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Friday, November 30, 2007

Imperium Romanum video game


"Imperium Romanum" set to conquer the UK

Take the future of an empire into your hands in "Imperium Romanum", the upcoming historical strategy title from Kalyspso Media and Haemimont Games. Due for release in February 2008 the game sees the player take the role of a governor of a Roman province and strive to build a well organised, prosperous and commanding settlement.

Set in the time-honoured Roman Empire players will marvel at the incredible attention to detail, as they construct fortifications, build towers, gates and bridges, and pay for them with the new currency which has been implemented into the game for a challenging, enjoyable, and authentic quest to rule the World.

"Imperium Romanum" boasts a variety of new features to enhance the game-play and complete the historical strategy gaming experience. These include a sophisticated graphics engine, a mass of authentic historical buildings such as the world famous Circus Maximus and Gladiator schools, an improved battle system where the player commands their armies and an interactive mission mode which allows the player to control the activation of goals.

"Imperium Romanum" Features

• History mode with timeline, where missions are based on real events and locations

• Interactive mission mode: the players activate the goals when they choose

• Improved battle system where players commands their own armies

• Player-constructable bridges, fortifications, walls, towers and gates

• Introduction of currency, crime, historically accurate buildings, natural disasters, and siege machines

• New interface design, and improved economy and overview dialogues

Last of the Patriots video game

Last of the patriots is an indie game prototype developed by games veteran Paul Davis whose C.V. includes GTA-San Andreas, GTA4, Manhunt, and Manhunt2. Last of the patriots is a new style of game, using a development process based on a movie script, rather than a traditional game design document, the team has used this approach to hopefully get a cinematic feel and theme to the game.

The game is a prototype for future games, that revolve around plot and character and less on action, as we are aiming for games with a message, and deeper underlying meaning. The main premise of the game is to show war in a realistic way never before seen in games.

The game is available for all to download at our website http://www.last-of-the-patriots.com. The game is a prototype, and we are very interested in a free-roaming 3d version possible for next-gen. The game is set in a dark future setting where a single corporation dominates the galaxies, enter Zeke Johnson, a broken down ex-war hero set on self-destruction, as he drinks his life away on colony LV-21. Through a strange twist of fate, Johnson is given a last chance to redeem himself as he rejoins the space corps for one final decisive mission into the pits of hell itself.

The unique features of this game are it's use of cinematics techniques such as flashbacks, moral dilemmas, where you are ordered to shoot innocent civilians, large scale battles, the game is set in a retro theme to basically work on any PC, we were aiming for a casual game that would require no setup headaches, the game only uses one button to perform all actions, again for casual gamer appeal.

For additional information or to sample the game, visit:

http://www.last-of-the-patriots.com

Minimum requirements:

550mhz,
Win98,
16 MB ram,
16 MB graphics card,
30MB hard-drive space,

Rome Economy and Technology system


The Economy system in EU: Rome is equipped with underlying nuances and complex strategic options, yet the game is developed so that it is easy to grasp.

There are three different types of income in Rome, the 3 T's.

TAX: the definition of basic income from the land. This value depends heavily on the amount of slaves in a province. Slaves are one of the three different types of population in the game. The other two are citizens and freemen, which provide advances and manpower. These three types determine the strength of a state, for instance while a long and bloody war may give a lot new slaves, the amount of freemen could drop too low as a result, making difficult to create strong armies for the future.

TRIBUTE: refers to the diplomatic income given from states for their own benefit, could be derived by force or through skilled diplomacy.

TRADE ROUTES: each trade route created will provide a certain amount of income to a country, in addition to the strategic benefits of upholding such a route.

Technology system

The technology system has 5 categories: land, construction, naval, civic and religion. Each category has a set amount of levels, somewhat similar to earlier releases Europa Universalis III and Victoria. However, one of the differences is that there are no immediate effects from aquiring new "level" of technology in EU:Rome.

For each type of technology, players can appoint a character to a position in the government, where his skill will affect the progress in this field. The other major factors affecting the progress is the Civilization Value of a province and the amount of Citizens present.

EA MOBILE BUILDS ON LEGO BRAND WITH PUZZLE GAME


Electronic Arts today announced that action-puzzle game, LEGO Escape for mobile will become available to download from operators across Europe from 1st December 2007. LEGO fans and casual puzzlers will enjoy the game’s added action as they race against the clock to help the LEGO worker escape the factory where he’s trapped.

True to the LEGO brand and offering a twist on the falling block genre, players must build, rather than break, a tower of LEGO bricks as they fall from the sky. Whilst battling with flying robots that move bricks and fire electrical charges, players must ensure their structure is solid enough to prevent it from collapsing. Having to rebuild will waste valuable time.

‘The game’s vibrant design, challenging nature and action element give it universal appeal,’ commented EA Mobile Producer, James Dillon. ‘Players will find it completely compelling as they go back to the roots of what LEGO play is all about and build to their heart’s content.’

LEGO Escape offers four differently themed and colourful environments and ‘power-ups’ such as jumping boots that can be collected to help the LEGO worker on his quest. For more information visit www.eamobile.com.

Lunar Domination video game launch for Mac OS X


Valen Games is pleased to announce that the financial strategy game Lunar Domination is now available for Mac OS X. In addition to Mac OS X support, the new version of Lunar Domination also includes online multiplayer support for two players.

Lunar Domination is a turn-based strategy game where players fight for domination over the lunar ore market. Unlike in war strategy games, players cannot attack each other directly. Instead they must skillfully manage their finances and base expansion, and compete with their opponent for orders from clients. This focus on financial strategy creates a different player experience compared to traditional war strategy games. The only weapon that is available in Lunar Domination is your mind.

To win the game you must fill the ore quotas of three clients faster than your opponent. This involves mining the ore, and then competing with your opponent for the client orders. Each completed order brings you closer to victory. Competition for orders takes place using an auction system, where the player with the lowest bid wins the order.

The ore that your clients request is scattered around a map, and can be mined using specialized buildings. The map itself is split into sectors which can be bought by you or your opponent, and contain the ore that you can mine. Sectors are also home to your buildings, which allow you to mine, store, refine, and sell ore to your clients.

