Game On!

FAIRFAX, Va. – August 6, 2008 - Hot on the heels of spectacular showings at E3 and Comic-Con, Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that fans will be able to enter the gritty fantasy world of Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) on September 18th, 2008 when the highly-anticipated MMORPG goes live. After three years in development by Virginia-based Mythic Entertainment, WAR will open its North American, European and Oceanic servers and offer players a variety of flexible subscription options. Gamers who pre-order WAR in North American will enjoy special benefits including open beta admission, a live game head start, and bonus in-game items.

Based on Games Workshop’s epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, WAR is a unique MMORPG that features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) gameplay that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict for years to come. WAR has been recognized for its unique play style that appeals to novice MMO players while offering incredible depth for more seasoned players.

Consumer demand for WAR is mounting with all units of the game’s Collector’s Edition having been pre-sold in North America. In addition, the title is receiving significant media attention, picking up numerous critic awards at this year’s E3, including “Best PC Game” from G4’s XPlay, “Best MMO” from IGN and Voodoo Extreme, and “Top 10 PC Game” from GameSpy, as well as being nominated for the prestigious Game Critic’s Awards “Best PC Game”.

“The countdown has officially begun. Mark your calendars! September 18th is the Day of Reckoning,” said Mark Jacobs, founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “For the last three years, the entire team at Mythic has poured their hearts into making Warhammer Online the next great MMORPG. We are so excited to open up this world and share it with the fans that will live in it, quest in it, go to war in it and make it come alive.”

Fans looking forward to laying siege to their enemy’s capital city will have several pricing options available, beginning with a $14.99 monthly subscription. Additionally, collectible 30- and 60-day prepaid Game Time™ Cards will be available at many game retailers. WAR subscription options include:

* Monthly Subscription: $14.99 USD

* 3-Month Subscription: $41.97 ($13.99 per month)
* 6-Month Subscription: $77.94 ($12.99 per month)

Players can now pre-order their copy of WAR to secure their spots on the frontlines with a special pre-order package that includes:

* Open beta admission: Pre-order customers can experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR by participating in the open beta test.
* Head Start program: Players can begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the game’s official launch.
* Bonus in-game items: Players can equip their characters with two bonus in-game items by pre-ordering from select retail partners.
* Universal Fighting System™ Battle Deck: The Emperor Karl Franz and Tchar’zanek, dread Champion of Tzeentch, go head-to-head in this exclusive collectible card game from Fantasy Flight Games. (Available in a limited supply from select retailers.)

Participating pre-order partners include Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, Direct2Drive, EAStore.com, EB Canada, EB Games, Fry’s, Futureshop, GameCrazy, GameStop, GoGamer.com, and Walmart.com. (Pre-order offers will vary by retailer.) The European pre-order program is scheduled to begin in late August. For more information about the North American pre-order program, visit www.warhammeronline.com/preorder.

Available for the PC, WAR is rated “T” for TEEN by the ESRB. WAR will be the first MMORPG to launch servers simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania when it goes live on September 18th, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.

Continue reading "EA PREPARES FOR WAR AND ANNOUNCES SHIP DATE FOR WARHAMMER(r) ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York, NY – August 6, 2008 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto IV will be arriving on the PC on November 18th and 21st in North America and Europe, respectively.

“We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can’t wait for people to play it.”

Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City , the latest installment in the enormously successful Grand Theft Auto series features a painstakingly detailed and life-like city for players to explore; a rich, immersive narrative experience; an original soundtrack highlighting the cultural eclecticism of Liberty City ; and newly expanded multiplayer just for the PC.

For more information please visit: http://www.rockstargames.com/IV

Continue reading "Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto IV for the PC" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN RAFAEL, CA, August 5, 2008 – Telltale Inc., the leader in interactive episodic entertainment, is announcing that "Homestar Ruiner", the first of five monthly Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People episodes, will premiere Monday, August 11. "Homestar Ruiner" will release on Nintendo's WiiWare™ download service in North and South America and worldwide on PC simultaneously. WiiWare availability for Europe, Australia and New Zealand will follow shortly.

As the star of the popular Homestarrunner.com web cartoons, Strong Bad has been answering emails (in boxing gloves), pranking his friends, pummeling his enemies, and making people with questionable taste snort milk out of their noses for years. Now he's branching out to star in the monthly Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People series developed in partnership with Homestarrunner.com creators Mike and Matt Chapman.

In the season premiere, Strong Bad's plans to beat the snot out of his rival Homestar Runner backfire, and he ends up with an unwanted houseguest cramping his style. Now he needs to get life back to normal, by any means possible. Comical point-and-click gameplay progresses the story, with side quests, mini games, achievements, and an "extended play" sandbox mode that unlocks after the story is completed rounding out the game experience.

"Homestar Ruiner is a great series premiere and kick-off for the season. The next five months will be filled with lots of surprises," says Telltale CEO Dan Connors. "This is how we always envisioned episodic gaming—monthly releases, straight into the living room. We’re happy to be working with the Chapmans and Nintendo to make it a reality."

New Strong Bad episodes can be downloaded from the Wii™ Shop Channel each month for 1000 Wii Points™. The series takes advantage of the WiiConnect24™ technology by giving players the ability to send Strong Bad-themed emails to Wii friends directly from the Lappy. Photos taken using the in-game camera feature can be attached to emails, allowing players to show off Easter eggs uncovered or hidden costumes collected during the game.

"We are very excited," said a Videlectrix spokesperson from his pretend high-rise office, "Our last game topped out at 8 bits. We've heard this one might reach 9 or 10!"

Downloadable versions of each Strong Bad episode will also be available for the PC exclusively from Telltale's website, with preorders starting today at www.telltalegames.com/strongbad. Episodes can be purchased individually for $8.95 or as part of a five-episode subscription for $34.95. As with Telltale's popular Sam & Max series, customers who purchase the full series from Telltale will later be eligible to get a disc version for the cost of shipping and handling.

After the "Homestar Ruiner" premiere on August 11, storylines in the monthly episodes will run the gamut from political struggles to rock’n roll to the world of videogames (of course), building to the exciting season finale in December. Many fan favorite characters from Free Country USA will appear in each episode, along with special new super 8-bit style mini-games from Videlectrix. Additional details about the series can be found at www.telltalegames.com/strongbad.

About Homestarrunner.com
Homestar Runner was conceived in 1996 by Mike Chapman and friend Craig Zobel as an idea for a weird kids' book they would only make a few photocopies of for friends. In 2000, Mike and brother Matt dusted off the idea and launched Homestarrunner.com, featuring the Flash-animated exploits of the characters. Since 2002, they have updated with new cartoons almost every week including the popular feature 'Strong Bad Email' in which fans get their emails answered by the cartoon's charming antagonist, Strong Bad. Mike and Matt write and animate the cartoons with Matt and Missy Palmer providing voices for the characters. The site has been featured and mentioned in the New York Times, Wired Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Time, The Wall Street Journal, and, most importantly, two songs from the site were featured in the Guitar Hero series.

Continue reading "Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Launches August 11" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I recently went out to Las Vegas for Midway's Gamers Day at the Red Rock Resort. They showed a few games: NBA Ballers: Chosen One, Wheelman, TNA Impact, Unreal Tournament 3 Xbox 360, and This is Vegas were playable. They also announced a Mortal Kombat and DC Comics game, which looked like a MK fighter with Scorpion, Sub Zero, Superman, and Batman confirmed as characters. There was a lot of excitement in the crowd about that one. We wondered how the whole fatality thing would play out with the super heroes, for example, would DC want Superman to rip out his opponent's skull and show it to him? They also announced sequels for Game Party and Touch Master as well as Blitz: The League.

There was a lot of talk, especially from Midway execs like Mark Booty, Interim President and CEO, about how Midway is reaping the benefits of centralization and standardization. The different studios share assets like game engines and design tools as well as knowledge. You could see how licensing the Unreal Engine and then using it to build every game is paying off in terms of how the games look, how complex the game play is, and how quickly they can come to market.

The big focus was on This is Vegas. The game is being made by Surreal Software in Seattle - they've been working on it for three plus years. It's an open world of a likeness of Vegas where you gamble, party, race, and fight. It's an ambitious project to create a world that big. This gives players the chance to live out "their Vegas fantasy." It looked OK, nothing special in terms of graphics or audio. The focus has definitely been on game play. I did the dancing mini-game, the same that was shown during the press conference. I thought that it was fun. I wonder about it conceptually though. My concern is that by offering many types of game play it may end up asking players to play in ways that they don't want to play, for example, the guy who wants to drive around and beat people up may not be the same guy who wants to enter a dance contest. But I talked to Darci Morales about this concern and she said that if you don't want to play a particular mini-game you don't have to. The point of all the mini-games is to build your buzz and gain experience and you could choose to do that however you want. I'm mainly interested in seeing how all of the different games and gaming mechanics translate into a holistic gaming experience. I think This Is Vegas is noteworthy because it looks like it'll be a hell of an achievement for Surreal and Midway when it is done and it deserves merit if only for being a massive effort at establishing an open game play world with lots of variety. I'm not sure whether that translates into being a successful game in an overall sense. I'd get a better idea from a more in depth demo where I could see how the player goes from one mode to the other, how fluid that is, and how all of the different modes combine.

Continue reading "Midway Gamers Day 2008" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I met with Ubisoft the other day and talked to them about the games that they are working on for 2008. I saw a bunch of demos, and played some games. They even brewed a fresh pot of coffee for me.

Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 - It's the 10 year anniversary of the franchise and it returns with a bigger (meaning more game play) story. Due out in March 2008. There's a greater degree of character customization in equipment and experience points can be applied to better weapons. Enemy and squad AI is better. There's been a huge expansion of co-op game play - friends can jump in and out of the game on the fly without restarting levels. It's the same core game play as version 1 with simple team controls. They've worked hard to add verticality to the levels such as looking up and seeing an enemy through a skylight and then having to go outside and climb up onto the roof to get him. There's destructible cover so you can't sit in one spot and hide. You sort of have to think and plan rather than charge right in. There are 7 locations and each location has multiple scenarios.

Far Cry 2 - They set out to keep the best parts of the original. The intention is to keep it real yet exotic so this version takes place in Africa. There's 50 square kilometers of open game world, mostly savanna with some jungle. All objects are coded meaning that nothing is just a stupid graphic so trees grow while you're playing and everything can take damage. There's wind and light from the sun that change as the day progresses. No mission will ever be exactly the same because there's a randomness about how enemies are deployed; they're not always in the same place at the same time. It's fast paced and from what I saw there was a lot of fire which is always a good thing. One fascinating thing that Clint Hocking (Creative Director) brought up is that it is now cheaper in terms of utilizing system resources to create vegetation procedurally than it is to make it animated. The game is due out roughly around holiday 2008. It will be the same game on console as on PC with the PC version having higher resolution.

Petz Bunnyz - This cute little DS game is basically targeted at young girls who want to play with fluffy bunnies at Easter time. It's not my kind of game, but if you have a daughter who wants to raise a virtual bunny and play with it then this would be a hit.

Continue reading "UbiSoft 2008 Preview" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Review by Matt Congdon
Score: 2 out of 5

The first EA Sports game that I played was Madden 64. I was horrified. I explicitly asked for NFL QB Club 98 for Christmas, but I was stuck with madden (what does my mom know about football or games). In my eyes this game sucked hard. How can you make a game without an NFL license or endorsements? When wanting to play as the Patriots I was stuck with some team named “Foxboro”, not to mention that the graphics sucked and so did the game play. I would describe it the pinnacle of boring. I promised this would be the last EA Sports game I would buy.
Later in life, I got a PS2 and decided to give EA Sports another chance on a different console. I was thrilled at Madden 2001,. The game kicked ass, and it kept getting better as the years passed. EA Sports produced a string of brilliant games and that kept getting bigger and better. I thought this was the kind of company that was out for the players not the dollars. Their hockey and basketball games all were a lot of fun to play and somehow the developers improved them from year to year.
Of course, EA Sports let me down. They suck again, They have started a long down spiral, passing mediocre a year or two ago and they are now about as bad as I can imagine [[I’m trying to avoid obscenity. Sucks is ok, but I draw the line at shit. MDS]]. NBA LIVE 08 illustrates this point. This game is crap. EA Sports just threw money and a deadline at a development team. It is inexplicable to me how a company can mess up basketball so badly after having good editions for last generation consoles. The game looks alright on an HDTV, but on an SDTV looks very distorted and odd. It seems like there are a lot of fisheye type replay angles. There are so many flaws that, the decent game they might have had for PS2 is now damaged goods.

Continue reading "NBA Live 08 Review" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bioshock
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational Games
Rated M for Mature
Rating: 5 out of 5

Review by Matt Congdon

There are a few rare games out there that force you to play them; once you lay down that cash, you're sucked in until you finish. Sure, many games have great stories (Final Fantasy X), and some have great game play (God of War), but few combine both into something so special that you just can't quit. One such title this year that shouldn’t be missed any adult gamer looking for a bit of adventure.. The game creates an intriguing story, but it’s the gameplay that makes the story come alive. Too many games these days have stories that aren't connected with the actual gameplay, but rather just feature boring cut scene movies--which the typical ADD gamer (such as myself) doesn’t really like to sit through. Bioshock’s story is delivered mostly through audio, which is transmitted to you via radio, so you're listening to the story while shooting, dismembering and electrocuting baddies through Bioshock’s Levels.

Continue reading "Bioshock Review" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had the opportunity to chat with Beatrice Spaine of EA about Pogo.com last week. It was really interesting. This whole casual games thing intrigues me because I'm a hardcore gamer, my friends are hardcore gamers, and I sort of target my reviews at hardcore gamers. But these casual games are taking off like wildfire. The most interesting thing is that casual gamers rarely even see themselves as gamers - they're just having fun. In fact, a lot of them spend a helluva lot of time on Club Pogo so maybe they are hardcore. It sort of makes me question the whole use of the term "hardcore".

Here's an example. My father got a Pocket PC last summer and he brought it down the shore for the weekend. He was literally glued to the thing for the whole weekend because he was playing some game where he had to match the color of some balls. I think he even brought it to dinner one night and my mother made him put it away (we had a similar incident earlier in the season when I brought my DS and Nintendogs to the table - hey, Teddy and I were in the middle of a walk). My father is in no way a hardcore gamer, but his behavior reminds me of myself when I get a new game that I fall in love with. What is the real difference between my father playing this ball game and me staying up for 72 hours so I could play through Metal Gear Solid or Medal of Honor? Yes, there was an incident here several years ago with Medal of Honor Rising Sun where my neighbor came downstairs at 2 am to ask me to put the war on hold.

I guess the major difference between my gaming and my father's gaming is the twitch and coordination factor. One has to be reasonably adept in order to target and shoot, whereas it's pretty easy to point at balls with a stylus. But in terms of the love of the game it is the same. I think that's the significant part. People love to play games. Actually, it almost seems like everything alive (with half a brain) loves to play. Not to trivialize the issue, but are my cats casual or hardcore gamers when they're chasing a catnip mouse around the apartment?

So I think I've just stumbled on the bottom line. Gamers want to have fun, pick up a little diversion, and perhaps be challenged. Casual or hardcore, we're all the same on a basic level. And at the risk of sounding silly, game on everyone. Kick back, have fun. Michael Franti and Spearhead sing that "it's not who you love, but do you love", and I think I'm ready to say "it's not what you play, but do you play?"

Continue reading "Pogo Update" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I met with Andrew Wong of EA and Bill Roper of Flagship Studios a few days ago to talk about the upcoming action RPG Hellgate London. Overall I was pretty impressed with it and stayed to talk to Bill for a long time.

I'm trying something new with this entry. I took notes during the demo and I'm writing this directly from the notes so it probably won't flow as well as most of my entries by will probably contain more information. My guess is that you probably came here for information and not for beautiful prose.

They wanted to make the starting area compact and simple for players to navigate. The London Underground is a safe zone so when you're there you don't have to worry about getting attacked. Everything starts with a tutorial. NPCs have quests for you so you have to walk around and talk to all of them. If the quest is blue then it is part of the major story arc. The cool thing about the game is that it is both single player and MMO, so in theory there's tons of replayability which is somewhat refreshing today. You can buy the box and play on your own for about 30-40 hours, then you can go online where there will be additional game modes and story lines. Flagship intends to work tightly with community to tailor the game to be the experience that players want.

Every time you go out on an adventure the area and all the contents are randomly generated. Two people can do the same level or quest and have two totally different experiences. My general impression is that the game looks good and has nice shadowing and fire effects. There's actually a huge mothership kind of thing that casts a massive shadow over the city so shadows come and go and the effect is very cool. The point of the game is to fight demons on the surface, and they're an ugly bunch. There's a lot of finding, buying and selling items which is always a big element of these games.

Flagship has made every effort to make the game playable for both hardcore and nonhardcore gamers. They've tried to simplify menus and also make keys context sensitive so you don't have to hunt for certain functions. For example, the left shift can make you sprint during combat. Alt brings up the action menu, your inventory is drag and drop, as is modding your weapons and leveling up your skills. The automap and quest log shown on the screen.

There is pretty good diversity in game play for the different classes. The hunter is more like an FPS than an RPG where you aim with a reticle and shoot from the hip. The first person features were designed in from the beginning so it feels right. If youŕe hunter with engineering skills (thank you hellgateguru.com) you can build drones that help you fight, drop health, project shields and more. The templar is melee based third person only; he can use the grappler which is a cool weapon that drags enemies in so you can bash them. This can be very useful for enemies with ranged attacks or flying enemies. The game is very playable using each different character class. All of the character classes have to be able to complete the game solo and all character classes have to be playable in solo mode. The cabbalist is a spell caster who uses the powers of the demons against them. They us focus items to channel the energy

One interesting thing is that armor is color themed meaning that individual pieces now match instead of giving the usual patchwork feel. Also you can make a guild color theme and share it with your guild. You can also mod your weapons to enhance capabilities. The armor colors and the mods on weapons are ways to individualize yourself within the game. Using different items require different attributes which creates a whole system of trade offs.

Continue reading "Hellgate London Preview" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

New York (February 1, 2007) – Episodic game maker Kuma Reality Games announced today the release of “Baghdad Surge,” the 81st episode of its video game series Kuma\War, which turns headline news into first-person suspense. Modeling Haifa street – a notorious stronghold of Sunni insurgents just outside of Baghdad’s Green Zone – the “Baghdad Surge” game-episode depicts the real-life battle of January 24, 2007 in which Iraqi and US troops fought to re-assert government control of the war-torn neighborhood. Built from satellite photos and first-hand news reports, Kuma\War Episode 81: “Baghdad Surge” will be available for free public download at Kuma Games (www.kumagames.com) beginning Thursday, February 1.

“Each month hundreds of thousands of gamers experience critical real world events for themselves through Kuma’s 3D game technology,” said Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Games. “As success in Iraq hinges ultimately on the actions and abilities of Iraqi troops, we felt it was essential to put the player in the position of an Iraqi soldier, giving American gamers a view of Iraqi efforts in this important fight.”

Created within one week of the January 24 events, “Baghdad Surge” puts players in the role of an Iraqi soldier charged with taking back the capital, following a rise in sectarian violence. Using leadership, marksmanship and a little help from U.S. forces, players have the opportunity to fight the insurgent forces in realistic, first-person firefights along stunning recreations of the streets of Baghdad.

As with every Kuma\War mission, “Baghdad Surge” comes accompanied with news reporting, media footage, satellite images, military tactical analysis and eyewitness accounts to help gamers understand a world in crisis. For more than two years, Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. As the leading force in episodic games, Kuma is committed to turning around missions for its audience just days or weeks after real-world events take place. Kuma\War episodes are powered by Source – the same award-winning game engine technology Valve® created to power Half-Life® 2 – and are available for free download at www.kumagames.com.

Continue reading "KUMA REALITY GAMES ANNOUNCES NEW KUMA\WAR EPISODE FEATURING IRAQ TROOP SURGE" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wednesday 31st January 2007 – With spring training around the corner Sports Interactive, the sports management development specialists, have announced that Out of the Park Baseball 2007 will be available, exclusively via digital download in time for the new season.

In OOTP Baseball 2007 players get the chance to do almost anything a real life general manager can do to guide their team to glory. Players can also create their very own fictional baseball universe, create and import fantasy teams and players or simply compete with other human players in an online league.

“No baseball simulation on the planet offers you this much flexibility and this much fun,” said Marc Duffy, Product Manager at Sports Interactive. “OOTP Baseball 2007 is ideal for historical, fictional, and online fans alike”.

Available for PC and Mac, franchise managers are able to set their line-ups, replace aging veterans with a rookie from the minor leagues, send their scouts to comb the upcoming amateur draft pool, or get a closer look at that free agent pitcher from Japan.

"We’ve spent a long time listening to our fans,” commented Markus Heinsohn, Lead developer of OOTP Baseball 2007. “The last version was a giant step forward for the good of the game and this year sees the addition of some of their most requested features."

Out of the Park Baseball 2007 will be released on March 23rd 2007 priced at $34.99 / €29.99. Pre orders, blogs and further information can be found at www.ootpbaseball.net

Key Features and improvements

Improved interface and usability

OOTP Baseball 2007 features some great user interface improvements that make the game easier and more enjoyable, including: a league creation wizard, a simplified navigation model with intuitive icons, a detailed in-game help system, improved in-game screens, and manager and online league commissioner “portals” that centralize the most commonly-used tasks.

The ultimate control over your baseball universe

OOTP Baseball 2007’s flexibility in configuring a baseball universe is unparalleled. Players have complete control over the structure, rules, and finances of their world, including the new abilities to add or delete leagues at any time, to have leagues “feed” players into other leagues and many other new league options. No simulation game has ever been this flexible.

Huge advances in the historical league experience

Historical leagues now feature an automatic expansion mode, including protection lists and expansion drafts. OOTP Baseball 2007 can also now import the history of a league prior to the selected year, giving players complete historical data and record books! Other new historical features include automatic adjustment of league financials, league strategies and rules (i.e. playoff format, schedule length). Sports Interactive re-introduce the concept of ghost players and the new option to block fictional players from reaching the major leagues. Combined with vastly improved statistical accuracy in historical leagues, the end result is the best possible way to replay the history of baseball starting in 1901, but yet with OOTP Baseball 2007 characteristic flexibility. A historical fan’s dream.

Fictional

Fictional leagues come to life like never before, thanks to the help of a wider variety of league news & stories, a player morale and popularity system and the ability to create fictional player portraits using the FaceGen technology.

Online

The online league mode of OOTP Baseball 2007 has never been more user-friendly and functional than in this year’s edition. The new commissioner portal will greatly reduce the administrative burden of running a league. Online GMs benefit from new features as well, such as an automatic waiver pullback option and an adjustable draft pool date that will give online leagues much more flexibility in processing amateur drafts. Commissioners can also now add and edit league news items and write game recaps, which will display both in-game and on league HTML reports. Commissioners can also send messages to all users and manually select all-star team members and award winners, including a new custom award of player’s choice! These features are available in solo play as well!

League expansion wizard

The new league expansion wizard helps you expand your league much more smoothly by scheduling an expansion draft and handling the submission of protection lists.

Trading

The trading model in OOTP Baseball 2007 has been vastly improved. GMs can now mark players as “untouchable” or “on the block,” with a corresponding effect on that player’s morale! The “shop player” feature allows you to quickly identify desirable trading partners and new trade-related reports put all of the information you need right at your fingertips. A “make this work now” button asks player’s trading partners to tell them exactly what is needed to make a deal under negotiation to happen immediately!

In-game experience

The experience for those players who enjoy playing out each game has improved greatly in OOTP Baseball 2007, including: strategic one-pitch mode, more natural play-by-play text, a “short PbP” option that displays just the outcome of the play and many other improvements to the in-game screens. Additionally, players can now write their own recap of the game that will appear in a game news article and will be saved along with the history of their game!

Improved AI and player development

The AI does a better job of managing its team than ever before and extensive statistical analysis and testing results in the most realistic player development system in any baseball simulation game.

Returning fan favorite features

Based on popular demand, a number of “fan favorite” features from previous versions of OOTP will return in OOTP Baseball 2007, including: an optional star-based rating system, adjustable AI player evaluation based on statistics/ratings, weather, ghost players, bullpen warm-up, and team focus.

Continue reading "Out of the Park Baseball 2007 springs into life" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I spent a few days in Las Vegas last week to visit Midway. They booked The Joint at the Hard Rock for a great event that highlighted several of their 2007 and 2008 titles. They had some great sushi and the scotch was flowing freely; what could be bad?

BlackSite: Area 51 This FPS is due to ship summer 2007 for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3. The story is pretty cool. You're sent into an area because some troops are missing and all of a sudden all hell breaks loose. There are all sorts of creepy crawlies that come after you. My favorite are the ones that you kill but their heads pop off and continue to pursue you. Midway promises realistic sound, but I couldn't tell because it was in a crowded noisy room. The graphics look great and lighting effects were very cool. The massively destructible environment is another cool thing. All in all, the short level that I played was a whole lot of fun. There's also a basic squad based element, which I mainly used to order my guys ahead on point. There were some performance issues, but it's a very early build. All in all, this is a title that I'm looking forward to.

Hour of Victory This Xbox 360 WWII FPS is built on the Unreal Engine 3 so it looked fantastic. The innovation with this title is the ability to switch between 3 characters. There's the brawny charge ahead and gun Nazis down character, the stealthy slit their necks from behind character, and the eagle eyed sniper. At various points in each level you are given the opportunity to switch guys. Interestingly, you can do any part of the game using any character although some are better at certain parts than others. I found that using the brawny charge ahead and gun Nazis down character made this game feel exactly like Call of Duty. Not a bad thing for me, because I love these WWII shooters. In fact, I can remember a night when the guy in the apartment above me asked me to stop storming the beaches at Normandy (Medal of Honor) because it was 2 in the morning. I wonder how many other people like them. How much of a market is there for them? Very little was said about multiplayer modes, although the level looked like a good multiplayer design. The other cool thing is that you can take over turrets, planes, tanks, etc. That's always tons of fun in multiplayer.

They also showed Stranglehold which looks like so much fun. I've written about it several times before.

They showed a trailer for The Wheelman with Vin Deisel. I can never tell very much about a game from the trailer. It's too early for me to have anything to say about this one.

They showed a great video about the controls for Mortal Kombat: Armagedon for Wii. This looks like a lot of fun. It's basically a combination of swipes and motions with the remote and a little button pushing. I'm really looking forward to playing this one.

And finally they had playable The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar which is a MMO for PC. They announced that it will ship on April 24, 2007. They just started a pre-order program which gets you the game for $9.99 per month or $199 lifetime. It looked good and there was a lot of excitement about it.

Continue reading "Midway Winter Gamers Day" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 29, 2007 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment industry publisher and developer, today announced BlackSite™: Area 51®, an action packed, first person shooter experience which pits gamers against alien enemy forces using the infamous U.S. government landmark, Area 51®, and the surrounding areas as the battlefield backdrop. BlackSite: Area 51 is currently in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and for the PC.

Developed by Midway Studios - Austin, BlackSite: Area 51 is a next-generation game that will redefine the first person shooter (FPS) genre. While other FPS titles claim to feature
“action-packed, highly realistic gameplay,” BlackSite: Area 51 takes next-gen gaming to an
all-new level integrating cutting edge technology, game design and story writing to create the ultimate entertainment experience. The player’s modern-day emotions and fears are driven into a world charged with grave responsibility affecting lives hanging in the balance and eventually finding himself torn between his professional orders and his own ethical standards. In the end, only the actions of the player and his squad can shape the outcome of BlackSite: Area 51 during this potentially pivotal moment in history.

“BlackSite: Area 51 gives players the opportunity to experience next-generation, first person shooter action in one of the world’s most intriguing and mysterious environments,” said Denise Fulton, studio head, Midway Studios - Austin. “Gamers will be instantly immersed in the game’s seamless storyline, set in the desert and small towns surrounding Area 51 that feature highly detailed environments that transform themselves into awesome battlefields. Without question, BlackSite: Area 51 will raise the bar in the next generation FPS genre with its stunning visuals, life-like squad interactions and its multitude of online multiplayer modes.”

Continue reading "MIDWAY CONFIRMS THEORY IS A FACT: BLACKSITE: AREA 51 IS COMING SUMMER 2007" »

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The other night my good friends at EA invited me to come over and see some of their upcoming titles. Overall, it looks like they have a strong spring liineup. I spent so much time there that they were kidding me that I should help pack up.

Command and Conquer 3 - The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative and The Brotherhood of NOD continues as the third Tiberium war begins. This is a pretty solid RTS for Xbox 360. I was surprised at how easy it was to command my troops across the whole map. The PC version ships on March 28 and the Xbox 360 version ships in Spring 2007.

Def Jam: Icon - What can I say, these Def Jam games are massively popular. This one integrates hip hop music and fighting like never before. The music actually affects the fight. Drive him down with a series of punches that grow stronger because they match the bass line. Environments pulsate and debris flies along with the music. There's also an all new single player story mode that takes you from nobody to hip hop mogul as you build a record label, discover new talent, and become a hip hop icon yourself.

Medal of Honor Vanguard - I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again: Everyone likes killing Nazis. This latest installment of the highly successful WWII FPS is back and it looked great. They've simplified the HUD and gotten rid of the medpack system. Now when you're hurt you go hide in the corner and heal. This ships in March 2007 for PS2 and Wii.

NBA STREET Homecourt - Featuring a brand new game engine that will knock your socks off, this wild street trick basketball game returns. This game is totally next gen with guys sweating, muscles rippling, cloth physics, all very smoothly integrated into game play. A new animation engine makes all the crazy moves you can pull look fluid. New controls let you create hundreds of tricks on the fly. Get ready to defy gravity and practice saying "Not in my house"!

Continue reading "EA Demo Night" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The results are in

Consumers have cast their votes and Xbox 360 was the best-selling next-generation console of the 2006 holiday season in the United States , outselling the PlayStation 3 and Wii combined in December and outselling all next-generation consoles in November and December. The Xbox 360 garnered a 51% market share in the United States for December 2006. ( US NPD, January)

Gamers get into Gear

Like “Halo,” “Grand Theft Auto,” and “Zelda,” “Gears of War,” is tracking to be one of the best-selling video games of all time. By the end of next week, “Gears of War” will have sold more than 3 million copies to consumers worldwide in just 10 weeks.

Following on the success of “Gears of War,” 2007 will quite simply be the best year for great games in Xbox history.

* By holiday 2007, there will be more than double the 160 next-generation games available on Xbox 360 today, including highly anticipated MGS titles such as “Halo 3,” “Blue Dragon,” “Crackdown,” “Forza Motorsport 2,” “Lost Odyssey,” Mass Effect,” “Project Gotham Racing 4” and “Shadowrun.”

* Third party publishers continue to flock to the Xbox 360 for its high definition fidelity, ease of development and unmatched online capabilities. Surefire hits coming from third parties in 2007 include “Assassin’s Creed” (Ubisoft), “Dance Dance Revolution Universe™” (Konami), “Grand Theft Auto IV” (Rockstar), “Guitar Hero 2™” (Activision) and exclusives like “BioShock” (2K) and “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell” (Ubisoft).
* This week, we announced more than 20 million Xbox Live Arcade games have been downloaded to date, including “Assault Heroes,” “Small Arms,” “DOOM” and this week’s release “Ms. Pac-Man.” Other popular games will join Xbox Live Arcade's library as the platform’s popularity continues to grow, including the highly anticipated "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" from Konami and "Heavy Weapon" from PopCap.

Xbox Live—The Largest Social Network in the Living Room

With more than 5 million active members, two-million messages crossing the network a day, and three-billion game play hours logged to date, Xbox Live has become the largest social network on television. And Xbox Live innovations like Achievements, Gamerscore, and Reputation are changing the way people play games and share their games and entertainment experiences with friends.

Xbox Live is also an on-demand culture, where entertainment powerhouses like CBS, Lion’s Gate, MTV Networks, Turner Broadcasting, Paramount Pictures, UFC, and Warner Brothers are entertaining one of the most captive 18-34 year old communities online today. Seven weeks ago, Xbox Live and its studio partners began offering hit TV shows and movies in high and standard definition for download. According to the studios, the social games and entertainment network has already become #2 in Internet downloads of hit TV shows and movies, but #1 in high definition and #1 in the living room—where it matters most.

The countdown is on

200 million Windows gamers around the world can mark their calendars as the availability of Windows Vista on January 30 draws near.

During the CES keynote address, Bill Gates and Robbie Bach demonstrated the ease and simplicity of connecting people who play games on a Windows Vista-based PC to friends who play on Xbox 360 using “UNO” (Mattel Inc.) — one of the many new, upcoming casual games optimized for Windows Vista and one of the top casual games currently on Xbox Live.

At CES, Microsoft also announced the Games for Windows portfolio, which includes “Shadowrun” and “Halo 2,” the first titles to utilize Live services to connect the gaming experience between Windows Vista-based PCs and Xbox 360. And who doesn’t want one Gamertag, one friends list, one set of achievements, as well as voice chat and game invites across Xbox 360 and Windows Vista? It’s something only Microsoft can offer the world’s largest population of game players.

Continue reading "Xbox 360 Outsells Wii and PS3 This Holiday" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 8, 2006 – Las Vegas – Razer, a leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming and lifestyle electronics peripherals, will unveil and provide hands-on demonstrations of the new Razer Mako™ 2.1 speaker system, Razer DeathAdder™ infrared sensor mouse, Razer Pro|Type™ iPod docking keyboard and Razer Pro|Click Mobile™ Bluetooth notebook mouse at CES, January 8 – 11, 2007, at the Las Vegas Convention Center in South Hall, Booth 35160.

