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TransGaming recently announced that EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 12 has been brought to the Mac platform using TransGaming’s Cider Mac enablement product. The Soccer sim features a new player impact physics engine, improved AI, tactical defending, and precision dribbling.

“This marks the first time ever that the best-selling FIFA Soccer franchise is being made available to the Mac gaming community, and it was made possible by our Cider enablement technology,” commented Vikas Gupta, CEO & President of TransGaming Inc. “Adding yet another complex, sophisticated game like FIFA Soccer 12 to the rapidly growing portfolio of Cider-enabled products proves once again that Cider is the pre-eminent solution that top-tier publishers look to for Mac platform enablement.”

“TransGaming’s unique Cider technology is the right enabler for us to bring a rich FIFA Soccer experience to fans all over the world,” said Kaz Makita, Vice President and Executive Producer with EA SPORTS. “We’re excited about bringing the world’s most popular sports video game to gamers on the Mac platform for the first time.”

TransGaming’s Cider Mac enablement product gives publishers the ability to quickly and cost-effectively enable their games on the high-growth Mac platform. FIFA Soccer 12 is an example of how quickly and easily sophisticated titles with complex online capabilities can be supported by Cider. TransGaming’s Cider has become an excellent enablement technology for many of the world's leading game publishers, including EA, to bring rich, authentic gaming experiences to the Mac platform.

About FIFA Soccer 12:

For the first time ever, the best-selling FIFA Soccer franchise is being made available on the Mac with FIFA Soccer 12!

Chosen Best Sports Game by E3 Game Critics, FIFA Soccer 12 brings to the pitch the game-changing new Player Impact Engine, a physics engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. Revolutionary gameplay innovations inspired by the real-world game make FIFA Soccer 12 deeper and more engaging. All-new Precision Dribbling creates a higher fidelity of touch on the ball for better control in tight spaces, more time to make decisions on attack, and more control over the pace of the game. Innovations in attack are balanced by a re-designed defending mechanism called Tactical Defending, which fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling. Plus, CPU players have been infused with Pro Player Intelligence, the next generation of player intelligence and performance.

Game Features:

PRO PLAYER INTELLIGENCE

CPU players have been infused with self-awareness and aptitude, enabling them to make decisions based on their own skills as well as the strengths and attributes of their teammates. Players who possess exceptional vision, for example, will see opportunities for through balls that other players won’t. Real Madrid’s Kaká will be more likely to pick out a run from a teammate farther away than a player with poorer vision. Additionally, teams will vary their attack based on the strengths of their players on the pitch, and the weaknesses of opposing players, creating a more authentic experience and greater variety of matches.

TACTICAL DEFENDING

Re-designed defending mechanism fundamentally changes the approach to defending by placing equal importance on positioning, intercepting passes and tackling at the right moment. Tactics and timing are crucial.

TRUE INJURIES

The Player Impact Engine monitors contact between players in real-time, analyzing the force of the collision and impact on the body to detect real injuries, creating a deeper more challenging Career Mode. Manage new types of injuries and the risk of sending a player onto the pitch who isn’t fully healed.

PLAYER IMPACT ENGINE

Two years in development, the new physics engine is built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch. Experience an infinite variety of natural and believable outcomes in every contact. Players feel more resilient on the ball, push and pull during the fight for possession, and recover from light challenges more easily, preserving their natural momentum.

PRECISION DRIBBLING

Enjoy new ways to take on opponents, more time on the ball to make decisions, and complete control of the pace of the game. Utilize close dribble touches in tight spaces, on the wings, and even while fending off an opponent.

Requirements:

• Mac OS® X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or higher
  
• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo processor
  This game will not run on PowerPC (G3/G4/G5) based Mac systems.
  
• 4 GB RAM or more
  
• ATI HD2600 or NVIDIA GeForce 9400M or greater with 256 MB of Video RAM.
  This game will not run on the Intel GMA 950 or X3100 class of video cards.

TransGaming

Electronic Arts

FIFA Soccer 12

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NCsoft and Paragon Studios have announced the launch of City of Heroes Freedom, the new gameplay model that offers existing and new players free access to the content found within the super hero themed MMO. Players are now able to reach level 50 for free, with extra content available for purchase.