Neighboring sectors form sector groups, where member sectors share resources that buildings in them provide. However, larger sector groups result in higher income taxes. This makes smaller sector groups more profitable, and one of the challenges in the game is to keep your sector groups as small as possible to make the most money from your ore.

Lunar Domination comes with six scenarios which include small, medium, and large maps. Each scenario can be played at three difficulty levels against a computer opponent, or against another person in online multiplayer mode. An interactive tutorial is included to help you quickly learn the basics without having to spend a lot of time learning how to play.

Lunar Domination is available for Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, and Linux. It costs $19.99 (USD) and can be purchased at the Valen Games web site: http://www.valengames.com.

Gamer TV's HAZE Special Airs On Bravo This Weekend


A special edition of GAMER TV dedicated to forthcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive HAZE airs on UK satellite and cable channel BRAVO this weekend.

The half-hour show features exclusive demos of 4 player co-op, new levels and weapons including the flamethrower and a look at the technology driving the game. It also reveals a brand new twist in the HAZE storyline.

GAMER TV’s HAZE special is hosted by key Free Radical design team members Dave “Big Cheese” Doak, Derek “Big Brain” Littlewood and screenwriter Rob “Big Mouth” Yescombe.

Producer Jason Kilshaw commented, “This is everything you need to know about Haze then some! ”

The programme airs in the UK at the following times.

Saturday 1st December 10.00 am BRAVO 2
Sunday 2nd December 11.30 am BRAVO
Monday 3rd December 4.30 pm BRAVO

Viewers in the US will be able to see it the following week on leading premium movie channel STARZ.

The US transmission times are:

Saturday 8th December 11.00 am (ET) STARZ EDGE
Wednesday 12th December 8.30 pm (ET) STARZ EDGE

The Ultimate 'Hand Made' Fantasy With Odin Sphere


Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces the release of Odin Sphere™ in early 2008, across all PAL territories and exclusively on the PlayStation® 2 computer entertainment system.

Be inspired by the renaissance of the lost art of hand-drawn in-game artwork. Odin Sphere brings a lavishly illustrated world to a home console, experienced through an intuitive, high quality control system. Odin Sphere’s fantasy world interlaces five individual tales to tell an epic story of amazing power, inevitable loss and irresistible love to enchant users.

Fully optimized for Europe, Odin Sphere delivers unique action-combat gameplay that rewards speed and style, revamping the action RPG genre. An alchemy system that lets you combine the spoils of combat for added bonuses and rare items adds further depth to this epic experience.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “Odin Sphere embodies the commitment of Square Enix in bringing new experiences to European gamers. This is especially reflected in our partnership with Atlus, allowing Square Enix Ltd. to publish the first non Square Enix title in PAL territories. The wonderfully crafted Odin Sphere is the best possible start to an exciting new period for the company.”

Xbox Targets We7 For Christmas Campaign


Xbox signs deal with We7 to reach key online audiences for Christmas

Microsoft has teamed up with new ad-funded free music download service, We7, to increase awareness of Xbox 360 and promote key titles in the run up to Christmas. The deal will see Xbox utilise We7’s unique ad grafting technology to get directly into the ears of consumers downloading tracks and albums from www.we7.com, targeting their ads by the genre of music as well as by location, age and gender.

The We7 campaign is part of a wider Christmas strategy from Xbox which includes TV advertising, and will run from 26th November until Christmas day. As well as raising brand awareness for Xbox 360, the campaign on We7 will use the power of music to demonstrate Xbox 360’s strong portfolio of games to appeal to a wide range of audiences, from the latest blockbuster games for the key 16-25 male audience to ‘Fun for Everyone’ – a range of family games suitable for everyone 3 years+.

Stephen McGill, Head of Gaming and Entertainment, Microsoft UK says of the deal: “There’s a natural affinity between music and gaming which We7 allows us to explore in a unique and effective way using a mix of traditional display ads alongside the new audio grafting techniques. We’ll primarily use this campaign to target our key demographic – 16-25 year old males – but as We7 has a varied user base we plan to broaden our focus to a wider family audience too.”

The We7 innovation allows advertisers to digitally reach an audience using the traditional formats of MPU’s and Skyscrapers but the audio segment uniquely goes with the consumers onto their iPods or other MP3 players reinforcing the message in an intimate and highly acceptable manner.

The range of audio ads has been created by Music4 and the 20 second ads use the same memorable backing track that appears on the TV campaign.

Steve Purdham, CEO, We7 adds: “We7 offers a platform to entertain and engage, benefiting both the consumer and the advertiser. We are thrilled to be working with such a leading consumer brand as Xbox as it feels like the perfect fit for our site.

“Since signing our first deal in October, we’ve seen significant interest from the Advertising community to our new innovative model and we expect to make more announcements of We7 adoption in the run up to Christmas as well as in 2008.”

Unreal Engine 3 Licensed by Korea's AcroGames


AcroGames, Inc. announced today that it has licensed Unreal Engine 3 from Epic Games, Inc. for an unannounced project. AcroGames’ seasoned game developers have helped create best-selling titles in Korea such as NCsoft’s “Lineage II” and Softmax's “Magna Carta” series.

“We are very satisfied to be working with Unreal Engine 3,” said HyunTae Jeong, chief executive officer and game director of AcroGames. “We have had positive experiences making games with previous releases of Epic’s engine and are finding that Unreal Engine 3 is extremely flexible and quite capable of meeting our development needs.”

“AcroGames is a promising team comprised of top talent and we look forward to working with them,” said Jay Wilbur, vice president of Epic. “We are committed to supporting the Asian game market with best of breed development tools, and our agreement with AcroGames marks a significant achievement in this effort.”

About AcroGames
AcroGames is an up and coming game development studio in Seoul, Korea. Core team members have contributed to renowned titles including NCsoft’s “Lineage II,” which is powered by Epic’s Unreal Engine 2, and Softmax’s “Magna Carta” series.

About Unreal Engine 3
The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and a best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 is expected to maintain those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's new toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained at www.unrealtechnology.com.

7-Eleven Brings Nexon America Game Cards To Teen, 'Tween Customers


Real Card Buys Kids Virtual Shopping Experience

While most big news in the videogame industry revolves around the midnight launch of a hot, new game or the latest, greatest console to hit store shelves, 7-Eleven, Inc. is promoting a new videogame initiative that is less about hardware and software than it is about going on a virtual shopping spree.

