Crispy Gamer News

(Contributors: Tom Ohle - CD Projekt RED, Rich Carlson - Digital Eel, Eric Holmes - Radical Entertainment, and Game Trust members Evan Narcisse, Gus Mastrapa, David Chapman and James Fudge)

We continue our countdown of the Top 21 News Stories of 2008, with #14 - #7, starting now. If you missed the first part of our countdown featuring David Chapman, James Fudge and ECA President Hal Halpin, you can check it out right here.

Next: #14 –>

All is calm, all is bright. I hope you’re enjoying your vacation time, assuming you are one of those lucky folks that gets it during this time of year. For the rest of us, onward and upward as we slither into 2009…

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EA Canada is trying its hand and some original downloadable content. The EA studio announced today that it is working on an EA Freestyle inspired hockey game for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network called 3 on 3 NHL Arcade. 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is being billed as a no rules, fast paced, arcade-style hockey game where exaggerated representations of 40 real-world NHL stars use brute force and power-ups to keep the action fresh. Sounds fun. In addition to standard ranked matches, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade allows three players on one console to play three other players on another console anywhere in the world.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade will be available as a download in February 2009 on Xbox LIVE Arcade and the PlayStation Network for 800 MS Points and $9.99, respectively. Check out the screens below:

Fun Fact: Christian Bale, tough guy caped crusader in The Dark Knight and humanity’s last hope in the upcoming Terminator Salvation, played the dancing and prancing newspaper boy, Jack ‘Cowboy’ Kelly in the 1992 musical Newsies. Kind of puts his tough guy persona into question… Here’s all today’s lesser stories..

Remains of the Day
CD Projekt co-founders, Michal Kicinski and Marcin Iwinski, have been named Ernst & Young Entrepreneurs of the Year and will represent Poland in the world’s final competition in Monte Carlo next June. “Entrepreneur of the Year” is an international initiative promoting the best entrepreneurs around the world, with more than 10,000 candidates each year. The contest has been organized annually since 1986 and over 30 countries participate. In the United States, where the competition was born, the Ernst & Young awards are often referred to as the business Oscars.

CD Projekt earned this honor by being the largest games distributor in Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, with more than 135million PLN (approx. $43 million) in annual revenue. But to the rest of the world, the company is know best for its excellent action RPG, The Witcher. The company also recently launched the classic DRM-free games site, Good Old Games.

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Electronic Arts and developer DICE revealed that some new downloadable content is in the works for the action platformer, Mirror’s Edge. Set for a late January release, the will be available for $10 USD or 800 Microsoft points. As an added bonus, all PS3 Mirror’s Edge owners will be able to download an additional map for free - in your face 360 owners.. This new Time Trial Map Pack challenges players to achieve the fastest times possible on nine races across seven all-new redesigned Time Trial maps. These environments won’t feature distractions like guns, cops, or even the city: it’s all about aesthetics and the fastest times.

DICE also confirmed today that the PC version of the game will ship to retailers in North America on January 13th and worldwide on January 16th, 2009. Onward and upward, friends. Check out these first screens from the DLC pack:

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is now available on PlayStation Network for $14.99 and November 26, 2008 for Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 MS points. In addition, Capcom’s direct-to-download music album of hip-hop tracks inspired by the Street Fighter series, Street Fighter Underground Remix, is now live. It features the artists such as DJ Qbert, Hieroglyphics, Redman, Oh No, DJ Toure, Mistah FAB and ZION I. Each artist has produced a Street Fighter tribute track that will be free of charge and exclusive to the PlayStation Network. You can check out the tracks by visiting www.myspace.com/capcomunity.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix utilizes the original code from the arcade beat ‘em up hit, while upgrading the graphics with new artwork and high resolution 1080p images. All of the character animation and stage background art has been completely redrawn by Udon Entertainment, the company responsible for the US Street Fighter series of comics. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix includes both online and offline competition for one or two players.

Naturally, the game features all the familiar stages and fighters from the original, along with a few new features to give the game even more appeal with the next-gen gamer crowd. Look for it on PSN today.

Are you excited about Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix? If the answer to that question is “maybe” or “yes” then Capcom has some great news for you: some additional downloadable content related to the Xbox 360 version of the game. The special initiative, dubbed “Season of Street Fighter,” will see the release of some specially themed content for several Xbox Live Arcade titles, as well as some other multimedia content to be made available on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Capcom kicked off the “Season of Street Fighter” with the release of the Super Street Fighter Pinball FX downloadable pack, which added a new Street Fighter pinball table to the popular downloadable game on Xbox LIVE Arcade. The Street Fighter UNO DLC pack is also on the way, offering new Street Fighter Command Cards with signature Street Fighter power moves, as well as backgrounds and music inspired by Street Fighter. Capcom will also have another “little” surprise coming to the PlayStation Network later in the holiday season.

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