“Our fans have come to expect great content and with City of Heroes Freedom we’ve clearly raised the bar by delivering the best game play we’ve ever developed, and giving players the choice to truly customize their gaming experience” said Brian Clayton, Executive Producer at Paragon Studios. “We aren’t just flipping a switch and going ‘Free-to-Play.’ We’re embarking on the biggest content and feature update to City of Heroes in its seven-year history.”

Starting today, the Freedom model allows all players to reach level 50 at no cost, while providing players with the option to purchase new content a la carte to build a one of a kind gaming experience. Kicking off this era of choice, reward and content is Issue 21: Convergence, ready for players as soon as they log in. Issue 21: Convergence and City of Heroes Freedom come packed with a whole new zone, Incarnate Trial, powers, costumes and more, including the new monthly Signature Story Arcs and the Paragon Rewards Program.

The launch of Issue 21: Convergence leads the charge of City of Heroes Freedom with a plethora of new content for eager participants. Below is what players will experience with City of Heroes Freedom today:

• New Zone: First Ward, the training and testing grounds for some of Praetoria’s most elite forces and sinister weapons, is where players will encounter all new threats, including the massive zone-wide event, the Seed of Hamidon.
  
• New Epic Challenges: The Underground Incarnate Trial takes place deep below the streets of Praetoria, in the secret lair of the Devouring Earth. Those strong enough to break through their stronghold may reach the devastating Avatar of Hamidon for a final showdown of epic proportions. Up to 28 players can team up to fight new menaces and unlock great rewards.
  
• New Power Sets and Costumes: Time Manipulation (free for VIP Players), Beam Rifle, and Street Justice represent just the beginning of new powers coming to players with City of Heroes Freedom, while the Barbarian and the Circle of Thorns Costume Sets, as well as the IDF and Defense Costume Sets(free for VIP Players) add even more options to the millions of customization options at a players’ fingertips.
  
• New Starting Experience: Puts new players right in the middle of the action, giving them access to all archetypes with no alignment restriction. During the new starting experience, players will have the opportunity determine whether they ally with the forces of good, or harness the powers of evil.
  
• New Missions: The debut of monthly Signature Story Arcs (free for VIP Players), enables players to play a key role in the main storyline as they fight alongside iconic heroes and villains and discover which of Paragon City’s premier heroes will die!
  
• New Rewards: The Paragon Rewards program is our way to thank players for investing City of Heroes and provides new and unique in-game rewards designed around each player’s unique tastes and play style.

NCsoft

TransGaming

City of Heroes

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Focus Interactive's Saving Private Sheep is now available for download and purchase from Macgamestore.com. In the action puzzler players must help General Sheepard save his woolen warriors by destroying obstacles in their path.

With Saving Private Sheep, put your brain cells and all your senses to the test as you overcome 148 levels in HD and help General Sheepard save his woolen warriors. Saving Private Sheep is a puzzle game, fun, simple and very addictive to play.

Help your woolen warrior to conquer enemy territory by leading him into the secure zone. To do this, you will need just one weapon: your computer mouse! Destroy the obstacles in the surrounding area to make your sheep to achieve its objective in total safety. Increasingly complex structures and special blocks (indestructible, explosive etc.) coming in a variety of shapes and with different actions will make your mission harder.

Saving Private Sheep offers gameplay accessible to any player, thanks to perfectly paced, progressive difficulty of over 148 levels. Combine logic, dexterity and strategy to achieve victory!

To extend the gaming experience, unlock the bonus levels, win the medals and achieve ultimate success in the game!

Features:

• Breath-taking HD graphics
  
• Easy gameplay with even greater precision
  
• Gradual increase in difficulty
  
• 148 levels
  
• Numerous elements available to unlock (levels, medals, success)

Requirements:

• Intel Mac
  
• Mac OS X 10.5 or later

Saving Private Sheep

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Inside Mac Games has posted a new review of The Polymomial - Space of the Music. Dmytry Lavrov's unique 3D spaceflight music game offers mathematically generated scenery and models set to music of the player's choosing.

Here's an excerpt:

You can also spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking the inputs or "seeds" for the mathematical processes that generate the visuals. As the accompanying text puts it: "The program will automatically try few hundreds of random sets of parameters starting from your seed until it finds something that may look cool. Press next until you find something you like." I will confess I am almost completely mathematically illiterate, but I still had a good time randomly generating all sorts of crazy glowing space noodles

IMG Review: The Polynomial

The Polynomial - Space Of The Music

Buy The Polynomial - Space Of The Music

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