Author: Andy Taylor

Electronic Arts today announced a lineup of 27 titles that will be available for the Holiday Season! The Titles cover different platforms and different genres. Here is the list from EA

ARMY OF TWO

Combat. Camaraderie. Cash. Master two-man combat with a live or AI partner to form the deadliest private military partnership a government can buy. Preorder Army of Two this holiday on the Xbox 360, and gamers will receive exclusive community created weapons. Pre-order Army of Two on the PLAYSTATION 3 and receive an exclusive dossier including hints and content from the graphic novel.

Release date: November 13
Platforms: Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
MSRP: $59.99

BOOGIE
Shake it. Sing it. Create it. The ultimate party package for gamers of all ages, Boogie on the PlayStation 2 and Wii will have players dancing, singing and creating music videos to hit songs from over four decades. Players can even take their dancing act on the road with Boogie on the Nintendo DS. This version offers unique dancing modes including 3D gameplay using the 3D glasses packed in the retail box as well as mini-games not found on the consoles.

Release date: November 15, 2007 (PlayStation 2/ Nintendo DS), August 2007 (Wii)
Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: E10+
MSRP: $59.99 (Wii) and $49.99 (PlayStation 2) – includes microphone; $29.99 (Nintendo DS) – includes 3D glasses

COMMAND & CONQUER™ SAGA
Experience Command & Conquer™ like never before with The Command & Conquer™ Saga —thirteen Command & Conquer games spanning three generations of the series in a single package! This massive compilation spans over a dozen Command & Conquer games including the award-winning Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars™ and all the titles featured in Command & Conquer™ The First Decade. Available in North America this October for the PC, The Command & Conquer Saga marks the largest PC franchise compilation to date.

Release date: October
Platform: PC
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
MSRP: $49.99
CRYSIS
Get ready to break out your Nanosuits! Powered by Crytek’s CryENGINE™ 2, Crysis is a technical achievement featuring stunning visuals, cunning gameplay and an epic storyline. One of the year’s most anticipated first person shooters, Crysis is set to set a new bar for the way FPS’ look and play on November 16th. Fans should be sure to grab the Crysis Special Edition, featuring a 16-page book full of concept art, an exclusive in-game vehicle and a bonus disc with behind the scenes footage from Crytek.

Release date: November 16
Platform: PC
ESRB Rating: Rating Pending
MSRP: $49.99, $59.99 for the Special Edition

EA PLAYGROUND
EA Playground captures the exuberance and nostalgia of your neighborhood playground, turning your gaming space into an arena of interactive fun with immersive activities designed for kids, and the kid inside all of us. It smartly delivers all your playground favorites on the Wii and Nintendo DS. Every game is easy to pick-up-and-play and uniquely capitalizes on the control mechanics of both platforms.

Release date: October 23
Platforms: Wii and Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
MSRP: $39.99 (Wii) and $29.99 (Nintendo DS)
FIFA SOCCER 08
FIFA Soccer 08 challenges players to master the skills required to play like a pro soccer player by introducing a new mode called Be A Pro: Offline Training. Be A Pro locks you into the role of a single, fixed player the entire game and challenges you to master the same disciplines as a real soccer player—from positioning and tackling to reading the field and passing. Users receive real time feedback and analysis on the fly and a unique camera angle keeps both player and action in focus, zooming in when you’re on attack. Featuring new Pro Skills moves that enables you to combine tricks and skill moves together to recreate signature moves from the real-world superstars and the inclusion of 576 licensed teams, 30 leagues, and more than 15,000 players.

Release date: October 9
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS, PC and mobile
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $59.99 (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3), $49.99 (Wii), $39.99 (PC, PlayStation 2 and PSP); $29.99 for Nintendo DS

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
Harry is tasked to help fellow students in “Dumbledore’s Army” fight against the Dark Arts, preparing the courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle which lies ahead. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

Release date: Available now
Platforms: PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Game Boy® Advance, PC, Mac and mobile
ESRB Rating: E 10+ for the PSP, Mac, PlayStation 2, Wii, and Xbox 360; E for Everyone for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $39.99 for PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360, $29.95 for the Mac, $29.99 for PlayStation 2, Wii and PSP, $19.99 for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance, $19.99 for the PC, and as low as $3.49 for mobile

HELLGATE: LONDON
It’s 2038 and London has been decimated by hordes of horrifying demons — you are the only thing standing between them and the extinction of mankind. From the core team behind the global blockbuster Diablo comes Hellgate: London, the next benchmark for the action RPG genre coming to PCs this Halloween. Hardcore Hellgate fans can also pick up the Collector’s Edition featuring an exclusive in-game pet, the Dark Horse graphic novel, a bonus disc featuring a “Making of the Game” documentary and the complete game soundtrack!