“Razer’s new line of products being showcased at CES, which include the Razer Mako, Razer DeathAdder, Razer Pro|Type and the Razer Pro|Click Mobile, truly reflect the future of interactive entertainment,” says Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president, Razer Group. “This new product lineup continues to express the originality of our ideas by aggressively pursuing what consumers want in design and engineering. We did not get to where we are today by ‘playing by the rules’; we arrived here by setting them.”

Razer, the creators of the Razer Barracuda gaming audio system, is proud to introduce the Razer Mako 2.1 THX Certified bi-amplified multimedia speaker system at CES 2007. The Razer Mako represents a groundbreaking new desktop speaker design from the sound engineers and scientists of gaming industry leader Razer and audio industry pioneer THX Ltd. The Razer Mako 2.1 is the first desktop speaker system to incorporate THX Ground Plane™ and THX Slot Speaker™ technologies, which raise the bar for acoustic fidelity and performance in the desktop category. Whether the listener has connected their desktop computer, gaming console, television, CD deck, or portable MP3 player as the Razer Mako’s input source, the system will deliver sonic presentations that are the best-in-class for any 2.1 desktop speaker system.

“The advantage of multimedia and PC speakers is that they can be conveniently positioned on desktops and bookshelves. But, sound reflecting from desktop surfaces interferes with the direct sound, creating uneven frequency response at the listener’s ear level,” said Laurie Fincham, chief scientist at THX. “The Razer Mako 2.1 is the first multimedia speaker system designed from the ground up to provide optimal performance on the desktop. The THX Ground Plane and Slot Speaker technologies ensure the speaker drivers are very close to the desktop surface, doubling the output and delivering smooth and even response at all frequencies.”

Features:

* THX Certified for premium sound quality and performance.

* Patented THX Ground Plane and THX Slot Speaker downward-firing mid-range drivers and tweeters design which creates a spacious soundstage that turns any desktop surface from an acoustic hindrance into an integral part of the soundstage.

* True, bi-amplified satellites with two channels of 50W with full digital DSP control.

* An overall system frequency range of 30-20,000 Hz and Axial Response Limits of +/- 2dB at 40-18,000 Hz (-6dB at 30 and 20,000Hz).

* 300W of total system power, with 6 channels @ 50W each.

* ClassHD™ Digital Amplifier technology with full DSP control that makes previous-generation Class AB and Class D amplifiers obsolete.

* ClassHD™ technology scales power in sync with the music, resulting in operation at a much higher efficiency curve, improved Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR), improved EMI, reduced idle consumption, and lowered amplifier delay.

* For those moments when surrounding silence is needed, the Razer Mako offers an amplified headphone jack on the wired remote control. This allows for improved headphone performance over the standard pass-through found in normal desktop systems.

* The sleek Razer design created with premium materials and finishes will deliver best-in-class acoustic performance while maintaining attractive desktop aesthetics.

The Razer DeathAdder 3G infrared sensor gaming mouse is a quantum leap over current generation optical technology. Fully optimized for high speed motions, the Razer DeathAdder features everything needed for high-performance gamers.

Features:

· 1800 dpi 3G infrared sensor technology for enhanced precision.

· 1000 Hz Ultrapolling™/1ms response providing pinpoint accuracy and lighting fast speed.

* Five programmable, ultra-large non-slip buttons with Hyperesponse™.

* A 16-bit ultra-wide data channel.

* Zero-acoustic Ultraslick™ Teflon fleet.

* Always-On™ instant response.

* Award-winning On-The-Fly™ sensitivity drivers.

* Right-handed form factor.

Razer has been building quality input devices since 1999, which makes it one of the select manufacturers in the industry. As the worldwide leader in high-performance input devices for the quickly growing field of motion control, Razer Pro|Solutions are precision instruments built to last, and to deliver increased productivity, control and precision to professional users that demand the best from their electronic peripherals.

Sleek, streamlined and functional, the Razer Pro|Type is the first keyboard to integrate a universal iPod dock into its design, facilitating a lifestyle element prevalent in today’s culture. The pairing of the iPod dock in the keyboard allows for easy synchronization and charging of all iPods without the hassle of additional wiring.

Features:

· 10 customizable profiles where consumers can easily configure keyboard profiles according to their needs.

· 10 programmable keys where consumers can switch profiles and launch applications with just a touch of a button.

· Ultra touch sensitive keys for enhanced and extremely precise key response.

· On-the-fly profile switching that allows viewers to swap keyboard profiles upon program detection.

· A one-touch hub for multi-media programs and everyday computer functions, which includes line-out and two USB ports for convenient connection to other peripherals.

· A full set of media hot keys that provide one-touch access to media programs.

· A gently sloping wrist rest giving way to an ergonomic design, resulting in a mixture of comfortable usability and a clean minimalist design with a pure white exterior paired with blue ambient light.

The Razer Pro|Click Mobile is the most precise Bluetooth notebook mouse in the world today, catered for individuals on the go or whenever space is a constraint.

Features:

* 1200 DPI Infrared Sensor.

* Bluetooth 2.0 (with Adaptive Frequency Hopping).

* Ambidextrous design.

* Long Battery Life.

Continue reading "RAZER™, THX® UNVEIL RAZER MAKO™ 2.1 BI-AMPLIFIED SPEAKER SYSTEM AT CES 2007" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 2:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LAS VEGAS — Jan. 7, 2007 — Kicking off the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas with a bang, Microsoft Corp. today unveiled revolutionary games, technologies and partner support for the first-class gaming platform, Windows Vista™.

CES attendees will get hands-on experience with 15 of the hottest Games for Windows® titles, including some of the first games to deliver stunning graphics and gameplay through Microsoft® DirectX® 10 that will challenge any game for superiority in visual fidelity: “Crysis™” (EA Partners/Crytek) and “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive Ltd./Funcom). Gamers will also experience “Shadowrun™” from Microsoft Game Studios, the first of many titles that will bring the Live games and entertainment network on Windows Vista for true cross-platform gameplay.

In addition, during the CES keynote address, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Entertainment and Devices Division President Robbie Bach demonstrated the ease and simplicity of connecting people who play games on a Windows Vista-based PC to friends who play on the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system for a cross-platform game challenge with “UNO®” (Mattel Inc.) — one of the many new upcoming casual games optimized for Windows Vista.
Connecting Windows Vista and Xbox 360
Delivering on a vision that Microsoft presented at Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006, Microsoft Game Studios’ “Shadowrun” and Mattel’s “UNO” are part of the first wave of Live titles that bring the benefits of Xbox Live® to gamers on Windows Vista, including an active community of nearly 5 million gamers, a single identity for each gamer across Windows and Xbox 360, as well as Achievements, which redefine what it means to conquer a game and share accomplishments with friends. The Live gaming and entertainment network will enable gamers to play and communicate online across both of Microsoft’s gaming platforms, bringing more players and their friends together to play and connect in new, exciting ways. In addition, “Halo® 2” for Windows Vista (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios) will also support Live, including enabling Windows gamers to communicate with Xbox Live gamers and earn Achievements in the famed “Halo 2” campaign — a first for any “Halo” title on any platform.
Optimized Casual Games for Windows Vista

Puzzle-playing, fun-loving casual game players also will benefit from Windows Vista-optimized gameplay, with new titles available on MSN® Games (http://games.msn.com/en/vistagames). Bringing realistically detailed graphics and enriched gameplay features to casual players, the downloadable Windows Vista-based titles will be launched in conjunction with the new operating system in late January. The feature-length games include updated versions of the popular puzzlers “7 Wonders of the Ancient World for Windows Vista” (Mumbo Jumbo) and “Luxor 2 for Windows Vista” (Mumbo Jumbo); the all-new action and adventure game “Bliss Island for Windows Vista” (Codemasters); the crystal-collecting, quick-shooting fun of “Crystal Quest for Windows Vista” (Codemasters); “Spinword for Windows Vista” (Slam Games), a brainteaser combining word puzzles and arcade action; the gem-filled matching puzzle “Jewel Quest® 2” (iWin); and the updated and graphically enhanced action adventure “Darwinia for Windows Vista” (Introversion). In addition, the ever popular “Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved” (Bizarre Creations) will be making its debut on the PC. Requiring fast thinking and an even faster trigger finger, the PC version of this retro-inspired title will, along with most Windows Vista-optimized titles, support gameplay with both the keyboard and the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller for Windows.

Windows Vista itself caters to the casual game player. Updated versions of game classics such as “Minesweeper,” “FreeCell” and “Solitaire,” as well as all-new titles such as “Chess Titans,” “Mahjong Titans” and the family-friendly adventure game “Purble Place,” will be included with Windows Vista from the start and will be easy to discover by way of the new Windows Vista Games Explorer.

Games for Windows Portfolio

Taking advantage of the new operating system’s revolutionary technology and more user-friendly gaming features, the diverse Games for Windows portfolio of titles includes something for everyone, from the most hard-core enthusiast to casual players. Games such as “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek) and “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive/Funcom) exploit the DirectX 10 technology in Windows Vista with vivid new levels of graphical detail and depth, while the highly anticipated titles “Shadowrun” (Microsoft Game Studios/FASA Studio) and “Halo 2” (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios) will be the first to utilize Live services to connect the gaming experience between Windows Vista-based PCs and Xbox 360.

The Games for Windows portfolio includes the following titles:

· “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive/Funcom)

· “Age of Empires® III: The Warchiefs” (Microsoft Game Studios/Ensemble Studios)

· “Alan Wake” (Microsoft Game Studios/Remedy)

· “BioShock” (2K Games/Irrational Games)

· “Company of Heroes” (THQ Inc./Relic Entertainment)

· “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek)

· “Disney·Pixar’s Ratatouille” (THQ/Heavy Iron Studios)

· “Flight Simulator X” (Microsoft Game Studios/ACES Studio)

· “Frontlines: Fuels of War” (THQ/Kaos Studios™)

· “Halo 2” (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios)

· “Hellgate: London ” (EA Partners/NAMCO BANDAI Games/Flagship Studios)

· “LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy” (LucasArts/TT Games)

· “Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar” (Midway/Turbine Inc.)

· “Marvel Universe Online” (Microsoft Game Studios/Cryptic Studios)

· “Rail Simulator” (EA Partners/Kuju Entertainment)

· “Shadowrun” (Microsoft Game Studios/FASA Studio)

· “Supreme Commander” (THQ/Gas Powered Games)

· “World in Conflict” (Sierra Entertainment/Massive Entertainment)

· “Zoo Tycoon® 2: Extinct Animals” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games)

· “Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania®” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games)

· “Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games)

DirectX 10
The DirectX 10 API (application programming interface) in Windows Vista is built from the ground up to provide gamers with a rich and incredibly detailed graphic experience. Consumers can see this technology in action in the Games for Windows booth at CES with the NVIDIA GeForce 8800, the first DirectX 10-enabled discrete video card to hit the market, powering demos of “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Eidos Interactive/Funcom) and “Crysis” (EA Partners/Crytek). DirectX 10 utilizes the new Windows Vista Display Driver Model and Shader Model 4.0, giving developers the tools to bring amazing game environments to life and maximize the power of the latest video card technology.

Games for Windows Brand Momentum Continues

Games for Windows has allied with new publishers that are committed to making it easier, safer and more fun to game on Windows. Atari, LucasArts, Midway, Turbine Inc., and 2K Games join THQ, Vivendi Universal, Microsoft Game Studios and other leading publishers in releasing new Windows-based titles that feature the Games for Windows branding bar, which assures consumers that the games will deliver great new gaming experiences on the operating system. Newly announced branded Games for Windows titles include “Disney·Pixar’s Ratatouille” (THQ/Heavy Iron Studios), “Frontlines: Fuels of War” (THQ/Kaos Studios), “Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar” (Midway/Turbine Inc.), “Supreme Commander” (THQ/Gas Powered Games), “World in Conflict”(Sierra Entertainment/Massive Entertainment) and “Zoo Tycoon 2: Extinct Animals” (Microsoft Game Studios/Blue Fang Games). Those games, alongside previously announced branded titles, will meet a set of technical guidelines including easier installation, increased reliability and support for key Windows Vista features such as the Games Explorer and parental controls.

As part of the packaging and branding initiative, Games for Windows branding will be displayed in gaming sections of Circuit City, CompUSA, GameStop Corp. and Wal-Mart. Consumers can explore the Windows platform and titles in stores nationwide, which will help make their experience of finding and buying Windows games faster and easier.

In anticipation of the Windows Vista launch, GameStop is installing playable Games for Windows demo kiosks in 750 GameStop stores across the United States in January, enabling gamers to experience firsthand the latest in Windows games.

In addition, retailer backing for Games for Windows has begun to expand globally, with the first European retailers, PC World and Virgin, rolling out Games for Windows-branded signage and in-store promotions in time for the launch of Windows Vista.

Continue reading "Windows Vista Ushers in New Era of Gameplay" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Minneapolis, MN – November 21, 2006 – Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI ), is giving gamers the chance to stop dreaming and start riding in Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally available now for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. Charge out on the highways and bi-ways across America on fully-upgradeable classic and late-model Harley-Davidson® motorcycles while facing outrageous road challenges.

“Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally offers gamers the chance to ride some of the most recognizable motorcycles in the world in this fast-paced, open-road adventure,” said David Oxford, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Players experience the thrill of saddling up an American icon and the camaraderie of its brotherhood from their living room.”

Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally takes gamers from coast to coast across America exploring classic rides centric to “Harley-Davidson” and the biker lifestyle such as Big Sur, historic Route 66, and the Badlands . Each of the 20 authentic Harley-Davidson® motorcycles including the Dyna®, Softail®, Touring®, and Sportster® are fully customizable and upgradeable with licensed parts and accessories, so there are thousands of possibilities on which to perform the gravity-defying jumps, and high-speed turbo boosts in this game. Plus, it features a soundtrack that captures the attitude of “Harley-Davidson” with tracks by George Thorogood, Heart, Poison, Great White and more.

Harley-Davidson®: Race to the Rally is available now for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system for a suggested retail price of $29.99. The PC version will be available on November 28 for a suggested retail price of $19.99. The game has been rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB.

About Activision, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.47 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2006 .

Continue reading "HARLEY-DAVIDSONR: RACE TO THE RALLY ROARS INTO RETAIL STORES NATIONWIDE" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 2:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two weeks ago, on Tuesday, November 7, Peter Moore took the stage at the BMO Capital Markets – Interactive Entertainment Conference in New York, where he confirmed Microsoft’s continuous force in the interactive entertainment industry and shared exciting news about truly breakthrough experiences that are coming to Xbox 360 this month.

As we near the anniversary of the Xbox 360 launch, we are on track to have sold 10 million units by holiday, and have delivered on the plan to offer a console that revolves around “you” - your choices, your friends, and your entertainment. In New York, we outlined our new one-stop digital marketplace for high definition content in addition to our full lineup of 160 game titles by holiday 2006. Add to that a suite of accessories that enable gamers to customize their own entertainment experience to fit their lifestyle; Xbox 360 is the console of choice for gamers who want to have choice.

What they want, when they want it

Beginning November 22, Xbox 360 will be the first gaming console to bring standard and high definition TV shows and movies via digital distribution directly to consumers. We announced agreements with CBS, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. (TBS Inc.), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment to bring an initial lineup of more than 1,000 hours of hit TV shows and movies to Xbox 360 owners by the end of 2006.

The current lineup of content includes but is not limited to:

o “Robot Chicken” and “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” from Adult Swim

o “CSI,” “Survivor” and “Star Trek” from CBS

o Emmy and Peabody award-winning “South Park” and “Chappelle’s Show” from COMEDY CENTRAL

o “The Real World” and “Pimp My Ride” from MTV

o “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and ”SpongeBob SquarePants” from Nickelodeon

o “Skyland” and “The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival” from Nicktoons Network

o “M:i:III,” “Nacho Libre” and “Jackass: The Movie” from Paramount Pictures

o “Carpocalypse” and “Raising the Roofs” from Spike TV

o “Race Rewind” provided by NASCAR.COM

o Select episodes of the original season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series and the “UFC: All Access” shows from the UFC

o “Breaking Bonaduce” and “Hogan Knows Best” from VH1

o “The Matrix,” “Superman Returns” and “Batman Forever” from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

Making it their own experience

This holiday season nothing pairs with the library of Xbox 360 entertainment experiences quite like our accessory lineup. With the Xbox 360 wireless Headset, Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel, Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, or the Xbox Live Vision Camera gamers can choose how to create their own experience, whether they want the most realistic race they’ve ever driven, or the most realistic movie they’ve ever seen.

On November 7, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player, packaged with Peter Jackson’s “King Kong” and the universal media remote, began shipping to North American retailers and is making its way to store shelves. This accessory allows Xbox 360 owners to experience “the look and sound of perfect” with such films as “Serenity,” “V for Vendetta,” and “Batman Begins.”

Gamers can get the most mileage out of their accessories with the Xbox 360 Gaming Receiver for Windows, which lets the Wireless Controller, Wireless Headset and Wireless Racing Wheel work on the Windows PC. For those who want to build their ultimate interactive entertainment system, the best accessories, the most games, and the greatest experiences are on Xbox 360.

Revolving around great games

With accessories that customize gameplay, to a colossal game library that brings action, excitement and thrills, this holiday season we are set to bring forth a myriad of fun from friendly Piñatas to battles of epic proportions to bite-size action, pick up and play fun.

Earlier this month, “Gears of War” (Epic Games) emerged to a successful – and enormous – launch, expected to sell more than one million copies worldwide this holiday season, setting a new mark for the fastest-selling original game for Xbox. The frenzy continues this Sunday November 12th, “Emergence Day,” with online tournaments, including a 24-hour marathon event, bringing gamers more of the hyper-realistic and intense combat graphics and immersive beauty of the cinematic story that has sparked such a furor among consumers. The review scores are pouring in and this is the highest rated next-gen game to date with multiple perfect scores from around the world.

“Gears of War” (Epic Games) is just the beginning of the holiday excitement. “Viva Piñata” (Rare) bursts onto store shelves with its launch on November 9. With more than 60 piñata species to attract to your garden and engaging characters to interact with, Viva Piñata is sure to be the game played by kids of all ages on the Xbox 360. Brand momentum continues to build, following the success of the Saturday morning TV show, “Viva Piñata,” which airs on 4Kids TV (FOX) -- having quickly become a Saturday morning “must watch” for many kids. Licensing efforts are also well underway with the recent partnership announced with Playmates as the master toy licensee and American Greetings to create a social expressions line of products (greeting cards, gift wrap, etc.)

This month has also brought great titles to store shelves including: “Need for Speed Carbon” (EA) which hit November 1, “Call of Duty 3” (Activision) and “Tony Hawk’s Project 8” (Activision) were released November 7. The thrills don’t stop there, later this month we will also see: “WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007” (THQ) on November 14, “Superman Returns: The Videogame” (EA) on November 20 and “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas” (Ubisoft) on November 28. For a full list of upcoming titles check out: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/calendar.aspx?WT.svl=nav

For gamers looking for a quick gaming fix, Xbox Live Arcade has a diverse library with more than 40 independent, original development and classic retro titles slated to be on the service by end of year which has driven more than 12 million game downloads to date. Not to mention, next year Atari fans can revisit old favorites like “Centipede/Millipede,” “Battlezone,” “Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe,” “Missile Command,” “Tempest and Warlords” - with high-definition graphics, enhanced sound, leaderboard, multiplayer and a variety of achievements.

While on the casual games front, Microsoft Casual Games (MCG) is now touching 120 million players around the globe every month. MCG is the go-to provider of casual arcade-style gaming offering these 120 million players more than 400 titles across MSN Games, Windows Live Messenger, XP “in box” operating system games and Xbox Live Arcade.

Windows Vista went gold on November 8, whetting the appetite of Windows gamers. The first available DirectX 10 hardware was also announced by NVIDIA on November 8, making the countdown to Windows Vista truly tangible for gamers around the world.

What the numbers say

This holiday, we will have more than 160 high definition titles available for Xbox 360. October’s NPD data, the industry standard for tracking US momentum and market share, continues to illustrate the breadth and depth of the console’s services and features.

o Our record setting software attach rate is soaring at 5.2 games per console, which reflects the enthusiastic consumer response to the depth and breadth of our software library keeping the record for this period in the lifecycle.

o With our lineup of accessories it is clear why the Xbox 360 accessory attach rate rose this month to 3.0, setting another record for this stage in the lifecycle.

“Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent,” (Ubisoft) released last month, has soared its way to the top of the charts. Since its debut, gamers have been carefully living the life of double agent Sam Fisher and his international espionage adventures, making the title # 2 across all consoles on the U.S. sales chart.

Top Five Selling Xbox 360 Titles for October:

1) “Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent” (Ubisoft)

2) “Tiger Woods 2007” (EA)

3) “Marvel: Ultimate Alliance” (Activision)

4) “Madden 2007” (EA)

5) “NBA 2K7” (Take-Two)

Continue reading "Latest Microsoft Interactive Entertainment Gaming News" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 2:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (November 10, 2006) – This Veteran’s day, Kuma Reality Games honors America’s fighting men and women, both past and present, with the release of “Battle of the Bulge,” an all-new multiplayer “game-isode” that coincides with the November 10 episode of ‘Shootout!’ on The History Channel®. Kuma Games (www.kumagames.com) is also hosting two multiplayer events this weekend, inviting gamers to join the “Prize Giveaway” server for the opportunity to play and win. Players can participate in two team-based, red-on-blue multiplayer games, where the gamer with the highest score from each team wins, scoring a DVD of ‘WWII: The Pacific’ from The History Channel.

The first episode of “Battle of the Bulge” takes players back to December 16, 1944, re-creating the opening of one of the bloodiest battles of World War II. It accompanies the episode airing tonight on The History Channel where a lightly-armed team of 18 Intelligence and Reconnaissance soldiers must fend off a surprise attack by hundreds of Hitler’s soldiers in the village of Lanzareth. The tiny platoon courageously holds their position, killing over 500 German troops before running out of ammunition and being captured. Subsequent episodes –“Foxhole” and “Scout”– will be released Friday, November 17th and Friday, November 24th respectively.

Kuma’s online games released simultaneously with episodes of ‘Shootout!’ allow viewers and gamers the opportunity to watch the show and then “live” the historical event by playing a 3D game re-creation. Viewers of the show can log onto www.History.com or www.KumaGames.com and download the online game for free immediately after each episode airs. Kuma is expanding on this extraordinary “watch and play” experience by bringing together the gaming community to participate in exciting multiplayer events.

“Shootout!” examines, dissects, and re-creates some of the most famous battles in history, from the Wild West to Guadalcanal to Fallujah. Using heavy 3D CGI animation sequences, players can experience the thick of battle from the point of view of the historical participants themselves.

Tune in to “Shooutout!: Battle of the Bulge” Friday, November 10 at 8:00pmET/PT on The History Channel, and play the re-creation of the episode online at www.history.com or www.KumaGames.com.

Be a part of Kuma’s Veteran’s Day multiplayer events on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12 from 4:00-5:00pmET at www.KumaGames.com.

Continue reading "IN HONOR OF VETERANS DAY, KUMA RELEASES PLAYABLE RECREATION OF ONE OF THE WWII¹S MOST SIGNIFICANT BATTLES" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 11:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 6, 2006 – Los Angeles – Razer™, a leading manufacturer of high-end precision gaming peripherals, has announced the availability of the Tarantula™, a hi-tech gaming keyboard, at Circuit City stores everywhere. Currently available now in Circuit City for a price of $99.99, the Tarantula will also be sold at CompUSA and major online retailers (Amazon.com, TigerDirect.com, Buy.com, GoGamer.com and others) starting in mid-November.

“Razer is psyched to add the Tarantula to their growing list of quality gaming gear,” said Robert Krakoff, president, Razer USA. “I honestly believe the Tarantula to be the ‘smartest’ keyboard ever designed and Razer fans will not be disappointed with the Tarantula’s sleek look and fully customizable features, which will empower competitive gamers with seamless control and unparalleled flexibility.”

Designed and engineered from the ground up by the Razer team, the Tarantula is the first definitive gaming keyboard created for gamers, by gamers, that has several innovative features, including:

* 10 key Anti-Ghosting capability to allow for multiple key binds and prevent key jamming when multiple keys are simultaneously pressed

* Optimized Hyperesponse™ Gaming Keytop for reduced key latency and maximum response time

* Headphone-out and microphone-in jacks for convenient access and two USB Ports for convenient peripheral plug-ins
* 10 additional Macro keys with extra symbol keys included
* 95 programmable keys on the Razer Tarantula allow configuration of customized keystrokes and macro commands for optimal control and flexibility

· Keys can be programmed without drivers and up to five different gaming profiles which can be stored on the keyboard itself which makes moving from one tournament to another easy. The onboard memory capability powered by Razer Synapse™, which was first featured in the multi-award winning Razer Copperhead™ gaming mouse.

* Full Multi-media center keys to control media programs like Windows Media Player

· Ambient illumination light source runs underneath the keys, enabling the keys to be adequately lit for gaming in low or no light conditions

Continue reading "RAZER™ REDEFINES THE STANDARDS IN GAMING PERIPHERALS WITH THE NEW TARANTULA KEYBOARD" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 27, 2006 (Rockville, MD) - Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax Media company, today announced its plans to publish Rogue Warrior™, an authentic, tactical first-person shooter based on the best-selling book series by Richard (Dick) Marcinko, former U.S. Navy SEAL and founder of both SEAL Team Six and Red Cell. Rogue Warrior is being developed for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows by Zombie Studios in conjunction with Bethesda Softworks. Rogue Warrior is scheduled for a fall 2007 release.

“We are very excited to be working on Rogue Warrior, which allows us the chance to bring Bethesda’s creative vision and development expertise to this brand,” said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. “This game marks our return to shooters since our highly successful Terminator series, and we hope to offer fans a true next-generation gameplay experience.”

Rogue Warrior is a story-driven shooter that provides team-based tactical combat set in massive, contiguous levels using Unreal 3 streaming technology. Central to the game’s single and multiplayer experience is the idea of a freeform battlefield, where players are given the freedom to choose how to complete a given objective, allowing for creativity and surprises, rather than heavily scripted events and tightly contained spaces traditionally used in this genre.

An advanced AI system allows NPCs to react and fight realistically, see and hear others, and respond as a team. Rogue Warrior offers a new take on the multiplayer experience, with 10 gameplay modes and a system whereby maps are created using tiles that are selected by each team. Rogue Warrior’s tiling system allows users to experience over 200 maps in both day and nighttime settings. In addition, the campaign features solo and on-the-fly cooperative play for up to four players, where anyone can join or leave an existing campaign game at any time without having to go to menus or save progress.

“Rogue Warrior is the game we’ve been waiting to make for years,” said Mark Long, lead producer at Zombie Studios. “We’re using terrific technology in a way that’s different from other games - we have a unique HUD and control system for your teammates, on-the-fly co-op play, and we’ve really focused our efforts on making multiplayer more fun and challenging by giving you lots of modes and hundreds of maps you can see and play. We’re thrilled to be working with Bethesda on this new initiative using a brand we know and love.”

In Rogue Warrior, you play Dick Marcinko, leader of an elite SEAL unit trapped behind enemy lines in North Korea on a covert mission to assess the threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. When war breaks out between North and South Korea, you must try to lead your team back into South Korea while greatly outnumbered and with no support and limited resupply. Your journey will take you through a variety of never-before-seen environments inside of North Korea, including submarine pens, shipbreaker yards, prison camps, and more.

A 30-year veteran with the U.S. Navy, Dick Marcinko served in both the Underwater Demolitions Team and Navy SEAL programs, was a military attache in Cambodia, and conceived, founded, and commanded SEAL Team Six, the U.S. Navy’s first counterterrorism unit. He later created and ran Red Cell, a unit created to test the Navy's anti-terrorist capabilities for highly-secured bases, nuclear submarines, ships, and other purported “secure areas”, including Air Force One. Dick’s experiences as a Navy SEAL were captured in his New York Times best-selling autobiography, Rogue Warrior, and his Rogue Warrior fiction series.

“I think this game has a lot going for it and I’m very excited to be a part of it,” said Marcinko. “You have input from my SEALs and me on everything from animations to equipment to artificial intelligence to tactics to ensure accuracy of the gameplay, plus a story that has lots of relevance with the current events in North Korea, and the expertise in making great games that comes from Bethesda and Zombie…I think it’s going to take names like only a SEAL can.”

Continue reading "Bethesda Softworks Announces Its Return to First-Person Shooters with Rogue Warrior™" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN FRANCISCO – October 9, 2006 – Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announces that Dark Messiah of Might and Magic™ has gone gold and is scheduled for North American release on October 24, 2006.

Developed in conjunction with Ubisoft, Arkane Studios (for single-player) and Kuju Entertainment (for multiplayer), Dark Messiah of Might and Magic puts players in a first-person perspective, allowing them to encounter ferocious combat within a dark and expansive fantasy environment.

Powered by an enhanced version of the award-winning Source™ Engine created by Valve for its Half-Life®2 video game, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic allows players to immerse themselves in an environment that responds and envelops them like never before, thanks to the Source Engine’s exceptional technological enhancements in areas such as character animation, advanced AI, real-world physics and shader-based rendering.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic will be available for PC at the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $49.99.

For more news and information on Dark Messiah Might and Magic, please
visit the game’s official website at www.mightandmagic.com.

Continue reading "DARK MESSIAH OF MIGHT AND MAGIC GOES GOLD" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – September 26, 2006 – The chance to play with complete control over all of the dazzling passes, signature dunks, jump shots and free throw routines of your favorite NBA stars in the world’s best-selling* basketball video game became a reality today after Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) shipped NBA LIVE 07 to stores throughout North America.

Developed by EA Canada, NBA LIVE 07 features NBA superstar Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets on its cover, and it is available on the Xbox 360™ and Xbox® video game systems from Microsoft, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, mobile and PC. It will ship to stores in North America on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system on September 27th.

On Wednesday, September 27, McGrady and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, who is featured on NBA LIVE 07 packaging in France , will help launch NBA LIVE 07 at the world’s only NBA Store on 5th Avenue in New York City . Beginning at 1:00 pm Eastern Time, the first 150 fans who have registered to pre-purchase the game from the NBA Store will receive an autographed copy of the game from McGrady and Parker and have the opportunity to meet the players.

Outside North America, NBA LIVE 07 will be available to stores worldwide on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 with Parker and Boris Diaw of the Phoenix Suns on the cover in France, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks on the cover in Germany and Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies on the cover in Spain. McGrady is featured on the cover in North America and all other territories.

This year NBA LIVE 07 introduces ESPN Motion and streaming ESPN radio podcasts delivered right to your console in game through a ground-breaking new ESPN integration package available on the Xbox 360™ and PlayStation®3 consoles. Fans connected online will be able to watch NBA game highlights, segments from Pardon the Interruption or Around the Horn, interviews and analysis from SportsCenter, and more. Fans will also be able to download and listen to ESPN radio podcasts as they play NBA LIVE 07, including segments from Dan Patrick, Mike & Mike, Stephen A. Smith and others. All this is in addition to live ESPN Radio SportsCenter updates every 20 minutes, the ESPN Ticker and ESPN News.

Legendary broadcaster Marv Albert and former Chicago Bulls star Steve Kerr call all the action from the best seats in the house as you take your game to the highest level in NBA LIVE 07. With all-new EA SPORTS™ Total Freestyle Control and revolutionary gameplay -- complete with ultra-realistic moves and player emotions --the highly acclaimed basketball video game from the EA SPORTS brand plays as good as it looks. Pull off moves only the pros perform as you replicate the styles of your favorite NBA players. Elevate to the rim for an electrifying dunk and bring the crowd to its feet, or look to your superstars to shift momentum with the game on the line. Featuring all-new levels of ability for your EA SPORTS Freestyle Superstars, the power to switch their skills on-the-fly, and advancements to fan-favorite features like All-Star Weekend and Dynasty Mode™, the hardwood is yours for the taking in NBA LIVE 07.

Developed in Vancouver , B.C., by EA Canada, NBA LIVE 07 is scheduled for release on the PlayStation®3 later this year. Learn more about the game at http://nbalive07.com or download new screenshots at http://info.ea.com.

* Based on total franchise sales according to NPD Data.

Continue reading "YESSSSS! NBA LIVE 07 FROM EA SPORTS SHIPS TODAY" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Microsoft Game Studios today announced that the “Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania”* expansion pack has gone gold. Making waves on store shelves Oct. 17, this newest addition to the award-winning “Zoo Tycoon 2” franchise lets gamers of all ages turn their dream zoo into an aquatic adventure.

From Blue Fang Games, LLC, this new, E10+ rated expansion pack introduces 20 new marine animals into the “Zoo Tycoon 2” experience, including green sea turtles, black tip reef sharks and West Indian manatees, for $29.99. Watch an orca breach the surface of its tank, while dolphins teach each other new tricks. In addition to building new captivating tanks, gamers can also customize their own aquatic shows, teaching animals to entertain zoo guests and increase their zoo ratings.

New scenarios and challenges allow players of all ages and skill levels to test their aquatic expertise, such as rescuing marine animals, restoring their health and releasing them back into the wild. Children and parents alike can broaden their knowledge of the animal kingdom with the exclusive Zoopedia feature, with excerpts from Encarta®, that educates gamers on the dietary and habitat needs of the animals.

Also available at retailers on Oct. 17 will be the “Zoo Tycoon 2: Zookeeper Collection” featuring three franchise favorites: “Zoo Tycoon 2,” “Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species” and “Zoo Tycoon 2: African Adventure.” Available for $39.99, this ultimate “Zoo Tycoon” experience allows players to step directly into their zoo, where they will come face-to-face with 70 animals and hundreds of building objects to customize their zoo. For more information and free downloadable content, including new animals, scenery and demos, please visit the newly updated Zoo Tycoon Web site at http://www.zootycoon.com.

