Microsoft confirmed Friday that the software giant has shuttered ACES Studios, the developer of the Flight Simulator series of games, whose latest incarnation is Flight Simulator X. The simulation is considered Microsoft’s oldest product, whose original version first shipped in 1982.

However, a Microsoft spokeswoman said that while the studio has been closed, the software company remains committed to the Flight Simulator franchise, without explaining how future products can be launched without a dedicated software development team backing them.

“We can confirm the closing of ACES Studios, which was responsible for the Flight Simulator franchise,” Microsoft spokeswoman Kelda Rericha told Appscout. “Following our annual strategy review process, IEB [Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business unit] is making adjustments within our business to align our people against our highest priorities. The closure of ACES Studios was one of those specific changes.”

Rericha refused to disclose any further details regarding the future of the company. She did, however, suggest that the Flight Simulator series is likely to stick around in some form or another. “We are committed to the Flight Simulator franchise, which has proven to be a successful PC-based game for the last 27 years,” Rericha added. “You should expect us to continue to invest in enabling great Live experiences on Windows, including flying games, but we have nothing specific to announce at this time.”

Of course, the Flight Simulator franchise is a fairly broad one, and anything falling under the largely online Live umbrella would likely be fairly different than the game’s traditionally resource-intensive online incarnation.

“It’s definitely confusing; I wish I had more clarification on that that we could provide, Rericha added. “At this point, they’re just not talking about it yet – how the product will, and if the product will, live within Microsoft.”

Microsoft does not have a time frame on when it will provide additional information, Rericha added.

The most likely scenario seems that, like the rest of us, Microsoft is still attempting to assess exactly how such a large number of redundancies will affect its business strategy. Projects like Flight Simulator have likely been given a lower priority than, say, Windows or Office, and therefore their fates are still not entirely certain even in Redmond.

Numerous contractors also confirmed that they’d been let go in the ACES layoffs, including independent coders who were also fans of the series.

“One thing that every person at ACES will tell you is that the community and each of you in it mean the world to us for sharing our passion of flight, and so it really hurts that Gib and I can’t tell you more,” “PlaneEater, one of the affected contractors, wrote in a thread on SimOuthouse.com. “I was a FS fan before I joined the FS team, and being able to work on the sim we all love so much was a dream come true. I just want to thank everyone here for the time and passion they’ve poured into Flight Sim for so many years, and to let you all know that every person at ACES is in awe of how much the community cares about what we build.”

It seems unlikely that Flight Simulator will go away entirely, even if it means branding a Live game with the name, fans speculated.

Microsoft Shuts Down ‘Flight Simulator’ Game Studio – News and Analysis by PC Magazine

As introduced in Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, new moves include clinging onto branches during a jump using Indy’s whip. As a promotion, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga features Indy as an unlockable playable character.

The game often follows the events in the films, however like the Lego Star Wars series, some scenes from the film have been altered to become more family friendly or just provide comic relief to the player.

Development

In an effort to make the game more family friendly, all references to Nazis have been removed, and the game refers to Nazi characters simply as ‘enemies’. Also, at the climax of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the death of Belloq and the Nazis is not nearly as graphic. Also, in the Temple of Doom, Mola Ram does not rip out a victim’s heart.

It was initially reported that the game would allow up to four players in co-operative mode,[9] but this later turned out to be a miscommunication. While four characters may be visible on the screen, only two can be controlled by players. On the Nintendo DS, up to eight characters may be in the party, but only two may be visible on the screen. Neither the Xbox 360 version nor the PlayStation 3 version support online play through Xbox Live or the PlayStation Network.

Gameplay

The game follows the storylines from the original Indiana Jones films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and Last Crusade. However, the developers modified the storylines to fit the events into 6 game chapters per movie. Barnett College, Dr. Indiana Jones’ teaching location from the movies, serves as the main hub of the game, and different rooms allow access to each of the missions as well as the extra unlockable content and options. Once a player chooses a mission, a cutscene begins that introduces the section of the movie being played. Notable scenes have been recreated from the movies, such as the memorable boulder escape and the battle on the rope bridge, as well as Walter Donovan choosing the incorrect Holy Grail.