Release date: October 31
Platforms: PC
ESRB Rating: M for Mature
MSRP: $49.99, $59.99 for the Collector’s Edition
Subscription price (optional): $9.95/month

MADDEN NFL 08
Feel what it’s like to be a field general making key personnel decisions on both sides of the ball during the game’s biggest moments in Madden NFL 08. Quickly identify the strongest players on the field before every snap then move them into position to make game-changing, momentum-altering plays. Play to your team’s strengths by immediately reading your opponent’s schemes and reacting to the action as soon as the ball is snapped. Create mismatches and exploit weaknesses as you read and react with Madden NFL 08.

Release date: Available now
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube™, PSP, Nintendo DS, PC, Mac and mobile
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, $49.99 for Wii, $39.99 for PlayStation 2, PSP, Xbox, PC and Mac; $29.99 for Nintendo DS

MEDAL OF HONOR AIRBORNE
Get ready to get airborne! For the first time in an FPS game, players airdrop into combat from a C-47 and land anywhere in an open battlefield. The first step is everything and the player’s landing spot can dramatically change the course of battle. Conflict on the ground offers unprecedented tactical choice in vertical, open battle spaces with a wealth of attack routes and flanking opportunities.

Release date: Available now for Xbox 360 and PC; November for PLAYSTATION 3
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PC and mobile
ESRB Rating: T for Teen; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3; $49.99 for PC; As low as $3.49 for mobile

MEDAL OF HONOR HEROES 2
Designed from the ground up for the Wii and PSP, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 puts all the action of WWII into your hands. Battle enemies in a full-length single player campaign, or choose to jump online anytime, anywhere, for 32-player multiplayer action! Featuring innovative combat controls and gestures built specifically for the Wii, plus full support of Nintendo’s Wii Zapper.

Release date: November 13
Platforms: Wii and PSP
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
MSRP: $49.99 for Wii and $39.99 for PSP

MYSIMS
MySims is the first game in a revolutionary new product line from the developers of the blockbuster franchise The Sims that allows players to build a town, grow a community and discover a world of their own. Created especially for the Wii and Nintendo DS platforms MySims gives players to ability to unleash their creativity in every aspect of the game – from building furniture and one-of-a-kind homes to creating characters with crazy hairstyles and cool new clothing.

Release date: September 20
Platforms: Wii and Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
MSRP: $49.99 for Wii; $39.99 for Nintendo DS
NBA LIVE 08

When the game is on the line and the ball is in your hands, what will you do? Will you penetrate, drive the lane and rise above the rim for a monster dunk, or find an opening on the perimeter and sink a game-winning three? Take control of the game with a full arsenal to win the one-on-one match-up from every spot on the floor. Building upon a solid foundation of 5-on-5 gameplay, NBA LIVE 08 introduces a set of 4 all-new features – Quickstrike Ballhandling, own the paint, hot spots and signature go-to moves to increase user control, while providing an unrivaled level of authenticity to the sport of basketball. Now you can dominate with your Go-
To Move with NBA LIVE 08.

Release date: October 2
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP, PC and mobile
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3; $49.99 for Wii, $39.99 for PlayStation 2, PSP and PC; As low as $2.49 for mobile

NCAA FOOTBALL 08
Put your heart, hustle and toughness on the line and lead your program to the BCS National Championship Game in NCAA® Football 08. With all-new Leadership Control, boost the motivation level of your teammates by taking control and making big plays. Featuring an all-new Campus Legend mode and an even deeper Dynasty Mode, put your coaching prowess and integrity to the ultimate test. With all-new My Shrine, Home Field Advantage, and exciting new plays like the Statue of Liberty NCAA Football 08 is everything that’s great about college football. What kind of legacy will you leave?

Release date: Available now
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
MSRP: $59.99 (Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3), $39.99 (PlayStation 2 and Xbox)

NEED FOR SPEED PROSTREET
Need for Speed ProStreet is a racing experience like no other. For the first time, you’re designing and building a car, competing in iconic locations from around the globe and battling in four distinct racing styles – grip, drag, drift and the all-new speed challenge. This holiday, preorder Need for Speed ProStreet to unlock the Subaru Impreza WRX STi; then using the all-new Blueprints demo, gamers can customize their ride at www.needforspeed.com (beginning October 15). Once Need for Speed ProStreet is released, upload the ultimate driving machine straight into the game and begin racing.