Blue Fang Games is an independent game developer dedicated to creating compelling, emotionally engaging games focused on the animal kingdom that set the benchmark for broad-based family entertainment. Blue Fang’s “Zoo Tycoon” franchise, published by Microsoft Game Studios, has established itself as one of the most popular PC gaming franchises and has sold over 5 million units worldwide. Founded in 1998, Blue Fang Games is located in Waltham , MA . For more information visit Blue Fang Games on the Web at www.bluefang.com.

Continue reading "Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania Goes Gold" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This week, GameTap celebrates the Adventure genre by rolling out six new-to-the-network adventure titles, including the network’s first title from Phoenix Licensing and the first PC version of a classic Mac game from Cyan. In addition, we are premiering multiplayer capabilities with four others games!

Among the highlights is “The Last Express,” Phoenix Licensing’s debut game on GameTap. When The Last Express was originally released, it received Editor’s Choice awards from Computer Gaming World, PC Gamer, and dozens of gaming websites, as well as being awarded the “Best New Adventure and Role Playing Game” by Games Magazine. Created by Jordan Mechner, the mastermind behind the incredibly popular “Prince of Persia” series, “The Last Express” is an indelible adventure experience.

While Cyan is best known for its “Myst” franchise - with “Myst Online: Uru Live” debuting on GameTap this holiday season and “Myst,” “Riven: The Sequel to Myst,” and “Myst III: Exile” currently available in the network – one of their past game gems is “Spelunx and the Caves of Mr. Seudo.” This is an educational game cleverly disguised as a cave exploration adventure. Previously only available for the Mac, it is now making its PC debut.

New Games:

· “The Last Express” - Phoenix Licensing

· “Spelunx and the Caves of Mr. Seudo” - Cyan

· “Beyond Atlantis” - DreamCatcher Europe SA

· “Crystal Key 2: The Far Realm” - DreamCatcher Europe SA

· “Curse of Atlantis” – Thorgal’s Quest - DreamCatcher Europe SA

· “Dark Fall: The Journal” - DreamCatcher Europe SA

Games with added challenge/multiplayer game functionality:

· “Avengers” – Capcom

· “Blue’s Journey” - SNK PLAYMORE

· “King of the Monsters II” - SNK PLAYMORE

· “Mutation Nation” - SNK PLAYMORE

Check out GameTap every Thursday for loads of new games!

Continue reading "GameTap Celebrates “Adventure Week” with the Addition of Phoenix Licensing and a Cyan Classic" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

TORONTO, Canada, September 21, 2006 – The Adventure Company today unveiled www.AgathaChristieGame.com, a new web site presenting its upcoming PC title, Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express. The site is jam packed with details that anxious and devoted fans crave about the new mystery adventure. Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express is scheduled to be on store shelves in November.

“The Murder on the Orient Express game site is a pre-boarding pass for fans to step aboard and get excited about what is to come,” said Lorraine Lue , Director of Global Marketing at DreamCatcher, Inc. “Just as a good mystery unfolds in time, we will release new details about the game every week leading up to the launch.”

Designed to provide a sneak peak and build excitement, the Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express site will showcase screen shots, character biographies and photos, environment artwork as well as trailers, demos, music, wallpaper and contests.

The new game will be the second Agatha Christie PC game to be released, following the successful launch of And Then There None last year, and is part of a series of digital activities aimed at bringing the Queen of Crime to the attention of a new generation.

About the Game

Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express will beckon travelers to climb aboard a luxury train and become part of a murder mystery where the player and Hercule Poirot must rely on their superior detective skills to find the killer in a heinous murder. The game remains true to the style and tone of the novel, but a surprising new ending will keep players at the edge of their seats. Agatha Christie fans will be delighted to know that Actor David Suchet will play the vocal role of Belgian Detective Hercule Poirot – a role Suchet made famous through his well-known portrayals of the character in an array of television appearances over the past 20 years.

About Agatha Christie

Known the world over as the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is the world’s best-known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 45 foreign languages. She is outsold by only the Bible and Shakespeare.

About Chorion

Chorion is an owner, developer and manager of creative content with the rights to key brands such as Noddy, The Famous Five, Miss Marple, Poirot and Maigret. Visit www.chorion.com.

Continue reading "All Aboard! Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express Web Site Live" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Redwood City, Calif. – Tuesday, September 12, 2006 – The golden age of console hockey returns! Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that the NHL® 07 videogame ships to retailers in North America today under the EA SPORTS™ brand. In stores just in time for the opening of NHL training camps, NHL 07 allows players to feel like they can play like a pro without ever touching the ice.

Featuring an unmatched level of freedom and control, NHL 07 represents a watershed moment in the history of the console hockey. The revolutionary EA SPORTS Skill Stick gives users the power to play in the game as it is on the ice, without taking their thumbs off the analog sticks. The left analog functions as your skates and the right as your hockey stick to give you a skill-based execution with an intuitive feel.

Stunning new presentation, AI enhancements and animation overhauls create players who look, act and play like they would in the NHL. Gone are the days when a one-timer was the only way to score in a hockey videogame. Now look to your teammates and know how to best use their strengths with New Player-Specific Behaviors. Be the Playmaker and find your Sniper open in the slot, or let your Dangler make pylons out of the defense.

Off the ice, act as the General Manager in an enhanced Dynasty Mode™. Do whatever it takes to meet an owner’s expectations by properly managing rosters and using your creativity to fit player salaries under the new cap. Whether you’re running the front office or dominating the rink, NHL 07 is the most realistic hockey video game ever created.

Continue reading "THE PUCK DROPS HERE! EA’s NHL 07 SHIPS TO RETAILERS TODAY" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Los Angeles (August 22, 2006) – Giving gamers the chance to play doctors and nurses, Codemasters today announced the signing of Hospital Tycoon, an original PC title from development studio Deep Red Games (Monopoly Tycoon, Vega$: Make It Big!, Tycoon City: New York).

Set for a spring 2007 launch, Hospital Tycoon is a medical-themed God game in which players are put in charge of hectic hospital facilities that are constantly on the verge of crisis and collapse. Players are challenged to run, maintain, enhance and expand the hospitals while turning any chaotic situation around using ingenious management techniques.

The most infectious thing about Hospital Tycoon is its humor as players experience how the game’s characters – the doctors, nurses and patients – interact with each other and react to how well the player is running each hospital. The game’s high level of character interaction will create a living hospital that’s part soap opera and part comedy.

A move away from micro-management life-simulation games, Hospital Tycoon will create emerging situations that are as entertaining as they are challenging. The manic medical teams have to deal with patients suffering from the most peculiar ailments, such as the man afflicted with ‘Monkey Nuts’ and the office worker diagnosed with Stress Zombosis, and set about curing them with equally odd treatments.

“Hospital Tycoon promises to be great fun, and continues Deep Red’s drive to fuse the established core gameplay of our previous Tycoon games with richer and deeper character simulation,” said Steve Beverley, project leader at Deep Red Games.

“With Hospital we’ve added a generous helping of widely-appealing humor and a kind of soap-opera format too. The game is designed for play either as a sandbox toy, making it accessible to a wider audience, or with structured challenges appealing to core gamers,” added Beverley. “Whichever way it’s played, it’ll be accessible, funny, visually gorgeous, and offer depth for those that want to dig for it.”

Players will direct the hospital’s medical staff, ensure patients are cared for and have the treatment facilities required. There’s also the upkeep of each hospital to control and develop; dedicated areas can be built to support additional medical needs – surgery, diagnosis, physiotherapy and more. Get it right and patients will go home happy, get it wrong and armies of angry, sick people will make everyone’s life hell.

The game’s rich visual design will deliver detailed, comedic representations of the patients’ bizarre diseases. The more patients that are cured, the more player’s medical empire can grow and flourish, but watch out for the spread of infectious conditions, or soon an epidemic could plunge the hospital into absolute chaos.

Continue reading "Codemasters signs Hospital Tycoon for PC" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (August 22, 2006) – Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that Pac-Man World Rally™ has shipped and is available in retail outlets nationwide for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo GameCube™ and PC.

Developed by Smart Bomb Interactive, Pac-Man World Rally puts players behind the wheel to race through a variety of Pac-Man World environments as Pac-Man®, Jr. Pac-Man and other famous Namco characters such as Mr. Driller®, Mappy® and the Prince from Katamari Damacy™. In the fastest and most exciting kart racing game ever, players can race for the win or fight it out in colorful Battle Arenas with unique weapons, power-ups and a variety of Pac-Man powers. The newest installment in the franchise also includes the villains of Pac-Man World: Toc-Man, Spooky, Erwin – and introduces the most evil of them all, Pac-Devil!

“Pac-Man World Rally gives fans of all ages the opportunity to enjoy the franchise’s first-ever kart racer,” said John Whitmore, Director of Internal/External Development at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “The game’s roster of popular classic characters, challenging tracks and finely tuned power sliding mechanics are sure to deliver an unforgettable gameplay experience.”

Players will experience an unprecedented sense of speed as they race against their friends or the computer on fun and exciting new tracks with unique new kart racing features, including:

* Play as Pac-Man and other famous Namco characters! – Play as the iconic characters from the Pac-Man universe, or choose from an all-star cast of classic Namco characters such as Pooka, Fygar, Mr. Driller and more!
* The most outrageous Battle Mode ever seen in kart racing! – Pac-Man and friends have a whole new set of weapons to duke it out in custom single-player and multiplayer Battle Arenas!
* The Pac-Mobile! – No matter what character you choose, if you eat enough Pac Dots on the track you can transform into the giant Pac-Mobile and gobble up the competition!
* Shortcuts galore! – Keep your eyes peeled for Pac-Man’s classic fruit power-ups – they open hidden Fruit Doors that will catapult you into the lead!

Continue reading "NAMCO BANDAI GAMES AMERICA INC.'S PAC-MAN WORLD RALLYT ZOOMS ONTO STORE SHELVES NATIONWIDE" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN FRANCISCO– AUGUST 23, 2006 – Today Ubisoft, one of the
world’s largest video game publishers, announced a new chapter in the
award-winning Silent Hunter® submarine simulation franchise Silent Hunter 4:
Wolves of the Pacificâ„¢. Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific will
be available for PC in the spring of 2007.

“The Silent Hunter series is a legendary franchise that
unquestionably set the standard for submarine simulations,” said Tony Key, Vice
President of Marketing at Ubisoft. “Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the
Pacific continues that tradition with its amazing graphics, authenticity
and immersive gameplay.”

Developed by Ubisoft’s studio in Romania, Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of
the Pacific takes players to the depths of the Pacific Ocean as the
skipper of an American submarine. Immersed in this intense environment
with the help of amazing graphics and sound, players will engage in
massive battles with enemy units, manage and evolve an entire submarine crew,
and earn promotions and commendations to ensure victory in the Pacific.

Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific features include:

• Hollywood Blockbuster Experience: Lifelike graphics and spectacular
audio/visual effects offer an incredibly immersive gaming experience.

• Innovative Crew Evolution: Earn upgrades and experience to help
create the most effective naval force in the Pacific Theater.

• Immersive Single-Player Gameplay: Diverse mission objectives and
events on more than 15 maps combined with unique rewards make each
campaign a unique experience.

• Addictive New Online Adversarial Mode: Join forces with up to eight
friends via LAN or four via Internet in either cooperative or
adversarial gameplay modes. Scripted and generated mission types allow for epic
online battles and unlimited replayability.

Continue reading "UBISOFT ANNOUNCES NEXT CHAPTER IN SILENT HUNTER SUBMARINE FRANCHISE" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 22, 2006 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that Madden NFL 07, the newest iteration of the EA SPORTS™ best-selling football franchise with the exclusive videogame license of the NFL and PLAYERS INC, is in stores everywhere today. Madden NFL 07 continues to lead with innovation and gameplay by reinventing the running game with the all-new Lead Blocker Control and the new highlight stick so you can run like the real players run. NFL Superstar: Hall of Fame mode comes to Madden NFL 07 this year, where you can live the life of an NFL Superstar.

Madden NFL 06¸ since its launch, has sold more than 6.5 million copies*, and was the #1 selling videogame of 2005 in North America. Madden NFL Football has become a cultural phenomenon, with more than 51 million copies sold (LTD), and the launch day becoming a holiday for many avid fans.

“Madden NFL Football has become a cultural phenomenon and, with Maddenoliday, we are honoring all the Madden gamers across the country who line up at midnight and then take off the day to play Madden NFL 07,” said Todd Sitrin, VP of marketing for EA Tiburon and EA SPORTS brand. “We continue to bring innovative changes to the game every year, and now with the improvements in the running game, Madden NFL 07 is even more authentic. You will know how it feels to be actually on the field playing with the pros.”

You now control the running game like never before with Lead Blocker Control in Madden NFL 07. For the first time ever, step up as the lead blocker to create a hole, and then take control of the tailback and smash through, overpower, or slash away from would-be tacklers as you fight for every yard. Innovative rushing controls give you a game-breaking ground attack featuring all-new jukes, cutbacks, and the distinct running styles of your favorite backs.

NFL Superstar: Hall of Fame mode makes its debut in Madden NFL 07 on the Xbox 360 and is even deeper for the current generation systems. You can create and customize your own player and guide him one Sunday at a time from that position on the field for an all new way of experiencing the game. Madden NFL 07 Franchise Mode is deeper than ever before. On current generation platforms, now scout collegiate prospects with the all-new NFL Draft Scouting System and the College All-Star Game, or watch players around the NFL impact their teams with the new Franchise Player Roles feature. On Xbox 360, participate in an interactive player rehab through mini games.

For the Xbox 360 there is an all-new Mini-Camp mode where you can build up your players attributes by running him through skill-based, combine-type mini-games. In the off-season use Mini-Camp to condition players or rehab injuries to get back on the field faster. Track your career accomplishments in Franchise Mode to earn Madden Gamer Points, then risk your points against the computer or live opponents in the same room.

In its second installment on the PlayStation® Portable system, Madden NFL 07 brings you a new exclusive mini-games -- return kicks, avoid tackles, and players can aim for the high score in “End 2 End.” And for the first time you can transfer an entire season in Franchise mode from your PlayStation®2 to your PSP system.

September 1 in Denver, CO is the kick off to the highly-anticipated 5th annual EA SPORTS™ Madden Challenge, played exclusively this year on the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft, with a $100,000 grand prize check for the Finals winner. Void where prohibited. Eligibility Restrictions Apply. Tournament runs on published dates in each city. For additional details and Tournament Official Rules see www.maddenchallenge.com.

Entering its 17th year and with more than 51 million copies sold life to date, Madden NFL Football continues to stand out as the most popular football videogame franchise of all time with a combination of innovative new features and the most authentic football gameplay. Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon Madden NFL 07 will be available on August 22 on Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™, PC (as well as www.downloader.ea.com), PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and Game Boy® Advance. Madden NFL 07 is rated “E” (Everyone) by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $59.99 for the Xbox 360, $49.99 for the PlayStation 2 console and Xbox, $39.99 for Nintendo GameCube, PSP, and PC, $29.99 for Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. In Europe, Madden NFL 07 launches on PS2, Xbox, NDS, PC, PC Downloader August 25 and on Xbox 360 and PSP September 8. For more information check out www.madden07.com.

Continue reading "MERRY MADDENOLIDAY! EA’s MADDEN NFL 07 HITS STORE SHELVES TODAY" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 1:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York, NY – August 21, 2006 – Philips today announced the arrival of ambient intelligence in adventure gaming with the signing of an agreement with THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) as an official amBX licensee, to deliver its eagerly anticipated Broken Sword: The Angel of Death, due to be published for PC in Summer 2006.

Created by Philips, amBX technology represents a huge leap forward in the development of ambient intelligence and will revolutionize the gameplay experience by extending the gaming world out of the screen and into the real world. amBX will provide gamers with a full ‘sensory surround experience’ by empowering developers with the ability to use light, color, sound and even air flow in the real world, during gameplay.

Blending a scripting language, software engine and architecture, the amBX platform has been designed to deliver all-new player experiences through enabled devices such as LED color-controlled lights, active furniture, fans, heaters, audio and video, all placed strategically around a player’s room.

“With Philips’ amBX system we can create a Broken Sword game that is not only emotionally engaging but also a visual experience that is both dramatic and very unique,” said Mickey Torode, senior global brand manager, THQ Inc. “Philips has been extremely supportive not only with the development of the game, but also in providing THQ the resources and technology to demonstrate the game alongside the new technology for our key partners.”

Broken Sword: The Angel of Death is the fourth release in the award-winning adventure series from Revolution Software and Sumo and is the perfect vehicle to showcase the level and sophistication of ambient intelligence that amBX offers the adventure gaming market.

THQ and amBX/2

“Angel of Death is an ideal game to pioneer our agreement with THQ – innovative, and atmospheric with a strong narrative drive – but it really is just the beginning,” commented Jo Cooke, chief marketing officer for Philips amBX. “THQ’s profound understanding of the market and the strength in depth of its games portfolio will, I’m sure, enable the company to get some stunning results integrating amBX in its games.”

The potential of amBX doesn’t stop at adventure gaming and Philips is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a number of leading computer games developers, publishers and peripheral manufacturers regarding amBX-enabling games and devices.

Continue reading "THQ SIGNS UP TO PHILIPS amBX REVOLUTION" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN FRANCISCO – August 1, 2006 – Have a sweet tooth for casual games? Leading publisher PlayFirst has the perfect fix: Sweetopia™, the new downloadable game from the artfully-innovative developer PiEyeGames. Launching today on PlayFirst.com, Sweetopia delivers a sure-fire sugar rush, taking players on a fast-paced, candy-popping adventure through a mysterious, labyrinthine candy factory.

“Sweetopia is packed with plenty of candy-blasting action, mouth-watering visuals and delectable audio to satisfy any casual game craving,” said Kenny Dinkin, vice president and executive producer, PlayFirst. “We’re thrilled to indulge PlayFirst’s community of players with this beautifully done title and add it to our growing portfolio of top-notch casual games.”

In the game, players join Kate and her sidekick, John, as they prepare for the grand reopening of the mysterious and magical Sweetopia Candy Factory following a 20 year closure. But suddenly something in the factory goes dreadfully awry! Sweetopia’s latest sweet sensation becomes a candy catastrophe – a bad batch of Sherbet Sizzlers has explosive potential! To stop the volatile Sherbet Sizzlers from colliding, players must help Kate blast away crazy confections, like Banana Bangs and Marshmallow Melts, to safely return her beloved candy factory to the Sweetopia it once was.

Now available on PlayFirst.com, Sweetopia is free to try for 60 minutes or purchase for $19.95. To download Sweetopia, please visit http://www.playfirst.com/game/sweetopia.

Continue reading "PLAYFIRST TREATS CASUAL GAMERS TO SWEETOPIA™" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Huntington Beach, California – August 9, 2006 – Zero G Games is happy to announce that they have completed development of Yahoo! Chess, which is now live on Yahoo! Games, the leading game portal for casual games. Yahoo! Chess is a multiplayer, cross-platform, game, allowing players on either a PC or mobile phone to play together. The large community of chess players on the Yahoo! network will make it easy to find the perfect opponent, regardless of the player’s skill level or device used for access. Zero G Games developed the PC game in Flash and this is the first instance of the use of Flash in a multiplayer game on the Yahoo! network. In addition, Zero G is continuing development on an interactive TV offering of chess, which will be fully integrated with both the web and the mobile versions.

"Zero G Games did a wonderful job with a complex product, and we are extremely pleased to offer flash Chess to our extensive game community,” said Cynthia Woll, executive producer, Yahoo! Games. “They are skilled at all aspects of multiplayer game technology, and they have the know-how to create compelling applications.

Zero G Games is a recognizable leader in Flash and web game development. From building online game brands to introducing new functionality for a client's product, Zero G Games provides award-winning design, user interface, and technology solutions for both web and television.

“Yahoo! is the most popular game destination on the internet and Yahoo! Chess is recognized globally drawing gamers from all corners of the world,” said Mark Lowe, CEO of Zero G Games. “We are thrilled to have worked with Yahoo! to launch this game and believe it will be a huge success for their Games property.”

Continue reading "ZERO G GAMES COMPLETES DEVELOPMENT OF NEW YAHOO! CHESS" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (August 8th, 2006) – SEGA Europe Ltd and SEGA of America Inc., are proud to announce NHL™: Eastside Hockey Manager™ 2007 for the PC and Mac. Developed by Sports Interactive, creators of the acclaimed Football Manager™ series, NHL™: Eastside Hockey Manager™ 2007 will be available exclusively via digital download from www.eastsidehockeymanager.net from September 22nd 2006 across Europe and America.

NHL™: Eastside Hockey Manager™ 2007 is an authentic ice hockey management game which offers an enhanced simulation experience and a brand new 2D game engine, bringing you even closer to the action of each nail biting game. New tactical settings now give you even greater control over your side’s playing style, with a plethora of additional options.

Will you take advantage of new tactical options for breakouts, forechecking and implementing zone systems to steer your franchise to Stanley Cup™ glory? Or will you place your faith in your designated playmakers and face-off takers to carry your team to World Championship victory?

“With over 20 playable leagues and a comprehensive player and team database, NHL™: Eastside Hockey Manager™ 2007 is an ideal way for you to prepare for your fantasy hockey season”, commented Marc Duffy of Sports Interactive. “We’re incredibly keen to ensure that as many hockey fans as possible have access to the game, which is why we are delighted to make the game available via digital download.”

Sports Interactive has been working to create a new and improved look and feel to the 2007 edition, with a new cutting edge interface to make navigation far simpler. NHL™ Eastside Hockey Manager™ 2007 allows you to manage your own franchise in leagues from around the world, including the NHL, AHL, DEL and Swedish leagues.

The database has been vastly expanded since last year, now boasting an incredible 45,000 players and staff at your disposal, with a shot stopping total of 3,000 teams from around the globe!

Key Features:
• Fantasy draft - build your very own dream team, fantasy-hockey style
• Brand new real-time 2D engine for coaching your games and reviewing the crucial highlights
• Improved draft recommendations from your staff, allowing you to make the most of your all-important draft selections
• New tactical options and the introduction of sliders, allowing you more variations to your tactical settings, giving you more control over your side’s playing style than ever.
• More variation and detail from your staff in their scouting reports to help you find the hottest young talent
• Additional trade options and feedback now available, allowing you full control at the negotiation table
• No excuses for not balancing the books with greater salary cap control and more information on individual cap hits

Continue reading "NHL™: EASTSIDE HOCKEY MANAGER™ 2007 FACES OFF FOR THE NEW HOCKEY SEASON" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (August 9, 2006) – Codemasters Online Gaming gives a sneak peak at the awesome mounts that players can own and ride in ArchLord, the highly-anticipated MMORPG where one player will rule the entire game world.

ArchLord features a variety of upgradeable mounts for the game’s three different races. Humans will ride around on statuesque horses, Orcs can storm in on their beastly battle rhinos and Moon Elves will endeavour to conquer the land on their mystical lion-like mounts, the trusted Albileon and Caerleon.

Players will have direct control over their mounts and enable them to travel great distances much faster than on foot. In combat, mounts make an incredible addition to your arsenal, as well as a fearsome sight for enemies to behold. Mounts can have their battle abilities and weaponry upgraded with extras such as Lances, Partisans and Langderines, legendary lance-like weapons with gruesome maiming capabilities.

If you are lucky enough to rise through the ranks to become the mighty ArchLord, there is then an awesome mount available that is unique only to the ArchLord within the game. Catch a first glimpse of this fearsome mighty beast in action in the Mount Introduction movie now available at www.archlordgame.com.

Continue reading "ArchLord’s Epic Mounts Revealed" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toronto, August 2, 2006 – DreamCatcher Games today announced that it will publish a new version of Ship Simulator for Windows® in North America which includes the famous New York harbor.

Ship Simulator is a revolutionary new game that puts you at the helm of some of the most varied and detailed ships to be found at sea. Set in stunning 3D environments, take control of a wide array of vessels, from massive cargo ships to powerful racing speedboats, yachts, water taxis, and even the mighty Titanic.

Perform a multitude of tasks using the diverse controls of the game, such as the unique challenge of steering the Titanic through shallow water and experiencing the vast differences between navigating a cargo tanker and a tugboat.

The waters that you sail are just as varied as the ships that you control – from the biggest harbors in the world, including New York and Hamburg, to the calm aquamarine waters of the Thai Phi Phi Islands.

Features

* Play with 8 different ship types, each with their individual response and controls.
* Over 435 mi2 of stunning and accurate environments to maneuver your ships including the world’s largest harbors: New York, Rotterdam, and Hamburg.
* Cruise around the rich tropical environments of Thailand’s gorgeous Phi Phi Islands.
* Gameplay includes 40 very different missions, from search and rescue missions, racing a speedboat, to towing a cargo boat through a narrow harbor entrance with your powerful tugboat.
* Earn money by finishing missions or lose it by hitting other objects.
* Dynamic weather system, including wind force and rain, adds to the atmosphere and the realism of this simulator.
* Create your own missions using the powerful mission editor and drag playable ships and tasks into one of the giant game environments. Populate your harbor with cranes, cargo ships, docking areas, cars and cargo stacks.
* Exchange your very own missions and challenge other players on the Ship Simulator Internet Forum.

Continue reading "DreamCatcher Games to Publish Ship Simulator" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that fashion street wear brand 55DSL will be coming to Need for Speed™ Carbon. Exclusively designed items from 55DSL, plus a selection of garments from their ‘Zurka and the 55 Vagabonds’ winter collection, will feature prominently on key in-game characters in the game,developed by EA Black Box in Vancouver, British Columbia. Need for Speed ™ Carbon delivers the next generation of adrenaline-filled street racing and will challenge players to face the ultimate test of driving skill on treacherous canyon roads..

55DSL items are specifically tailored to the game, bringing with them the unique style and tone of the brand. Exclusively designed clothing for the game, will be available only through local EA events around the world and pre-order campaigns.

Andrea Rosso, the Creative Director of 55DLS is enthusiastic, “When the opportunity to work with EA, and in particular Need for Speed™ Carbon, came along, it seemed like a natural progression for us. I’m a gamer and I’m going to play this game for sure so to see characters wearing our exclusively designed t-shirts and other items, is really amazing for me.”

“This partnership adds another layer of authenticity to our role in street culture”, says Larry LaPierre, Executive Producer. “Having 55DSL integrated so tightly within Need for Speed™ Carbon adds an increased sense of realism to the game and gives fans the opportunity to wear exclusively designed items that brings them closer to the action.”

Continue reading "EA ANNOUNCES 55DSL COLLABORATION WITH NEED FOR SPEED CARBON" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

San Francisco – Aug. 1, 2006 – Empire Interactive, a U.K. computer games developer and publisher, today announced that FlatOut 2 is now available at retail outlets nationwide for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC.

FlatOut 2 features an updated physics engine with even faster track designs and numerous other improvements, enhancements and additions to make the title the definitive FlatOut experience. With twice as many vehicles, a more sophisticated career mode, additional race environments, an increased number of tracks, twice as many mini-games, as well as brand new and much-requested online multiplayer modes, this title is sure to appeal to hardcore FlatOut groupies.

The FlatOut experience is further strengthened with more than 5,000 fully destructible objects on every track, as well as 40 deformable parts on each vehicle. Greater emphasis is placed on track destruction by offering FlatOut 2 drivers bigger rewards, creating more frantic game play than ever before. Drivers will need to tear into competitors’ cars, trash the local scenery, litter the track with obstacles, while at the same time trying to concentrate on their own race in a bid to cross the line first.

The ever-popular Ragdoll mini-games from the original FlatOut game make a welcome return and are better than ever with 12 Ragdoll events and full online support. New Ragdoll events include a slammin’ basketball game, baseball, royal flush cards and a death-defying Ring of Fire.

Developed by Bugbear Entertainment and distributed by Vivendi Games in the U.S., FlatOut 2 carries a suggested retail price of $39.99.

Game Features
* Bigger variety of race environments including Big City, L.A. Storm Drains, Rocky Mountain Forest, Corn Fields and Desert
* Increased number of tracks with alternate track routes included for the first time
* Enhanced Championship Mode with multiple cups across increasing difficultly levels
* Twice as many vehicles plus additional car types-- muscle cars, sports cars, pickup trucks and compacts
* Garage feature allows player to now own multiple vehicles
* Unlockable bonuses including additional cars, Championship Cups and Destruction Arenas
* Improved opponent AI with each AI driver represented by a character and exhibiting a unique driving style
* MULTIPLAYER SUPPORT:

* Online multiplayer modes - up to six players on PlayStation 2 and eight players on Xbox
* Four player offline split screen Multiplayer mode on Xbox; two player on PlayStation 2
* Now available online! -- Destruction Derby Arenas

Continue reading "FlatOut 2 CRASHES INTO STORES" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Razer Barracuda™ HP-1 Gaming Headphones – features 8 discrete audio drivers, 2 sub-woofer drivers and On-The-Fly™ volume control for optimal positional audio without compromising on comfort during gaming. Using the built-in Razer HD-Dai™ connector, the Razer Barracuda™ HP-1 Gaming Headphones delivers pinpoint positional accuracy essential for professional gaming.

FEATURES

* 8 Sonic Driver Gaming Headphones
* Dedicated amplifier for each channel
* 99% Oxygen-free cable
* Built-in uni-directional noise-cancelling microphone
* On-The-Fly™ Positional volume control over each individual pair of drivers
* 2 Sub-woofer drivers for clean, powerful bass
* Built-in Razer HD-DAI™ for dedicated connection to Razer Barracuda™ AC-1 Gaming Audio Card

Continue reading "Razer Barracuda HP-1 Gaming Headphones" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (July 26, 2006) – As conflict between the United States and Iran continues to escalate, Kuma Episodic Games is creating an unlikely forum for citizens of these countries to speak directly to one another – through video games.

Last September, Kuma garnered international attention with its release of “Assault on Iran,” a video game simulating a U.S. attack on a key Iranian nuclear installation. In response to the Kuma episode, Iran’s video game development community announced a virtual counter attack with a game of its own, borrowing story elements from Kuma’s original. With reports indicating that the Union of Islamic Student Societies’ game “Commander Bahman” will not be available until March 2007, Kuma has proceeded with the launch of its response mission - “Assault on Iran, Pt. 3: Payback in Iraq” - and hopes to maintain an open discussion by soliciting input on the mission’s script at www.kumagames.com from gamers around the world. Available now, “Assault on Iran, Pt. 3: Payback in Iraq,” currently has no dialogue but will reflect community suggestions in its final version, which will be released in English, Farsi and Arabic.

“When we created the original “Assault on Iran” episode, we had no idea it would ignite such passionate response from gamers around the world,” commented Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Reality Games. “Nevertheless, now that we have this vehicle for international discourse, we intend to use it to bring individuals with real differences of opinion together. While it may seem odd that games about military conflict could serve to bring people together, it is perhaps the only forum that can address the issues head on.”

For more than two years, Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. As a broadband leader in episodic games, Kuma is committed to turning around missions for its audience in a matter of weeks. Kuma\War episodes are powered by Source – the same award-winning game engine technology Valve® created to power Half-Life® 2 – and are available for free download at www.kumagames.com.

Continue reading "Kuma Episodic Games Incites Global Dialogue on Iranian Nuclear Arms Conflict, Seeking Audience Participation on New Mission" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. has released a brand new set of screenshots for its upcoming title Snoopy vs. the Red Baron featuring Snoopy, Woodstock, and the rest of the popular Peanuts® gang!

Set in a world based on the timeless comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, Snoopy vs. the Red Baron takes Snoopy on a high-flying adventure to a place only Snoopy could dream up! While slumbering atop his dog house, Snoopy once again imagines himself as a virtuoso flying ace fighting against his archenemy The Red Baron. Soar with Snoopy in his World War I bi-plane, the Sopwith Camel, as he takes on his enemies in sky-high dogfights, no-holds-barred air races and daring missions that take him behind enemy lines.

As you can see from these latest screens, Snoopy vs. the Red Baron takes fun and adventure to new heights. Guide Snoopy as he gallantly defends the skies, battles side by side with his closest friend and confidant Woodstock and powers up with as much root beer as he can lay his paws on. Fly through vibrant worlds and battle through over 20 missions as you collect clues in an attempt to put an end to The Red Barons evil plans and rescue Charlie Brown!

Continue reading "PREPARE FOR ACTION AS SNOOPY AND WOODSTOCK TAKE OFF IN THEIR HIGH FLYING QUEST IN NAMCO BANDAI GAMES’ SNOOPY VS. THE RED BARON!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York, NY – July 26, 2006 – 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and the Company's world-renowned development studio Firaxis Games, today announced that Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords for PC, the first expansion pack for the critically acclaimed Sid Meier's Civilization IV, is now available in retail stores. With eight new scenarios including some exciting franchise firsts, Warlords will deliver even more great gameplay to the millions of fans around the globe who purchased and embraced Civilization IV.

Paying homage to some of history’s greatest military leaders, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords delivers eight unique and interesting scenarios, giving players the chance to change the course of history with the help of their powerful new "warlord" unit. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords includes new civilizations, leaders, units, resources and wonders that offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization’s military power as they strive for world domination.

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords adds new twists and challenges to some of the most creative scenarios in the series. In the Omens scenario, Great Britain and France race to settle North America at any cost, while the Barbarians scenario allows players to take control of ruthless hordes of warriors. With these brutal Barbarians under your control, your goal is to conquer all other civilizations on the map by decimating their armies, looting the cities and burning them to the ground.

“The Sid Meier’s Civilization franchise is recognized as one of the most successful PC series of all time,” said Christoph Hartmann, President, 2K. "Warlords empowers players to take the roles of Augustus Caesar, Winston Churchill, and even Genghis Khan as they take advantage of all scenarios, civilizations and units.”

”Our team has had an incredible amount of fun creating the Warlords expansion pack,“ said Steve Martin, President of Firaxis. “The Civilization franchise is very close to our hearts, and we never seem to run out of new ideas for this epic game,” he added.