One of the biggest global gaming phenomenons is the “Massively Multiplayer Online Game” (MMOG), a computer game that is capable of supporting hundreds or thousands of players simultaneously. The games are played on the Internet and feature at least one virtual world. MMOGs can enable players to cooperate and compete with each other, as well as interact meaningfully with people around the world. While many of these games are free to play, gamers can spend money to create the coolest avatar, a graphic or visual online identity.

7-Eleven® stores and their 24-hour operation make it more convenient for the millions of MMOG fans to personalize their play with certain online games by offering the Nexon Game Card at its U.S. stores.

7-Eleven has an agreement with Nexon America Inc., the U.S. division of Asia’s leading online games company, Nexon Group, to be the first convenience retailer in the United States to sell these cards. Gamers can use the prepaid cards to redeem virtual in-game items and accessories within the MapleStory, Audition and upcoming KartRider games produced by Nexon. The prepaid game cards available in 7-Eleven stores are sold in $10 and $25 denominations.

“We have a great assortment of prepaid cards and now we have one especially for ‘tweens and teens who are the biggest fans of these online games,” said Brad Haga, 7-Eleven senior product director for business development and services. “They’re perfect for young people on a budget and should appeal to the Slurpee®-beverage crowd.”

7-Eleven and Nexon worked with InComm, a technology firm that develops, markets and distributes stored-value gift and prepaid products, to add the Nexon gift cards to 7-Eleven’s extensive services category. An animated version of a 7-Eleven store and an employee will appear in the popular MapleStory MMOG. This type of integration is cutting-edge, according to Nexon. It brings relevant content to consumers and provides 7-Eleven with a new way to use virtual worlds to expand its marketing.

“Offering these exclusive game cards is an important first for a convenience chain and massively multiplayer online (MMO) publisher,” said John H. Chi, president and CEO of Nexon America Inc. “By partnering with 7-Eleven, we’re able to reach a much broader audience than ever before. Many of Nexon’s customers are teenagers without access to credit cards. Now they will have a more convenient option to getting the cards.”

The Nexon Game Card can be used within any of Nexon’s games, which are free to download at http://www.nexon.net. Players use an innovative cash shop system (called microtransactions), that provides the option to individualize Audition and MapleStory characters and create unique identities. These features are purely optional, and players can try out items in virtual dressing rooms before making a purchase. Items range from hip haircuts and stylish clothes in Audition to vibrant, colorful outfits and fire-breathing pets in MapleStory.

“7-Eleven is eager to offer more products and services for tweens and teens who have fun personalizing elements of these online games and interacting with other players around the world,” said Haga. “The Nexoncards are a perfect fit for our prepaid product selection.”

As the pioneer of the microtransaction, or Item-Selling business model, Nexon has sold millions of virtual items worldwide through MapleStory and other hit titles like KartRider and BnB: Crazy Arcade. In February 2007, Nexon America reported that North American players spent $1.6 million on 600,000 virtual products within MapleStory alone.

TeliaSonera and Cisco provide Dreamhack with the fastest internet connection in the world


Just an hour or so ago, Dreamhack, the world’s largest computer festival officially opened in Jönköping, Sweden. At the same time, the fastest internet access in the world was also launched. TeliaSonera and Cisco are providing the technology that offers an internet connection speed of 40 gigabits per second. Over the course of the festival, the 15,000 visitors will enjoy an unrivalled broadband and gaming experience.

This is a Multimedia News Release
The pressrelease, still pictures in high resolution and videos (animations, interviews with participants and organisers and pictures from the event) look here:
http://www.world-television.se/world_television.se/mnr_stat/mnr/TeliaSonera/294/

TeliaSonera är det ledande telekommunikationsföretaget i Norden och Baltikum med starka positioner inom mobil kommunikation i Eurasien, Turkiet och Ryssland. I slutet av 2006 lanserade vi mobiltjänster i Spanien. TeliaSonera är den ledande europeiska leverantören av internationella röst-, IP- och kapacitetstjänster som vi erbjuder via vårt eget helägda internationella carrier-nät. 2006 omsatte TeliaSonera 91 miljarder kr och i mars 2007 översteg det totala antalet kunder 100 miljoner i 15 länder. TeliaSonera är noterat på Stockholmsbörsen och Helsingfors börs. Företaget finns med på Dow Jones index för hållbar utveckling. Vi ser enkelhet och service som viktiga verktyg för att skapa lönsam tillväxt och värde för våra kunder och aktieägare. Läs mer på www.teliasonera.se

Win a Wii contest paves the way for first ever Wii Optimized Chat


WiiWasHere, the best place on the net to store all your Nintendo Wi-Fi codes, challenge friends, and earn Achievement Coins is giving away a Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl!

November 29, 2007 – On the heels of the first ever Wii Optimized Chat system launch, WiiWasHere is proud to announce a contest that will reward the most dedicated gamers with outstanding prizes. The user with the most Achievement Coins will win a new Wii system, and the second place user will receive a new copy of Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii.

Users simply need to sign up as WiiWasHere members and challenge friends, all for free. After each challenge, members rate each other’s performance and earn Achievement Coins, which gamers use to prove skill level and win WiiWasHere contests like the WinWii contest. Previously members were able to plan challenges for the future though an online form, now they can instantly challenge online friends via the Wii Optimized Chat! Either way, Achievement Coins are awarded upon completion of ratings.

To participate in the WinWii contest please visit http://wiiwashere.com, where you can sign up and get more information on the contest.

Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games for PC Now Available


2K Play offers an all new take on the popular Deal or No Deal game as the perfect gift for the entire family this holiday season

2K Play, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, and Endemol USA announced today that Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games, the next release in the popular Deal or No Deal PC game series, is now available at major retailers throughout North America. Based on the hit TV show, Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games builds on the success of the first Deal or No Deal game and features host Howie Mandel.

"I’m thrilled to be bringing the franchise to the next level with Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games for the PC," said Howie Mandel, who provided the voice-over in the game. "Fans of the show are going to love playing all new games that are so secret even The Banker needs special clearance to get in."

