Week of July 23, 2006

Sony will be exhibiting the PlayStation 3 console and its PS3 lineup at the 4th annual Chinajoy Expo in Shanghai, China. The Expo started today and will run through Sunday. Here is the list of PS3 titles at the show:

* Genji 2
* Formula 1 2006
* The Getaway
* HotShot Golf 5
* Heavenly Sword
* The Eye of Judgement
* Afrika
* LAIR
* Monster Kingdom
* Warhawk
* Singstar
* Assassin's Creed
* Mobile Suit Gundam
* Codearms Assault
* Ridge Racer 7
* Brothers in Arms
* Tekken 6
* Sonic the Hedgehog
* Virtua Tennis 3
* Virtua Fighter 5
* Stranglehold
* Fatal Inertia
* Blade Storm: The Hundred Years War
* Armored Core 4
* Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

The Two Worlds website has been updated with four new screenshots and a couple of Moveshots ™ for you to look at. Two World is an RPG currently in development by Reality Pump for the PC.

In case you just can't get enough of Call of Juarez, six new images ahve ben added to the database.

EA has announced another title today. This time we have Battle for Middle Earth II: Rise of the Witch-king, an expansion to Battle for Middle Earth II for the PC.

EA has announced a new title for The Sims series. The Sims 2 Pets will introduce dogs, cats, birds, and more to the world of Sims. Click the images to learn more about the title and to see screenshots for the GBA, PSP, DS, PC, GameCube, and PlayStation 2.

We have an interview with Fusionsphere Systems (reprinted from Adventure Island) about there game Secret Files Tunguska, along with three new screenshots.

Read the interview

There's a trailer for East India Company, the upcoming sailing/trading/ahoy-ing game from Encore Games. You'll have to navigate the all Flash site to get it, but it's onl 23MB and quite good.

DreamCatcher Interactive Inc., a global publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced that Painkiller: Hell Wars has shipped to retail stores throughout North America for the Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Developed by People Can Fly, the award-winning first-person shooter is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB and carries an MSRP of $29.99.

“With millions of gamers still playing Xbox games, there has never been a better time to release Painkiller: Hell Wars.” said Marshall Zwicker, VP of Sales and Marketing. “Xbox fans will be blown away with the fast-paced action, graphics and awesome physics that we’ve managed to cram onto one disc.”

Stranded in the nightmarish plane of purgatory, Daniel Garner must face the legions of Hell as mounting tensions point toward an inevitable unholy war of epic proportions. Players must combat an onslaught of gruesome creatures and wade through malevolent terrain on their journey to attain purification in this tortuous land between Heaven and Hell.

Guided by the chance to reunite with his loved one and with access to an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, decimate over 75 unique abominations of the underworld. When conventional weapons are not enough, Daniel also has the ability to consume souls to morph into a possessed beast to increase his chance of surviving through the 20 levels of blood, chaos and terrifying odds. Painkiller: Hell Wars will immerse players in a no holds barred horrific world of demons and destruction in the single player mode, and those hardy enough to venture online against real world opponents will thoroughly enjoy intense eight-person multiplayer battles on Xbox Live.

Painkiller Xbox Features:

• Intense gameplay: The player will be constantly outnumbered, fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds.
• Lasting replay value: Painkiller features a standard single player campaign, with additional modes to encourage replay.
• Xbox® Live: Painkiller offers seven modes of multiplayer action for up to eight players!
• Combo weapons: All weapons come in pairs, with a primary and secondary fire.
• Morphing: Your unholy pact gives you the power to morph into a powerful possessed creature with every 33 souls collected.
• Incredible graphics: The game uses the proprietary 3D “PAIN Engine” capable of pumping out an unbelievably high polygon count, while adding increased texture quality and the latest lighting and shadowing techniques.
• World’s most advanced physics engine: Painkiller: Hell Wars employs Havok 2.0, allowing for amazing physics and deformable, interactive environments.

For additional information on Painkiller: Hell Wars, please visit www.painkillergame.com.

Stardock sent over three new images of their expansion Dak Avatar. The screenshots show off the asteroids that will dramatically increase the game’s strategic options, as well as some of the new ship styles and the improved combat viewer. The expansion is slated for a Fall 2006 release.

Four new screenshots of the new Paladin-Shamen race/class for World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

A new 3D action/RPG hybrid game has been announced. Pompolic: Call of Heroes, to be developed by Serbian team Quotix Software, is due out on the PC in the 4th quarter. Read the entire press release and see all ten screenshots.