Key Features:

· Warlords: A new great person type called the Warlord.

· Vassal States: Conquer an enemy and subjugate them to your rule.

· Game Scenarios: The expansion delivers eight new scenarios.

· New Civilizations: The pack will provide six new civilizations and associated unique units.

· Civilization Leaders: Ten new leaders, including leaders for the new civilizations as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations.

· Leader Traits: Three new leader traits.

· New Wonders: Three new wonders.

· Unique Buildings: Each civilization includes a new unique building as well as their unique unit.

· New Units, Resources, and Improvements: Many new items are presented throughout the scenarios.

· Core Game Tweaks and Additions: Expanded features and gameplay tweaks are made to the core game.

· Post-Release Patches and Game Upgrades: The pack contains all of the patches and game additions (Pit Boss, etc.) released to date for Sid Meier's Civilization IV.

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords will require the full version of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV and is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older by the ESRB. For more information on Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords, please visit the product webpage at www.civilization.com.

Continue reading "Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Warlords Invades Retailers!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEW YORK, NY - July 18, 2006 - 2K Sports, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), announced today new standard-setting features for NHL 2K7. The top-rated hockey video game for four-straight years*, NHL 2K7 introduces a completely new skating engine to give users the true on-ice movement of an NHL game. Additionally, Pro Control(tm) receives new enhancements to both offensive and defensive controls, giving hockey fans thrilling new ways to attack and defend on the ice. These new features elevate the realism of the sport, delivering the best hockey experience on any system.

"Year after year, we've been delivering new and innovative ways to play the exciting game of hockey," stated Greg Thomas, president of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. "The new skating engine in NHL 2K7 far surpasses anything we've ever produced and the advancements made in Pro Control(tm) add the excitement and control our fans have been craving."

Hundreds of new skating animations have been captured to bring an unprecedented level of high quality to all the skating movements in NHL 2K7. Hockey players in NHL 2K7 will glide, turn, stop, and adjust their movement on the ice with astounding realism. Not only will skating look much more natural, players will also experience the true momentum of skating whenever players dig into the ice to accelerate or carve the ice to make sudden stops. The new skating engine adds both remarkable visual excitement and an entertaining gameplay challenge to all hockey fans. In addition to the numerous new skating animations, several new checking, passing, and shooting animations have been added, making all the action in NHL 2K7 flow with amazing detail.

New gameplay enhancements have been added to Pro Control(tm), giving users offensive and defensive tools to utilize on the ice. While on offense, players now have the ability to execute drop passes, allowing users to setup new screen plays and create new scoring opportunities to catch the goalie off-guard. Pressure Control(tm) brings a tactical element to defensive hockey as players now can instruct teammates to defend opposing players while on the ice. Varying degrees of pressure can be selected - whether it's telling your teammate to shadow a selected opponent or deliver a big check - allowing players new defensive options on the fly. Pro Control(tm) in NHL 2K7 will deliver the offensive and defensive options hockey fans have been asking for,truly delivering the next generation of hockey.

NHL 2K7 --featuring 2006 Hart Memorial Trophy recipient, Joe Thornton on the cover-- will be available for the Xbox 360(tm) and Xbox(r) video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, the PlayStation(r)2 computer entertainment system and the PlayStation(r)3 computer entertainment system. More features will be detailed at a later time. NHL 2K7 for Xbox 360, Xbox and PlayStation(r)2 are slated to release in September 2006, with the PlayStation(r)3 coming this holiday season.

For more information, log onto http://www.2ksports.com

*According to GameRankings.com average scores of 2003-2006 hockey video games.

Continue reading "2K Sports Announces Unique New Features for NHL 2K7" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (July 20, 2006) – DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road is revealed today as the title for the next generation of the genre-leading, 8 million+ selling rally racing series. Codemasters also confirms the game will launch for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC simultaneously in 2007.

DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road is set to be the most diverse and exhilarating off-road racing experience ever with sensational gravel, mud and dirt events the world over. Events will include the series’ intense point-to-point races and take players further off-road than ever before.

Race in challenging heavyweight 850bhp cars, drift on the loose gravel and blaze past high-speed blind corners of Hill Climb events along perilous cliff edges. All 12.4 miles of the world famous Pikes Peak International is included, with over 150 precarious turns to negotiate through the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

How about engaging in multiple car races with Dakar-style trucks and super-powered 4x4s on the toughest desert terrain in Rally Raid competitions? Then there are Rally Cross events, switching between dirt and road racing, where the competition is always tight, fast and collisions with your opponents are inevitable.

With more off-road racing styles to be revealed, DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road will also offer a dedicated mode for European, International and Global rally championships featuring official 2WD, 4WD, Classic and RWD rally cars.

DIRT: Colin McRae Off-Road will deliver the wheel-screaming exhilaration of off-road racing with the next generation of the series’ sublime car handling and physics system and a devastating new damage engine that ensures players experience every bump in the track, every loose rock, every inch of shifting dirt through the reactive environments.

Continue reading "Colin McRae Kicks Up DIRT As Genre-Leading Series Goes Next-Gen" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cartoon Network announced today that it is developing its first massively multi-player online game (MMOG) in an unprecedented partnership with a leading MMOG developer, Seoul-based Grigon Entertainment. Cartoon Network New Media, already a leader in online entertainment and gaming, will debut the game in the United States. This is the first-ever partnership between a U.S. entertainment company and a Korean developer to create an MMOG for the global marketplace.

The Cartoon Network MMOG will launch in spring 2008 and target the growing and sophisticated kids' interactive gaming market. The game will be free to download, with subscription and micro-transactions available to players to enhance the gaming experience. New areas for exploration and play are planned and will be added regularly over a span of several years. The game brings Cartoon Network's beloved characters and sensibility to the fast-growing online gaming realm with an "East-meets-West" creative approach. Grigon Entertainment is best known for successfully developing and launching several online games in Asia, including Seal Online, a light-hearted role-playing game (RPG) that took the online gaming world by surprise. Localized versions are available in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Thailand.

"Cartoon Network is an immersive experience for our fans, and this MMOG will allow our fans to interact with their favorite characters like never before. Not only will kids be able to play with their favorite characters like Mac and Bloo, Ben 10 and the Kids Next Door, but they will also be able to develop their own online gaming personalities and interact, virtually, with other players in a safe way," said Jim Samples, Cartoon Network executive vice president and general manager. "This MMOG is a key part of Cartoon Network's growth strategy, and is an important complement to our mobile, broadband and our existing online business. With the MMOG, mobile content, our Web sites and, of course, our linear network, Cartoon Network is always on for kids."

"Online games have been the most important driver of Cartoon Network New Media's success over the last few years. With more than 84 million U.S. homes expected to have broadband Internet access by 2008, and Cartoon Network's reach and creative vision, we're excited to enter the fast-growing world of massively multiplayer online gaming," said Paul Condolora, senior vice president and general manager, Cartoon Network New Media. "In Grigon Entertainment, we have found a partner who understands how to build a successful MMOG for the casual marketplace. With our characters and creative direction, along with Grigon's experience and technical know-how, we think Cartoon Network's MMOG will have great success and longevity."

"It's my greatest pleasure to work as partners with Cartoon Network, the world's most influential entertainment brand," said Byung-Kyu Cho, chief executive officer of Grigon Entertainment Co., Ltd. "When I look at the globally adored characters of Cartoon Network getting together harmonically with the renowned strength and uniqueness of Grigon, I have all my confidence that we will proudly present an online game which will astonish the world."

Massively multiplayer online gaming has expanded in the United States in recent years, with games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest achieving large and loyal followings. Most MMOGs have been driven by high-intensity fighting and action with fantasy elements and have attracted an older, adult audience. To date, few games have targeted younger audiences. In Asia and Europe, where broadband penetration is ahead of that in the United States, MMOGs have been developed for all audiences, from kids to teens and adults.

Cartoon Network's games will feature a persistent and expanding world, which will allow players to develop their own characters, attributes and possessions over the course of many months and even years. Players may also meet and interact with other players online, forming virtual friendships and communities. Cartoon Network's MMOG will be compliant with the Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) and will offer a safe gaming environment for players.

Continue reading "Cartoon Network to Develop Massively Multiplayer Online Game with Grigon Entertainment" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I met with Midway today and saw their holiday 2006 lineup.

Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar - This is a Turbine developed MMO for the PC that will ship "when it's ready." Beta testing begins around the end of August. They believe that they've created a state of the art MMO set in Tolkein's world. It's a large world where players have to act in groups and changes are persistent. Explore the world and fight monsters to unlock accomplishments and special skills. You can customize your character by developing different skills. It's easy to play, the quest list is showing on the right side of the screen all the time with specific steps that you have to take. There are classes and professions. Bree town is a major gathering place that Turbine forsees as a bustling city full of player and nonplayer characters where you can train and participate in secure auctions. There are huge open areas like the Misty Mountains. Even though I was looking at an alpha build I thought it looked good. You can drag and drop to equip items. Quests encourage you to participate in group activities so there are some social aspects to it.

Mortal Kombat Armageddon In the seventh of the series for PS2 and Xbox, Midway brings back over 60 characters from the earlier versions. A huge feature is Kreate-A-Fighter where character creation is totally tweakable down to (or up to) breast size. If you add it all up there are millions of combos of different features that you can customize. You can also customize fighting style and button combos and write a bio for your character. Then you can take it all online and battle against other people's characters. There's also Kreate-A-Fatality where you enter a series of 3 button presses and can make your fatility as complex as you want. We're talking about ripping out skulls, spines, beating hearts. There's also a hidden mode that they're releasing information about in August. Konquest mode is bigger and better with better graphics and more realistic melee fighting. It's a single player story driven mode with boss battles that are the classic MK style. There are 20 plus backgrounds, some classics revisited now in 3D. This ships in October 2006 for PS2 and Xbox.

Mortal Kombat Unchained - This ships in October 2006 also and is for PSP. It's got ad hoc WiFi multiplayer combat. There are 30 characters. Honestly, this looked fine but after seeing the Xbox version the PSP didn't look so great.

Continue reading "Midway Games Holiday Preview" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

“Rise of Legends” players finally have their moment to shine and prove their rank. Beginning Sept. 15, 2006, gamers can square off against the world’s best real-time strategy (RTS) players in the “Rise of the Ultimate Champion” tournament, sponsored by Intel, ATI and Logitech. With $100,000 on the line, when the dust settles, the Ultimate Champion will take the lion’s share of $40,000. Equipment from supporting sponsors ATI and Logitech will also be randomly awarded throughout the tournament.

All gamers will compete on the latest installment of the award-winning RTS “Rise of Nations” franchise for Windows, the critically acclaimed “Rise of Legends.”

Participants can play in one of three preliminary events that will take place beginning Sept. 15, Oct 13, and Nov. 17, 2006. Results from the first three events will be used to determine seeding for the Ultimate Championship, which kicks off Jan. 12, 2007. The top eight will win a trip to the finals where they will battle it out for the title of Ultimate Champion! For a complete set of rules and more information on “Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends,” please visit http://www.bighugegames.com/100k/.

The RTS gameplay of “Rise of Legends” thrusts gamers into a fierce battle between technology and magic. As the guiding force of vast armies, gamers must command their way through fantastic landscapes with towering cities, flame-swept deserts and brutal ice plains in battles filled with mystic creatures, impossible machines and stunning acts of magic.

“Rise of Legends” is available in stores across North America at the suggested retail price of $49.99 (U.S.). “Rise of Legends” is rated “T” for Teen by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB).

Developed by Big Huge Games, “Rise of Legends” continues the innovative gameplay tradition established by the critically acclaimed and best-selling, “Rise of Nations,” the best-selling RTS released in 2003 that garnered numerous Game of the Year awards, including GameSpot’s Best PC Game of 2003 and PC Gamer’s Best RTS of 2003.

Continue reading "“Rise of the Ultimate Champion” Tournament to Decide Top Gaming General" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

u Who: GameTap, Turner Broadcasting’s first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network, which features video games on-demand and original TV-on-the-Web shows geared toward fans of the video game lifestyle

u What: GameTap, with the 11th addition to its burgeoning slate of original programming, is set to premiere GameTap News, the video game industry’s “all-access pass” to the movers and shakers in the industry, offering a deep dive on the big stories of the day and the little known facts that gamers care about. Featuring interviews, exclusive interviews and footage from industry events such as E3, the latest and greatest trailers from the hottest upcoming games, and the lowdown on all industry happenings, GameTap News is the comprehensive online destination for both the serious and casual gamer.

u When: First episode premieres on Thursday, June 29,

2006 with following episodes to air on a weekly basis

u Where: www.gametap.com; within GameTap TV

u Why: With video on-demand quickly becoming popular for broadband consumers, there is a natural synergy between the Internet culture and video games. Gamers are increasingly looking online for news and industry updates of the most highly anticipated games, with content catered specifically to this unique culture.

Victor Lucas, a self-confirmed media junkie and lifelong lover of video games, is one of the industry’s most well-respected journalists, with access to the highest profile personalities in the world. With an uncanny ability to get in-depth insight into the big stories of the day, Victor is adept at uncovering the little known facts that gamers care about.

Continue reading "GAMETAP TO PREMIERE ORIGINAL NEWS PROGRAM" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (June 29, 2006) – Maintaining industry supremacy by fusing cutting edge gaming technologies with current affairs, Kuma Reality Games announced today the release of Kuma\War’s 75th episode, “The Death of Zarqawi." Realistically simulating the bold strike that killed al-Queda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, this latest mission transports players deep behind enemy lines in the middle-east conflict, allowing comprehensive access to the military strategies that brought down the most wanted man in Iraq. A captivating 3D video game re-creating the events surrounding the June 7th strike, “The Death of Zarqawi” is now in an open Beta period and is available for free public download at Kuma\War (www.kumagames.com).

Created within two weeks of the real-life bombing, this extraordinary episode allows gamers to join the U.S.-led coalition stationed just outside the house where al-Zarqawi is meeting with other insurgent leaders and choose between two strategies of attack: calling-in the real-life air strike that killed Zarqawi, or an alternate on-foot ambush which involves storming the guarded house and attempting to capture the terrorist leader alive.

“The strike on al-Zarqawi is one the most significant public events for the U.S coalition in the war in Iraq since the 2003 capture of Saddam Hussein,” said Keith Halper, CEO, Kuma Reality Games. “As a company committed to reporting on military conflicts in the virtual space, it was crucial that we create a Kuma\War episode based on the events surrounding al-Zarqawi’s death while it is still a relevant international hot topic.”

As with all Kuma\War episodes, “The Death of Zarqawi” will contain expert analysis and a thoughtful discussion of the political ramifications of military action as well as a playable 3D simulation, allowing ordinary individuals to choose how to resolve realistic military conflicts. Additionally, the game features a realistic digital recreation of Zarqawi himself.

For more than two years, Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. As a broadband leader in episodic games, Kuma is committed to turning around missions for its audience in a matter of weeks. Kuma\War episodes are powered by Source – the same award-winning game engine technology Valve® created to power Half-Life® 2 – and are available for free download at www.kumagames.com.

Continue reading "Kuma Reality Games Takes Gamers to the Front Lines of the War on Terror with Realistic Recreation of al-Zarqawi Strike" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (June 27, 2006) – Grab some friends, start your micro engines and prepare for the craziest and most addictive multi-player mayhem ever as Codemasters ships the classic series MICRO MACHINES v4 video game to retail outlets nationwide.

The ultimate pick-up-and-play racing game MICRO MACHINES v4 brings its own brand of hilarious multiplayer madness to the most fiendish race tracks – right under your nose! On PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Windows PC and the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system with a Nintendo DS version to follow, MICRO MACHINES v4 is the fastest, most fun mini racer with hundreds of cars to collect, loads of levels to race and tons of people to play. The property is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS) and is developed by Supersonic Software, creators of some of the most acclaimed MICRO MACHINES games and more recently Mashed and Mashed: Fully Loaded.

Mixing miniature mayhem with maximum multiplayer racing, the MICRO MACHINES v4 game arrives packed with knockabout, breakneck racing in the fastest scale miniatures, complete with explosive weapon power-ups. Letting players loose with hundreds of vehicles, each with distinctive performance abilities, gamers will be racing their inch-long miniature motors on the wildest tracks where everyday household objects appear immense in size and can become lethal hazards.

Sport cars, street racers, stock cars, 4x4s, beach buggies, lowriders and muscle cars are just some of the MICRO MACHINES models gamers will be taking out on the improvised tracks around the MICRO MACHINES house, garden and – for the first time – beyond!

Fans of classic MICRO MACHINES games will rejoice in the return of some of the series’ most popular racing arenas. Spin out around the breakfast table littered with cereal spills, tear through the kitchen, turbo boost around the pool table (while avoiding the treacherous pockets), or hit the gas during the drive around the rim of the bath, carefully negotiating the ferocious waters pouring over the edge of the bath.

As well as the familiar feel-good environments, MICRO MACHINES v4 game sees the racing world expand further than any previous MICRO MACHINES game. Go beyond the house and garden tracks and discover what it’s like to race across house roofs, in the sewers, through supermarkets, museums and even down to the farm, with its danger-packed chicken coop!

Of course, it wouldn’t be MICRO MACHINES without an arsenal of power-ups and weapons to collect and use on the opponents while racing. The MICRO MACHINES v4 game brings all the favorites back, including – such as missiles and bombs – and provides new ones to attack with, including flamethrowers, heat-seeking missiles, plasma guns and, of course, the car-mounted giant hammer!

Continue reading "MICRO MACHINES v4 Zips By The Competition and Lands on Store Shelves Nationwide" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We know you all have been waiting to find out about QuakeCon 2006, and we want to thank you for your patience. We’ve had some unexpected issues locking in the dates and location, but don’t worry, we’re still bringing you another kick-ass QuakeCon event, and it’s already right around the corner - August 3 – 6 in Dallas, TX at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in their Trinity Exhibition Center.

With about 1,800 BYOC spots, QuakeCon 2006 will be a bit more exclusive than it has been the last couple of years, but we hope people will enjoy the more personal touch this year. QuakeCon 2006 will of course include all the great activities that it’s known for, including high-stakes tournaments, workshops, exhibitors, the BYOC Area, parties, and the public’s first chance to play Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

First-come, first-served online registration for the BYOC area will kick off at 9 p.m. EST on Wednesday, June 28th, 2006, at www.quakecon.org.

To reserve a room for QuakeCon 2006, call the Hilton Anatole Hotel at 214-761-7500, or Hilton’s toll-free reservation number, 1-800-HILTONS. To receive our specially negotiated room rate of $125 (single, double, triple, or quad occupancy), and our special daily self-park rate of $5 (regularly $15 per day), you must request the group rate for “QuakeCon 2006” when making your reservations. The Hotel requires a $50 non-refundable deposit on group reservations, which will be credited to your final room bill upon check-out. Rooms at this rate are limited, so please don’t wait. Additional information regarding the Hilton Anatole Hotel is available at http://www.hilton.com.

*** The QuakeCon room rate is available starting Monday June 26th at 12 noon CST ***

It is important to note again that the only way to receive the special room rate of $125 and the $5 daily self-parking, is to call Hilton reservations at the numbers listed above and book your reservation under QuakeCon 2006.

Continue reading "QuakeCon 2006" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – June 23, 2006 – Crank it up, gamers! The football pre-season kicks off with a bang as Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) reveals the 35 songs that will be featured in Madden NFL 07, becoming the de facto soundtrack of the 2007 football season. The bone-crunching action and heart-pounding adrenaline of the grid iron is intensified by the game’s one-of-a-kind mix of rock and hip hop.

“Year after year, the music selected for inclusion in EA’s smash hit football series invariably becomes the soundtrack of the football season, moving beyond the game to turn up in football stadiums and on live TV broadcasts,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Music Marketing at EA. “The Madden NFL Football franchise is recognized across North America as a driving force behind break-out bands… this year EA does it again.”

Players step onto the field in Madden NFL 07 with the thundering roar of the crowd in the background and the air filled with pounding rock anthems and energizing hip hop beats. Dr. Dre’s protégé who first appeared in NBA LIVE 06 and NFL STREET 2, Bishop LaMont now makes an appearance on Madden NFL 07 with a track featuring Chevy Jones, while Lupe Fiasco is on deck with Jonah Matranga. These hot tracks are included alongside new releases from fan favorites AFI, Audioslave, Dashboard Confessional and Taking Back Sunday. Also this year, game fans will be spellbound by new music debuts from Jared Leto’s 30 Seconds to Mars, Dave Navarro’s band The Panic Channel, and Rise Against whose sophomore record is anticipated to be one of the biggest rock albums of the year.

Again this year, the hip hop production team Da Riffs remixed nearly a dozen original NFL FILMS music pieces will be showcased throughout the menus and in gameplay.

The complete in-game soundtrack for Madden NFL 07 includes:

ARTIST

SONG

30 Seconds To Mars

Battle Of One

AFI

Summer Shudder

Al Fatz

Came Down

Anti-Flag

This Is The End (For You My Friend)

Atreyu

Ex’s And Oh’s

Audioslave **

Revelations

Bishop LaMont feat. Chevy Jones **

The Best

Cartel

Say Anything (Else)

Cord **

Go Either Way

Damone

Out Here All Night

Dashboard Confessional

Reason To Believe

Dynamite MC **

Bounce

Feezy 350

Playa What

Glasses Malone **

Right Now

Hit The Lights

Until We Get Caught

Keane

Is It Any Wonder?

Less Than Jake

Still Life Franchise

Lupe Fiasco feat. Jonah Matranga

The Instrumental

Matchbook Romance

Monsters

Omnisoul **

Not Giving Up

Rise Against

Drones

Riverboat Gamblers

On Again Off Again

Saves The Day

Head For The Hills

Shorty Da Kid **

Get Loose

Spank Rock

Backyard Betty

Sparta **

Future Needs

Taking Back Sunday

Spin

The Panic Channel**

Teahouse Of The Spirits

The Pink Spiders

Easy Way Out

The Rapture**

WAYUH

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

In Fates Hands

The Sleeping

Don’t Hold Back

Trae

Real Talk

Underoath

Ever So Inviting

Wolfmother

Woman

** Indicates song will debut in Madden NFL 07 before being released to retail

Continue reading "EA UNCOVERS TOP SECRET IN-GAME MUSIC SOUNDTRACK FOR MADDEN NFL 07" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Redwood City, Calif. – June 22, 2006 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that Need for Speed™ Carbon is in development and will hit the streets this November. Developed by EA Black Box in Vancouver, British Columbia, Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of adrenaline-filled street racing and will challenge players to face the ultimate test of driving skill on treacherous canyon roads.

“We pride ourselves on our ability to reinvent the franchise and continually uncover new and exciting trends in car culture. Canyon Racing is a real test of a driver’s skill and we think it provides a fantastic game play opportunity to lean into,” said Larry LaPierre, the game's executive producer.

What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you into the world’s most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals’ neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve. Need for Speed Carbon delivers the next generation of customization giving you the power to design and tweak your crew’s cars in every way using the ground-breaking new Autosculpt™ technology. Represent your car class, your crew, and your turf in Need for Speed Carbon, the next revolution in racing games.

Continue reading "EA ANNOUNCES NEED FOR SPEED™ CARBON" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (June 23, 2006) – Savvy gamers can be the first to take Micro Machines v4 for a test drive and experience its incredible mix of miniature mayhem and maximum multiplayer racing with the PC playable demo, available now www.codemasters.com/micromachines.

Micro Machines v4 brings back the series’ much-loved breakneck micro racing gameplay in all its glory. The title is set to ship on June 27th for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP system and PC with a Nintendo DS edition to follow.

The PC demo lets up to four players duke it out on three outrageous tracks; around the kitchen, on the rooftops and inside the chicken coop. Players can get in some single-player practice as well with Quick Battle races against AI opponents.

The Kitchen Capers track has players belting around the kitchen counters, racing over scorching stovetops and leaping from the countertops to an ironing board. Players should beware the soapy lake that is the kitchen sink and use the floating sponge as an improvised raft to avoid a watery grave.

Then it’s outside to the chicken coop in the Pecking Peril race, which holds the horrors of seemingly giant chickens that try to peck the wheels off the tiny racers. Get past them and there are still their boulder-like eggs to dodge as they come tumbling like a landslide.

Finally, roar around the roof in Rooftop Rumble, racing down drainpipes and catching the updraft from an air vent. Collect weapon power-ups and let loose a fury with machine guns, missiles, electric-shockers and more!

Be first off the starting grid and download the new PC demo and check the latest videos, available now at www.codemasters.com/micromachines.

The MICRO MACHINES property is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS).

ABOUT MICRO MACHINES V4
Mixing miniature mayhem with maximum multiplayer racing, Micro Machines v4 comes packed with knockabout, breakneck racing in the fastest scale miniatures, complete with explosive weapon power-ups. Letting players loose with hundreds of vehicles, each with distinctive performance abilities, players will race inch-long miniature motors on the wildest tracks where everyday household objects appear immense in size and can become lethal hazards.

There’s an arsenal of power-ups and weapons to collect and use on opponents while racing. Micro Machines v4 brings all the favorites back – such as missiles and bombs – and provides new ones to attack with, including flamethrowers, heat-seeking missiles, plasma guns and, of course, the car-mounted giant hammer!

* Engage in madcap competition racing with your micro motors on the wildest tracks around your house, garden and beyond...
* Spin out on the breakfast table, turbo boost across the pool table or hit the gas as you race around the rim of the bath.
* Use your arsenal of power ups to blast your opponents with the flamethrower or heat-seeking homing missiles to throw them off course.
* Hundreds of tiny turbo cars to collect or trade. Or, up the stakes when you play for keeps with ‘pink slip racing’.
* Unlock bonus tracks with PSP system to PlayStation 2 connectivity.
* PSP system & DS Wireless capability for up to 4-players, PC online multiplay and LAN.
* Unlockable multiplayer and single player content.
* Earn credits to unlock tracks and cars then trade with your friends.
* Track editor choose your own route through the garden or science lab… then challenge your friends to do battle!

Continue reading "It’s a massive return to miniature mayhem – Micro Machines v4 PC demo now available" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 2:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I met with a number of companies yesterday to talk about casual games. For those of you who don't know what a casual game is, it's a game that is easy to learn and doesn't require complex skills to operate. Web games and mobile phone games usually fit into this category. According to DFC Intelligence, the worldwide casual games market is valued at $205 million today and will surpass $13 billion by 2011.

Boonty - They aggregate and serve casual games, usually with a free version that doesn't have all the levels or times out. Then you have to buy it to keep playing it. A lot of their games are web playable which means from deciding to play to playing there's no delay. Go to www.boonty.com for tons of casual games.

PlayFirst - They've seen an enormous growth in non-hardcore or casual gaming. The audience is broadening for 35 year old women. The average casual gamer is a different person from the average hardcore games. Many of these games have a woman as the protagonist. Developers target women and people over 35 who want to take a break at work or after the kids go to bed. There's no killing and no babes in bikinis. These are easy to learn games that provide an escape. They've seen 90% year over year growth. One of their games is Connect Four Cities, where you play Connect Four using buildings. And yes, you can give the gift of game on their site.

Glu - They're the #2 publisher of mobile games. Holiday titles include ATV Offroad Fury (8 different tracks), World Series of Poker, and Deer Hunter 2 (five weapons and persistent environments). In July they've got Super KO Boxing which is a cartonny boxing game like Super Punch for NES. They also offer Fox Sports Mobile Pro for $5.99 per month. It's a shell that gets filled with sports news. You can also follow your favorite team while they're on the field with live play by play.

Continue reading "Casual Games Day" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Leading video games developer and publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that the official Web site for its upcoming RPG strategy game for the PC, Mage Knight: Apocalypse is now live at www.mkapocalypse.com. This site features character bios, storyline details, original concept art, screenshots from the game and an official forum where visitors can discuss their favorite strategies with fellow Mage Knight: Apocalypse fans.

Set in the heart of the Mage Knight universe, five warriors are sworn by an oath to seek out the heart of evil plaguing the land and stop it no matter what the cost. Guided by the magical and mysterious race known as the Solonavi, these brave guardians embark on an epic journey to rescue their world from the clutches of an evil army determined to bring about the Apocalypse. As the forces of Chaos rise, a creature of unimaginable strength and destructive power is born to lead the enemy: the Apocalypse Dragon, a seemingly unstoppable five-headed monstrosity. In order to face this threat, the guardians must rally support from all of the factions of the land and recruit fearless heroes to fight for their cause. The future rests on the shoulders of these noble adventurers and the battle to end all battles is about to begin.

Continue reading "OFFICIAL MAGE KNIGHT: APOCALYPSE WEB SITE GOES LIVE!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Desperate Housewives - Think of this game as a fresh new season to play with 12 new episodes. The central question is "should you be bitchy or should you be nice?" as you manage your character and your home life. The game starts off and you're a new housewife on Wisteria Lane. You create your character and choose your husband. The game has the feel of The Sims but with more intrigue and manipulation. It seems well written. They're working with a writer from the show. You've got a composure meter that you need to maintain so you can play with the big girls. There are a series of mini-games also, such as cooking, gardening, sneaking around and spying. Unlock your dark past in this narrative driven adventure sim. This is PC only and ships in October 2006.

Every Extend Extra - This PSP game from Q Entertainment ships in November 2006. As with most Q Entertainment games, the music is interactive with the game play. This is very much like Rez, where you target a bunch of objects and hold down the button; when you let go everything explodes. The music sort of keeps time with the action. You can detach the target quickly to go get crystals and to greate chain reactions. The name, "Every Extend Extra" refers to the fact that the better you are at the game the longer it lasts.

Continue reading "Buena Vista Games Demos" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toronto, June 21, 2006 – DreamCatcher Games today announced that it will publish First Battalion for Windows® in North America.

Join the ranks as you take command of the First Battalion and lead your forces into one of the most intense and important wars in history! From the streets of Stalingrad to the beaches of Normandy you will experience some of the greatest battles of World War II.

Feel the power of 30 tons of steel armor around you as you crush through destructible environments, mowing down trees and destroying entire buildings. With its cinematic and immersive gameplay, First Battalion puts you right on the battlefield filled with dozens of AI controlled airplanes, anti-tank cannons, infantry and enemy vehicles.

Features

· Experience the adrenaline rush of combat with totally destructible environments keeping you in the heat of battle at all times!

· Play as 3 military commanders as you lead your battalions through exciting missions and fast-paced campaigns.

· Historic tanks, vehicles and aircrafts are all accurately modeled and detailed.

· Multiplayer mode for up to 32 players allows for complex team strategies utilizing different battalion tactics.

Take this exciting opportunity to control a battalion during World War II where you will fight against rival tanks, vehicles, infantry and aircraft. First Battalion combines some of the best elements from first-person shooters, role-playing and strategy games, providing gamers with a unique and exciting WWII gaming experience that they won’t soon forget!

Continue reading "DreamCatcher Games to Publish First Battalion" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – June 21, 2006 – Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) brings to life the triumphs and travails of one of sports’ most gut wrenching jobs with NFL Head Coach¸ a new franchise from the EA SPORTS™ brand. The first 3-D sports strategy game, NFL Head Coach, is now in stores and challenges gamers to manage every aspect of a professional football team and build their franchise from the ground up into a perennial powerhouse as you try to become the greatest coach of all time.

You can manage every detail of a head coach’s job by calling the plays from the sidelines, conducting practice, scouting players and making draft day deals to land the league’s next superstar in detailed, interactive environments. In NFL Head Coach, it is your responsibility to make the right decisions, hire the best people and develop a game plan that will catch the opposition off guard. Find impact players and upgrade your roster via the draft, free agency and trades.

“NFL Head Coach is a completely unique football experience unlike any other football game EA SPORTS has ever created," said Todd Sitrin, vice president of marketing, EA Tiburon, the studio famous for making the top-rated football games Madden NFL and NCAA Football. “Now the focus is on the six days leading up to game day and the strategy behind every coaching decision made. This is the game to decide if you really have what it takes to turn your team into a champion.”

NFL Head Coach includes voice-activated game play so you can use headsets to call plays on game day and receive audio play recommendations from coordinators. Steve Sabol, president of NFL Films, hosts scripted sequences as coaching career milestones are reached. The game also features ESPN integration with Mel Kiper Jr. and Trey Wingo.

Developed by EA Tiburon in Orlando, Fla. where Madden NFL Football, NCAA® Football, NASCAR® and Superman Returns™: The Videogame are developed, NFL Head Coach is available on PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® videogame system from Microsoft and PC for $39.99 and is rated E by the ESRB. For more information log on to www.nflheadcoach.com.

Continue reading "NFL Head Coach, the First 3-D Sports Strategy Game from EA, In Stores Today" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (June 21st, 2006) – Codemasters has released the first gameplay trailer from the futuristic real-time strategy action PC epic, Maelstrom. This exciting new trailer presents a war-torn future earth and introduces gamers to a dangerous battleground, an ecologically ravaged planet earth crawling with morphing military tech and organic alien weapons. The trailer can be found on the new Maelstrom microsite www.codemasters.com/maelstrom.

Maelstrom’s dedicated microsite is now the online destination to register for exclusive game information feeds, to grab the latest screenshots or join the Underground and talk tactics in the forums. As the site evolves, gamers will discover the hidden depths of the game’s three factions: the guerrilla freedom-fighting Remnants, the technologically advanced Ascension with their transforming robotic tech, and a mysterious alien race, the Hai-Genti, who have their own plans for the future of the planet.

With the characters, setting and pace of science-fiction Hollywood blockbuster wrapped in a top rate script from screenwriter James Swallow (Star Trek: Voyager, Doctor Who), Maelstrom is set to be the most frantic and destructive RTS gaming experience yet. Battling to control the future of the entire planet, gamers take command from different viewpoints and employ faction-specific tactics and weaponry – from terraforming the land to harnessing the very forces of nature itself.