Instead of canisters like in Lego Star Wars, the characters collect treasure.

There are 83 regular characters in total plus the two custom figures which can be made by the players and a few extras only playable on certain levels. Each character featured in the game has his/her own unique ability, which are required to access new areas when replaying a level in Free Play mode. Lego Indiana Jones allows players to mix and match parts to customize characters and make their own creation like “Belloq Jones” or “Colonel Toht”. Unlike the Lego Star Wars custom characters, they can be taken control of in the Art room at Barnett College where they are created.[10]

New features were added to the gameplay from the Lego Star Wars series, such as the ability for the player to interact with objects in their environment, e.g. bottles, swords and guns. Players can also build and ride vehicles. The game also incorporates character phobias from the films; for example, if Indiana Jones sees a snake, Willie sees a spider (excluding giant tarantulas), or Henry Jones Senior or Elsa see a rat, they will be frozen with fear and have limited movement capacity until the animals are either gone or out of range. Also, new melee attacks, such as the Whip snag (trips enemies), have been added.

Once the game reaches 100%, studs begin and continue to fall from the sky of Barnett College.

Nintendo DS Gameplay

The handheld version has some significant changes to accommodate both the memory and size limitations of the DS as well as its unique touch screen controls. Characters’ special abilities, such as Indy’s whip or Satipo’s shovel, and elements such as switches can be controlled by using the touch screen. In addition, the built-in microphone comes into play, allowing the player to physically blow out torches in some levels and inflate rubber rafts to cross water hazards.

There are four classes of characters that can use special access panels to enter hidden areas; these all require the player to match a four block sequence by solving a mini-puzzle on the touch screen. Scholars can access scroll panels, and must flip pages in a book to find the correct blocks. Thuggee use red skull panels and move a torch to illuminate the blocks on a darkened screen. Military characters can use the green radio panels and scroll through a set of slot-machine wheels to match the pattern. Brotherhood characters enter the red sword panels and solve a block switching game. In addition, Marion (and Monkey Man) can transform into a monkey on special red pads to climb to otherwise inaccessible areas, and throw bottles of alcohol into flaming trash cans to blow up certain obstacles.

The DS version features cameos by Star Wars characters, including Wicket the Ewok and Luke frozen in an ice cave resembling the Wampa’s, but unlike the console versions none of the characters are playable. Santa Claus, Strong Man, Castle Knight, and the Clown are the only non-movie characters who are unlockable. There are also no hidden levels and no bonus reward for completing the game at 100%.

Red power bricks remain in the DS version, despite being replaced with red parcels in the console/PSP versions. Also, the characters do not suffer from fear of creatures as they do in the console versions.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Traveller’s Tales
• Publisher(s)  LucasArts
• Engine  Modified Lego Star Wars II engine
• Platform(s)  Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Wii, Xbox 360
• Release date(s)  NA June 3, 2008, EU June 6, 2008, AUS June 4, 2008
• Genre(s)  Action-adventure

Links

• Official site
• Games for Windows listing
• The Lego Indiana Jones Wiki

Gameplay

The Curious Village is a puzzle game, with the player controlling the movements of Professor Layton and his young assistant Luke around the village of St. Mystere to locate the “Golden Apple” and solving other mysteries that arise during their searching. St. Mystere is divided into several sections, which the player can move between, though some sections are inaccessible until certain parts of the story have been advanced or they have met a minimum requirement of number of puzzles solved. The player can talk to characters or investigate objects on screen by tapping them. In many cases, the characters will ask Layton and Luke to try to solve a puzzle; there are also hidden puzzles that can be found by investigating certain objects. As the story progresses, if the player has not solved some of the puzzles made available by talking to characters, these will be collected at a special location so the player may still attempt them.