With all new content, Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games contains a heavily-guarded vault with 20 cases, each containing a unique game inspired by the hit show. Gamers can try their hand at any of these exciting games such as Strike a Deal, The Keys to Success, Cross the Banker and Dice or No Dice. Players can work to master them all or risk leaving the game with one penny instead of millions of dollars. In addition, the game offers players three types of tournaments with the goal to climb in the rankings on the Leader Board.

"Based on the success of our first Deal or No Deal PC game, we wanted to bring fans an entirely new Deal or No Deal experience,” said Steve Lux, Vice President of Business Development for 2K Play. “By going deep inside the Secret Vault, we've created a game that is the perfect holiday gift for fans of the show and casual gamers looking for a fun and unique gaming experience."

When the third season of the hit NBC TV show premiered this past September, an average of 10 million fans began tuning in weekly. The show remains an anchor of the network's fall lineup.

Rated E for Everyone, Deal or No Deal: Secret Vault Games is now available exclusively on the PC for a suggested retail price of $19.99. It is licensed in conjunction with the Joy Tashjian Marketing Group and was developed by Cat Daddy Games, a Take-Two development studio. For more information, please visit www.2kgames.com/2kplay.

MangaFighter video game launch in December

OnNet USA announced today that it will launch MangaFighter globally on December 3rd, 2007. MangaFighter, a revolutionary new online game, will offer players a fast-paced third-person shooter experience blended with anime-style characters and environments. MangaFighter features a high level of character customization, as well as unique offline skill cards which provide players with special effects for their characters.

The offline skill card sets, as well as complete sets of MangaFighter action figures, will be given away during this official launch period. The action figures, produced exclusively for the launch of this game, will be given to players randomly through various promotional events. Players who receive the skill cards, which are suitable for trading, will scratch off an area at the bottom of the cards to reveal codes which can then be used to give in-game characters special abilities.

"What happens when manga meets third-person shooters?" asked Jin Yong, producer of MangaFighter at OnNet USA. "We're eager to let our players find out."

MangaFighter was developed by OnNet Korea, under the title "QPang," and the localized version will be published by OnNet USA.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMING SERIES

Media Event to Kick Off 2007 World Final

Championship Gaming SeriesTM (CGS), the only worldwide professional gaming league will hold its inaugural World Final December 6-14 at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. At the highly-anticipated showdown, 12 top CGS teams from around the world will battle each other for their share of an unprecedented $1,000,000 total prize purse, of which $500,000 will go to the World Champion team.

In what will become an annual platform for the world’s best gamers to compete professionally, the inaugural CGS World Final will be broadcast on television to more than 350 million viewers by DIRECTV’s The 101 in the U.S., BSkyB’s Sky One, Sky Two and Sky HD in the UK, ESPN STAR Sports in Asia, SKY in Mexico and Brazil, DIRECTV throughout the rest of Latin America, and across mainland Europe via additional soon-to-be confirmed broadcast partners.

CGS WORLD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE

WHAT: Join CGS Commissioner/CEO Andy Reif and Eric Shanks, DIRECTV’S Executive Vice President of Entertainment as they share important league news and officially kick off the 2007 CGS World Final. They will discuss the latest pertaining to the World Final while also announcing exciting developments for the 2008 season. Additionally, both Andy and Eric will address audience questions and be available for one-on-one conversation immediately following the press conference.

WHO: Andy Reif, Commissioner and CEO, CGS
Eric Shanks, Executive Vice President, Entertainment, DIRECTV

WHEN: Thursday, December 6, 2007
2:30-4:00p PST

WHERE: Radisson Hotel (press conference) Sony Studios (event)
Playa Vista Meeting Room Sound Stage 29
6161 W. Centinela Ave. 10202 W. Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230 Culver City, CA 90232
310.649.1776 310.244.4000

CGS WORLD FINAL EVENT

WHAT: CGS World Final

WHEN: December 6-14

WHERE: Sony Studios

EVENT SCHEDULE:

December 6 (7:00p-10:00p PST): First round day 1
December 7 (7:00p-10:00p PST): First round day 2

December 8 (9:00A-1:00p PST): WoW:BC 2v2 CGS Championship (Competition will be webcast on thecgs.com)
December 9(12:00p-6:00p PST): Individual World Final (Competition will be webcast on thecgs.com)

December 10 (7:00p-10:00p PST): Quarterfinals day 1
December 11(7:00p-10:00p PST): Quarterfinals day 2
December 13(7:00p-10:00p PST): Semifinals
December 14(7:00p-10:00p PST): Final

CHAMPIONSHIP GAMING SERIES

Media Event to Kick Off 2007 World Final

Championship Gaming SeriesTM (CGS), the only worldwide professional gaming league will hold its inaugural World Final December 6-14 at Sony Studios in Los Angeles. At the highly-anticipated showdown, 12 top CGS teams from around the world will battle each other for their share of an unprecedented $1,000,000 total prize purse, of which $500,000 will go to the World Champion team.

In what will become an annual platform for the world’s best gamers to compete professionally, the inaugural CGS World Final will be broadcast on television to more than 350 million viewers by DIRECTV’s The 101 in the U.S., BSkyB’s Sky One, Sky Two and Sky HD in the UK, ESPN STAR Sports in Asia, SKY in Mexico and Brazil, DIRECTV throughout the rest of Latin America, and across mainland Europe via additional soon-to-be confirmed broadcast partners.

CGS WORLD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE

WHAT: Join CGS Commissioner/CEO Andy Reif and Eric Shanks, DIRECTV’S Executive Vice President of Entertainment as they share important league news and officially kick off the 2007 CGS World Final. They will discuss the latest pertaining to the World Final while also announcing exciting developments for the 2008 season. Additionally, both Andy and Eric will address audience questions and be available for one-on-one conversation immediately following the press conference.