Release date: November 14
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PC and mobile
ESRB Rating: Rating Pending; (E for Everyone confirmed for Nintendo DS); no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3; $49.99 for Wii, $39.99 for PlayStation 2 and PC, $29.99 for Nintendo DS; as low as $4.99 for mobile

NHL 08
EA SPORTS – pioneers in the Golden Age of hockey videogames – continues to lead the charge in the next gen era with advancements in AI intelligence, innovative controls, online depth and an unmatched level of authenticity to the sport. The revolutionary Skill Stick System evolves in NHL 08 and delivers an unparalleled level of control. An all-new deking system enables you to move the puck off your stick, to walk around a defender and give you space in front to challenge the goalie. Enhanced analog speed control and a new skating engine give you the precision and fluidity to play like you would on the ice. With unlimited control, unmatched depth and infinite possibilities, no game is ever the same with NHL 08.

Release date: Available now
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, PC
ESRB Rating: E10+
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3; $39.99 for PC; $29.99 for PlayStation 2

ORCS & ELVES
The award-winning fantasy RPG mobile game, created by the legendary id Software™ and developed by Fountainhead Entertainment comes to the Nintendo DS. Enhanced with more levels, weapons and fierce foes, Orcs & Elves offers a breathtaking dungeon-crawling experience for any fantasy RPG gamer. As a young half-elf, a player will explore a massive Dwarven fortress riddled with ancient treasure, powerful weapons, and waves of ruthless enemies, on a quest to expel the ultimate evil from the mountain’s core.

Release date: November 13
Platforms: Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
MSRP: $29.99

ORCS & ELVES II
From the creators of DoomRPG™, Orcs & Elves II continues the epic story from the original game. Journey to a place filled with adventure, where heroes are born and legends are made! Explore foreign towns, mysterious caverns & haunted forests. Battle strange & mythical beasts with an arsenal of powerful and enchanted weapons. Orcs & Elves II combines the best of first-person action and fast-paced tactical RPG gameplay. The second mobile installment of the first-person adventure from id Software and Fountainhead Entertainment.

Release date: November
Platforms: Mobile
ESRB Rating: no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: As low as $3.49 for mobile

PICTIONARY®
Ready, set, draw! Enjoy the classic, beloved game of quick draw® on your phone. Play solo, and guess what your phone’s drawing, or enjoy the fun of networked multiplayer*, competing with up to four people in teams of two. Take turns playing as artist or guesser. Simple interface makes it easy for you to sketch with a pencil, paint bucket, shapes and stamps. Erase a portion, or delete the whole. Challenge your word imagination and your creativity. Pick up your phone for a rousing round of Mattel’s Pictionary®.

Release date: December
Platforms: Mobile
ESRB Rating: no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: As low as $3.49 for mobile

ROCK BAND
Awarded “Best of Show” at E3, Harmonix and MTV Games’ Rock Band is an all-new platform for gamers and music lovers to interact with and experience music, giving players the chance to rock in the shoes of the biggest guitarists, bassists, drummers and singers of all time – as a solo superstar or as part of a hard rocking band, in person or online. Built on unprecedented deals with top record labels and music publishers, Rock Band spans all genres of rock and includes many master recordings from legendary artists ranging from Metallica to The Who. Rock Band is developed by Harmonix, published by MTV Games, distributed by EA Partners.

Release date: November 20 for PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360, December 11 for PlayStation 2
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
MSRP: Special Edition $169.99 (including software, guitar, drums, microphone) for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3; Special Edition $159.99 (including software, guitar, drums, microphone) for PlayStation 2

SIMCITY SOCIETIES
SimCity Societies allows players to construct not only the cities they desire, but create their cultures, societal behaviors and environments as well. Build an artistic city, green city, spiritual community or most any society you want! Using the accessible, innovative and versatile city-builder, players can create their own kind of city in SimCity Societies.

Release date: November 13, 2007
Platforms: PC and mobile
ESRB Rating: E10+; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $49.99 for PC, As low as $3.49 for mobile

SKATE
EA’s critically acclaimed SKATE videogame is the closest thing to skateboarding without actually putting your feet on a board. With innovative Flickit controls that take advantage of the dual analog sticks, SKATE delivers a fresh, new and authentic boarding experience like no other videogame.

Release date: Available now
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and mobile
ESRB Rating: T for Teen; no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3; as low as $3.49 for mobile

SMARTY PANTS
How smart are you? Do you know more than your Grandma about world history? Does your little sister know more than your Dad about sports? Find out this holiday when Smarty Pants, the first Wii trivia game, ships to stores nationwide. Smarty Pants finally levels the playing field for people of all ages, allowing simultaneous play using age-targeted trivia plus action-based gestures, making it a truly trans-generational game made exclusively for the Wii. Tailoring questions to the contestant’s age, gamers from eight to eighty can join in on the fun all at the same time. Exciting Wii gestures make everything a game, from spinning the category wheel and tug-of-wars over correct answers, to “dance-offs” for additional points. With both competitive and collaborative game modes and 20,000 questions in multiple categories, the fun
is virtually endless!

