonstrates that current generation consoles can replicate the full HD 3D experience seen in 3D movie theaters with the 3D images ‘popping’ out of 3DTV screens and into living rooms for the first time.

Andrew Oliver, CTO of Blitz Games Studios said:

“This is an incredibly exciting and huge step forward for videogames. Our BlitzTech technology will prove beyond all doubt that we are already doing what some industry experts have said is impossible on today’s game consoles. Our highly tuned engine is capable of producing real-time interactive graphics that are close to offline rendered CG movie quality.

Many TV manufacturers are already selling sets capable of displaying 3D imagery and we envisage that these sets will rapidly gain popularity as content in the form of movies and games becomes available. Our technology allows for our games to run in both 2D and 3D in one version – by simply flicking a ’switch’ between them. It really has to be seen to be believed.”

Oliver states that games are already arguably more immersive than films, but when created in true 3D will be even more immersive.  However, he admits that the games industry still needs to understand design issues and learn lessons from Hollywood studios which are now producing 3D movies in volume for release in 2009 onwards.

I guess this means that the possibility of seeing the womanizing antics of Kratos up close and personal in the near future is not so far fetched. Or imagine, if you will, a rallyracer in DiRT coming out of the screen as if to run you over. Sounds like loads of fun.

(Thanks Kezins)

Codemasters has announced DiRT 2 and apparently the game’s going to include loads of off-road events, taking you all over the world and ill have you competing in aggressive multi-car and solo races at a variety of new locations.

New events include the edge-of-control canyon racing of Utah’s “Creek Trailblazer” event, the muddy tracks of the “Rawang Rally Run”, set in the rain forests of Malaysia, and the “Battersea Battle”
of London, where rallycross night races are staged in and around Battersea’s power station, transformed into an industrial amphitheater of racing.

The game will be powered by the third generation of the EGO Engine’s award-winning racing game technology, which will benefit DiRT 2 with a tuned-up car-handling physics system and new and improved damage engine effects.

Expanding on the variety of race styles, players can also expect a wider selection of race formats, inspired by authentic contemporary off-road solo, multi-car, and multi-class racing. “Rallycross” returns for close battling racing in new settings along with “Raid”, the reinvention of DiRT’s Rally Raid, will offer wide open point-to-point stages for multiple competitors to race the heavier off-road
vehicles on terrain filled with natural obstacles. “Trailblazer” is the new hill climb event that will take drivers downhill and there will be faster, more powerful cars to choose from.

Covering seven vehicle classes, gamers will get the keys to powerful vehicles right away.For example: the opening drive in the game is the “Group N Subaru” which essentially takes the ultimate car from the original game and making it the starting point in the sequel. You can also travel the game’s world in your very own RV with “World Tour” and view the races from the windows of it, and while you are traveling around, DiRT 2 will come complete with full online functionality with head-to-head competitive online play and new social features.

DiRT 2 is expected to be released for the Nintendo DS, PC, PSP, PS3, Xbox and Wii sometime in January 2009 and although race fans and gamers lost Colin McRae back in September 2007 during a helicopter crash, his name will still appear on the game as a tribute. Well played Codemasters, you are a class act all the way.

FunCom has rolled out a major content update for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Players levels 55-63 will now find Ymir’s Pass open. This new outdoor area features quests that include new storyline elements. The Amphitheater dungeon has been added as well. FunCom is promising the Age of Conan community “one of the most epic and memorable monster encounters ever created for the game.”

“This is an important update that opens up a lot of new gameplay content for players who have already passed the level fifty mark,” says Game Director Craig Morrison. “In the months ahead we will introduce even more new content, and coming up soon are two exciting new high-level dungeons intended for players who have reached the maximum level. At this stage adding more content and keeping people entertained is very important to us!”

There are many other tweaks including a solution to female avatars squinty eye issue. Its not as big a deal as the earlier breast reduction bug, but I’m sure it will be appreciated. Full update notes follow the break. Read the full article

Originally planned to be released on December 15, gamers looking forward to playing Pandemic Studios’ The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will have to wait just a bit longer. Slated for the Nintendo DS, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 the game will now ship January 9, 2009 internationally and January 13, 2009 in the U.S.

Brought to you by the same studio that created gamer favorites Star Wars Battlefront and Star Wars Battlefront 2 , this new take on the battle for Middle-earth will be reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings universe of J.R.R. Tolkien that you watched in the films. Not only will you be able to single-handedly fight for the forces of good, but in multiplayer mode you will be able to join with others to save the land from the ravages of Sauron’s army — or instead choose to fight along side cave-trolls, goblins, and the Urukai if you are so inclined. With the ability to participate in 16-player battles online or through four-player online co-op campaigns, you never have to go it alone no matter which side you choose. Hero-only “Deathmatches” are also to be made available, and there is also the “Ring Bearer” quest where you alone must escape the horrid Ringwraiths armed only with the famous dagger Sting.

In Conquest, gamers will be able to choose from different battles from the film such as Helm’s Deep, Pelennor Fields, Minas Tirith, The Black Gates, along with other skirmish areas such as Moria, The Shire and Weathertop. Some other battles or skirmishes that were not featured in the movies will be added as well, these will be from both the books and made up by the writers for the game but will remain true to Tolkien’s lore.

Josh Rednick, co-founder of Pandemic said it best when describing what players can experience when picking sides in The Lord of the Rings:Conquest:

“Players will finally be able to fight through Middle-earth along the frontlines of good or evil…and what The Lord of the Rings fan hasn’t fantasized about joining Sauron’s army to slay Hobbits?”

Yes Josh, there have been many times I have personally wanted to go on a Hobbit killing rampage while playing The Lord of the Rings Online due to the many errands my character had to run for the furry footed busybodies, and suffice it to say, if the game would have let me, I would have relished in the opportunity to turn Michael Delving into nothing short of a rubble filled crater.

While you are waiting for the game to land in retail, fans of The Lord of the Rings universe can participate in a “Battle for the Ring” community program where the more active you are, the more “gold” you will earn. The social network offers activities and incentives for members to fight against good or evil and earn temporary ownership of the Ring. Prizes are pretty sweet, with the Grand Prize winner (500,000 earned gold) receiving a package that contains a Samsung HT-Z310 Home Theater System, while other prizes range from winning the Xbox 360 version of the game to Microsoft Points. To try your hand at this, just go online and register and see how much gold you can earn.

If like many, you were hoping that The Beatles would be heading to either Rock Band or Guitar Hero soon, here is your consolation prize: Band on the Run.

Yep, the jailer man and sailor Sam will be blasting from your T.V. screens as you jam alongside your band mates to Paul McCarntney’s project after he and Lennon parted ways.

This track was confirmed by Rolling Stone for Guitar Hero: World Tour along with the following:

• Dream Theater – “Pull Me Under”
• Filter – “Hey Man Nice Shot”
• NOFX – “Soul Doubt”
• Rise Against – “Re-Education (Through Labor)”
• Steve Miller – “The Joker”
• The Answer – “Never Too Late”
• The Stone Roses – “Love Spreads”
• Trust – “Anti-Social”

I was seriously hoping that The Steve Miller Band was a rumor. I honestly loathe his music – it is the epitome of seventies jazz/rock stoner crap.

via Rolling Stone