WHO: Andy Reif, Commissioner and CEO, CGS
Eric Shanks, Executive Vice President, Entertainment, DIRECTV

WHEN: Thursday, December 6, 2007
2:30-4:00p PST

WHERE: Radisson Hotel (press conference) Sony Studios (event)
Playa Vista Meeting Room Sound Stage 29
6161 W. Centinela Ave. 10202 W. Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230 Culver City, CA 90232
310.649.1776 310.244.4000

CGS WORLD FINAL EVENT

WHAT: CGS World Final

WHEN: December 6-14

WHERE: Sony Studios

EVENT SCHEDULE:

December 6 (7:00p-10:00p PST): First round day 1
December 7 (7:00p-10:00p PST): First round day 2

December 8 (9:00A-1:00p PST): WoW:BC 2v2 CGS Championship (Competition will be webcast on thecgs.com)
December 9(12:00p-6:00p PST): Individual World Final (Competition will be webcast on thecgs.com)

December 10 (7:00p-10:00p PST): Quarterfinals day 1
December 11(7:00p-10:00p PST): Quarterfinals day 2
December 13(7:00p-10:00p PST): Semifinals
December 14(7:00p-10:00p PST): Final

Giveaway games portal - £8,000 Christmas cash - £350 a day!


Users can win £350* a day through online advent calendar

Christmas is nearly here and what better way to start December than win yourself some instant cash to buy all those Christmas presents.

alaplaya (www.alaplaya.eu) – an online games portal - is celebrating getting over 100,000 gamers signed-up on the site since its launch three months ago. Registered users will have the chance to win £350 every day before Christmas by simply opening the correct alaplaya advent calendar day.** Those who are not lucky enough to win each day’s big prize, can still win some great, smaller prizes and no-one will log-off empty handed.

The portal is also turning into a winter wonderland with its main games – ‘Audition’, a dance battle; ‘FantasyTennis’; and ‘Come On Baby’, a fast adventure game – being kitted out with all the latest Christmas accessories and outfits for your in-game character.

Demonstrating the graphics you’d expect on a console, the free, manga style games are suitable for all ages and levels, making it hard to resist getting into the alaplaya Christmas spirit. Gamers can swap tips, share Christmas greetings and hang out online on the portal, as well as challenge each other to dance-offs, tennis tournaments and crazy adventures. What more could you want at Christmas?

Get into the festive spirit now: www.alaplaya.eu


Or check out the alaplaya games trailers at: www.sevenload.com/alaplaya

City of Heroes, Allowing Players to Turn Back Time in Issue 11


NCsoft® Europe, the world’s leading developer and publisher of online computer games, today announced the release of City of Heroes® “Issue: 11: A Stitch in Time,” a free expansion for current subscribers, which provides players new content including the ability for heroes and villains to travel back in time to participate in world-altering missions as well as a weapon customization tool, two new power sets and enhancements to the inventions system.

The City of Heroes title, of which NCsoft recently took sole percent ownership, has included 11 free major content expansions to the game and a retail expansion with the 2005 release of City of Villains™. Issue 11 offers new ways for players to tackle the comic-book styled adventures in Paragon City™ and the Rogue Isles™ while adding new depth and features.

The headline feature of Issue 11 is the ability to “flashback” in time to participate in exciting events from the history of Paragon City and the Rogue Isles. Issue 11 introduces the mysterious Menders of Ouroboros, which gives players the ability to travel through time to embark on historic quests including a hero mission that prevents the Circle of Thorns from unleashing a devastating demon on a defenseless world (a story which was originally presented in the City of Heroes comic book). Additionally, villains will be able to travel through time to assist Lord Recluse™ in his initial campaign to conquer the Rogue Isles.

Heroes and villains can also use the “flashback” abilities to play or replay hundreds of missions from earlier in the game. Players will be able to set mission parameters to earn special badges and participants’ levels will be set appropriately to ensure that the challenge of each story-arc remains constant.

“The ‘flashback’ feature is an innovative feature that gives players an opportunity to participate in huge story-lines and opens up missions they enjoyed previously,” said Matt Miller, NCsoft’s lead designer for City of Heroes and City of Villains. “This gives the game greater depth and many more challenges.”
Issue 11 also adds two new power sets, Dual Blades and Willpower. Willpower, which is available to Tankers, Scrappers, Brutes and Stalkers, offers a strong mix of resistance, defense and regeneration powers, allowing these characters to shake off pain continue battling.

The Dual Blades set allows heroes and villains hold blunt or bladed weapons in each hand to deliver devastating attacks using the new ‘combo’ combat system. The Dual Blades are available to Brutes, Scrappers, Stalkers and Tankers.

The Dual Blades are also featured in the new weapons customization tool added to the game’s lauded costume creator. With Issue 11, players who use an assault rifle, bow, broadswords, claws, villain claws, dual blades, a katana, a ninja blade, a mace, pulse rifle or dual pistols can change their weapons the same way they change their costume pieces. Using the weapons customization interface in the costume creation tool, players can select from a variety of weapons appropriate to their respective power sets.

“The players have been craving features like this and we are happy that we are able to deliver on their desires,” Miller said. “The NCsoft City of Heroes team is 100 percent dedicated to creating new adventures and continuing to build the game. This is the most successful comic-book based game on the market and we will work hard to keep it that way.”

Issue 11 also includes new inventions sets including “very rare” purple sets, and a new invention set for taunt, buff and debuff powers.

To join in the comic-book themed adventures, players can purchase the City of Heroes “Good Versus Evil Edition” game pack at retailers across Europe, which includes complete City of Heroes and City of Villains games, as well as a set of exclusive bonus items. Customers receive the first month of play free and both games can be played for the single monthly subscription price of £8.99 / €12.99.

For more information about City of Heroes, go to http://eu.cityofheroes.com .

co

Namco Bandai Website goes International


Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe (NBGE) today announced the release of the multi-language version of its official website www.namcobandaigames.eu.

The website is now available in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. The website contains the latest corporate and product information with official announcements added in the future as they come. Other features include exclusive downloadable contents, online surveys and many more.

For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games, its products and services, visit www.namcobandaigames.eu

Hard Rock Casino video game - open for business


After a slight hiccup earlier this month, Oxygen Games is overjoyed to announce that Hard Rock Casino for the PlayStation 2 entertainment system will definitely be in shops from tomorrow, 30th November.

With action spanning across multiple casino environments, all of the casinos and games are presented in true 3D with multiple camera angles showing off the gaming floor, as well as presenting the action in a television broadcast style.