Promising an explosive and varied mix of action-packed strategic missions set in totally destructible environments, Codemasters will publish Maelstrom in late September, exclusively for PC. Discover more about the future of planet Earth and the future of RTS gaming with the first Maelstrom gameplay trailer movie and more at the game’s new microsite, now live at www.codemasters.com/maelstrom.

Continue reading "Action-Packed Maelstrom Gameplay Video Debuts With New Microsite" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 19, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) – ArenaNet®, developer of the world’s leading subscription-free online roleplaying games Guild Wars® and Guild Wars Factions™, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today the Guild Wars franchise has sold more than two million units worldwide to date. In further news, sales data from The NPD Group shows Guild Wars Factions as the number one selling PC game in North America for the month of May 2006.

“The highly successful release of Guild Wars Factions has solidified the Guild Wars franchise as a mainstay with gamers,” says Bob McKenzie, Senior VP of Merchandising, GameStop, Inc. “As a top seller for GameStop and EBGames, we watch with high interest how this property continues to make a stronghold for itself in the marketplace.”

When the first installment in this award-winning series, Guild Wars, launched in April 2005, it revolutionized online gaming and was an instant bestseller worldwide. Not to be outdone, ArenaNet’s hotly anticipated Guild Wars Factions, released April 28, 2006, was the number one game in both North America and Europe for the month of May.

“ArenaNet continues to take chances in both game design and business model, and it’s great to have the fans respond so enthusiastically right out of the gate with Guild Wars Factions,” says Patrick Wyatt, co-founder of ArenaNet. “Our fans have been overwhelmingly supportive of Guild Wars, and we will continue to make the Guild Wars franchise bigger and better with each release.”

Guild Wars and Guild Wars Factions are global online roleplaying games in which players immerse themselves in a rich fantasy world, build personalized characters, compete in head-to-head battles with players from around the world, and find adventure in missions and quests. In the game that has captivated millions of players, more than 7000 guilds worldwide are currently competing in the Guild Wars Factions tournament season, the finalists of which will be flown to Leipzig, Germany in August to compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. For complete tournament rules, please visit www.guildwars.com.

Guild Wars Factions is rated T for Teen.

Continue reading "Guild Wars Hits Two Million" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eidos Interactive, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, confirms today that they are developing a special ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider.

The new game is being developed by Crystal Dynamics, who recently launched Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend on Xbox 360, PS2, Xbox, PC and PSP, with versions on Nintendo DS, GBA and GameCube later in 2006.

“Our ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider, is a one-off title to celebrate both Lara and Tomb Raider, it will appeal not only to the loyal fans of the Tomb Raider series but will also attract a totally new audience.” Said Larry Sparks, Head of Brands Management at Eidos.

Tomb Raider™ originally launched in 1996 and is still one of the best selling videogame franchises of all time, with over 30 million copies sold.

The special ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider will be available on PlayStation 2, PSP and PC.

Continue reading "Eidos confirms ‘10th Anniversary Edition’ of Tomb Raider" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you lose sleep questioning a head coach’s call or scream at your TV booing your favorite team’s draft pick? Think you can do better? Prove it with NFL Head Coach, the first-ever 3D sports strategy game. Create your coach and take over an NFL franchise. Whether you’re coaching from the sideline, conducting practice, or making draft day deals to snag a future superstar, the fate of the franchise is in your hands. Delegate responsibilities to your assistants or manage every detail yourself with the easily mastered controls. How you perform depends on your football knowledge—not how fast you can push buttons. If you can develop a winning organization, your coaching legend rises allowing you to ascend the rankings to become the greatest NFL head coach of all time. You don’t have to Monday morning quarterback any more! Unlike any sports game you have ever played before, NFL Head Coach allows you to experience the incredible highs and lows of the coaching rollercoaster with the most true-to-life and authentic sports strategy game ever created.

Download the NFL Head Coach demo at http://www.fileplanet.com/164579/160000/fileinfo/NFL-Head-Coach-Demo?r=5

Continue reading "EA SPORTS NFL Head Coach PC Demo" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

See it in action with the new video now available online at www.codemasters.com/micromachines

New York (June 13, 2006) – Remember what pure fun looks like, as Codemasters unleashes the first video of MICRO MACHINES v4. Multiplayer mayhem like this is the reason friends were invented, as gamers can see for themselves at www.codemasters.com/micromachines.

MICRO MACHINES v4 has now gone gold and is speeding towards its June 27th ship date for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the PSP system, and PC with a Nintendo DS edition to follow. The MICRO MACHINES property is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS).

Everything gamers love about the MICRO MACHINES games is back and tuned up several notches. It’s time again to race tiny sports cars around the dinner table firing pint-sized rockets at friends knocking them over the edge. But no hard feelings, what’s a glass of spilt milk between friends? Just a road hazard is all.

Up to four players can challenge each other on MICRO MACHINES v4’s genius household raceways, weaving between train carriages on a model railway or ripping up the baize on a pool table.

A tantalizing taste of the massive fun to be had in this micro world is online now at www.codemasters.com/micromachines. Players can also prepare for the trash talking on the forum at www.codemasters.com/forum.

ABOUT MICRO MACHINES V4
Mixing miniature mayhem with maximum multiplayer racing, Micro Machines v4 comes packed with knockabout, breakneck racing in the fastest scale miniatures, complete with explosive weapon power-ups. Letting players loose with hundreds of vehicles, each with distinctive performance abilities, players will race inch-long miniature motors on the wildest tracks where everyday household objects appear immense in size and can become lethal hazards.

There’s an arsenal of power-ups and weapons to collect and use on opponents while racing. Micro Machines v4 brings all the favorites back – such as missiles and bombs – and provides new ones to attack with, including flamethrowers, heat-seeking missiles, plasma guns and, of course, the car-mounted giant hammer!

* Engage in madcap competition racing with your micro motors on the wildest tracks around your house, garden and beyond...
* Spin out on the breakfast table, turbo boost across the pool table or hit the gas as you race around the rim of the bath.
* Use your arsenal of power ups to blast your opponents with the flamethrower or heat-seeking homing missiles to throw them off course.
* Hundreds of tiny turbo cars to collect or trade. Or, up the stakes when you play for keeps with ‘pink slip racing’.
* Unlock bonus tracks with PSP system to PlayStation 2 connectivity.
* PSP system & DS wireless capability for up to 4-players, PC online multiplay and LAN.
* Unlockable multiplayer and single player content.
* Earn credits to unlock tracks and cars then trade with your friends.
* Track editor choose your own route through the garden or science lab… then challenge your friends to do battle!

Continue reading "Watch the return of the greatest multiplayer series with MICRO MACHINES v4 first game play video" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (June 9, 2006) – Kuma Reality Games announced today the latest installment of its Kuma\War series, “Assault on Iran, Pt. 3: Payback in Iraq,” the first Kuma\War episode to be powered by SourceTM, Valve®’s award-winning game engine technology. A captivating 3D video game simulating a realistic conflict between U.S. and Iranian forces over the development of nuclear arms, the newest chapter is a direct response to “Commander Bahman,” a game being developed by the Union of Islamic Student Societies. “Assault on Iran, Pt. 3: Payback in Iraq” begins where the Iranian game reportedly leaves off, with Iranian forces attacking US troops in Iraq to recover a captured nuclear scientist. By re-imagining the Iranian story from multiple points of view, Kuma hopes to bring to the foreground key issues at stake in the current nuclear standoff and create a game-powered forum for frank dialog on the real-world conflict. Kuma’s latest episode will enter an open Beta period and be available for free public download at Kuma\War (www.kumawar.com) beginning July 4, 2006.

Last September, Kuma garnered international attention with its release of “Assault on Iran,” simulating a realistic U.S. attack on a key nuclear Iranian installation. In this original episode, US Special Forces destroy the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in Iran with the assistance of a defecting Iranian scientist. With Iran’s nuclear activities continuing to make headlines in news media, the Middle Eastern nation’s game culture recently responded to Kuma’s virtual attack with a game of its own. Apparently borrowing story elements from Kuma’s original “Assault on Iran” episode, the Union of Islamic Student Societies initiated the latest round in the online conflict with Kuma by announcing “Commander Bahman,” a virtual counter-attack that will feature the rescue of an Iranian atomic scientist captured by US forces in Iraq. Reports indicate that the game will be available in March 2007.

The launch of “Assault on Iran, Pt. 3: Payback in Iraq” is Kuma’s response to the Iranian gaming counter-attack. This will be the seventy-sixth episode of Kuma\War. Picking up where “Commander Bahman” will reportedly leave off, Kuma will weave holes in their own narrative, which they hope will be filled by the Iranian Student Union in subsequent episodes.

“This kind of game-based dialogue is unprecedented in the history of international relations. To have been able to ignite such a vital discourse with a video game is beyond our greatest hopes,” said Keith Halper, CEO of Kuma Reality Games. “While we seek to bring current affairs to life in a manner that is both accessible and relatable, the thoughtful engagement by the Union of Islamic Student Societies was unexpected and thrilling. We think the story they’ve suggested is exciting and relevant, and both emotionally and politically charged. We look forward to responding with the same level of thought-provoking, relevant game-play in which the whole world can participate.”

As with all Kuma\War episodes, “Assault on Iran, Pt. 3: Playback in Iraq” will contain expert analysis and a thoughtful discussion of the political ramifications of military action as well as a playable 3D simulation, allowing ordinary individuals to pick a side in realistic military engagements. Current plans call for the game episode to include English, Farsi and Arabic dialog.

For over two years, Kuma\War has expanded the boundaries of news reporting through accurate and timely re-creations of real-world military events. As a broadband leader in episodic games, Kuma is committed to turning around missions for its audience in a matter of weeks. Beginning July 4, 2006, Kuma\War episodes will be powered by Source – the same engine Valve created to power Half-Life® 2 – and will be available for free download at www.KumaWar.com.

Continue reading "Kuma Reality Games Sparks Virtual Dialogue With Iran Over Nuclear Arms Dispute" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MIAMI - June 6, 2006 - In celebration of Warner Bros. Pictures' upcoming epic action adventure film, Superman Returns soaring into theatres nationwide on June 28th, Alienware -- the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook, media center, server and professional systems -- has released limited-edition desktop and notebook systems inspired by DC Comics' iconic Super Hero, Superman. The desktop and notebook systems showcase masterful artwork of the Man of Steel on the outer cases. Alienware's Area-51 Superman Edition desktop and Area-51 Superman Returns Edition notebook come with a certificate of authenticity. Each system also includes a specially-designed Superman desktop theme by The Skins Factory utilizing Stardock's Theme Manager software.

The case design of the individually-numbered Superman desktop was created by the revered artists at DC Comics. The artwork traces Superman's progression from child to Super Hero in vivid detail and includes other memorable characters such as Lois Lane and Lex Luthor. Meanwhile, the individually-numbered Superman notebook comes in a striking blue design adorned with the iconic S-Shield logo on the front panel of the notebook.

The special-edition desktop and notebook both feature an immersive Superman desktop theme that transforms users' icon, wallpaper, and media player designs by incorporating distinctive touches from the Superman universe, such as green Kryptonite and Clark Kent's glasses. Powerful as well as stylish, the Superman systems come loaded with an array of cutting-edge technology: the Area-51 Superman Edition desktop features Intel Viiv Technology with dual-core Intel Pentium D processors and high-definition audio, while the Area-51 Superman Returns Edition notebook also features Intel Viiv Technology and offers Intel Core Duo processors and dual hard drives to go with a 17-inch wide-screen display.

"The appeal of the Superman character has resulted in numerous successful incarnations, from comic books to movies to TV shows, and now at last, has extended over to PCs so fans can celebrate their favorite Super Hero every time they use their Alienware computer," said Frances T. Alvarez, Director of Licensing at Alienware. "Mind-blowing power and lightning-fast speed come to mind when people think of Superman, and these same qualities embody the heart of Alienware PCs, making us a natural fit to offer these once-in-a-lifetime systems."

Continue reading "ALIENWARE'S NEW LIMITED-EDITION SUPERMAN SYSTEMS TAKE FLIGHT" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SUNNYVALE, Calif., June 7, 2006 - RedOctane® is pleased to announce that PC World has honored their videogame "Guitar HeroTM" with a 2006 World Class Award - one of The Best Products of the Year. PC World, the most widely-read computer or business magazine, ranked the hit rock `n roll videogame #19 on the list of "The 100 Best Products of 2006", evaluating each product over the last 12 months based on exemplary design and usability, features, performance, innovation and specifications.

"Products that win PC World's World Class Awards set the standard for excellence in the IT and consumer electronics industries," stated Harry McCracken, editor in chief of PC World.

By comparison, the only other videogame product that appeared on the list was the XBOX 360, which came in at #89.

"RedOctane is honored to receive the prestigious World Class Award from PC World, having seen the high caliber of this year's product list," said Kelly Sumner, CEO of RedOctane. "We are truly proud of the many accolades that have come from consumers and the industry alike and we would like to thank all of those who were involved in making Guitar Hero a great success."

The PC World World Class Awards honor products that meld practical features with innovation and reflect the rapidly changing technology marketplace. This award is added to the many commendations that Guitar Hero has received since its launch last November. This list includes five D.I.C.E. industry awards and an average review score on Game Rankings.com - a site that collates all press comment and reaction - as 92 percent.

The game that has inspired a nation of wannabe rock stars to achieve videogame greatness is scheduled for a new US tour with "Guitar Hero II" on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system in November 2006.

Continue reading "GUITAR HERO WINS 2006 WORLD CLASS AWARD FROM PC WORLD" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUSTIN, Texas, June 7, 2006 — NCsoft® today announced the release of a free expansion to City of Villains™ and City of Heroes®, Issue 7: “Destiny Manifest,” in both North America and Europe. In addition to level 40 to 50 content for villains, the new feature-packed expansion adds the opportunity for villains to wreak havoc in new “mayhem missions,” and a player-versus-player (PvP) zone where villains and heroes clash to control a dynamically changing battlefield.

The expansion is free to both City of Heroes and City of Villains’ subscribers.

The new City of Villains 40 to 50 level content includes more than 300 new missions and a new zone for level 40 and higher players, Grandville. Grandville contains Spider City, the vertically built capital of Lord Recluse™, the leader of the Arachnos, the top villain group in City of Villains.

Highlighting the new mission sets are mayhem missions, which allow villains to enter instanced City of Heroes zones in Paragon City™. During these missions, villains may wreak as much havoc on the zone as possible, reaping unique rewards and loot. The mayhem mission zones are destructible environments where villains can unlock multiple random events, harass citizens and battle the new Paragon City Police.

A new feature to both City of Heroes and City of Villains is the unique level 40 to 50 PvP zone, Recluse’s Victory. Recluse’s Victory is a replica of Paragon City’s Atlas Park™, where villains and heroes battle for heavily armed control points. Depending on who has the upper hand, the zone will change from a neutral setting to reflect the peaceful and shining version of Atlas Park where heroes are victorious or to a dark and scarred vision of Atlas Park where villainous forces dominate. Heroes and villains can take battlefield control over powerful artillery including mobile siege weapons that can help turn the tide of battle. When one side takes an advantage in Recluse’s Victory, powerful signature characters may appear to aid the struggling side and help take back control points, allowing players to have toe-to-toe battles with the likes of Lord Recluse or Statesman.

“This highly anticipated expansion makes villains meaner and introduces a PvP zone that has not been seen before in the online multiplayer market,” said Matt Miller, Cryptic Studio’s™ lead designer for City of Heroes and City of Villains. “Players will have a blast exploring the new high-level content and causing endless destruction in the new mayhem missions, which take being a villain to a new low.”

Issue 7 allows villains who surpass level 40 to obtain “patron powers,” a new set of abilities derived from one of the City of Villains signature villains: Ghost Widow™, Captain Mako™, Scirocco™ or Black Scorpion™. Examples of the new villain patron powers are Ghost Widow’s soul storm which levitates and spins its victims in the air and Captain Mako’s spirit shark power that fires destructive shark spirits at opponents.

This free expansion also includes new base features including storage items, empowerment stations, super group banners and base color tinting. Additionally, the expansion provides a new set of costume options and adds sweeping art and graphics improvements to City of Heroes.

City of Villains and City of Heroes are available at retailers in North America and Europe as well as at the NCsoft online store at www.plaync.com. Both games include the first month of online game play, and after the first month, players will be charged a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99. Customers who purchase City of Heroes and City of Villains can play both games for the single subscription price of US$14.99.

For more information on City of Villains go to: www.cityofvillains.com, and for more information on City of Heroes, go to: www.cityofheroes.com.

Continue reading "NCsoft releases new City of Villains and City of Heroes expansion" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MTV Presents: STACKED Poker Television Special to Air on MTV2 on June 2nd and on MTV on June 3rd

New York, NY – May 31st, 2006 – Myelin Media, LLC, a publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced that their Texas Hold ‘Em game, STACKED™ with Daniel Negreanu, has shipped to retail outlets throughout North America. A breakthrough Texas Hold ‘Em video game, STACKED steps to the table with a powerful hand of groundbreaking artificial intelligence, massive online multi-table tournaments and involvement from seven of the most celebrated professional poker players in the modern history of the game. Rated T for Teen by the ESRB, STACKED is available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PC, and carries a suggested retail price of $29.99. In addition, MTV will be airing a half-hour special premiering on Friday, June 2nd at 9 PM on MTV2 and Saturday, June 3rd at 9 PM on MTV entitled, MTV Presents: STACKED Poker, to support the release of the highly anticipated title.

“STACKED is the perfect way for a beginner to learn poker,” said Negreanu. “It won’t disappoint the advanced players either, especially when they have to face off against me!”

“STACKED brings the excitement and strategy of professional poker into your home,” said Ken Woo, producer at Myelin Media. “Whether playing alone against the game’s realistic learning AI or online against real world opponents, you will feel the same exhilaration with every big bet, bluff and victory as if you were at the final table of a high stakes tournament.”

“MTV Games was formed with the vision of creating and promoting original video game IP and unique gaming experiences that encapsulate the passions and interests of the MTV audience,” said Jeff Yapp, EVP, Program Enterprises. “STACKED represents the first true MTV Games 360° initiative by delivering a video game experience, television special and an online component with the Stacked Masters multi-table tournaments."

About MTV Presents: STACKED Poker
MTV Presents: STACKED Poker is a half hour special premiering on Friday, June 2nd at 9 PM on MTV2 and Saturday, June 3rd at 9 PM on MTV. The program gets inside the breakout phenomenon of professional poker and highlights the launch of STACKED™ with Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu stars in this half-hour special with his unique brand of strategy, intuition and charisma. Shot on location at The Aladdin Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, MTV Presents: STACKED Poker takes viewers through an explanation of the video game, STACKED, an introductory game of poker with Negreanu, then he faces a group of college age competition, competes against some of the world’s top ranked poker players and ends the show by sitting down at a table with special celebrity guests, Ryan Cabrera and Benji from Good Charlotte, to pass on some of his poker expertise. Throughout, Daniel will occasionally “freeze frame” and address the audience with his unparalleled insights into poker strategy, player tells and insider tips.

The special also kicks off a once in a lifetime opportunity for MTV viewers. The STACKED Masters Tournament is a series of STACKED Multi-Table Tournaments, to be played live online. Four players who meet certain eligibility criteria may be cast to participate in the MTV STACKED Masters Showdown Special. Participants in the special will be flown to Las Vegas, where they will face off against Daniel Negreanu at the final table, for a chance to prove their poker prowess against the best in the business.

Continue reading "STACKED™ WITH DANIEL NEGREANU DEALS TO RETAIL" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In this PC CD-ROM game the notorious serial killer “The Phoenix” is back and the authorities need your help to catch him once and for all. Using an innovative blend of Windows® gameplay and the Internet, the player will explore key cities in Europe and North America. They will receive actual emails from virtual characters, scour real and fictitious websites, analyze video excerpts, photos, soundtracks, and piece together evidence to break the Phoenix’s embedded codes. From the creators of MISSING: Since January.

Continue reading "The Adventure Company Releases Trailer for EVIDENCE: The Last Ritual" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

AN FRANCISCO May 25, 2006 Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today proudly reveals the first details, screenshots, and artwork on the multiplayer modes of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic®.

Up to 32 players can battle in the revolutionary Crusade mode, which will allow players to gain experience and acquire new equipment across dynamic online campaigns. Enlist with the humans or the undead and choose among five complementary character classes and more than 60 skills. Wage epic online battles, sprawling over multiple zones, from the dark Necromancer's lair at Nar-Heresh to the man-made splendor of Stonehelm.

Dark Messiah of Might and Magic multiplayer will also feature the classic deathmatch and team deathmatch modes, in which players will have the opportunity to quickly jump into the game for instant action.

The multiplayer modes of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic are developed by Kuju Entertainment and the full game is scheduled for release on PC worldwide in September 2006.

For more information on Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, please visit
http://www.mightandmagic.com/us/darkmessiah/teaser/.

Continue reading "UBISOFT REVEALS FIRST INFO ON THE MULTIPLAYER MODES FOR DARK MESSIAH OF MIGHT AND MAGIC" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Myelin Media LLC, a publisher of interactive entertainment software, today announced that their Texas Hold ‘Em game, STACKED™ with Daniel Negreanu, has gone gold for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PC. The most advanced poker simulation ever created, STACKED boasts an exclusive learning artificial intelligence solution, involvement from seven of poker’s most successful and charismatic players, as well as support for massive sanctioned online tournaments.

The first poker video game to capture the strategy and excitement of the game that has taken the world by storm, STACKED has exclusive license to the university-developed Poki AI system to deliver a remarkably advanced single-player experience. A learning system, Poki observes how each player approaches the game, devising and implementing new strategies for victory and encouraging the player to vary their style of play. Also, featuring seven of the world’s most successful poker pros, players will have the opportunity to go head-to-head against Josh Arieh, Jennifer Harman, Erick Lindgren, Juan Carlos Mortensen, Evelyn Ng and David Williams, each with a custom AI style that matches their real-world play style.

Further, STACKED takes Texas Hold ‘Em online like never before with MTV STACKED Masters, a breakthrough online system that lets players host large scale tournaments and single game tables with a group of friends. Sanctioned tournaments will be regularly announced on the game’s official web site, letting top ranked players compete in a multi-table ladder structure with hundreds of other players for a shot at poker immortality in the MTV STACKED Masters Hall of Fame.

Continue reading "STACKED™ WITH DANIEL NEGREANU STRIKES GOLD" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Revenge can be yours today, because Rogue Trooper is now exploding onto the store shelves of retailers near you! This sci-fi third-person action shooter based off of the popular comic book series from 2000AD lets you take control of Rogue Trooper, the last of the Genetic Infantrymen, as he sets out on a path of destruction to deal some payback to those responsible for the massacre of his race. Using the skills and abilities of his fallen comrades Bagman, Helm, and Gunnar, whose bio-chips allow them to take a new life in his equipment, Rogue must rely on a mixture of stealth, strategy, and pure destruction to take on full platoons of soldiers and inch his way closer to that sweet, sweet revenge.

Bagman is ready to repurpose enemy gear to make weapon upgrades, or unleash a devastating barrage of micro-mines. Gunnar is ready to act as a turret, great for setting up traps for groups of enemies. Helm is ready to use his hacking skills to gain access to restricted areas, or act as a Holodecoy, useful for a great distraction. Rogue Trooper is more than ready, and is itching for his chance to unleash a fury of destruction down on those who have made him suffer.

Continue reading "Rogue Trooper Explodes Onto Store Shelves Throughout North America Today!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 10:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 23, 2006 – Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) and the Jeep ® brand announced today that they have signed a deal that will give gamers a chance to experience Jeep vehicles in Medal of Honor Airborne™ as they were found in World War II. The classic Willys-Overland Jeep will appear for extended, action-packed sequences in several missions of Medal of Honor Airborne.

Medal of Honor Airborne is the newest installment from EA’s critically-acclaimed Medal of Honor™ franchise which was credited with pioneering the First-Person Shooter (FPS) WWII genre when it debuted in 1999, and is the best selling WWII FPS franchise of all time. By fully controlling the airdrop from the very first step through landing, Medal of Honor Airborne adds a new dimension of player choice by letting the player decide where every mission begins and how it plays out. Building on the key tenets of the franchise including historical accuracy, research, and authenticity, for the first time Medal of Honor Airborne will include fully player-drivable vehicles, including the Willys Jeep.

Jeep played an integral role in the war effort as an indispensable tool in tracking the enemy, exchanging information and moving troops. Over 350,000 Willys Jeep vehicles were built and used during WWII, and at one point the assembly line was pushing out one vehicle every 90 seconds. When driving a Willys Jeep in Medal of Honor Airborne, the player can choose to use it as a mode of transportation, or as a mobile attack platform taking full advantage of a variety of mounted weapons. Authentic to their use in WWII, the Willys Jeep will be able to access more areas than the other drivable vehicles featured in Medal of Honor Airborne, because of Jeep vehicle’s superior four-wheel drive off-road capabilities.

"Video games are quickly becoming the medium of choice for a new generation of consumers and Chrysler Group has been at the forefront of this exciting revolution," said Jay Kuhnie, Director - Jeep Communications, Chrysler Group. "By teaming with Electronic Arts and Medal of Honor Airborne, Jeep is celebrating its history while helping to take this medium to its next level."

“The Medal of Honor Airborne experience begins with unprecedented freedom of approach from the air. With the addition of the Willys Jeep, that freedom continues on the ground, on road and off, and in combat scenarios of all types." explained Patrick Gilmore, VP and Executive Producer at EALA. “This is the first time in any Medal of Honor game that a player will have the ability to drive a Willys Jeep, and we’re very excited to see this new addition increase the fun and intensity of the gameplay.”

Continue reading "EA and the Jeep® Brand Join Forces in Medal of Honor Airborne" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York (May 23, 2006) – It’s time to cut the crap and see what life is like beyond the toilet bowl as Codemasters announced today the signing of the cult character brand The Turds for its casual gaming portfolio.

In an exclusive deal with Pacemaker UK, the characters’ creators, The Turds will star in a series of free-to-play web games developed by Pilot Interactive. The games will be featured on a dedicated Turds gaming site, accessible via Funsta.com, Codemasters’ international casual gaming online portal, and a network of partner gaming sites.

The first, Donkey Pong And The Adventures Of Rimdiana Jones, is now live at www.funsta.com/turds. The Turds are a collection of roguish comedic characters born from the best of toilet humour. The Turds satirise known characters from film, entertainment and sport, such as The Bogfather, Freddy Pooger, The Turdinator, Wayne Pooney, and characters from history, including Shat the Ripper, Brave Fart, and, of course, Adolf Sh*tler. Pacemaker UK’s range of The Turds figurines, posters, and soft toys has fast established a multi-million business with a loyal fan base that has been extended internationally.

“We were looking for the next big thing to come along for the web gaming initiative and, after a good sit down, eventually The Turds just came out,” said Nick Pili, Codemasters’ director of casual gaming. “The Turds is an ever-growing phenomenon that has a massive cult status and we’re thrilled to be able to take them online with the web games.”

You can play with your very own Turds right now online at www.funsta.com/turds in the first web game: Donkey Pong And The Adventures Of Rimdiana Jones.

Donkey Pong And The Adventures Of Rimdiana Jones sees popular action hero, Rimdiana Jones, and agent Marilyn Muckroe, on a search for the legendary fartifact, the Lost Arse. However, disaster strikes: Marilyn is captured by giant ape-sh*t, Donkey Pong, and is to be sacrificed to a mysterious giant turd, worshipped by the lost Pongo Tribe.

Can Rimdy get his gal back and find his Lost Arse? To rescue Marilyn Muckroe, help Rimdy jump, run, climb and smash his way to the top of each increasingly difficult level. Watch out for those evil Islanders and pray your nostrils don’t catch a blood curdling wiff of the mighty Pong!

“We at Turds central believe that the nation needs to look at life beyond the bowl and see the beauty of their Turds,” says Luke Smith of Pacemaker UK, one of the creators of The Turds. “There’s one in all of us and the launch of web games gives everyone a chance to play with The Turds.”

Donkey Pong And The Adventures Of Rimdiana Jones is now available to play the dedicated The Turds site online at www.funsta.com/turds.

Continue reading "Codemasters to cause one hell of a stink with free web games starring cult characters The Turds" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

His entire race has been set up and massacred by a traitor. As the last survivor of the Genetic Infantrymen, Rogue Trooper isn’t very happy about the situation, so he sets out on a mission for destruction to make those responsible suffer. But before Rogue can bring the vengeance, he must take the first step on his mission for pain and that step happens today as Rogue Trooper ships to stores all across North America! And what better way to see our mean, blue, one-man wrecking machine off to the store shelves than to celebrate his journey by releasing a ton of new assets... 5 new renders, 10 new screenshots and the last trailer to be exact! The wait is over, and tomorrow revenge can be yours when Rogue Trooper hits the store shelves in North America for the PS2, Xbox and PC!

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 23, 2006 (BELLEVUE, WA) – ArenaNet®, developer of the award-winning online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today that the studio’s latest release, Guild Wars Factions™, is now the top PC game in North America and Europe. NPD’s weekly sales report showed Guild Wars Factions as the number-one-selling PC game for the weeks beginning April 23, 2006 and April 30, 2006.

“When Guild Wars was launched one year ago, it amazed the gaming world," said Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft North America. "Free online game play, stunning graphics, in depth PvP and PvE—impossible they said. Guild Wars Factions proves that ArenaNet is the world leader, not just in great online games, but in building unique business models aimed for the future of online gaming.”

Guild Wars Factions was one of the year’s most anticipated releases, and in its first two weeks out of the gate has wowed fans, press, and retail alike. Guild Wars Factions is topping the sales charts in Europe and North America, and the media is raving about the game.

“4.5 stars out of 5 stars!” – GameSpy

“. . . weaves together solo, cooperative, and competitive content in a way that is undeniably impressive.” – GameSpot.com

“Not only does ArenaNet give fans more of what they want, but they do it in an extraordinary manner.” – Amped IGO

"The popularity of MMOGs is on the rise and quickly becoming one of the strongest performing genres on the PC platform. From 2004 to 2005, usage of MMOGs grew nearly 29 percent, and that combined with the significant increase of sales at retail for these products illustrates the growing importance of this genre," said Anita Frazier, industry analyst, The NPD Group.

Developed by fledgling award-winning studio ArenaNet, Guild Wars Factions is the follow-up to the company’s debut release Guild Wars (April 2005). Guild Wars revolutionized online gaming, and the industry has been anxiously awaiting the release of Guild Wars Factions.

Guild Wars Factions takes place on the Asian-inspired continent of Cantha, where players create a character from eight distinct professions—including the newly created Assassin and Ritualist—and join an epic quest that pits two warring factions, the Luxons and the Kurzicks, against an ancient evil, and against each other. As players become embroiled in this brutal war of conquest, new missions provide both roleplaying fans and competitive PvP players the opportunity to help determine the fate of Cantha.

Guild Wars Factions is rated T for Teen. For more information, please visit www.guildwars.com

Continue reading "Guild Wars Factions #1 Game in North America and Europe" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN FRANCISCO MAY 22, 2006 Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced a long-term worldwide licensing agreement with Touchstone Television to develop and publish a video game based on the Emmy Award-winning television series "Lost." Developed by Ubisoft's award-winning Montreall studio and scheduled to hit retail shelves worldwide in 2007, the game will be offered for home and portable consoles as well as PCs.

"We are delighted to work with Bryan Burk, one of the biggest producers in Hollywood and with Touchstone Television," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "That they have chosen us for the adaptation of the cult series "Lost" is the best homage that a producer can make to the creativity of Ubisoft."

"This deal is another example of how truly powerful the "Lost" brand is," said Bruce Gersh, senior vice president, business development, ABC Entertainment and Touchstone Television. "We are excited to work together with Ubisoft to create a gaming experience that will allow fans to further immerse themselves into the mysteries and intrigues of the series."

"The creative appeal of"˜Lost" transcends borders with its character driven stories and addictive mysterious mythology," said Julia Franz, executive vice president, Touchstone Television. "It's not enough for fans worldwide to just watch 'Lost,' the game is a wonderful opportunity to organically extend this creative phenomenon into an interactive consumer experience."

"Many of us on "Lost" have been hardcore gamers for years and the chance to work with Ubisoft, a company behind some of our favorite titles, has excited us to no end," said "Lost" executive producer Bryan Burk. "With the ability to tell new interactive stories within the "Lost" universe, we're giddy to be developing a game that, once completed, will be as engaging and fun to play as it is to create."

J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof co-created "Lost" and also serve as executive producers, along with Bryan Burk, Jack Bender and Carlton Cuse. "Lost," which is filmed entirely on location in Hawaii, is from Touchstone Television.

Continue reading "UBISOFT AND TOUCHSTONE TEAM UP TO CREATE "LOST" VIDEO GAME" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This demo lets you play the first mission of Hitman: Blood Money, teaching you the basics of what it takes to enter the world of high-stakes contract killing. Your mission is to eliminate the man known as “The Swing King,” who has been located at an old broken down amusement park now functioning as a drug lab. Though your objective is clear, it is up to you to determine the best way to perform the execution.

The latest installment of the popular Hitman franchise, Hitman: Blood Money, features enhanced artificial intelligence, a massive arsenal of upgradeable weaponry, as well as the new Blood Money system which allows characters in future missions to react to Agent 47 based upon how much his presence was noticed in the past. Hitman: Blood Money is set to ship May 30th, but you don’t have to wait to find out if you have what it takes to control the world’s deadliest assassin... download the demo now at www.hbmdemo.com and prepare to make a killing!