Release date: November 19
Platforms: Wii
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
MSRP: $49.99

THE ORANGE BOX
The Orange Box delivers five innovative action games from Valve – creators of the blockbuster Half-Life® franchise, in one box. The Orange Box includes Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal™ and Team Fortress® 2 in addition to full versions of award-winning Half-Life 2 and Half-Life 2: Episode One for the most complete first-person action experience anywhere. Gamers who pre-order The Orange Box from select retailers will receive $5 dollars off the game. In addition, gamers who pre-purchase the PC version from select retailers will be admitted into the Team Fortress 2 beta.

Release date: October 9 for the PC and Xbox 360, Holiday 2007 for PLAYSTATION 3
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 and PC
ESRB Rating: Teen to Mature
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, $49.99 for PC

THE SIMS DJ
Get into the groove with The Sims™ DJ! Create your Sim, and make your own music by mixing a wide selection of samples. Compose unique songs in multiple genres like Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, and Dance. Lay down your rhythm tracks, hit the clubs and rock the house. Watch the Sims crowds dance to your best beats on your fun journey to DJ superstardom. Share your new tunes with your friends – create ringtones from your original songs and save to your phone!

Release date: December
Platforms: Mobile
ESRB Rating: no ESRB rating for mobile
MSRP: As low as $3.49

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR® 08
Take on the world in Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08. For the first time ever, every portion of your game is recorded—from the first tee box in Play Now mode to your final putt in a FedEx Cup tournament. Post your most amazing—and unthinkable—performances on EA SPORTS™ GamerNet, a revolutionary interactive gaming hub that hosts user-created content online. Set the bar high by posting your top moments or take on challenges set by others to determine who truly is the world’s greatest golfer. Whether you’re uploading an unbeatable round or the craziest shot, take the world by storm with Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08.
Release date: Available now
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, PSP, PC, Mac
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, $49.99 for Wii, $39.99 for PlayStation 2, PSP, PC and Mac; $29.99 for Nintendo DS
And of course…

THE SIMPSONS GAME
This year, The Simpsons celebrated their eighteenth season finale with the airing of their 400th episode followed in July with the long-awaited first feature film, which to-date has become a worldwide box office phenomenon. Now fans of this multi-award-winning TV show are ready for the next major milestone this year: THE SIMPSONS GAME. THE SIMPSONS GAME recently announced their pre-order campaign with exclusive parody posters and limited edition Homerball as well as their Xbox LIVE Demo of the in-game episode Shadow of the Colossal Donut.

Release date: October 30
Platforms: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii, and Nintendo DS
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
MSRP: $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3, $49.99 for Wii, $39.99 for PlayStation 2 and PSP, $29.99 for Nintendo DS

It’s been a nutty week as we decided last weekend to move the TechtalkRadio site from Web.Com to Go Daddy. Part of the decision to move the site came from a price increase at the site we had been with since it was Interland back in 1997. I understand that companies have to pay for new technology but when you get nothing new, it’s time to start looking. One would think that with Offshore Customer service, they could afford to increase the storage, add features..no, we seem to have gained little with the company we had always given high marks to.

Go Daddy is an interesting company as over the last 5 years they have become a giant in Domain Registration. The offered a smaller price compared to Network Solutions and made the process easy and soft on the wallet. We had heard though that GoDaddy was not a company for hosting and your best bet was Domain Registration with Go Daddy and hosting with another company. After trying some hosting of other accounts at 1 and 1, which was a totally awful experience, we decided to give GoDaddy a try.

This was one of the best moves we’ve made! Go Daddy service agents are the easiest to understand and they do their best to help and truly support the product. We also are saving a great deal of money with our hosting which allows us to purchase extras that we didn’t have before. We have gone from a 5GB site to 200GB, not that we have gotten close to the 5GB, upward and forward – this is good to have.

The problems though, came this week, when we finally decided to move the site. After hosting the TechtalkRadio test pages for the last couple of weeks, we decided the speed was just as good as web and the load was handled no problem. Originally we were going to stay with Network Solutions however after some customer service that we couldn’t understand due to the langauge barrier and that had us questioning the answer more then our original question we decided to move the entire package.

Five days later, our site is back up!! The problem came when we had started the process and then realized our Mail Server settings we’re not correct! We went in and adjusted them through the Network Solutions panel, throwing out our DNS information in the middle of the change, when this happens – you can’t do anything till the site is transferred which is 5 days! Luckily it’s done, and the problems are behind us. I just wish we would have looked at GoDaddy sooner and that we would have known about the timing issues when moving the site. Probably our error on a couple of counts.