Players may test their talents with more than 20 different casino games, including:
• Table Games: BlackJack, Roulette, Craps, Baccarat, Casino War, Pai Gow Poker, Fortune Pai Gow Poker, Big Raise Hold'Em and Let It Ride
• Slot Machines: Multi-Win Slots, Traditional Slots, Progressive Slots, Video Poker, Video Keno and Video Slots
• Poker Room: No Limit Texas Hold'em, Limit Texas Hold'em, 7 Card Stud, 5 Card Draw and Omaha
• Race and Sports betting, where bets can be placed on real time sports playing on overhead screens. These include: Football, Hockey, Basketball and Horse Racing

Game Modes include:
• Adventure Mode - Create a character and explore the Hard Rock Casino. As the player progresses through different games, s/he is presented with a series of goals and challenges that must be completed in order to advance and unlock more casinos
• QuickPlay - Randomly generates a character to play and allows the player to select any of the unlocked casinos to play in. Any of the casino games may be played for fun or for practise
• Tournaments – These are set up in a heat format so that the player often has to finish in the top three to advance to the next round. Some heats are time-based; players with the most money at the end of the time limit will advance. Other heats are based on a number of rounds or hands

In addition, sophisticated tutorials are available, giving give basic instructions, winning strategies and Hard Rock insider tips for each game.

Experience high stakes areas, invitation-only tournaments, and many unlockable upgrades for your character with Hard Rock Casino, for PlayStation®2 – in store from Friday, November 30th.

World Championship Poker 2 video game released


Following the unprecedented success of its World Championship Poker title for PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Oxygen Games™ has great pleasure in confirming that its sequel - World Championship Poker 2: All In, for Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, will be in the shops from tomorrow – November 30th.

Boasting an extensive feature set and designed specifically to make full use of the capabilities of the Xbox 360™, this Next-Gen title features even more varieties of poker, plus multi-table online tournaments and intuitive AI. In addition, the game includes extra personalities, more game environments and Xbox®Live compatibility with webcam support**.

Features:
• 14 poker variants including: Texas Hold'em, Five-Card Stud, Deuce-to-Seven, Triple Draw, Razz
• In-game tutorials for each variant
• Games may be played on or offline
• Create unique avatars to represent yourself through your career
• Likenesses, play styles and signature personality traits of six of the world’s best professional poker players, all with enhanced and dynamic personality traits
• Webcam support**
• Enhanced AI and character animations
• Hone skills with Scenario Play
• Multi-table online tournaments
• Mixed games
• Switchable third/first-person TV modes
• Poker rule customisation
• Reputation system
• All-new gaming environments
• Continuous career mode, simulating the career choices of your emerging poker pro
• Dynamic bluff and tell system - expanded to include player versus player interactions

World Championship Poker 2: All In also makes excellent use of Xbox®Live Leaderboards and Xbox®LiveVision, giving players the ability the see their opponents as they play.**

The talent :
• Howard Lederer
• Annie Duke
• Robert Williamson III
• Marcel Luske
• Thomas Bihl
• Erin Ness
• Commentary by Matt Savage, the world's foremost poker tournament director

Game at a glance:
• Single Player mode: Quick Play, Career and Scenario
• Multiplayer mode: Rank, Player Match, and Quick Play. Any of these may be Tournament games
• 1-8 Players (Non-Tournament) and 1-16 Players (Tournament)
• Six new themed poker environments in which to host the action, with multi-table online tournament capabilities
• Choose where you want to play: Casino locations, with 8 player tables, have a dealer; pad locations, with 6 player tables, allow the player to deal
• Choose the total number of players at the table - up to 200 people competing at any one time in a tournament!
• New set of venues opened for play each week, with different game types available to enter; tournaments, invitationals, side games and private games.
• Four private pads to upgrade to. Each in turn may be upgraded with new furniture and prizes, which are viewable by other players when you host online games!
• Buy items for your pad from the Pawn shop…or sell them back. Even take out a loan; however, failure to pay it back will result in your items being repossessed
• Unlockable additional pre-defined gameplay scenarios as you advance through your career

Want to play with the big boys? Reserve your seat at the high stakes tables now! World Championship Poker 2: All In, for Xbox 360™, will be in the shops from November 30th.

** Requires Xbox®LiveVision and appropriate hardware to be installed on players’ consoles

Blu-ray format dominating in Europe


HD 300 and Bond - Casino Royale top titles

The Blu-ray format is outselling rival HD DVD in Europe, accounting for 73 per cent of all HD movies sold.

According to the Blu-ray Disc Association European Promotions Committee, sales recently broke the 1 million barrier. That's not counting PlayStation 3 games, which adds another 20 million units to Blu-ray disc production for sale in Europe.

HD DVD was developed by Toshiba, while Sony backs the Blu-ray standard. Microsoft's Xbox 360 offers an add-on HD DVD movie player; Blu-ray disc playback is standard in every model of Sony's PS3.

Of the high definition movie discs bought by consumers so far this year in Europe, 73 per cent were in the Blu-ray Disc format and 27 per cent were HD DVD, according to sales data provided by Media Control Gfk International.

The Blu-ray Disc Association said the best-selling titles in the Blu-ray format were 300, Casino Royale, Spider-Man 3 and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

In the US, Blu-ray disc movies had outsold HD DVD movies by almost two-to-one during the first nine months of 2007 according to Home Media Research.

Heroes producer signs for Games Developer Conference 2008

Radical Entertainment also join February event

Heroes producer Jesse Alexander is the latest creative to sign for next year's Game Developers Conference.

Alexander, who worked on the Alias and Apocalypse videogames before working on the hit TV series, will discuss working within a team on serialised content.

Also joining the GDC line-up are Eric Holmes and Tim Bennison of Radical Entertainment to discuss their new original IP Prototype.

The Game Developers Conference takes place February 18 – 22, in San Francisco.

Source: Games Industry

Guitar Hero video game tops Swedish charts


All four SKUs in top ten

Activision's Guitar Hero III has shot to the top of the Swedish multiformat charts, with all four SKUs in the top ten.

Other new entries in the top twenty are Microsoft's 360 exclusive Mass Effect at three and EA's Need for Speed Pro Street at number 11.