Continue reading "Hitman: Blood Money PC Demo Now Available for Download!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I met with Wizards of the Coast on Thursday morning and they revealed to me a new version of Magic Online due to go live in the third quarter of 2006. Essentially, they give away the software for free (and there's no subscription fee) and you then sell you content as you go. There's new content released every 3 months. People collect and trade digital objects (like cards). There's a significant market on Ebay. There are 6 million paper (or real card) players and 250,000 electronic players. There are 400 million digital objects in the Magic Online universe and they host 2 million games per month.

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - Magic Online III" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Thursday morning I met with Ben Sawyer of the Serious Games Initiative/Games for Health project. It's a grassroots effort with foundation funding to look at using games for things other than entertainment such as training, education, excercise, therapy. Something like lessons learned from developing games and how to make a better interface for a business application would also fit in here too.

They just held their annual conference on Tuesday. I couldn't go because of all the press conferences. They're planning another conference for October 2006 in Washington DC.

There's a possiblity that I may start blogging for them. We'll see how that develops.

Some of the games I looked at were:

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - Serious Games Initiative" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have to admit that I didn't know much about Razer prior to our meeting Robert Karkoff (president) told me the whole story.

Razer was founded eight years ago and makes PC gaming products. Gamers are passionate about their equipment and Razer makes equipment for that high end market. They make high resolution gaming mice. Most, almost all, mice are 8-bit. Razer made the a 16-bit mouse in 2004. Most mice are 400 dpi; Razer mice are 1600 dpi or 2000 dpi. Razer believes that mice should be measure in inches per second because it is a more accurate measure of the type of performance required by high end gamers. The Diamondback runs at 90 ips and a human can move at about 72 ips. Everything Razer makes is a pure hardware solution. They actively seek feedback and validation from professional gamers with each product they bring to market.

The Copperhead has a 1ms latency, which is just about nothing. The mouse is completely portable. It has memory to store settings so you can take it with you, plug it in, and have all your settings right there. The mouse can receive firmware updates. It was the first 2000 dpi laser sensor mouse.

They're coming out with a keyboard named Tarantula in August 2006. It's the "first true gaming keyboard", low latency (1ms) and anti-ghosting so you can press as many keys as you want at once. It's completely programmable and has macro keys on each side. There are 5 profiles to store your programming; Razer will host a website to upload and download profiles. It's washable and has replaceable keys. There's a dock for peripherals across the top of it and Razer says that a lamp and a webcam are on the way. It will sell for $99.99.

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - Razer" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New York, NY – May 19, 2006 – 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today The Da Vinci Code™ video game is now available at retail stores worldwide. Developed by The Collective, a division of Foundation 9 Entertainment, the video game is available for PC, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

The Da Vinci Code™ video game is based on the highly anticipated film from Columbia pictures, which is based on Dan Brown’s critically acclaimed, best-selling novel. In the game, players seek to “unlock the code” as they struggle to unravel a 2,000 year old mystery.

“The Da Vinci Code™ video game expands upon the plot in the film and book, allowing gamers to experience new adventures and solve new puzzles,” said Christoph Hartmann, President, 2K. “The game takes players beyond anything they have seen or read.”

An adventure and puzzle game with action elements, the video game features new plot twists and clues. In a race against time, players must try to stay one step ahead of an ominous, covert society that will stop at nothing to protect a secret locked away for centuries. The video game combines stealth, adventure, combat and puzzle-solving elements to create the ultimate adventure.

Key Features:

* Expands upon The Da Vinci Code universe by giving the player new experiences and locations not visited in the film or the book.

* Guide Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu on their quest to solve a bizarre murder-mystery and uncover the ultimate treasure protected by an ancient secret society.

* A unique blend of puzzle-solving, stealth, combat and exploration.

* Explore detailed environments and discover hidden clues in world famous locations such as The Louvre, Westminster Abbey, Saint-Sulpice and more.

* Players must solve a wide variety of challenging physical and intellectual puzzles that will ultimately lead them to the resting ground of the Holy Grail.

* Charles Cecil, designer of the critically acclaimed title Broken Sword aided in the game design.

* Featuring an incredibly moving and haunting sound track, from acclaimed composer Winifred Philips.

From director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman, the Oscar®-winning team of A Beautiful Mind and producer John Calley (the Oscar®-nominated The Remains of the Day), comes the film version of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, one of the most popular and talked about novels of our time, with a cast headed by two-time Academy Award® winner Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou, Sir Ian McKellen, Alfred Molina, Jürgen Prochnow, Paul Bettany and Jean Reno.

Produced by Grazer and Calley, The Da Vinci Code involves a thrilling murder investigation that unearths a secret that could change the course of history.

Doubleday has completed its 104th printing of the Dan Brown novel which will bring the total number of hardcover copies in print in North America to an unprecedented 12 million. It is the record-setting adult fiction hardcover bestseller, with 161 weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, 55 of them at #1. In addition, 5 million paperback copies for North America were printed and released in the U.S. market March 28th. The novel currently has 57 million copies in print worldwide in all formats.

The Da Vinci Code™ is rated T for Teen and is now available at retail stores worldwide.

For more information, please visit http://www.thedavincicodegame.com.

Continue reading "2K Announces The Da Vinci Code™ Video Game Available Now" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I had a good time over at SEGA with Jenny. Overall, they've got an impressive bunch of games.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Blitz - This is a Wii launch title and I'm looking forward to it. Playing is a good demonstration of how the Wii controller can be used. Imagine that you are holding the puzzle tray in your hand. Tilt the controller the way that you would tilt the puzzle tray to move the monkey the way you want. It makes the game very cool. There are 50+ mini games and 50+ puzzle trays. Some of the mini games have creative ways of using the controller. For example, in the hammer throw you twirl the controller and release the button to throw the hammer.

Sonic Wild Fire (working title) - This is another Wii launch title. Sonic falls asleep reading the Arabian Nights and journeys into that world. It was fun to control him running through the game using the controller, tilting it to turn, flicking it up to jump. I got pulled out in the middle of this demo so I don't have much more. I also don't have a screen shot for this one.

Midieval II Total War - This is a PC only title due to ship in November 2006. It's being developed by a 40 person Australian team. There are 21 factions, 17 of which are playable. They doubled the resolution at which the graphics engine runs. They replaced the battle engine. Troops are now individuals that move and think independently within the context of their orders. You can upgrade the troops and see the difference in how they battle. There's a vegetation system that makes for great looking trees and bushes. The environment has strategic value so you can use it to win battles by trapping the enemy. The battle was something to see. Troops look around for their next opponent, corpses stack up in pools of blood. You can fight in the Crusades where there's a whole aspect to the game of managing the relationship with the Pope.

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - SEGA" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Test Drive Unlimited - The entire game takes place on the island of Oahu. There are over 100 licensed vehicles and 1000 miles of road. It's all pretty much online races. There can be up to 8 player online races. You can drive around randomly exploring. When you encounter another player you can challenge him to a race. Then you lay out the course on the map and start racing. The world can have up to 1000 players on the same server so you probably won't have to race the same person twice, unless you want to. There will be online racing clubs to join. This game ships in September 2006 for PS2, PSP, PC, and Xbox 360.

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - Atari" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 4:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEW YORK, May 17, 2006 – In the first of a series of major initiatives that will shatter barriers to fun on the Internet in a unique way, Verizon has teamed with Valve® to create the FiOS Grand Tournament, an online PC game tournament of unprecedented scope. The FiOS Grand Tournament will end with one skillful player winning $100,000 – one of the largest prizes ever for a single winner of a tournament of this kind.

“By providing super-fast broadband connections for both downloading and uploading, Verizon FiOS Internet service creates great home entertainment experiences by shattering the limits we’ve come to accept – limits such as speed and bandwidth that get in the way of fun,” said Brian Angiolet, director of marketing for Verizon FiOS. “What better way to demonstrate that than by creating unprecedented online experiences – like the FiOS Grand Tournament – that rely heavily on broadband connectivity and speed to maximize fun.”

Adds Doug Lombardi, Director of Marketing for Valve: “Verizon FiOS Internet is an ideal solution for Steam customers looking to push the limits of their online gaming experience.”

In coming weeks, Verizon will launch a series of additional initiatives that will enable consumers to experience the Internet without limitations – something only Verizon FiOS can offer. These will include Verizon FiOS experiences in video games, fashion and live events.

The FiOS Grand Tournament will bring together the best in class of the interactive entertainment sector. Valve, creator of best-selling PC game franchises Half-Life and Counter Striketm will provide tournament entrants free access to its new, highly acclaimed Half-Life 2: Deathmatch PC game for the tournament beginning May 17.

Beyond demonstrating the advantages of the speed and enormous download and upload capacity of Verizon FiOS Internet service, Half-Life 2: Deathmatch will showcase the ease of Steam, Valve’s direct platform for digital content delivery.

Verizon offers FiOS high-speed broadband service over its new, advanced fiber optic network in parts of 16 states – a network that brings the power of fiber all the way to the home. With maximum download connections of up to 30 megabits-per-second (Mbps), and upload connections of up to 5 Mbps, FiOS provides gamers with the speed they need to compete. Although users of any Internet service can play in the tournament, finalists will face off live on the Verizon FiOS Internet service, experiencing its breakthrough speed, capacity and fun.

About Verizon FiOS Grand Tournament

Managed by the Cyberathlete Amateur League (CAL), the FiOS Grand Tournament officially starts May 17 when players can begin downloading Half-Life 2: Deathmatch from Valve’s Steam service located at www.steamgames.com. Players will then be able to register at www.fiosgrand.com and begin practicing until June 15.

Tournament play will begin on June 15 and the top 64 players will be ranked according to the CAL’s official ladder ranking system, until only eight players remain. Those eight players will then face-off in a dramatic head-to-head tournament that culminates with one winner fragging their way to the $100,000 prize.

More information about the tournament and its rules will be available online at www.fiosgrand.com.

Continue reading "VERIZON FiOS SHATTERS SPEED LIMIT LAUNCHES ONLINE GAME EXPERIENCE THAT DEMONSTRATES THE POWER OF ITS ADVANCED FIBER-TO-THE-PREMISES NETWORK" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rogue Trooper, the intense sci-fi third-person action shooter has officially GONE GOLD and is ready to ship to the store shelves on May 23rd! The new game based on the comic book series from 2000AD puts you in the combat boots of a betrayed Genetic Infantryman who is hell-bent on revenge. Your comrades have been set up and brutally massacred, and now it’s up to Rogue to make those responsible pay. Vastly outnumbered, Rogue must use his surroundings to his advantage, and rely on the skills of his fallen comrades Gunnar, Bagman and Helm whose bio-chips have allowed them to take a new life in Rogue’s equipment.

Continue reading "Rogue Trooper Has Officially Gone Gold and is Ready to Ship May 23rd in North America!!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Santa Monica, CA – May 16, 2006 – Inspired by Marvel Entertainment’s legendary Super Hero franchise and serving as a prelude to the upcoming Twentieth Century Fox and Marvel Studios’ feature film “X-Men: The Last Stand,” Activision, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) X-Men: The Official Game premieres today at retail outlets nationwide. The game catapults players into an original storyline that allows them to command the distinct powers of Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman as they battle classic Brotherhood villains including Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike and Multiple Man and traverse unique environments that showcase each character’s abilities while embarking on an epic quest to save mutant-kind.

X-Men: The Official Game is the first Super Hero game for the Xbox™ 360 video game system from Microsoft and is available for a suggested retail price of $59.99. The PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox™ video game system from Microsoft and the Nintendo® GameCube™ versions are available for a suggested retail price of $39.99. The PC, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance versions are available for a suggested retail price of $29.99. The console and PC games have been rated “T” (“Teen” – violence) and the handheld games have been rated “E-10+” (“Everyone 10 and older” – fantasy violence) by the ESRB.

“In X-Men: The Official Game, players will experience the events leading up to the ‘X-Men: The Last Stand’ feature film,” said Will Kassoy, vice president of global brand management, Activision, Inc. “Co-written by Zak Penn, the screenwriter of the film, and legendary comic book writer Chris Claremont, and featuring the voice talent of Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Shawn Ashmore and Alan Cumming, the game truly enables players to become a part of the X-Men movie universe .”

For the first time, X-Men: The Official Game lets players truly experience the powers of three popular Super Heroes from the X-Men movie universe by allowing them to take on the roles of Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Iceman as they wield and upgrade their signature powers and maneuver through unique environments designed to showcase their Super Hero abilities. Assisted by other X-Men characters including Storm and Colossus, players will use an advanced control scheme to master and control the characters as they unleash Wolverine’s combat rage, experience Nightcrawler’s acrobatics and teleportation powers and glide through the air on Iceman’s ice slide.

For more information on X-Men: The Official Game, please visit http://www.x-mengame.com.

BradyGames' X-Men: The Official Game Official Strategy Guide is available at electronics, book, and software retailers nationwide, and online at http://www.bradygames.com.

Continue reading "MARVEL AND ACTIVISION'S X-MEN: THE OFFICIAL GAME TAKES A STAND ON RETAIL SHELVES NATIONWIDE" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

San Francisco – May 15, 2006 – Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announces Storm of War: Battle of Britain, to come in November 2006 for PCs worldwide. Storm of War: Battle of Britain is the first instalment in the new Storm of War franchise from award-winning developer Maddox Games. Ubisoft and Maddox games previously collaborated on the acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik and Pacific Fighters games.

In Storm of War: Battle of Britain, players will take to the skies during the famous Battle of Britain. Using classic World War II planes, the game offers a variety of historical missions through solo campaigns or online combat and cooperation. Storm of War: Battle of Britain includes a new 3D engine and damage model technology, enabling genre newcomers to enjoy a smooth ride thanks to a state-of-the-art flight simulator and scalable gameplay

"The Maddox series of flight simulators became instant references of the genre and we know that PC gamers are eagerly awaiting the next occasion to ride the skies," said Tony Kee, vice president of marketing for North America at Ubisoft. "Storm of War: Battle of Britain guarantees a thrilling ride; it is the genuine heir to flight simulator hall-of-famer IL-2."

"We've invested our time and talent to create new technology so players will be stunned by the quality of Storm of War: Battle of Britain," said Oleg Maddox, creator of the acclaimed IL-2 series. "Our collaboration with Ubisoft has been very fruitful and we're sure that gamers will be excited to join the "proud few" in this recreation of an important battle of the Second World War."

Continue reading "UBISOFT RIDES INTO THE STORM OF WARTM: BATTLE OF BRITAIN" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blood money can come in many different forms... bills, coins, and yes... pure GOLD because Hitman: Blood Money is officially finished and all versions are ready for production! The latest installment of the popular Hitman franchise is coming your way May 30th, and with features such as the new Blood Money system which allows the characters in future environments to react to Agent 47 based on how well he previously kept out of the spotlight, Hitman: Blood Money is taking the franchise to a whole new level. With tons of different ways to complete each mission, take control, be innovative, and play the game the way that you want to The time is coming near, and only two weeks remain until Agent 47 can be at your command, so if you haven’t done so yet... prepare to make a killing.

Continue reading "Hitman: Blood Money Has Officially Gone Gold!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NBA 2K7 - 2K did more motion caption on more players so there are more players in the game with their signature moves. For example, Steve Nash pauses every few minutes while dribbling to lick his fingers. Shot stick is more precise so you have more control over your dunks and layups. Players sweat, the clothes ripple. There's online play on all platforms. This game is for Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3 and ships at the beginning of basketball season.

NHL 2K7 - 2K focused on making gameplay a more cinematic experience. Their goal was to emulate the movie Miracle. As such, players are more graceful and gameplay is more fluid. You can give defensive orders instead of just watching them and hoping they do the right thing. They've got NHL and NHLPA licenses. They promised me that the crap in the current version has been cleaned up, that the inicidence of garbage goals scored from the back of the net is down and that the stats and announcing are accurate. This game is for Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3 and ships in Fall 2006.

College Hoops 2K7 - This is a basketball game where the more important aspect is coaching. You have to take into account team chemistry, not just grab the ball and drive the lane. The stadiums are realistic. There's an in-depth legacy mode and online play. This game is for Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3 and ships in Fall 2006.

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - 2K Games" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SEOUL, Korea -- May 10, 2006 -- GoPets, Ltd., (www.gopets.net), one of the fastest growing and most entertaining forms of online social networking, with over 300,000 users worldwide, today announced an agreement with PeerMe, Inc., (www.peerme.com), a voiceover internet protocol (VOIP) company based in Mountain View, California. The agreement enables GoPets users with free voice chat. GoPets users that sign up for the PeerMe VOIP will also be offered a bonus virtual item.

“GoPets equals people plus pets plus games,” said GoPets CEO & Founder, Erik Bethke. “With PeerMe's VOIP service, we will now be able to offer our users the ability to chat with the ease and comfort of voice. With communication applications such as webmail, instant messaging, profiles, testimonials, and our iconic IKU language already in place, adding VOIP is the next natural step in our efforts to provide our users with the best forms of communication available.”

“GoPets brings people together from across the globe, and lets them be part of a community in new and fun ways,” said Martin Mueller, V.P. of Game Content and Sales for PeerMe, Inc. “PeerMe’s VOIP adds a new level of connectivity and interaction to the GoPets user experience. Now, Gopets users can talk for free with each other for the first time using PeerMe.”

Continue reading "GoPets, Ltd. to Offer Voiceover Internet Protocol Through Agreement with PeerMe, Inc." »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

E3, Los Angeles (May 10, 2006) - Philips amBX today announced more details of its revolutionary new ambient experience technology, amBX, including an agreement with SpectraVideo plc and a raft of new consumer features that will deliver an instant plug and play experience. A number of amBX-enabled games will also be available in late 2006.

Philips amBX will provide gamers with a full ‘sensory surround experience’ by empowering game developers with the ability to use light, colour, sound, vibration and even air flow in the real world, during gameplay.

Combining a scripting language and software engine, amBX has been designed to deliver all-new player experiences through enabled devices such as LED colour-controlled lights, active furniture, fans, heaters, audio and video, all placed strategically around a player’s room.

amBX is highly flexible, allowing gamers to build their own personal set-up by picking and choosing from a variety of lights, fans, rumblers and future devices. amBX adapts itself so that at any time, with any set-up, the optimal experience is delivered.

Following the recent announcement that Philips Peripherals & Accessories will be launching a range of amBX accessories and kits, UK-based peripheral developer and manufacturer, SpectraVideo, is now set to join them.

SpectraVideo will be the first to launch a range of third party amBX-enabled products under its own Logic3 label. SpectraVideo has been succesfully selling gaming peripherals under the Logic3 brand for over 12 years. More recently, SpectraVideo has expanded its range to include iPod accessories with its best selling Logic3 i-Station. SpectraVideo has established its own expertise as the first company to take a leading role in developing and marketing new and innovative product ranges, a trend that it hopes to replicate with its amBX-enabled products.

Both companies plan to have products available in time for this fall and will each announce full details of their lines in the coming months.

For consumers, Philips amBX has announced a range of applications to help them get the most from their amBX kits right away, even without amBX enabled games. Some of these applications will be bundled with the peripherals.

The amBX Visual Autoscriptor and amBX Audio Autoscriptor will enable consumers to get an amBX effect from any media they run on their PC, whether it is one of their existing PC games or their music collection. An amBX Media Player will also be launched which will play amBX-scripted music, DVDs and video.

The amBX Atmosphere Controller will allow consumers to control their amBX kit directly to enable mood lighting or other effects other than through playing games and music.

When consumers go online, the amBX Web Plug-in will allow peripherals to join in with web pages scripted with amBX, making surfing the World Wide Web a totally different experience.

Philips amBX will also have content available for download through the amBX website at www.ambx.com.

All these applications are designed to give the consumer a plug and play experience when they arrive home with their new amBX kit. An even richer amBX experience will, of course, come from games that have been specifically scripted by game developers.

Philips amBX is working with a number of developers and publishers to deliver a range of amBX-enabled games for launch. These will include some brand new and some existing games, with the range of games available to increase post launch.

Philips amBX is currently in the closing stages of agreements with a number of leading computer games developers and publishers and will be showcasing the full potential of amBX to the media and industry on Stand 970 in the South Hall at E3, Los Angeles, from 10th to 12th May 2006.

Continue reading "Philips amBX Announces New Consumer Features And Agreement With SpectraVideo plc" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES – Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) Booth #800 – May 9, 2006 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSPâ„¢ (PlayStation®Portable) system, and PC, as well as the series’ debut on the Xbox 360â„¢ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Nintendo DSâ„¢. Marking the return of the world’s top soccer franchise, the game extends its leadership position with new international teams, new modes of play and astoundingly realistic gameplay.

The world’s best rated soccer video game franchise, Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 expands upon the series’ unmatched realism with faster gameplay, more responsive control and improved artificial intelligence. Players will now make intelligent runs without the ball, identifying opportunities and pointing to where they would like the ball to be delivered. Similarly, the game is now more physical, with defenders jockeying for position and strikers working to turn their opponent as they receive the ball. The game’s shooting system has also been refined, letting players take more snap shots, while volleys have been updated for more player control.

Players will also be able to enjoy the Beautiful Game in more ways than ever before with new play modes. International Challenge mode lets players compete through four continents of opposition to become a champion, while Random Selection Match lets gamers take the field with a group of players selected at random from a predetermined league or geographic area. The popular Master League mode returns with more options, allowing players to take complete control of their favorite team and control its destiny for an extended period of time.

Continue reading "KONAMI ANNOUNCES WINNING ELEVEN: PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2007" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mesquite, TX – May 9, 2006 – The Strogg and Global Defense Force armies are gearing up for online battle with the launch of the Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™ website—the definitive site for all things QUAKE Wars. Fans can now go online to http://www.enemyterritory.com to get an in-depth look at game features, browse and download screenshots, videos, and concept art and read what others are saying about the game. The site also features a fan site creation kit offering every necessary element for gamers to create their own Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars fan home pages.

Serving as the official headquarters for all the latest Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars news and information, www.enemyterritory.com will deploy a number of new sections and features over the coming months, including; detailed comparisons of the Strogg and GDF forces, more videos, screenshots, and wallpapers, and an entire community site with strategies, game stats, developer blogs and much more.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is the ultimate online team and objective-based multiplayer experience. Set within the epic QUAKE® universe in the year 2065, gamers choose to play as Human or Strogg in one of five unique character classes. Employing an arsenal of weapons, vehicles and deployable armaments, players engage in an action-packed test of skill and coordinated teamwork through a series of combat objectives. Persistent character growth and achievements reward players for teamwork, while clearly defined mission and class objectives guide new players to meaningful contributions on the battlefield.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is currently in development at Splash Damage – co-creators of the original Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, and is being executive produced by id Software. The game is rated RP (Rating Pending) by the ESRB.

About id Software

id – Freud's primal part of the human psyche and one of the hottest game shops on Earth – has been rocking the gaming world from Mesquite, Texas since 1991. As a renowned leader in the industry, id Software forged such frenetic titles as Wolfenstein 3D®, DOOM®, DOOM II®, QUAKE® QUAKE II®, QUAKE III Arena®, QUAKE 4®, Return to Castle Wolfenstein®, DOOM 3®, and Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™. With intense graphics and mind-blowing action, id’s games have helped redefine the modern video game, continually setting industry standards for technology and gameplay. Check out more about id Software at www.idsoftware.com.

About Splash Damage Ltd

Based in London, England, Splash Damage Ltd is an independently-owned game development studio dedicated to the design and development of multiplayer games utilizing id Software’s engine technology. Splash Damage made its name developing id Software’s Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory – winner of multiple ‘Game of the Year’ awards and a British Academy Award Nomination. Formed in 2001 from key members of the online QUAKE III Arena® mod-making community, Splash Damage is honoured to maintain an exclusive relationship with id Software, as both their mentors and Executive Producers. Splash Damage is also proud to have contributed to the commercial releases of Return to Castle Wolfenstein®: Game of the Year Edition, and DOOM 3®. Check out more about Splash Damage at http://www.splashdamage.com.

Continue reading "THE STROGG ASSAULT CYBERSPACE WITH LAUNCH OF ENEMY TERRITORY: QUAKE WARS WEBSITE" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Los Angeles, Ca. — Tuesday 9th, 2006 – WildTangent Inc., a leading developer and publisher of downloadable games, announced the release of a spectacular new casual game at E3, Penguins!

Penguins are cute, not very bright, in denial about their flightless condition, and desperately in need of your help to escape the zoo. To help 25 hapless penguins overcome the many obstacles they face along their escape route, players may employ a wide selection of devices including canons, trampolines, fans, rocket packs, and springs. Without your aid, penguins will obliviously stumble off in any available direction or worse, into the hands of the dreaded zoo keepers.

Penguins! is an entirely original new downloadable game unlike any on the Internet today. As penguins progress through the 100+ levels of the game, they can collect coins that players can spend at the zoo store to buy additional levels, posters, post cards, music, wallpaper and hilarious penguin costumes. Penguins! is also the first downloadable casual game to incorporate in-game content delivery from the web. This allows WildTangent Studios to continually create and publish new free content for Penguins! players to download from the in-game zoo store long after the game has been released.

Penguins! will be available with free trial play from www.WildGames.com on the opening day of E3. Penguins! will also be distributed through the WildTangent Game Console that ships with over 60% of new consumer PCs in North America.

WildTangent Studios has a reputation for producing the most innovative, family-friendly, high production value casual games available on the Internet; including last year’s hit original title Fate, which won runner-up for RPG of the year in PC Gamer Magazine, second only to Dungeon Siege 2, a $14 million dollar retail game from Microsoft. Other well known casual games from WildTangent Studios include Polar Bowler, BlasterBall, and BlackHawk Striker 2.

Casual downloadable games like Penguins! have become the fastest growing segment of the game industry and according to IDC Research, downloadable PC games will grow to a billion dollar business by 2008. WildTangent is one of the leaders in pioneering online game publishing with a catalog of over 225 downloadable games from all of the industry’s top casual game developers.

Continue reading "PENGUINS!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

1. G25 Racing Wheel (Available: October; $299.99)
A member of the company’s extreme-performance G-series peripherals
for
PC gamers, the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel offers advanced features
for PC
racing enthusiasts.

Key Features
• 6-speed gated shifter with push-down reverse gear (Dial on
shifter
allows gamers to select mode: 6-speed shifter or sequential
shifting
mode)
• Included gas, pneumatic brake, and clutch pedals on a weighted
base
• High-torque, two-motor force feedback mechanism
• 900-degree wheel rotation
• Compatible with most PlayStation 2 titles

2. DriveFX Wheel for Xbox 360 (Available: July; $99.99)
The Logitech DriveFX wheel combines axial-feedback technology with
quality materials to deliver an exceptional driving experience on
the
Xbox 360.

Key Features
• Axial Feedback: Logitech’s feedback technology features
powerful
motors built into the base of the steering column. These motors
distribute the vibration throughout the entire wheel, shifters
and
casing, creating a sensory experience similar to that of a real
car
steering wheel and column.
• 10” diameter molded wheel with rubber grips for comfortable
driving
• Includes Xbox 360 connector and standard Xbox 360 buttons
• Responsive gas and brake pedals

3. G3 Laser Mouse (Available: July; $59.99)
The Logitech G3 Laser Mouse’s compact, ambidextrous design
encourages a
fingertip grip (or clawgrip) and includes the same ultra-powerful
mouse
engine as the Logitech G5 and G7 mice.

Key Features
• Processing power of 6.4 megapixels of images per second
• Tracks up to 45 inches per second
• Full-speed USB delivers 500 reports per second
• Logitech DryGrip surface provides secure finger grips during
long
gaming sessions
• Adjustable resolution: The mouse’s 2000 dpi maximum
resolution can be
adjusted to as low as 400 dpi, allowing gamers to vary their
resolution and balance the needs between maximum speed and
optimum
precision.

Continue reading "E3 Announcements from Logitech: High-end PC Wheel; Xbox 360 wheel; New Gaming Mouse and Keyboard" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Santa Monica, CA – May 9, 2006 – Based on the highly anticipated feature film from DreamWorks Animation, Over the Hedge™ the game from Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is a wild adventure that immerses fans in a backyard gone crazy, while taking the players beyond the story seen in the movie. Over the Hedge is the only game based on the feature film that lets players relive movie moments and go beyond the film in three different games being released simultaneously for consoles and PC, the Nintendo DS™ and Game BoyÒ Advance. In the games, players assume the roles of RJ the raccoon, Verne the turtle, Hammy the squirrel and Stella the skunk and turn a suburban neighborhood loaded with obstacles and traps into their personal playground.

“In collaboration with DreamWorks Animation we have developed three unique titles introducing new characters and all-new storylines expanding the Over the Hedge world,” said Kim Salzer, vice president of global brand management, Activision Publishing. “The games give movie and video game fans control of the four main characters and lets them experience firsthand their camaraderie and wacky adventures.”

In the console and PC versions of Over the Hedge, gamers find themselves in suburban madness when they choose to play as RJ, Verne, Hammy or Stella and switch between the characters or engage in two-player co-op with a friend. Comprised of more than 30 puzzle-filled levels, players use golf clubs, hockey sticks and other everyday items as they dodge lasers, defeat enemies and plan and execute heists. Fun mini-games such as suburban mini-golf and golf cart destruction derby extend the game play and offer players a chance to increase their health by collecting snacks, boost their energy through power up items and unlock exclusive content such as concept art, film assets and more.

The handheld versions of Over the Hedge give players two unique adventures. The Nintendo DS version takes place after the events seen in the movie and features an all-new storyline in which the characters must figure out how to save their woodland home from the encroaching home development. Over the Hedge for the Game Boy Advance closely follows the storyline of the movie allowing players to live the adventures of the movie.

Over the Hedge the game was developed for the console platforms by Edge of Reality, for the Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS by Vicarious Visions and for the PC by Beenox.

Over the Hedge is available for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft, the Nintendo GameCube™ and PC are rated “E10+” (“Everyone 10+” – cartoon violence and crude humor – content suitable for persons ages 10 and older.) The console versions are available for a suggested retail price of $39.99 and the PC version is available for a suggested retail price of $19.99. Over the Hedge for the Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance are rated “E” (“Everyone”– mild cartoon violence – content suitable for persons ages 6 and older.) The DS and the GBA versions are available for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

BradyGames' Over the Hedge Official Strategy Guide is available at electronics, book, and software retailers nationwide, and online at bradygames.com.

Continue reading "FIND OUT WHAT AWAITS OVER THE HEDGET IN ACTIVISION'S NEW VIDEO GAME" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

LOS ANGELES — May 9, 2006 — Today at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Microsoft Corp. and top publishers worldwide unveiled the highly anticipated games lineup for the Microsoft® Windows® and Windows Vista™ operating systems. Microsoft also announced plans to bring the Xbox Live® game and entertainment network to the Windows platform.

Microsoft Game Studios and other leading publishers, including Electronic Arts Inc., NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc., THQ Inc. and Funcom, will provide groundbreaking gameplay experiences for Windows Vista gamers across numerous genres, including role-playing games (RPGs), first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS), massively multiplayer online (MMO) and simulation. The showcase lineup for Windows Vista will include the following games:

· “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Funcom) is an online action-RPG with a mix of a deep, story-driven single-player experience and massive and brutal multiplayer end game, bringing to life the ultimate representation of the “Age of Conan.”

· “Alan Wake” (Microsoft Game Studios) is a psychological action thriller from Remedy Entertainment Ltd. Cited as one of the best titles of E3 2005, “Alan Wake” introduces a deeply engaging and suspenseful story line in a free-roaming open world that invites players to unravel the riveting plot and experience intense combat that combines the use of light with more conventional weapons.

· “Company of Heroes” (THQ) is a World War II RTS from Relic Entertainment, the creators of game-of-the-year winners “Homeworld” and “Dawn of War,” that brings the cinematic intensity and dynamic battlefields of World War II to life through a truly visceral gaming experience.

· “Crysis” (EA) is an original FPS based on new intellectual property developed by Crytek, the makers of the award-winning “Far Cry.” In Crysis™, players battle an invading alien force in a number of environments against a backdrop of rising international tension and rivalries.

· “Flight Simulator X” (Microsoft Game Studios) is the 10th edition of the popular simulator that immerses players in a beautifully rich and realistic world, offering gamers a completely new and innovative experience with dozens of new aircraft, scenario-based missions and spectacular graphics.

· “Halo® 2 for Windows Vista” (Microsoft Game Studios), the game that redefined first-person combat and multiplayer action for millions of gamers worldwide, is set to explode onto Windows Vista.

· “Hellgate: London” (NAMCO BANDAI Games America) is an action-RPG that combines the depth of third-person role-playing games with the action of first-person shooters. Developed by Flagship Studios Inc., which includes the creators of the revolutionary “Diablo” series, the game offers infinite playability through dynamically generated levels, items, enemies and events.

· “Shadowrun” (Microsoft Game Studios) brings the Microsoft vision of “Live Anywhere” to life. “Shadowrun™” from FASA Studio is the first cross-platform game for Xbox 360™ and Windows Vista. It is a multiplayer, FPS that propels team-based combat into a new dimension with a revolutionary blend of modern weaponry and ancient magic. “Shadowrun” will be available when Windows Vista is launched.

Groundbreaking DirectX 10 Graphics Unveiled

In addition to highlighting showcase titles at E3, Microsoft previewed the incredible graphic capabilities of the company’s latest games-programming technology: DirectX® 10. The release of DirectX 10 heralds an astonishing leap in graphic fidelity over today’s hardware, enabling the most realistic and immersive games yet. With up to six times the performance of earlier versions of DirectX and support for massively more complex and intense environments, DirectX 10 will debut exclusively on Windows Vista. In addition to broad publisher support, DirectX 10 is backed by leading graphics hardware companies including ATI Technologies Inc. and NVIDIA Corp.

Windows Vista Key to Live Anywhere Vision

Under Microsoft’s Live Anywhere vision, announced by Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates on stage today, the power of the Xbox Live games and entertainment network will storm onto the Windows platform. This vision will first arrive on Windows Vista this winter with the release of “Shadowrun.” Published by Microsoft Game Studios, “Shadowrun” will be shipped simultaneously on Windows Vista and Xbox 360, enabling cross-platform gameplay and continuing to bridge the gap between consoles and computers.