Puzzles include brain teasers, sliding puzzles, logic puzzles and others. The player is presented with the puzzle and the value of the puzzle in “picarats”, and is given unlimited time to solve it. Each puzzle has three hints available for it, but the player must spend one “hint coin” to see each hint. Hint coins are limited; the player starts with ten, and more are available by searching around the village. Once the player feels he has the answer, he enters it, either by selecting an answer, drawing a circle around a specific part, or entering the answer through character recognition on the DS’s touchscreen. If the player is correct, the picarats are added to his total score, and he is sometimes rewarded with an item. If the player is incorrect, they can retry the puzzle indefinitely, though the first two times they are wrong, the value of the puzzle will decrease by approximately ten percent each time. Optionally, a player can quit a puzzle at no cost and try another, though certain puzzles are mandatory to progress. Once a puzzle is completed, the player may retry it at any time via the game’s menus.

As a reward for completing a puzzle, the player may earn one of three rewards. Gizmos are collected in order to create a robot dog that can help sniff out hint coins for the player. Pieces of a portrait can be assembled as in a jigsaw puzzle. Pieces of furniture can be distributed between Layton’s and Luke’s rooms at the inn to try to satisfy the overall happiness of both. By completing all 120 puzzles in the main game and each of these additional puzzles, the player can access 15 additional puzzles accessible as a bonus item in the game. The game is compatible with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, allowing players to connect to the internet and unlock new puzzles. The first unlockable puzzle was made available on the day of the game’s Japanese release, and one new key has been released every week thereafter. A new key is released every Sunday. There is also a “The Hidden Door” that is only available after the player finds a unique code in the sequel Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box that contains development art of the characters in the game.

A playable demo of The Curious Village is available on its official website.

Plot

Specific order of events in the game will vary depending on choices that the player has made during the game, but the overall plot remains unchanged.

The game opens with Professor Layton and Luke driving to the town of St. Mystere by request of Lady Dahlia, widow of the late Baron Reinhold. The Baron has left in his last will and testament that whoever solves the mystery of the Golden Apple would inherit the Baron’s fortunes, and several people have attempted and failed. The two enter the town, and find that most of the population is fond of puzzles and brain teasers, both which Layton and Luke are adept at solving. They also see a large, haphazard tower that occupies one side of town that no one can get to, but that people keep hearing strange noises emanating from at night. Layton and Luke meet Lady Dahlia, other family members including Simon, and their servants, but before they can discuss the matter further, a loud exploding sound is heard and Dahlia’s cat Claudia flees out of the door. Layton and Luke chase Claudia through town, solving puzzles along the way. Meanwhile, a strange soot covered man plots a deadly plan against the heroes. Eventually they discover the cats fondness for fish and tempt her back with one. upon returning to the mansion, Layton and Luke to find that Simon has been murdered and the case is already under investigation by Inspector Chelmey. Chelmey initially suspects the two, but as their alibi holds up, lets them go, but tells them to stay of out of the murder investigation. However, Layton cannot help to notice a small gearwheel near Simon’s body.

As Layton and Luke continue their search for the Golden Apple, they witness the kidnapping of one of Dahlia’s servants, Ramon.a strange man stuffs Ramon into a bag; they give chase but are unable to catch him, though they do find another gearwheel similar to the one before. However, they are befuddled as the next day, Ramon is back as if nothing had happened. They continue to explore the town, eventually led to the town’s abandoned amusement park by a young girl met at the dead end. As they explore the Ferris wheel, the sinister figure from earlier uses a remote to tear the wheel from its moorings, sending it chasing after Layton and Luke, who barely escape as the wheel smashed through a locked building. Exploring the wreckage, they find a key shaped similar to the tower, and Layton gets an idea of what’s going on in the village. The two return to face Chelmey, who Layton realizes is an impostor. The man reveals himself as Layton’s arch-enemy, Don Paolo, seeking the Golden Apple for himself and who tried to use the Ferris wheel to knock Layton out of the picture; Paolo escapes before Layton can capture him.