Super Mario Galaxy is the best-selling game on the Wii, while Nintendo favourites The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass and New Super Mario Bros are at one and two in the DS charts, respectively.

Electronic Arts holds the top three spots in the PC charts, with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Crysis and Need for Speed Pro Street.

The full charts for the Swedish market follow:

Multiformat

1. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (PS2)

2. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (360)

3. Mass Effect (360)

4. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)

5. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (Wii)

6. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock (PS3)

7. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)

8. Assassins Creed (360)

9. Singstar Svenska hits Schlager (PS2)

10. Assassins Creed (PS3)

11. Need for Speed Prostreet (PS2)

12. Need for Speed Prostreet (PS3)

13. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360)

14. Crysis (PC)

15. High School Musical: Sing It! (PS2)

16. Need for Speed Prostreet (360)

17. Need for Speed Prostreet (PC)

18. Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)

19. World of Warcraft (PC)

20. The Sims 2 Tonårsprylar (PC)



PC

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

2. Crysis

3. Need for Speed Prostreet

4. Unreal Tournament 3

5. World of Warcraft

6. The Sims 2 Tonårsprylar

7. En riktig jul - Julkalendern 2007

8. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade

9. Counter-Strike 1: Anthology

10. The Sims 2 Jorden Runt

PlayStation 2

1. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

2. Singstar Svenska hits Schlager

3. Need for Speed Prostreet

4. High School Musical: Sing It!

5. Buzz: The Hollywood Quiz

6. Singstar Svenska hits

7. FIFA 08

8. Buzz: The Mega Quiz

9. The Simpsons

10. GTA San Andreas


PlayStation 3

1. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

2. Assassins Creed

3. Need for Speed Prostreet

4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

5. Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction

6. FIFA 08

7. NHL 08

8. Rainbow Six Vegas

9. Lego Star Wars 1 & 2 The Complete Saga

10. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008


Xbox 360

1. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

2. Mass Effect

3. Assassins Creed

4. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

5. Need for Speed Prostreet

6. Halo 3

7. Ace Combat 6 Fires of Liberation

8. NHL 08

9. Gears of War

10. FIFA 08


Wii

1. Super Mario Galaxy

2. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

3. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
4. Rayman Raving Rabbids

5. Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess

6. Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

7. The Simpsons

8. Rayman Raving Rabbids 2

9. Table Tennis

10. Lego Star Wars 1 & 2 The Complete Saga


Nintendo DS


1. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

2. New Super Mario Bros

3. Mario Party DS

4. Lego Star Wars 1 & 2 The Complete Saga

5. Pokémon Diamond

6. Bilar

7. Pokémon Pearl

8. Mario Kart DS

9. The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer

10. Nintendogs: Dalmatian & Friends


PSP

1. Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters

2. Silent Hill Origins

3. The Simpsons

4. Tekken Dark Resurrection

5. FIFA 08

6. GTA Vice City Stories

7. Daxter

8. Need for Speed Underground Rivals

9. Crash of the Titans

10. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Virtual Games Console sales generate $33 million


Wii download service becomes lucrative business model

Nintendo has said that the Virtual Console service for Wii has so far generated JPY 3.5 billion (USD 33 million / EUR 22.3 million) for the company.

Shinji Hatano, licensing director for Nintendo, revealed the figure during a recent press conference to mark a collaboration with NTT for broadband internet access for the home console, reports IGN.

According to Nintendo, 7.8 million items have been downloaded over the service, which offers old games from Nintendo and other publisher's back catalogues, priced between EUR 5 and EUR 10.

Dragon Quest video game No1 in top ten that shifts almost 1.5 million units in a week


As nine new entries hit the Japanese software chart, the game-buying public snapped up 1.44 million new titles that made up just the top ten last week.

According to data from Media Create for the sales week ending November 25 Dragon Quest IV saw one of the biggest releases of the year, selling 597,000 copies in its first week and going straight in at number one.

The latest Winning Eleven title from Konami took second and third places for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 respectively - the former outsold the latter by two to one, although the install base of the PS3 is of course still much smaller at this point.

Other notable new entries to make the top ten included Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess for the PlayStation 2 - only making fifth place with 68,000 units - and Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games in sixth.

Mario Party DS was the only survivor from last week's top ten - it held steady in fourth position.

The Xbox 360 editions of Winning Eleven and Final Fantasy XI both made the top 30, in 18th and 26th positions respectively.

The full top ten is as follows:

1. Dragon Quest IV (DS)
2. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS2)
3. World Soccer Winning Eleven 2008 (PS3)
4. Mario Party DS (DS)
5. Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess (PS2)
6. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
7. Dinosaur King: The Seven Fragments (DS)
8. Mega Man Star Force 2: Berserk × Shinobi (DS)
9. Mega Man Star Force 2: Berserk × Dinosaur (DS)
10. Pachinko Assassin III: Iron Pachi-Chonmage 13 (PS2)

Thursday, November 29, 2007

FANTASY WARS - video game update


PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR DEADLY BATTLES AND VICIOUS TERRITORIAL STRUGGLE

Tensions ripple throughout the land of Eolia as human and orc armies prepare to clash in a ferocious battle for precious territory. Unresolved internal struggles have erupted into an unavoidable war of impending death and destruction.

Monstrous orc leader, Ugraum Grableg, paces his kingdom, roaring at Besargar to organise the orc army into the strongest and deadliest force in the land. The orcs show no fear as they sharpen their weapons, practice their battle formations, and prepare to tear humans limb from limb, satisfying their taste for flesh.

In Derenhalle, brave Derrick Pfeil summons his gallant human troops for what will be the war to end all wars. As they polish their armour and hone their carefully chosen weapons, wagers are placed on which blade will spill the most orc blood. The courageous and noble humans are more than ready to confront the terrifying enemy that awaits them. What the humans lack in physical size and strength, Pfeil knows they will make up in cunning and speed.

The clatter of armour, the clash or swords, and the spine tingling war cries echo throughout the land of Eolia. Battle is about to commence.

Take cover.