The new online network will provide Windows Vista and Xbox 360 gamers with a consistent experience, with one gamertag, one set of achievements, one friends list and voice communications between all Xbox Live members. Bringing the Live Anywhere vision to Windows means that millions of gamers worldwide can access all the best elements of Xbox Live whether they’re playing on an Xbox 360 system, a Windows-based PC or their mobile phone.

“We’re incredibly excited to combine the best online innovations from Xbox Live with the platform innovations for which Windows is known,” said Peter Moore, corporate vice president of the Interactive Entertainment Business in the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. “Windows gamers have a lot to look forward to: Xbox Live experiences, revolutionary DirectX 10 technologies in Windows Vista and some of the best games in the world — all on Windows.”

Support for Games for Windows

In addition to delivering next-generation games for Windows Vista, industry leaders continue to deliver great games on today’s Windows platform. Microsoft Game Studios and third-party publishing partners are previewing a broad range of games for Windows on the show floor at E3:

· “Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures” (Funcom)

· “Age of Empires® III: The WarChiefs” (Microsoft Game Studios)

· “Battlefield 2142” (EA)

· “Call of Juarez™” (Ubisoft)

· “Company of Heroes®” (THQ)

· “Crysis” (EA)

· “Desperate Housewives The Game” (Buena Vista Games)

· “F.E.A.R.™ Extraction Point” (Vivendi)

· “Flight Simulator X” (Microsoft Game Studios)

· “Hellgate™: London” (NAMCO BANDAI Games America)

· “Heroes of Might & Magic® V” (Ubisoft)

· “Neverwinter Nights™ 2” (Atari Inc.)

· “Rise of Nations®: Rise of Legends™” (Microsoft Game Studios)

· “Shadowrun” (Microsoft Game Studios)

· “SiN Episodes™: Emergence” (Ritual Entertainment)

· “The Ship” (Outerlight Ltd.)

· “Titan Quest™” (THQ)

· “Vanguard: Saga of Heroes” (Sigil Games Online Inc.)

New Games for Windows Brand Identity

Microsoft unveiled a new Games for Windows brand identity that will help consumers identify high-quality titles for the Windows platform. Moore reiterated Microsoft’s commitment to supporting Windows as a first-class gaming platform and a key consumer scenario for Windows. Evidence of this commitment to gaming on Windows can be found in the new Games Explorer in Windows Vista, the worldwide Games for Windows marketing campaign, and a strong retail initiative to promote the Games for Windows platform.

“First-class platforms deserve first-class treatment, and we’re investing in Games for Windows like never before,” said Moore. “We’ll make certain consumers can easily discover and enjoy the exciting lineup of Windows titles, today and in the future.”

Cross-Platform Wireless Accessories

Microsoft is expanding its wireless line of Xbox 360 cross-platform game peripherals to the Windows platform with the introduction of the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows. Gamers will be able to use the Universal Serial Bus (USB) wireless receiver with Windows XP- or Windows Vista-based computers to enjoy racing games, sports games and other titles that work best with the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Xbox 360 Wireless Headset and Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel. Today’s announcements follow the release of the company’s first cross-platform controller: the wired Xbox 360 Controller for Windows that shipped in fall 2005.

Continue reading "Microsoft Announces Spectacular Windows Vista Title Lineup" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today at Microsoft’s E3 press conference, Microsoft Game Studios confirmed it will publish “Alan Wake,” the highly anticipated psychological action thriller by the renowned and successful developer, Remedy. The title will be made exclusively for Windows Vista and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

"We are thrilled about the opportunity to work with the gifted and experienced Remedy team," said Frank Pape, Senior Director of Business Development at Microsoft. "Our teams are dedicated to pushing the envelope of the gaming experience for Windows and the Xbox 360 with 'Alan Wake.' Millions of gamers have come to expect highly innovative and compelling content from Remedy and Microsoft Game Studios is proud to partner with them on this phenomenal title."

“Partnering with Microsoft Game Studios creates a complementary blend of talents and a shared passion to create something incredible,” said Petri Järvilehto, Creative Director at Remedy. "We put a lot of effort into finding the best publisher match for our game and the Remedy team. As a result, we are truly excited to work with MGS to make ‘Alan Wake’ the game it deserves to be and to continue our track record of success.”

Set in the deceptively idyllic town of Bright Falls, Washington, “Alan Wake” places gamers in the role of the best-selling suspense author, Alan Wake. He escapes to this small town to recover from the mysterious disappearance of his fiancée. In Bright Falls Wake comes face to face with his darkest nightmares.

“Alan Wake” immerses players in an intense and expansive cinematic world that enables players to roam freely in hyper-realistic, dynamic and interactive environments. “Alan Wake” is mission-based with a deeply engaging and suspenseful storyline unveiling new twists and profound character revelations at every turn. Players will unravel the riveting plot through character interactions, unique problem-solving and intense combat against terrifying enemies. In this nightmarish world, Alan Wake must use a variety of weapons to survive, including his most powerful ally against the creatures of darkness — light itself.

Continue reading "Microsoft Game Studios and Remedy Partner in Delivering “Alan Wake”" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Richmond, Va., May 9, 2006—Velocity Micro, the premier manufacturer of award winning, ultra performance PCs, announces today the availability of gaming systems with the new AGEIA PhysX graphics solution. Customers can configure Gamers’ Edge and Raptor PCs with the new physics card, which utilizes new graphics technology to deliver a more realistic 3D gaming experience.

“We are pleased to be a launch partner with AGEIA on this exciting new technology,” said Randy Copeland, CEO and President of Velocity Micro. “Gamers are always looking to Velocity Micro to push the envelope when it comes to speed. With the AGEIA PhysX card, we can deliver PCs with even higher levels of performance to our customers.”

The AGEIA PhysX physics processing unit (PPU) is the world’s first dedicated, hardware-based physics accelerator. PhysX handles the ever-increasing processing demands of 3D games by offloading the calculation of complex physical interactions from the PC’s CPU and GPU. In games designed to take advantage of AGEIA PhysX, this technology can more accurately depict real-world objects and allow many more scene elements to interact in a realistic way. Explosions cause collateral damage to surrounding objects, scene elements can look and react more convincingly to player input, and smoke, fog, and liquids look more genuine.

Fully customizable systems in the Gamers’ Edge and Raptor series with the AGEIA PhysX card are available today at www.velocitymicro.com.

Continue reading "Velocity Micro Introduces Gaming PCs Powered by AGEIA PhysX" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The press conference was held at the Chinese Theater and began with a demo of Gears of War. Someone played a level from the beginning of the game and it looked great. Very dark and futuristic, lots of realistic blood splatter, tons of shooting, and even a chainsaw. Spectacular graphics.

Then Peter Moore took the stage and talked about how Microsoft is delivering the most powerful HD gaming to date. For the first time ever, all of MS gaming is under a single organization unit. Games drive entertainment at MS. Fastest start in console history 5 million Xbox 360 sold by end of June, 4.5 games and 3 peripherals per unit sold. These are great numbers. It’s about the games, the friends, and the lifestyle.

Xbox Live – a unique online experience, friend’s lists, achievements, etc. 6 million members by this time next year. Evolving beyond a shared game space to a true entertainment venue. Xbox Live Arcade has something for everyone. Classic arcade games from Namco, Konami, Midway, SEGA. More than games, a shared heritage. Created a space for independent developers where innovation can thrive. Lumines Live with exclusive Warner Bros content.

Xbox 360 games – Lost Planet Extreme Condition, Mass Effect, Moto GP 06, Saint’s Row, John Woo Presents Stranglehold, Test Drive Unlimited, DDR Universe, Prey, Superman Returns: The Videogame, by this holiday there will be over 160 360 games. 825 titles currently available on Xbox.

Fable 2 announcement Peter Molyneaux and Lionhead Studios

Forza Motorsport 2 – more customization, 300 cars to tune and paint, 12 player races through xbox live, available this holiday season matched with wireless steering wheel

Wireless headset

Xbox Live Vision Camera

Working on building better games for Japanese market

Splinter Cell Double Agent to be released Sept 06

Viva Pinata – whole new world that kids can jump into anytime and anywhere this game is about what happens to piñata when they’re not at a party holiday 06

Xbox Live Marketplace – digital distribution, 1000 pieces of content available today. Changes the way people try and buy games. Provides true episodic content keeping your favorite games fresh for years. Opens new worlds of digital entertainment – music videos, movie trailers. All in HD.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player – roughly 2/3 the size of 360. Available this holiday. $499

Grand Theft Auto IV – 360 on October 2007. Exclusive episodic content via Xbox Live

Windows Gaming – revitalized marketing effort, latest in graphics technology, Windows Vista is game friendly. “Games for Windows” Vista is where it’s at for gaming, Direct X 10, it does look good, parental controls, more horsepower, more stability, more joint release titles that will come out on 360 and PC such as Shadowrun. There is talk of a single "Live Anywhere" interface so you can be on the equivalent of Xbox Live from an Xbox, a PC, or a mobile phone. There will be seamless interaction between platforms, so someone on a 360 could message someone on a PC and then they could play Shadowrun against each other.

Bill Gates came on stage and that was pretty cool.

Continue reading "E3 Coverage - Microsoft Press Conference" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 4, 2006-- Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced its next generation of game titles for the upcoming Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) taking place in Los Angeles May 10-12, 2006. EA’s line up of EA SPORTS™ and EA™ branded games for the Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PC and mobile phones will be showcased in EA’s booth #1000 in the South Hall. With a renewed focus on original and wholly-owned intellectual property EA will unveil an array of titles and the technology that drives gameplay innovation.

Shown exclusively behind closed doors, EA is presenting its recently announced next generation console action title out of EA Montréal, ARMY OF TWO™; Will Wright’s original PC work in progress, SPORE™; and the newest PC iteration in the acclaimed Command & Conquer™ series, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars™.

The EA SPORTS line up will go behind closed doors in the EA SPORTS Lab highlighting the technology that fuels the gameplay innovations for the ’07 lineup. Madden NFL 07 will be playable on the PlayStation 3 console, Xbox 360, PSP system, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.

“EA is leading the industry with a new generation of games on a new generation of platforms,” said Paul Lee President of EA Studios. “We’re pushing the technology to provide more innovation in our EA branded games and authentic athletic performance in our EA SPORTS games. We’re also leading the resurgence of PC gaming with groundbreaking titles like Battlefield 2142, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars, Crytek Studio’s Crysis and of course Will Wright’s new game, SPORE.”

“EA is demonstrating a ground-breaking level of quality and innovation at E3 this year,” said Frank Gibeau, EA Executive Vice President and General Manger of North American Publishing. “Games like ARMY OF TWO and NBA LIVE 07 are going to unleash the power of new consoles like PlayStation3 and Xbox 360. Madden NFL 07 makes great use of the new controller on Nintendo’s Wii system.”

“E3 is a showcase for EA’s portfolio of globally recognized entertainment,” said Executive Vice President and General Manager of International Publishing, Gerhard Florin. “Titles like FIFA Soccer, The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II and the Battlefield franchise are among the most popular games in the world.”
EA SPORTS™ branded E3 line up

Along with playable demos that showcase deep new offerings of Madden NFL 07 and NCAA Football 07, EA will feature tech demonstrations of NBA LIVE, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR and FIFA Soccer behind closed doors in the EA SPORTS Lab. These demos will illustrate the new tools and development philosophy that drives gameplay and feature innovation in EA SPORTS games on next generation consoles. Highlighting the EA SPORTS Lab will be never-before-seen technology that delivers authentic athletic performance— the athletic movements, awareness, look and emotional intensity that bring characters to life in EA SPORTS games. The Lab will also feature a demonstration of ESPN content integrated in upcoming EA SPORTS games, including ESPN ticker and ESPN SportsCenter Radio updates.

Madden NFL 07 - With the exclusive video game license of the NFL and its players, Madden NFL 07 continues to be the #1 football franchise in history with more than 51 million copies sold. In its 17th installment, you control the running game like never before. For the first time ever, step up as the lead blocker to create a hole, and then take control of the tailback and smash through, overpower, or slash away from would-be tacklers as you fight for every yard. Innovative rushing controls give you a game-breaking ground attack featuring all-new jukes, cutbacks, and the distinct running styles of your favorite backs. Developed by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 07 will launch in August on the Xbox 360, Xbox® videogame system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo GameCube™, PSP system, PC, Nintendo DS and Game Boy® Advance. Madden NFL 07 is also in development on the PlayStation 3 console and Nintendo Wii.

NCAA® Football 07 - Momentum changes everything—now college football’s most celebrated videogame turns the tide with NCAA Football 07. Whether battling your biggest rival or playing for the first-ever BCS National Championship Game in Dynasty Mode™, success on the field depends on your ability to maintain momentum. Featuring unprecedented graphics that capture every moment in complete detail—from the authenticity of the stadiums, mascots, and marching bands, to the true-to-life look and feel of the players on the field. NCAA Football 07 delivers the most realistic college football experience ever. NCAA Football 07 is scheduled to ship in July on the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, Xbox 360 and the PSP system.

NASCAR® 07* (Working title) - Take risks, be rewarded, and become a champion with NASCAR® 07* on the PSP system. With all-new Adrenaline Moments, use your skill and instinct during the most intense situations and control the outcome by avoiding disastrous wrecks and flying debris. Maintain your focus on dangerous conditions ahead with the new RaceBreaker feature, which guides you through every treacherous moment of the race. With all-new speed blurring, realistic spark and smoke effects, and camera shakes, get your adrenaline pumping and experience the all-out drama and intensity of 190-mph racing with NASCAR 07.

EA™ branded E3 lineup

The EA game line up is as diverse as the audience games reach today. Gamers will have all-new experiences on award-winning franchises or discover completely new franchises; EA titles will demonstrate that next generation has arrived on the console, PC and handheld devices.

ARMY OF TWO™ - You’re not alone soldier, not anymore. At E3, EA unveils details of the action title that has been kept top secret for the past year. Developed at EA’s boutique production house in Montréal, Canada, the new, original game will redefine strategic TWO man cooperative play when it launches on the PlayStation 3 console and Xbox 360 in 2007. ARMY OF TWO will throw gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines where they will utilize unique TWO man strategies and tactics while seamlessly transitioning between playing with intelligent Partner AI (PAI) and a live player. When one man is not enough, it will take an army of two to fight through war, political turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world.

Battlefield 2142™ - The year is 2142, and the dawn of a new Ice age has thrown the world into a panic. The soil not covered by ice can only feed a fraction of the Earth’s population. The math is simple and brutal: Some will live, most will die. In Battlefield 2142, players choose to fight for one of two military superpowers in an epic battle for survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of hi-tech weaponry, including assault rifles, cloaking devices, EMP grenades and sentry guns, players can level the playing field against massive Battle Walkers that control the ground and futuristic aircraft that rule the skies. Massive online* battles for up to 64 players drop gamers on the front lines as part of a formal squad, or behind the scenes in Commander Mode to direct the strategic assaults of their team-mates. Battlefield 2142 also introduces an all-new game type for the first time in franchise history: “Titan” mode, which challenges gamers to control the battlefield and destroy their opponent’s Titan - a massive flying warship - while defending their own. Battlefield 2142 is developed by Digital Illusions/DICE Sweden and is slated to ship for PC in Fall 2006.

SPORE – SPORE takes players on an epic journey from the origin and evolution of life through the development of civilization and eventually into the outer reaches of space. Create a creature, then control every dimension of its evolution from pond scum to galactic god. Experience multiple styles of gameplay as your creature advances through different stages of development. Fight for survival in the wild, develop a sprawling metropolis, trade and war against rival civilizations and explore the outer reaches of the galaxy. Every aspect of the universe from creatures to vehicles, buildings to plants, are created by the player and automatically shared with other players, providing a limitless number of worlds to explore and play. Create, control and explore your universe with SPORE. SPORE is under development for the PC by legendary game designer, Will Wright.

Crysis™ – Crysis is all-new first person shooter from Crytek, the award-winning developers of the critically-acclaimed hit Far Cry. Powered by the revolutionary CryEngine™2, Crysis delivers next-generation PC technology, graphics and gameplay. Set in 2019 after a colossal asteroid crashes to Earth, Crysis begins amidst a tense military standoff between the North Korean and United States governments for control of the impact zone. Amid rising tensions, the asteroid suddenly bursts open revealing a massive alien ship, which begins freezing vast portions of the island and altering the global weather system. The invasion of Earth has begun. Crysis features an epic three-act story of alien invasion where players are able to customize their armor and weapons in real time to confront an ever-changing enemy and a harsh, dynamic environment. Advanced enemy AI employs realistic military tactics, forcing gamers to actively outsmart their opponents rather than simply reacting to them. Crysis is slated to ship for the PC in Winter 2006.

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars™ – The genre defining Command & Conquer series is back! The epic struggle between the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and The Brotherhood of NOD continues…and the third Tiberium War™ is about to begin. Welcome back, Commander. Command & Conquer, the groundbreaking series that put the Real-time Strategy (RTS) genre on the map, is returning in full force with Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. This highly-anticipated next chapter takes the popular series back to its roots in the Tiberium universe and features the fast, fluid gameplay that Command & Conquer is known for and a gripping story that will redefine storytelling in RTS games. Experience a revolution in RTS gaming with a breakthrough single player campaign that rewards you for your gameplay style. Add layers of strategy to your gaming experience by building mobile bases, wielding the power of terrifying Ion Storms on the battlefield, or customizing your armies by combining units. Battle it out online with native voice-over IP, integrated clan support, and new spectator modes that let you play RTS games like a sport. Windows PC, 2007.

The Lord of the Rings™, The Battle for Middle-earth™ II for the Xbox 360 – Now command the epic battles of Middle-earth from your living room couch! Take control of huge armies and venture into the heart of Middle-earth to live the battles seen in the blockbuster New Line Cinema films and classic J.R.R. Tolkien literary fiction—all in spectacular high-definition. The game boasts a new, intuitive console-specific control scheme that allows novice players to enjoy the game’s signature Real-time Strategy gameplay while giving expert players the flexibility needed to engage in a deeply complex strategy experience. Directly control hundreds of units in an attempt to defeat enemy armies, conquer new lands, and seal the fate of Middle-earth. As the first game in The Lord of the Rings™ series to be playable over Xbox LIVE™*, add to the intensity of the experience and challenge friends online* to engage in action-packed real-time battles. Summer 2006.

SUPERMAN RETURNS™: THE VIDEOGAME challenges players to master Superman's unrivaled powers to save Metropolis. Based on 60 years of DC Comics and the upcoming motion picture, SUPERMAN RETURNS™: THE VIDEOGAME creates the ultimate open-world super hero experience. As the Man of Steel™, you’ll hone your unworldly super powers such as Flight, X-Ray Vision and Freeze Breath to fight villains that only Superman™ can defeat. SUPERMAN RETURNS: THE VIDEOGAME will be available on Xbox 360, the PlayStation 2 console, Xbox, the PSP system, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance.

Def Jam® Fight For NY™: The Takeover – Experience the ultimate hip hop fighting game anywhere you go. Master over 180 new fighting moves and 50 new dirty moves in order to win fights and rise among the ranks of your crew. Create your own fighter and battle through over 40 of the hottest artists and celebrities in Hip Hop including Busta Rhymes, Ludacris, Method Man, Redman, Snoop Dogg, and Xzibit. With a new story, new moves, new venues, and head to head wireless gameplay, Def Jam Fight For NY: The Takeover is the summer's must have title for the PSP system.

Continue reading "EA UNVEILS THE NEXT GENERATION OF GAMES AT E3" »

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BURBANK, Calif. — (May 8, 2006) — Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced its largest and most diverse lineup ever of console, computer and handheld video game titles to be showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), May 10-12 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Booth No. 1024 in the South Hall.

With a broad portfolio of video games that appeals to a wide audience, BVG’s portfolio includes titles inspired by major theatrical releases, popular and award-winning television shows and new intellectual properties.

“Buena Vista Games’ 2006 portfolio features the most diverse and extensive product mix to date, with titles based on the rich movie and television brands of The Walt Disney Company and new original properties that we look to build into evergreen franchises for the future,” said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. “We continue to strengthen our self-publishing business with compelling new games that have broad entertainment appeal across all audiences and all major markets worldwide.”

For console game players, BVG will showcase a broad range of titles including Turok, an FPS game set on a mysterious planet that is based on the Classic Media comic book license; Disney’s Chicken Little: Ace in Action, based on the “super hero movie within a movie” of the box office hit film “Chicken Little”; Disney’s Meet the Robinsons, inspired by the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures’ futuristic computer-animated film; Lumines Plus, the first console extension of the highly popular Lumines puzzle franchise; and Disney’s Kim Possible: What’s the Switch?, the first console game based on the hit Disney Channel franchise.

For Windows PC users, Desperate Housewives: The Game, based on the award-winning ABC/Touchstone Television series “Desperate Housewives” will be available for game play for the first time.

BVG’s strategy for its kids games portfolio is focused on three endeavors in 2006 – the launch of the Disney on the Go brand; new efforts in handheld preschool learning games with the launch of Disney’s Little Einsteins for Game Boy® Advance; and migrating handheld franchise hits to the console for sophisticated gameplay in a family-safe environment with Disney’s Kim Possible for PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system.

BVG will showcase handheld games for all major handheld platforms (the PSP (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance). The company’s handheld portfolio will include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, based on the upcoming summer blockbuster movie; Spectrobes, a new original title being developed in Japan; Lumines II, Every Extend Extra and Meteos: Disney Edition, action puzzle games from Q ENTERTAINMENT; and games based on popular Disney Channel properties including “Hannah Montana,“ “Little Einsteins,” “American Dragon,” “Phil of the Future,” “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” “That’s So Raven” and more. Also, BVG will present new titles for young girls based on the Disney Princess franchise including a game based on the upcoming DVD release of “The Little Mermaid.”

Along with its self-publishing business, BVG continues to work with its licensing partners on phenomenal games based on Disney and Disney€Pixar properties. THQ Inc. will showcase Disney€Pixar Cars and Bethesda Softworks will show Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow in their respective booths at E3.

Console Games

Turok*
Turok is an epic, story-driven FPS game set on a dark, mysterious planet in the near future. Players take on the role of Joseph Turok, a former Black Ops commando, now part of an elite Special Forces squad on a mission to take down a war criminal on a genetically-altered planet. After the ship is shot down while approaching the planet, Joseph Turok must use his instincts and elite military training to elude an army of well-trained soldiers, and the ravenous, unpredictable creatures that populate the dangerous environment. Joseph Turok’s mission? Survive at all costs.

Platforms: Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system
Release Date: 2007

Lumines Plus*
Lumines Plus is a pulsing new version of the original PSP system game for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. Lumines Plus includes new skins and a two-player battle mode.

Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: Fall 2006

Disney’s Meet The Robinsons
Disney’s Meet the Robinsons, based on the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated film, is a time-traveling action/adventure game. Players will experience the adventure as Wilbur Robinson, helping him chase the dastardly Bowler Hat Guy and his diabolical robotic hat Doris through multiple timelines in an attempt to thwart their evil plans. The game weaves in and out of the film’s plot, expanding the Robinson world and offering an all-new adventure. Wilbur will have a host of gadgets at his disposal as he battles enemies and solves puzzles while pursuing Bowler Hat Guy and trying not to alter the future.

Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance
Release Date: 2007

Disney’s Chicken Little: Ace in Action
Inspired by the “superhero movie within the movie” finale of Walt Disney Pictures’ box office hit film “Chicken Little,” Disney’s Chicken Little: Ace in Action features Ace, the superhero alter ego of Chicken Little, and the Hollywood versions of his misfit band of friends: Runt, Abby and Fish-Out-of-Water. The crew of the intergalactic Battle Barn faces off against Foxy Loxy and her evil Amazonian sidekick, Goosey Loosey, who have an evil plan to take over Earth. Battle evil alien robots through multiple levels across the solar system and combat your foes in one of three distinct game play modes: Ace on foot as a soldier, Runt as the driver of an armored tank, or Abby as the pilot of a spaceship. The original Chicken Little and his friends Abby, Runt and Fish we know from the film are featured in cut scenes throughout the game.

Platforms: Wii, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS
Release Date: Fall 2006

Disney’s Kim Possible: What’s the Switch?
Kim Possible and her perennial nemesis Shego must grudgingly team up to bring everything back to normal when the minds of Dr. Drakken and Ron Stoppable are switched in this action-packed adventure. It’s now up to Kim and Shego to save the day – together.

Platform: PlayStation 2
Release Date: Fall 2006

Windows PC Game

Desperate Housewives: The Game
A lifestyle simulation game for Windows based on the hit ABC/Touchstone Television phenomenon, Desperate Housewives: The Game lets you become the newest housewife on Wisteria Lane, extending the experience from the TV series through new storylines. As a new housewife, you must uncover delicious scandals and reveal some shocking secrets of your own. The gameplay is a story-driven adventure, in which each episode contains unique plot points and secrets for you to uncover.

Platforms: Windows XP and Windows Vista
Release Date: Fall 2006

Handheld Games

Spectrobes
An original concept and new intellectual property from Buena Vista Games, Spectrobes introduces two junior Interplanetary Patrol officers named Rallen and Jeena who learn of strange, prehistoric creatures called Spectrobes that possess special powers. These Spectrobes hold the key to defeating a vicious and merciless force, known only as the Krawl that threatens to destroy the galaxy. The two heroes embark on a mission to save their galaxy – to do so they must excavate, awaken, train and collect all the Spectrobes they can and battle to defeat the Krawl.

Platform: Nintendo DS
Release Date: To Be Announced

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, based on the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures’ film, is a swashbuckling third-person action/adventure. Players will engage in game play that reflects the cunning world of the film franchise -- with an abundance of disloyalty, humor and revenge. Players embark on a daring adventure while sword dueling and hunting for hidden treasure in the quest for the legendary Dead Man’s Chest.

Platforms: PSP system, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance
Release Date: June 27, 2006

Lumines II
Lumines II is the highly anticipated sequel to the extremely addictive puzzle-based video game, Lumines. Gamers control squares made of four smaller block pieces that are dropped into the playing field one at a time to form same-color squares. The vertical “timeline” sweeps across the playing field from left to right and wipes the same-color squares from the playing field. Unmatched blocks pile up, and the game ends when the pile gets to the top of the playing screen. Advance through many action-packed levels, each with its own musical theme and sound effects.

Platform: PSP system
Release Date: Fall 2006

Every Extend Extra
Every Extend Extra is a unique “puzzle shooter,” brought to the PSP system by the creators of the critically acclaimed hit Lumines. Every Extend Extra delivers an addictive gameplay experience through a fusion of arcade-style shooting action, cutting-edge music and visuals. Players evade enemy attacks and then use perfect timing to blast their foes in a colorful display of explosive chain reactions. The bigger the chain reaction results in the higher the score and the larger the rewards.

Platform: PSP system
Release Date: Fall 2006

Meteos: Disney Edition
Meteos: Disney Edition is a new version of the popular galactic action puzzle title Meteos featuring beloved Disney characters.

Platform: Nintendo DS
Release Date: Fall 2006

BVG will also showcase upcoming handheld titles including for the Nintendo DS:

Disney’s American Dragon: Jake Long, Attack of the Dark Dragon
Disney’s Kim Possible: Global Gemini
Hannah Montana
That’s So Raven: Psychic on the Scene
Disney’s The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Tipton Trouble

Games for the Game Boy Advance include:

The Cheetah Girls
Phil of the Future.
W.I.T.C.H.

Licensed Games

Disney€Pixar Cars
Published by THQ, Cars, the video game, is a high performance interactive experience in the open world created in the film, challenging players to relive the excitement created by Lightning McQueen and his friends. Fans will discover unique characters and environments inspired by the film with more than 10 playable characters and 30 races and mini games to choose from. The game features a fully immersive recreation of all major environments introduced in the movie, including Radiator Springs and Ornament Valley, which will offer distinctive racing experiences to players while maintaining the artistic style of the film.

Platforms: Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2, Xbox® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube®, Nintendo DS, PSP system, Game Boy Advance, Windows PC and Mac
Release Date: June 2006; Xbox 360 and Wii versions – Fall 2006

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow
What’s not to love about Captain Jack Sparrow? Play as Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann as you hack and slash your way through fully interactive environments, including burning buildings, wrecked ships, and misty moonlit caves. One minute you are fighting hordes of enemies and the next you’re evading capture by the Royal Navy. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow is being published by Bethesda Softworks.

Platforms: PlayStation 2 and Windows PC
Release Date: Summer 2006

Continue reading "Buena Vista Games Unveils New Video Game Lineup at 2006 Electronics Entertainment Expo" »

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Long Beach, CA - May 5, 2006 - DISCover, a premier provider of on-demand videogame content and technology products, today announced that the integration of its My Games software interface with the LogitechR Cordless RumblepadT 2 vibration-feedback controller has been certified for use on IntelR ViivT technology-based entertainment PCs. Intel tested the DISCover technology and Logitech controllers with many top PC games on the new Viiv platform, which is designed to make it easier for people to enjoy, manage and share digital entertainment in the home.

DISCover's My Games application gives gamers the ability to play PC games without the hassle of downloading software and configuring controller settings for each individual title. DISCover's technology, a Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 controller and an Intel Viiv technology-based entertainment PC combine to deliver a true plug-and-play, console-like gaming experience, enabling gamers to comfortably navigate and play popular PC games in the living room.

"PC gaming with a gamepad often requires special driver installation and game-by-game configuration," said Fred Swan, Logitech's director of strategic development for interactive entertainment. "Now, with an entertainment PC featuring Intel Viiv technology, a Logitech Cordless Rumblepad 2 controller, and the DISCover My Games living room-style gaming environment, gamers can enjoy a wide range of powerful PC titles from the comfort of their living-room couch, all with plug-and-play convenience."

"The integration of DISCover's technology with Logitech's Cordless Rumblepad 2 has created a consumer friendly environment that allows PC gamers to quickly pick up a Rumblepad 2 and start playing their favorite games in the living room without any complicated configurations," said Loren Kaiser, senior vice president of business development at DISCover. "Our work with Logitech for the Intel Viiv technology-based entertainment PC platform means that Rumblepad 2 users have a more complete living room gaming experience --
one that delivers a much more immersive and console-like experience than a keyboard and mouse set up."

"The combination of DISCover My Games, Logitech's Cordless Rumblepad 2 controller and a Intel Viiv technology-based entertainment PC gives consumers the option to take PC gaming from a small monitor desktop PC experience to a big screen, family room setting," said Kevin Corbett, vice president of Intel's Digital Home Group, and general manager of the Content Services Group.

DISCover's My Games product includes the company's patented Drop 'n' Play technology, which provides a simple, console-like experience when playing PC titles. My Games also gives players the added advantage of being able to organize, access, and play hundreds of top-selling PC games that they can try and buy right from their desktop. The user-friendly design allows customers to view in-depth game information, screenshots, box art and descriptions of thousands of top games. Customers can also purchase boxed
copies of games via top online retailers with ease via the Media Center Edition remote. A Parental Control feature is also available to ensure that only appropriately rated content is accessible to minors.

Continue reading "DISCOVER MY GAMES APPLICATION, LOGITECH CORDLESS GAMEPAD CERTIFIED FOR USEWITH INTEL VIIV PLATFORM" »

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PARKVILLE, MD – May 5, 2006 - Enlight Interactive, a leading software developer and publisher, announced today that a brand new demo for Baseball Mogul 2007 is available for download. The award-winning statistical baseball simulation game allows players to create and manage their own fantasy dream team to achieve baseball’s ultimate glory, a World Series trophy. One full season of play is included with the demo and those interested in accessing the Player Editor and League Editor may purchase the retail version which is now available in stores.

Baseball Mogul 2007 gives players total control over every aspect of their baseball franchise from calling up hot prospects, acquiring baseball’s most legendary stars and even setting ballpark ticket prices. New players can use the fan difficulty setting, while “baseball experts” can try their hand at the mogul setting, which mirrors the difficulty of running a major league franchise. This year’s version is packed with more features than ever before and challenges players to design a baseball legacy.

Features will include:

• As an exclusive licensee of the Sean Lahman Baseball Database, Mogul allows gamers to acquire hall of fame legends or the next budding superstar. Rosters must be created with the perfect mix of personalities, talent, and chemistry in order to achieve the ultimate team.
• Draft, Sign, or Trade your favorite players while using the updated Tradezilla, which features smarter artificial intelligence to challenge gamers in a world of unrivaled realism.
• Utilize the animated play by play mode to experience virtual decision making as if you were the manager. Call a hit and run, double steal, or a suicide squeeze to establish your place among the managing elite.

Continue reading "JUMP INTO THE BATTER’S BOX WITH A BRAND NEW DEMO FOR BASEBALL MOGUL 2007" »

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San Francisco, CA – (May 4, 2006) – Eidos, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, part of SCi Entertainment Group Plc (SEG), today announced that it plans to publish Reservoir Dogs™ on the Xbox™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PC for release in fall 2006. The game will be unveiled at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), held May 10-12 in Los Angeles, California.

With multiple DVD releases through Lionsgate, as well as assorted merchandise such as apparel, action figures, posters and novelty items, the film’s cult status has only increased in the years since its theatrical premiere, leading to the next evolution with the video game debut.

Reservoir Dogs is based on the 1992 Quentin Tarantino-directed classic movie about five total strangers who are brought together to carry out a diamond heist. The robbery goes wrong when the alarm is tripped and the cops show up. In the ensuing confusion, four of the robbers make it back to their warehouse rendezvous but it is quickly apparent that one of them is an undercover police officer – but which one?