With Luke in tow, Layton heads for the tower, using the key to unlock a secret wall in the dead end. Inside, they discover the man that previously had kidnapped Ramon, named Bruno. Layton exposes the truth with Bruno’s help; all the residents of St. Mystere are robots, created by the Baron and Bruno to challenge the wits of anyone seeking the Golden Apple, explaining why all the townsfolks were obsessed with puzzles. Simon wasn’t murdered, only that he malfunctioned; similarly, Bruno kidnapped Ramon in order to perform repairs. Having solved the puzzle of St. Mystere, Layton and Luke climb the tower, solving puzzles and meeting minor characters along the way. Eventually, the pair reaches the top of the tower, and much to their surprise, find a small house there. Inside, the young girl from before awaits. She reveals herself as Flora, the only daughter of the Baron, and was the Golden Apple that the robots were protecting. However, this realisation is short-lived as Paolo returns in a flying machine, and starts demolishing the tower. Luke escapes down the stairs, but Layton is forced to improvise a glider to take Flora and himself to safety as the tower collapses. the villain swears revenge and leaves. the three are safe in town and as Flora laughs in happiness an apple like birthmark can be seen on her shoulder. As they regroup at the Reinhold manor, Layton realizes that there’s more than just Flora as the treasure, as the birthmark points to the Baron’s riches. Luke finds a switch on the portrait of Flora which leads to a secret room filled with gold. A note from the Baron congratulates those that had followed the clues, and tells Flora to take the treasure, warning that if it is taken, all the robots will stop functioning. Flora opts to leave it as a way to repay the robots for their years of service to protect her and as her friends. As the game ends, Layton, Luke and Flora leave St. Mystere, having not taken the treasure, allowing the residents to continue on with their lives. Flora leaves the village with Layton and Luke. the three (and other characters)are shown laughing and living together during the game credits.

As the first part of a trilogy, the main story ends with a “to be continued” message with a picture of Luke and Layton at a train station.

More Information

• Developer(s)  Level-5
• Publisher(s)  JP Level-5, Other regions Nintendo
• Series  Professor Layton
• Platform(s)  Nintendo DS
• Release date(s)  JP 15 February, 2007, NA 10 February, 2008, AUS 10 April, 2008, KR 11 September, 2008, EU 7 November, 2008
• Genre(s)  puzzle

Links

• Official website
• Italian official website

Grand Theft Auto IV (winner)
Gears of War 2
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LittleBigPlanet

* Studio of the Year:

Media Molecule (winner)
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* Best RPG:

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* Best Individual Sports Game:

Shaun White Snowboarding (winner)
Skate It
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* Best Handheld Game:

Professor Layton and the Curious Village (winner)
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Patapon
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* Best Graphics:

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* Best Game Based on a Movie or TV Show:

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* Best Music Game:

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* Best Driving Game:

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* Best Action Adventure Game:

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* Best Soundtrack:

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* Best Wii Game:

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* Best PC Game:

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Crysis Warhead
Spore

* Best Original Score:

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (winner)
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Spore
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* Best Multiplayer Game:

Left 4 Dead (winner)
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Resistance 2
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* Best Independent game:

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PixelJunk Eden
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Audiosurf

* Best Fighting Game:

Soulcalibur IV (winner)
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit
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Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe

* Best Male Voice:

Michael Hollick as Niko Bellic in Grand Theft Auto IV (winner)
Stephen Fry as “The Narrator” in LittleBigPlanet
David Hayter as “Old Snake” in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Jason Zumwalt as “Roman Bellic” in Grand Theft Auto IV

* Best Female Voice:

Debi Mae West as Meryl Silverburgh in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (winner)
Keeley Hawes as “Lara Croft” in Tomb Raider: Underworld
Paula Tiso as “Silvia Christel” in No More Heroes
Nathalie Cox as “Juno Eclipse” in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

* Big Name in the Game Male:

Kiefer Sutherland as Sgt. Roebuck in Call of Duty: World at War (winner)
Liam Neeson as “Father” in Fallout 3
Ricky Gervais as “Himself” in Grand Theft Auto IV
Daniel Craig as “James Bond” in Quantum of Solace

* Big Name in the Game Female:

Jenny McCarthy as Special Agent Tanya Adams in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 (winner)
Dame Judi Dench as “M” in Quantum of Solace
Eliza Dushku as “Shaundi” from Saints Row 2
Liv Tyler as “Betty Ross” in The Incredible Hulk

* Best Team Sports Game:

NHL 09
Fifa Soccer 09
NBA 2K9
Madden NFL 09

Spike Video Game Awards – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1. Cursor*10
2. QWOP
3. Top Spinner
4. Dino Run
5. Ginormo Sword
6. Minotaur China Shop
7. Gravity Hook
8. Rose and Camellia (Shockwave version)
9. Maverick
10. Robokill

Indiegames.com – showcasing the best in independent games.

Whether you fancy rescuing the princess, assassinating the president or saving the world, we’ve got everyone’s wishes covered. We humbly present to you IndieGames.com’s special feature on some of the best action and arcade games released in the past twelve months.

1. 8bit killer
2. Rescue: The Beagles
3. Aether
4. Calamity Annie
5. Destructivator
6. Thrustburst
7. You Found the Grappling Hook
8. You Have to Burn the Rope
9. ROM Check Fail
10. Samurai Railroad Mansion
11. Virtual Silence
12. Cubes
13. Facewound
14. Pro Killer Man
15. Skullpogo
16. Night of the Cephalopods
17. Karateka Mania
18. Devil Ronin
19. Ropor
20. I Was in the War

Indiegames.com – showcasing the best in independent games.

1. Soundless Mountain II
2. Voxelstein 3D
3. 3D Starstrike
4. Left 4k Dead
5. Guru Logic Champs
6. Rock Boshers
7. Ultimate Bruce Lee
8. Kung Fu 2
9. The Eggyard
10. Scramble

Indiegames.com – showcasing the best in independent games.

Mac and Linux versions of the AGS engine are available.

1. Dirty Split
2. Life of D. Duck II
3. The Vacuum
4. Fedora Spade Episode 4: The Last Job
5. Yume Nikki
6. Quest for Glory II: Trial by Fire
7. Broken Sword 2.5: The Return of the Templars
8. Gun Mute
9. NES Quest
10. Nanobots
11. Sydney Treads the Catwalk
12. Ben Jordan Case 7: The Cardinal Sins
13. Limey Lizard: Waste Wizard
14. Beauties and Beasts
15. Chatroom
16. Questionaut
17. Everybody Dies
18. DayMare Town 2
19. Pragaras
20. The Maze of Madness

Indiegames.com – showcasing the best in independent games.

The electronics giant is locked in a battle with Nintendo Co.’s Wii and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 for control of the videogame-console market. The cost cuts could help stanch the hardware red ink at Sony, which sold the previous-generation PS3 at a significant loss, making up for it with game-title sales and royalties.

Integration and key changes in components has brought the latest PS3’s cost down to $448.73 from $690.23 for the first-generation model, said iSuppli.

The PS3 sells for about $399 in the U.S., at least $150 more than Wii and Xbox 360. However, the PS3 accounted for 16% of global videogame-unit shipments in the second quarter of 2008, second only to Nintendo’s Wii, which accounted for 54% of the market.

Andrew Rassweiler of iSuppli predicted the PS3 may be able to break even in 2009 with further hardware revisions.

Part of the decline in cost is the result of “the normal learning curve and supply/demand factors that bring component prices down over time,” iSuppli said.

Also, integration of components into the core silicon of the PS3 cut the number of individual parts to an estimated 2,820 from 4,048 in the previous-generation model with a 60-gigabyte hard drive.

The cost estimate of $448.73 doesn’t include software, box contents and royalty expenses.

WSJ.com

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock Voldemort’s defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.

Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she hadn’t counted on Romilda Vane’s chocolates! And then there’s Hermione, simmering with jealously but determined not to show her feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air, but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

In the game of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players will return to Hogwarts to help Harry survive a fraught sixth year. They will also have a chance to engage in exciting wizard duels, mix and brew magical ingredients in Potions class and take to the air to lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Players may even get sidetracked by Ron’s romantic entanglements as they journey towards a dramatic climax and discover the identity of the Half-Blood Prince.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Achievements:

1. Grime Buster: Clean up after Fred and George at The Burrow – (10)
2. Used the Pensieve: View Dumbledore’s first memory of Tom Riddle in the Pensieve – (10)
3. Quidditch Captain: Assemble the Gryffindor Quidditch Team – (10)
4. Great Party: Create a great Christmas party for Slughorn – (10)
5. Good Deed: Help the student retrieve her stolen Gobstone – (20)
6. Great Mate: Help Ron avoid Lavender – (20)
7. Hidden the Book: Hide the Half-Blood Prince’s Potions Book – (20)
8. Portrait Novice: Use your first portrait shortcut – (10)
9. Portrait Pro: Use all of the portrait shortcuts – (20)
10. Adventure completed: Conclude the adventure – (100)
11. Crest Collector 1: Complete Crest Collector Level 1 – (10)
12. Crest Collector 2: Complete Crest Collector Level 2 – (10)
13. Crest Collector 3: Complete Crest Collector Level 3 – (10)
14. Crest Collector 4: Complete Crest Collector Level 4 – (10)
15. Crest Collector 5: Complete Crest Collector Level 5 – (20)
16. Crest Collector 6: Complete Crest Collector Level 6 – (20)
17. Crest Collector 7: Complete Crest Collector Level 7 – (20)
18. Crest Collector 8: Complete Crest Collector Level 8 – (20)
19. Crest Collector 9: Complete Crest Collector Level 9 – (30)
20. Crest Collector 10: Complete Crest Collector Level 10 – (30)
21. Crest Collector 11: Complete Crest Collector Level 11 – (30)
22. Crest Collector 12: Complete Crest Collector Level 12 (40)
23. Crest Collector 13: Complete Crest Collector Level 13 (50)
24. Crest Collector 14: Complete Crest Collector Level 14 – (60)
25. Potions Beginner: Earn the Potions Beginner’s Luck Badge – (10)
26. Speedy Brewer Badge: Earn the Speedy Brewer Badge – (10)
27. Potions Club Star: Earn the Potions Club Star Badge – (10)
28. Potions Club Veteran: Earn the Potions Club Veteran Badge – (20)
29. Master Potioneer: Earn the Master Potioneer Badge (50)
30. Duelling Beginner: Earn the Duelling Beginner’s Luck Badge – (10)
31. Reflex Badge: Earn the Reflex Badge – (10)
32. Duelling Champion: Earn the Duelling Club Champion Badge – (10)
33. Duelling Veteran: Earn the Duelling Veteran Badge – (20)
34. Master Duellist Badge: Earn the Master Duellist Badge (50)
35. Quidditch Beginner: Earn the Quidditch Beginner’s Luck Badge – (10)
36. Precision Flyer Badge: Earn the Precision Flyer Badge – (10)
37. Combo Flyer Badge: Earn the Combo Flyer Badge – (10)
38. Keen Flyer Badge: Earn the Keen Flyer Badge – (20)
39. Master of Flying: Earn the Master of Flying Badge (50)
40. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement. – (20)
41. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement. – (20)
42. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement. – (30)
43. Secret Achievement: Continue playing to unlock this secret achievement (40)

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, developed by EA Bright Light Studio, is scheduled for release later this year to coincide with the Warner Bros. Pictures film based on J.K. Rowling’s sixth Harry Potter book. on Wii„ PS3, X360, PS2, PSP, NDS and PC.