Staying true to the original plot, this intense, third person shooter follows the progress and planning of the famed diamond heist while filling in some of the cliffhanger questions from the film: What happened to Mr. Blue and Mr. Brown? Where did Mr. Pink hide the diamonds? What actually happened at the heist? These questions and more will be answered as the game unfolds and according to the player’s tactics.

“Almost 15 years after the original debut of Reservoir Dogs, we are proud to reflect one of the most esteemed and duplicated directorial film debuts of all time in a gaming format, said Kevin Gill, US Marketing Manager. “Gaming and movie fans alike will have the unprecedented opportunity to play through the events of the movie as well as experiencing parts of the movie that happened off screen but are tangential to the main plot.”

Continue reading "Tarantinos Cult Classic Movie, Reservoir Dogs To Make Its Gaming Debut at E3" »

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San Francisco, CA (May 4, 2006) – Eidos Interactive, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, and TT Games, the makers of LEGO® Star Wars™, today confirms a new LEGO™ adventure in BIONICLE™ HEROES, set for release in fall 2006 on PlayStation™ 2, PC, Nintendo Game Boy Advance™, Nintendo DS™, and NINTENDO GAMECUBE™ (NTSC only).

BIONICLE HEROES brings to life the most powerful and exciting LEGO characters ever seen in one game, in an action-packed world of adventure and discovery. Take control of a young hero as he steps out of the real world and into the strange and dangerous universe of BIONICLE. Only by mastering the powers and special abilities of the greatest BIONICLE heroes will he be able to overcome the many challenges ahead.

“2006 is a huge year for BIONICLE. We are providing strong levels of support for the brand in 2006 and we are excited that the same winning team behind the success of LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game is making the official BIONICLE videogame”. Said Jay Bruns, Director of Global Partnerships and Alliances for LEGO Group. He added “With such a pedigree of highly entertaining and engaging titles for young gamers, we are really looking forward to seeing the BIONICLE range bought to life in an immensely fun and immersive experience, both for our core BIONICLE fans and for those new to the universe.”

Continue reading "EIDOS AND TT GAMES ANNOUNCE BIONICLE® HEROES" »

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REDMOND, Wash. — May 4, 2006 — Today at the seventh annual MSN® Strategic Account Summit, Microsoft Corp. announced it is acquiring Massive Inc., the New York-based creator of a world-leading network for video game advertising, in a move that will help deliver dynamic, relevant ads across Microsoft’s online services, starting with Xbox Live® and MSN Games. Massive’s solution depicts brands in various forms within the game — on soft-drink cans and pizza boxes, on billboards and posters, and in images on TV screens — where gamers would expect to see them in real life, adding realism to the overall gaming experience. Massive employees will continue to work from their current locations, including their headquarters in New York and offices in London, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, Sydney, Cologne and Toronto. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The Opportunity for Advertisers

The acquisition of Massive broadens Microsoft’s commitment to providing advertisers with a highly effective means of reaching specific demographic groups of consumers in the rapidly growing and interactive medium of online gaming.

“Advertisers are having a tough time connecting with the elusive 18- to 34-year-old male demographic because this group continues to spend less time watching TV and more time playing video games,” said Joanne Bradford, corporate vice president of Global Sales and Marketing and chief media revenue officer at Microsoft. “Massive and Microsoft can help lead with our shared vision of delivering more targeted, measurable and effective opportunities for advertisers to reach today’s youth audience in a largely untapped market.”

The Commitment to Gamers

Massive and Microsoft will continue to prioritize gamer satisfaction, applying very rigorous standards to ads before they can be included in a game. These standards allow for only those ads that add realism and entertainment value to the overall game experience, not those that might detract from gameplay. Xbox has worked with Massive for more than a year and found that Massive’s technology, innovations and global gaming ecosystem are designed to ensure that in-game advertising is implemented effectively. According to research by Nielsen Interactive Entertainment, the majority of gamers find that relevant advertising enhances the realism of games.

The ad-funded model supported by Massive helps game developers deliver high quality and push the creative boundaries of video games to deliver the best gaming experience. It helps publishers offset the skyrocketing costs of video game development, which can in turn benefit gamers, keeping game prices affordable and opening the door to free gameplay, free content, tournaments and other possibilities.

Within the casual gaming space, Microsoft plans to implement Massive’s solution to extend in-game advertising capabilities to games on MSN and within MSN Messenger, delivering advertising solutions for the casual gaming audience of females 35 years old and up.

Taking Dynamic Ads Beyond Games

Microsoft also has begun exploring how to apply Massive technology to incorporate dynamic advertising into other online environments, such as Windows Live™ and MSN, and to make it available on the adCenter advertising platform. “We are committed to building an advertiser network that serves a wide spectrum of needs,” said Kevin Johnson, co-president of the Platforms & Services Division at Microsoft. “Our acquisition of Massive will expand opportunities for advertisers and enable connection to a broader audience of digital consumers.”

“Joining forces with Microsoft will allow Massive to deliver even greater benefits for advertisers, game developers and gamers through one of the world’s largest, most comprehensive online networks,” said Mitchell Davis, CEO of Massive Inc. “While our current business relationships will remain in place, with Microsoft we have the prospect of extending our technology into a vast array of new markets and online environments.”

Continue reading "Microsoft to Acquire In-Game Advertising Pioneer Massive Inc." »

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Lake Forest, IL – (May 4, 2006) -- BFG Technologies Inc., the leading U.S.-based supplier of advanced 3D graphics cards and other PC enthusiast products, announced today that the BFG physics accelerator add-in cards powered by AGEIA PhysX will be available at leading e-tail websites on May 9, 2006. The AGEIA PhysX processor is the first and only physics processor enabling a totally new class of PC gaming with dynamic motion and extreme physical interaction.

“The only way to bring the next evolution of PC gaming to the masses is by giving the masses access to the technology across the world,” said Shane Vance, executive vice president of sales at BFG Technologies, Inc. “We have worked diligently over the past few months with our strategic e-tail partners to have ready on May 9, 2006, the ability to sell one of the most anticipated PC hardware products since the dawn of 3D graphic cards. BFG PhysX cards will be widely available at premier locations around the globe.”

Backed by BFG’s innovative Lifetime Warranty and world class 24/7 technical support, the BFG PhysX Accelerator card will be a PCI bus system solution with 128-bit 128MB GDDR3 on board memory with an AGEIA PhysX chip that is capable of approximately 533,000 max collisions per second; 58 GFLOPS sphere-sphere collisions per second; and 22 billion instructions per second. These dedicated BFG PhysX add-in card features will lead gamers worldwide to massively destructible buildings and landscapes; explosions that cause collateral damage; lifelike characters with spectacular new weapons; realistic smoke, fog and oozing fluids. For a more detailed look at the BFG PhysX card log-on to http://www.bfgtech.com/physx.

Continue reading "BFG TECHNOLOGIES’ PHYSICS CARDS POWERED BY AGEIA PHYSX TO BE AVAILABLE IN NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, JAPAN, KOREA AND AUSTRALIA AT LEADING E-TAIL WEBSITES MAY 9, 2006" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

You have seen the game, now it is time to take a trip inside the development studio behind Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend. Crystal Dynamics has brought Lara Croft back to the top, and you will find that not only are they skilled at game design, they also have a good sense of humor! In these two video developer diaries you get to hear from members of the development team about what their thoughts are regarding Lara Croft and the new game. Also take a look at some of the design aspects that were used to create the fluid movement system, as well as a nice tour of the sound studio where music genius Troels Folmann works.

Download the videos now over at:
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/downloads/search.html?gmid=158!

Continue reading "Eidos Releases Two Video Developer Diaries for Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

ATLANTA - May 3, 2006 – Even if consumers can’t attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), now they can witness the conference’s biggest news as it unfolds live. GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), today announced that it will broadcast live at E3 from Monday, May 8th through Friday, May 12th, featuring coverage of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo’s highly anticipated press conferences.

In addition to webcasting the convention’s biggest news, GameTap will stream live content daily, including interviews between popular figures in the video game industry and animated cult hero, Space Ghost, for his “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” show. GameTap will also broadcast live on Friday with editorial takes on the Show and big news items from editors and pundits from a number of leading online and print publications.

“E3 is the biggest event of the year for the game industry, but it’s for insiders only. GameTap is pulling back the curtain and inviting our audience to experience the show like they are there with live coverage all week long,” said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap’s vice president of content. “See what you’ll be playing this holiday season and then stick around for the largest catalogue of the greatest games ever made and exclusive video programming you won’t find anywhere else.”

GameTap’s “Live from E3” coverage will appear on “GameTap TV,” which is where the GameTap network houses a dynamic mix of channels and shows for the rapidly growing broadband community with more than 300 videos on demand.

The following are the dates of the three major console company press conferences. Specific airtimes and additional details will be posted at www.gametap.com/e3.

· Sony - Monday, May 8th

· Nintendo - Tuesday, May 9th

* Microsoft - Tuesday, May 9th

In addition to broadcasting E3’s console announcements, GameTap will be streaming content from the conference floor throughout the week including:

* Daily Highlights – End-of-day recaps of what’s hot each day.
* Space Ghost Coast to Coast LIVE – Throughout the first two days of E3, prominent industry faces will be interviewed by the cartoon talk show host at GameTap’s booth (South Hall - Booth #1078).
* Best of E3 – Following the show, GameTap will broadcast its best of E3 round-up featuring editors’ picks on the hottest news and content from E3.

Consumers can preview the network or view the shows at www.gametap.com. All recordings will also be archived for future viewing. GameTap’s monthly subscription rate of $9.95 allows all-you-can-play-and-watch access to GameTap’s games and videos content libraries. Go to www.gametap.com now and sign up for a free two week offer.

Continue reading "GAMETAP TO WEBCAST E3'S BIGGEST NEWS" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 8:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Agent 47 is set to make his triumphant return in the latest installment of the Hitman franchise, Hitman: Blood Money. As the world’s deadliest assassin, Agent 47 is normally the one stalking the target. This time however, other assassins from his contract killing firm known as the Agency have been ending up on the wrong side of the executions. Sensing that he might be the next target, Agent 47 travels to America to uncover clues about this rival agency which has suddenly entered the fray.Much of this conspiracy is still unknown, but in the latest trailer released for Hitman: Blood Money you can take a first look at the mysterious Wheelchair Man, and it is pretty clear that Agent 47 is definitely not on his good side. Who is this Wheelchair Man and what are his motives... these answers you will have to find out for yourself.

Download the new trailer now at:
http://www.eidosinteractive.com/downloads/search.html?gmid=159!

Continue reading "Get a Glimpse at the Mysterious Wheelchair Man from Hitman: Blood Money in the Latest Trailer!" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 5:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Newport Beach, Calif.--May 3, 2006--Crave Entertainment, a leading publisher of console videogames for the casual gamer, today announced its lineup for the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), to be held May 10-12, 2006 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. Crave will showcase its titles at South Hall booth #846.

"The past year has been tremendously successful for Crave," said Rob Dyer, COO of Crave Entertainment. "World Championship Poker continues to lead the pack as the first choice of serious poker players, and with brands like VeggieTales we are expanding our presence in the family gaming space. Crave has solidified its position as the leading publisher of casual games on the gaming consoles."

World Championship Poker: Featuring Howard Lederer "All In" (PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP(tm) (PlayStation®Portable) system and Xbox 360(tm)
The third installment of the best-selling poker video game franchise in North America, features some of the most recognizable and successful poker stars in the world, including Howard Lederer, his sister Annie Duke, Greg Raymer, Amir Vahedi, Paul Darden, and Robert Williamson III. Joining the roster for this year's edition are noted international poker superstars Marcel Luske, Thomas Bihl, and Erin Ness.

World Championship Poker All-In will support for the EyeToy(tm) USB Camera (for PlayStation®2), which allows online opponents to see each other as they play, in addition to supporting text chat. The Xbox 360 version of the game supports the Xbox Live® online game service including Scoreboards, Voice/Chat and Live Aware.

VeggieTales LarryBoy and the Bad Apple (PlayStation®2 and Game Boy® Advance)
When the citizens of Bumblyburg need help, there is one superhero who they can always count on: LarryBoy! For the first time ever, the amazing smash hit VeggieTales is coming to game consoles in the heroic adventure LarryBoy and the Bad Apple. The adventure platformer game allows gamers to help LarryBoy in his quest to right wrongs and save the good citizens from the Bad Apple and her webs of temptation. Scheduled for an August 1st simultaneous release with the full length feature DVD, now fans can "Be that Hero!"

The VeggieTales brand has sold over 47 million video units & over 6 million audio units in 12 years and is the #1 values-based product line in the U.S. The launch of the new LarryBoy title is the game kids have been clamoring for!

Gun Club (PlayStation®2)
This non-violent target shooter allows gamers to enter the shooting range, steady their nerves, and take aim at the bull's-eye. The game puts over one hundred faithfully recreated firearms in the hands of the player who can try his or her skill in a wide range of immersive 3D practice environments, from indoor ranges with paper targets, to hillsides with watermelons or flying sporting clays. A certification mode challenges would-be sharpshooters' skills, and detailed descriptions and information for every firearm make it a must-have for gun collectors and enthusiasts.

Dave Mirra BMX Challenge (PlayStation®Portable)
The next installment in the popular BMX franchise gives you BMX Legend Dave Mirra (one of the most recognized action sports athletes in the world) as the featured rider and the option to customize player characters. There are 17 levels with 9 different environments throughout the game. With 9 bikes to choose from and up to 4 player ad hoc wireless play, it's time to ride.

Hard Rock Casino (PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®Portable)
Gamers can try their luck at more than 20 different casino games, including table games, machine games, poker rooms and sports bets, while experiencing high-stakes areas, invitation-only tournaments and many unlockable upgrades for your highly customizable character.

Beginning with a modest bankroll, players must amass winnings and establish their reputation as the highest roller at the Hard Rock Casino. Along the way, they will encounter unique tournaments, characters, side tasks and unlockables, keeping the game play fresh and challenges exciting.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (Game Boy Advance)
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, from Craig McCracken, creator of The Powerpuff Girls, features the somewhat shy Mac and his imaginary friend, Blooregard Q. Kazoo. The game is inspired by memorable episodes from the Cartoon Network hit series and allows fans to control Mac and Bloo as they solve quirky challenges and complete mission objectives. The action takes place in and around Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends and features many of the signature characters from the show including Wilt, Eduardo, Coco and more.

Camp Lazlo (Game Boy Advance)
Camp Lazlo is an eccentric animated series from Cartoon Network that chronicles the odd but happy camping life of a Bean Scout named Lazlo and his bunkmates at Camp Kidney. Players can take alternating control of Lazlo, an optimistic, high-energy Brazilian monkey, Raj, a wise and compulsive Indian elephant, and Clam, an eccentric and highly intelligent pygmy Rhino, to compete in a variety of camp challenges, earning the right to represent their camp in a final tournament against - the Squirrel Scouts.

Continue reading "Crave Entertainment Announces E3 Lineup" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – May 3, 2006 – The newest evolution in the ever changing world of online dating, Naughty America: The Game (www.naughtyamericathegame.com) has been racking up coverage from coast to coast. However, the soon-to-be-released MMO will not be allowed to participate in the gaming industry’s largest tradeshow, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), due to what was described as “adult content”.

“We were very disappointed to learn of E3’s stance toward Naughty America: The Game,” stated Noah Dudley, President of Eight Legs, Inc., the corporate entity overseeing the design and development of the title. “It’s the next step in social networking and online matchmaking. It’s certainly not intended for everyone, but then again neither are a number of the titles featured at the show.”

Despite the ban by E3, Naughty America: The Game has already been receiving a tremendous amount of national media coverage. Press outlets such as The New York Times, CNBC, Fox News, ABC Radio, BusinessWeek.com and CNN.com have already profiled the game, which is due to launch this summer.

Continue reading "Naughty America: The Game Garners National Attention But Not at E3" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Toronto, May 3, 2006 – DreamCatcher Interactive Inc. today announced its 2006 line-up for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The company will showcase a strong line-up for 2006 and introduce 9 First Look products at the show.

DreamCatcher will show 3 games as featured titles this year that are guaranteed to draw attention. The first is Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express, the follow-up title to the highly successful Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None of 2005, and the second in The Adventure Company’s Agatha Christie series. Next up is Genesis Rising, an RTS set in a unique world of genetic engineering with a cross-genre mix of the best elements from strategy and RPG. Last but not least is Painkiller for Xbox®/PSP®, DreamCatcher’s award winning first-person horror shooter. Graphically unmatched, it is designed to satisfy a gamer’s hunger for intense, fast-paced action.

Details on the full line-up follows.

E3 2006 Product Line-up

For Xbox®/PSP®

Painkiller Hell Wars

Developed by People Can Fly

Territory: Worldwide

Release Date: Xbox – May 2006

PSP – November 2006

A fast-paced gothic first-person horror shooter designed to satisfy an adrenaline addict’s hunger for action. Painkiller is graphically unmatched. The PAIN engine along with the Havok 2.0 physics engine create a realistic environment in a totally fantastical setting.

Windows® Only

Safecracker

Developed by Kheops Studio

Territory: Worldwide

Release Date: August 2006

This new puzzle game will have puzzle enthusiasts and wanna-be safecrackers enthralled! Safecracker is a puzzle game at heart, but infuses key adventure game elements to keep you on your toes. Play an expert safecracker hired by the wealthy family of a deceased eccentric billionaire who has hidden the deed to his riches in one of the safes scattered in his magnificent mansion. Use your experience, wits, deductive reasoning and puzzle solving skills to crack 35 unique safes.

Windows® Only

The Sacred Rings / AURA 2

Developed by Streko-Graphics Inc.

Territory: Worldwide

Release Date: September 2006

The sequel to AURA: Fate of Ages, The Sacred Rings will take you on an epic adventure in a dark, fantastical world of magic and intrigue. Explore over 400 beautiful locations using the game’s easy to navigate mouse-driven, point-and-click interface. Interact with numerous characters while you solve challenging and original puzzles and enjoy the spectacular FMV sequences.

Windows® Only

Genesis Rising

Developed by Metamorf Studios

Territory: Worldwide

Release Date: November 2006

This futuristic full 3D RTS game uses the best elements of role-playing games within the context of a fast-paced real-time strategy game. Set in a mysterious futuristic universe where organic machines are built using genetic engineering, take on the role of Captain Iconah to explore and conquer the Universal Heart, the only part of the universe remaining unconquered 3,000 years into the future.

Windows® Only

Agatha Christie: Murder on the Orient Express

Developed by AWE Games

Territory: Worldwide

Release Date: November 2006

Based on the famous mystery novel by the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, this second PC CD-ROM adventure game in the Agatha Christie series is filled with spectacular twists-and-turns and includes a surprising ending different from the original novel.

Windows® Only

Dead Reefs

Developed by Streko-Graphics Inc.

Territory: Worldwide

Release Date: November 2006

Dead Reefs is a hauntingly beautiful investigative adventure that takes place on the island of Dead Reefs off the coast of England infamous for the wicked pirate inhabitants and a frightful curse. Set in the tumultuous 18th century, play as Amadeo Finvinero, sent by the King to discover the source of all the evil plaguing the island.

Windows® Only

The Secret Files: Tunguska

Developed by Fusionsphere Systems

Territory: North America

Release Date: August 2006

This X-Files like point-and-click adventure game is based on the mysterious Tunguska phenomenon that occurred in July 1908 in which the Siberian region of Tunguska was engulfed in an inferno of flames that turned everything into debris and ashes. This phenomenon remains unexplained to this day. With its unique mysterious setting, spectacular graphics, and innovative puzzles, The Secrets Files: Tunguska sets the stage for intrigue, drama, and a deep conspiracy to uncover.

Windows® Only

EVIDENCE: The Last Ritual

Developed by Lexis Numérique

Territory: North America

Release Date: October 2006

The notorious serial killer “The Phoenix” is back and the authorities need your help to catch him once and for all. Using an innovative blend of Windows® gameplay and the Internet, the player will explore key cities in Europe and North America. Players will receive live emails from various contacts around the world and can partner up with other players to crack the case. From the creators of MISSING: Since January.

Continue reading "DreamCatcher Games Announces Line-Up for E3 2006" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Schanz International Consultants (SIC) is very pleased to present the upcoming RPG with a humorous and emotional twist for exclusive w/w licensing from it's German partner Studio Silent Dreams:
"Grotesque - Hunted Heroes"

The unique game ( first SKU on PC ) offers an easy to control fight system with amazing gameplay, hilarious dialogues and outstanding next generation graphics. Gamers will play in the colourful fantasy world of Grotesque which is inhabited by distinctive characters taking on the Role of Roger Sun, a big RPG Fan of present times, who suddenly wakes up in the medieval world of Grotesque with a lost memory and a conviction that he has to save this world!

Pleased to be signing "Grotesque - Hunted Heroes" , MD of Schanz International Consultants, Gerhard Schanz says: "The unique and innovative concept of Grotesque as an RPG parody with it's advanced technology, will tickle every fan of the RPG genre!"

Rayk Kerstan, co-founder of Silent Dreams comments: "Silent Dreams team is looking forward to a most exciting and fruitful co-operation with Schanz International Consultants pertaining to the commercialization of our newest RPG, "Grotesque". Due to their knowledge and expertise, as well as successful market entries in entertainment software business, inter-facing with the staff of Schanz International is a real pleasure and motivating experience already"

"Grotesque - Hunted Heroes" will be a trend setter among the fantasy games all over the world because each RPG fan will find his alter ego in Grotesque. The entertaining role game features a diversified game play and an enthralling story line, and, last but not least, an outstanding technique. Silent Dreams has focused particularly on the accuracy of the charismatic characters, which are displayed in a brilliant quality.

Continue reading "New 3D RPG game "Grotesque - Heroes Hunted" now in Schanz portfolio for exclusive worldwide licensing" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOSCOW, Russia, May 3, 2005 – Leading Eastern and Central European publisher 1C Company unveiled today the 5 titles to be shown at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in May, 2006. 1C is the largest publisher in Europe (by territory) and plans to release all of their top games for 2006 in the US for the first time ever. 1C’s hot new lineup spans multiple genres including a first-person action title, real-time strategy, simulation and role-playing games. These titles represent the pinnacle of gaming entertainment from various developers across Europe.

1C’s titles this year include: Whirlwind of Vietnam, a helicopter flight simulator from the producers of IL-2 Sturmovik; Battle Lord (from the developers of Space Rangers 2: Rise of the Dominators), a fantasy RPG with turn-based battles that take place in full 3D; Death to Spies a 3rd person stealth-action title pitting one covert agent in real-life missions from WWII; You Are Empty, a tense 1st person action game with stunning graphics and a fascinating storyline; and Theatre of War, the most accurate WWII strategy game ever created with graphics and physics to match. 1C has a multitude of other new and original titles that will be coming out in 2006 not mentioned above. Information on these titles will be available during any meeting upon request.

“1C is continuing our strong tradition of innovative gameplay and immersive storylines with this newest group of titles for 2006. We are truly starting to see what our developers can do with orginal content and state-of-the-art graphics,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director 1C Company. “We expect these titles to have a huge impact in the US where innovative titles are recognized and respected by the gamers.”

1C Company will be located at booth #6059 in Kentia Hall, in the heart of the Los Angeles Convention Center. 1C’s booth is the first you encounter as you come down the right-side escalator making access easy and fast. The booth will not be open for public viewing. Instead there will be a receptionist in the front of the booth escorting appointments and approved journalists into private meeting rooms. To make an appointment to see any titles please contact Traction Public Relations at the US number above.

Continue reading "One of the Largest publishers in Europe releases 5 new titles for the US" »

Posted by Matt Sarrel at 7:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

SANTA CLARA, Calif., (May 2, 2006) – Leading video games publisher NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today plans to showcase 19 of its highly anticipated console, PC and handheld releases at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, May 10-12, 2006 (booth #824 in the South Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center).

"This year's E3 marks the debut of our integrated title line-up and exemplifies the industry strength behind the NAMCO BANDAI merger," said Genichi Ito, president and CEO of NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. "Our strong commitment to extending popular franchises, creating original content and developing strategic partnerships with key licensors allows us to deliver quality games for all ages, interests and platforms."

New installments of notable franchises to be unveiled at this year's E3 include Xenosaga® EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra, Tales of the Abyss™, Pac-Man World Rally™, Ace Combat® X: Skies of Deception, Tekken®: Dark Resurrection, The Legend of Heroes™ II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch™ and Mobile Ops™: The One Year War.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. will also be showcasing its highly-anticipated PC titles such as Mage Knight Apocalypse, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos and HELLGATE: LONDON from Flagship Studios.

Popular licensed properties making their debut at the show include The Fast and The Furious, Snoopy vs. The Red Baron and Charlie Brown All-Stars.

Renown anime based franchises on display for play include Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, Zatchbell: Mamodo Fury, .hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth, IGPX, One Piece: Grand Adventure, and Eureka Seven Vol. 1: The New Wave.

Popular Franchise Sequels:

Xenosaga EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra (PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system)

A year has passed since Xenosaga® EPISODE II. Shion has resigned her post at Vector Industries after realizing that the company is deeply connected to the cause of the Gnosis phenomenon. She has thus joined forces with Scientia, an underground organization, in order to unveil Vector's true objectives. Featuring more than eight hours of movies including voiced cut-scenes, Xenosaga EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra is the exciting conclusion to the epic trilogy loved by RPG fans worldwide. Players will experience an updated battle system combining the best aspects of the first two games, while introducing the new Break system. Xenosaga EPISODE III: Also sprach Zarathustra will also feature an extensive mini-game complete with a mini-game map editor. Uncover the future of humanity this Fall 2006.

Tales of the Abyss (PlayStation 2)

Tales of the Abyss puts players in the role of Luke fon Fabre, sole heir to a family of aristocrats. He was kidnapped several years ago, and the shock left him with no memories of his life before. Luke is suddenly thrown into the outside world where he knows nothing of those who might be his friends, or those who already are his enemies. This epic story is told with some of the most realistic character models ever used in the Tales series and beautiful anime cut-scenes by Production I.G. Tales of the Abyss also features the Flexible Motion Battle System where the player controls characters in a free-roaming battlefield. Players can start their epic quest in Fall 2006.

Pac-Man World Rally (PlayStation 2, PSP(PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo GameCube, PC)

Pac-Man World Rally lets players race through a variety of environments from Pac-Man World as Pac-Man® , Pac Jr. and other beloved characters from past Namco classics. In one of the fastest and most exciting kart racing games ever, players will race for the win or fight it out in colorful Battle Arenas with special weapons, power-ups and a variety of Pac-Man powers. The race begins in Summer 2006.

Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception (PSP system)

Featuring an entirely new world and story, this first PSP system installment of the popular Ace Combat franchise features a suite of highly detailed and realistically modeled licensed aircraft. New additions include original aircraft and wireless multiplayer, ensuring Ace Combat for the PSP system will be a memorable experience. Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception also features a Strategic AI System where mission objectives reflect a player's decision. The PSP system takes flight with Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception in Fall 2006.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PSP system)

Tekken: Dark Resurrection is one of the most explosive fighting games to arrive on the PSP system. Featuring some of the most realistic graphics on a handheld platform, Tekken Dark: Resurrection will have 19 stages with destructible objects. Players will have the choice of two new characters Lili and Dragunov allowing for more than 30 characters to choose from. This extensive list of characters is possible through character customization with more than double the items seen in TEKKEN®5. Using the wireless connectivity of the PSP system, players can battle friends using their customized characters. The fighting genre will resurrect on the PSP system in Summer 2006.

The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch (PSP system)

The popular RPG series makes another appearance on the PSP system with The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch. In this game, players embark on a pilgrimage to find 5 shrines in Tirasweel, and discover a mystery left behind by a mysterious witch. Taking place in a beautiful world inhabited with rich details, players are quickly drawn into the storyline. Enemies appear on the world map, eliminating random battles. They can gauge the player's strength and will "turn tail and run" if they sense the player is stronger than they are. The prophecy is set to take place in June 2006.

Mobile Ops: The One Year War (Xbox 360)

Mobile Ops: The One Year War opens when rebel space colonies launch a brutal bid for independence from the Earth Federation. Advanced ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) has rendered range sensors and communications useless, resulting in the rise of new war machines called Mobile Suits. These ultimate instruments of destruction, capable of metal-clashing hand-to-hand combat, completely redefine modern warfare. Fight on foot, in vehicles and in Mobile Suits in a robust single and multiplayer experience through multiple scenarios and battlefields. Pick your side, choose your weapon and prove your supremacy.

PC Titles:

Mage Knight Apocalypse (PC)
A select group of heroes must defeat the Apocalypse Dragon, a seemingly unstoppable five-headed monstrosity that has been summoned by the forces of Chaos in Mage Knight Apocalypse. Five unique character classes can be selected - all with hundreds of weapons, armor and abilities to customize. These heroes will battle hundreds of unique enemies with brilliant special effects in a beautiful 3D world. Players will adventure as they've only before imagined as they explore with a free camera, engage in multiplayer missions. Dynamic enemy scaling and multiple alternate scenarios means near infinite replay-ability. For the PC in Summer 2006.

Warhammer: Mark of Chaos (PC)

Faithful to the Warhammer® world, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos puts the focus squarely on the battlefield with a real-time combat system that gives the player unprecedented customization and control of his army. This RTS focuses on armies and battling while de-emphasizing the tedious aspects of base and resource management. Players will also have the opportunity to use environments to their advantage, as well as customize Heroes and Champions with inventories and skill trees and challenge opponents in dueling. Choose from a variety of modes for both casual and competitive play coming to a battlefield on a PC near you in Fall 2006.

HELLGATE: LONDON (PC)
HELLGATE: LONDON combines the depth of role-playing games and action of first-person titles, while offering infinite playability with randomly created levels, items and events. The player creates a heroic character and then, completes quests and battles through innumerable hordes of demons to advance through experience levels and branching skill paths. A robust, flexible skill and spell system, highly customizable appearances and a massive variety of randomly generated equipment allow players to create their own unique hero.

Licensed Properties:

The Fast and The Furious (PlayStation 2, PSP system)

Inspired by Universal Pictures' upcoming film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, this game will immerse players in the underground world of drift racing – a form of racing that replaces simple drag racing with a rubber-burning, automotive art form that consists of an exhilarating balance of speeding and gliding through a heart-stopping course of hairpin turns and switchbacks. Set in a world related to, yet separate from, the movie, the game features a ground-breaking drift mechanic that makes drifting accessible to both beginning and veteran racing game drivers. The gameplay features evolutionary new systems like the Drift Indicator that make The Fast and the Furious the most accessible yet realistic drift game. Created through a licensing agreement with Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, this must-have racing title drifts to retailers in Summer 2006.

Snoopy vs. The Red Baron (PlayStation 2, PSP system, PC)

While snoozing atop his doghouse one day, Snoopy has a magical dream. Just like in the celebrated Peanuts® comic strip, he becomes a virtuoso flying ace, piloting his World War I bi-plane in a heroic attempt to foil the plans of his archenemy, the Red Baron. Join Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang as you soar above six vividly rendered worlds. Pilot Snoopy’s famous Sopwith Camel and other unique aircraft in perilous sky-high dogfights, air races and heart-pounding missions with dozens of comical weapons and gadgets at your disposal. Snoopy vs. The Red Baron takes to the skies in Fall 2006.

Charlie Brown’s All-Stars (PlayStation 2, PSP system)

The cast of Peanuts has come together in an entertaining and fun pick-up-and-play baseball game, Charlie Brown’s All-Stars. Players can help Charlie Brown end his 900 game losing streak as they play baseball with an incredible cast of more than 30 Peanuts characters. Players can also take part in any of four Party Games, including batting, fielding and pitching contests, as well as a good ol’ fashioned game of “Lucy Says.” As players progress through the game they will have the chance to enjoy classic Peanuts storylines, artwork and unlock tons of bonus content including every baseball-related Peanuts comic strip. Charlie Brown’s All-Stars steps up to the plate in Spring 2007. This title has not yet been concept approved by Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Anime Based Franchises:

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja (PlayStation 2)

Experience the hit manga and TV series NARUTO like never before. Join Naruto and his friends in their Ninja Academy quests as they battle the best in the land. Fight as one of more than 12 playable characters in interactive stages while performing powerful ninjutsu moves. Players can battle in close combat, use weapons and call on support characters to assist with super attacks or drop off power-ups. Tons of replay value is added with unlockable features and more! Players can enroll in the Ninja Academy in June 2006.

Zatchbell!: Mamodo Fury (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)

Players join Zatch, Kiyo and other characters from the hit manga and TV series ZATCHBELL! as they battle to become the mighty mamodo king! This time, up to four players can choose from more than 20 different playable teams. With three gameplay modes including Story Mode, VS mode and Arcade Mode, players can experience all the action in environments faithful to the TV series. All voice acting is even done by the U.S. TV show cast. Zatchbell!: Mamodo Fury hits consoles Fall 2006.

.hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth (PlayStation 2)

The hit video game and TV series returns to the epic fantasy online RPG stage on the PlayStation 2. Years after the events of the first .hack installment, the most popular MMORPG in the world has returned from the ashes as “The World: R2”. As Haseo the Terror of Death, players are thrown into his quest for revenge in his search for the mysterious PK (Player Killer) Tri-Edge. This time, players will interact in the real and virtual worlds with fellow “The World” players through various chats, mails, and fully voiced video news clips. Together with Haseo’s virtual partners, login to challenge and solve the mysteries of “The World”.  hack//G.U. Vol.1: Rebirth arrives in stores in Fall 2006.

One Piece Grand Adventure (PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube)

Based on the popular comic and anime series, One Piece: Grand Adventure delivers battles that take place with a new free-moving Vs. Battle action system that will offer hours of entertainment. The game has also been completely revamped with the inclusion of an engrossing Adventure Mode, sending players on various mini-game filled quests as well as allowing players to create their very own band of roving pirates. One Piece: Grand Adventure hits stores in Fall 2006. This title has not