Fantasy Wars is a turn based battle strategy game for PC from Ascaron Entertainment. Undertake campaigns and missions as either the humans or orcs (later unlocking the elf army). Complete set objectives to claim victory in your mission and defeat the opposing enemy. The faster you complete your goals, the higher your skill in commanding an army.

www.fantasywars-thegame.com

Fast facts:

Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / Nobilis

Web: www.Ascaron.com

Developer: Ino’Co / 1C

Release date: February 2008

PEGI: 12+

Format: PC

Genre: Turn-based Strategy

Race Driver: GRID rom the creators of Video games - Colin McRae: DiRT and Race Driver


Race Driver: GRIDTM confirmed as official title for intense new racing experience coming mid 2008 from the creators of Colin McRae: DiRTTM and Race DriverTM series.

Codemasters® today announced Race Driver: GRID™ as the full and official title for the game introduced under the working title of Race Driver One. Race Driver: GRID is the new racing experience from Codemasters Studios, creators of Colin McRae: DiRT™ and the Race Driver™ series, and is set to deliver a step-change in the racing genre.

Coming mid 2008, Race Driver: GRID is set to capture every moment from the starting grid to the chequered flag and concentrate those moments into an intense and dramatic race experience. Race Driver: GRID is being developed for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®.

"Race Driver: GRID is all about the race." said Gavin Raeburn, Executive Producer at Codemasters Studios. "The next iteration of our DiRT engine combined with a decade of experience in developing driving games enables us to put the player at the centre of the action like never before. Damage, packed grids, intelligent opposition and unprecedented race day atmosphere will combine to deliver an experience like no other.

Says Ralph Fulton, Chief Game Designer. "GRID focuses on everything that happens between the start grid and the chequered flag: the drama, the rivalries, the aggression and the crashes. This is not a game about collecting cars or spending all of your time in the front-end tuning suspension settings or designing liveries. We want to make racing exciting again."

Race Driver: GRID will take players to beautifully realised and dramatic race locations over three continents to compete in an unprecedented variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars – new and classic, circuit and drift – players will compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships and then go beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, through to road events and urban street races.

In Europe, race gamers will compete on the greatest official tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani.

Iconic cities across the U.S. – including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit and each with their own atmosphere and events – play hosts to diverse street races. Here, high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive closely fought pack competitions.

In the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, take drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There is also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama.

Race Driver: GRID is coming mid 2008 for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows. To register for future driver briefings and get a place on the grid, be sure to visit www.codemasters.co.uk/grid

Astraware additional mobile game smartphone support


Astraware, currently participating in the UIQ Fast Track event in Budapest, is excited to announce support for an additional mobile software platform.

In the first quarter of 2008 a selection of Astraware's own games and popular licensed titles will be released for the Symbian UIQ platform.

"The whole Astraware team is excited to be supporting such a progressive and media-rich platform," said John Phillips, Astraware's Vice President of Business Development. "UIQ continues to improve the user experience with every release of their platform, and we are sure that our games will engage the user as much as the UIQ platform engages developers."

Astraware has been working on adding Symbian to its list of supported platforms for some time and now has several games in the pipeline. Using their expertise in touchscreen and non-touchscreen control methods, Astraware's games will support both touchscreen UIQ devices like the Sony Ericsson P1i and non-touchscreen handsets such as Motorola's highly acclaimed multimedia phone, the Z8.

"Astraware’s portfolio of quality games and applications is impressive, and we are happy to see them porting more and more great titles to the UIQ platform," commented Naresh Chouhan, Head of Developer Programs at UIQ Technology. "This will broaden UIQ phone users’ choice of add-on software, of course, but it will also lead the way for other mobile software companies to see and grasp the opportunities in UIQ."

For more information about Astraware and their games, visit their website at http://www.astraware.com.

Alienware And Intel Launch Hyperblast online video game


Alienware and Intel, providers of cutting-edge gaming technology and hardware have collaborated to bring you Hyperblast – a scintillating, sc-fi themed web game. Hyperblast lets players race and blast their way through a virtual, 3-D space track to win some stunning prizes.

Featuring a weekly draw for exclusive Hyperblast t-shirts, players who push it to the limit and complete the final track will also be eligible to enter the grand prize draw to win a fully loaded Alienware Area-51® m9750 extreme gaming notebook with Intel Core 2 Duo processor worth £2,000!

Check it out at http://www.hyperblastgame.com

ABOUT HYPERBLAST!

Hyperblast provides three different futuristic tracks on which players must race against tenacious AI drones. Tactically the player may avoid enemy drones for an optimum lap time or use one of several power-ups available to destroy the opposition for bonus points.

Progressive tracks become even more challenging but fortunately the player can upgrade with Intel multi-core technology to become more powerful and destructive – necessary for competitive high scores – just like real life!


MULTIPLAYER HYPERBLAST!

Find out who’s top dog in the office. League functionality is built into the game enabling groups of friends or colleagues to compete against each other in their own private Hyperblast league.

IMPORTANT FACTS
Qualifying for the Quad Core track unlocks weekly prize draw of 20 Hyperblast t-shirts.
Completing the Extreme Edition track unlocks the Alienware Area-51 m9750 notebook grand prize draw.
Multiplayer league functionality.
Cutting-edge 3-D Flash web game
http://www.hyperblastgame.com

THE NITTY GRITTY

Hyperblast requires Adobe Flash 9 and is compatible with all major web browsers. Due to the 3D graphics the game is more processor intensive than many web games and runs best on an Intel Core 2 family processor. The competition is open to residents of European Union member states, Norway and Switzerland. The grand prize draw will be held on 29th February 2008. Entrants must provide email details to enter prize draws and winners will be notified via email. Further communications are on a strict opt-in basis.

Full terms and conditions are available here:

http://www.hyperblastgame.com/terms.php?lang=en

Build-A-Bear Workshop and Bratz Ponyz 2 video Game Factory 2008 Nintendo DS releases


Two hot new kids properties announced for 2008 on Nintendo DS!

The Game Factory today announced two hot new titles to kick off their 2008 European line-up. The Build-A-Bear Workshop game will release in the UK in March, followed by the pan-European release of Bratz Ponyz 2™ in the summer. Both games will be available for the Nintendo DS.

Bratz Ponyz 2™ follows the huge global success of the original game. Based around the glamorous, glitter filled world of the hippest horses around, the game will feature enhanced simulation aspects of gameplay, and utilize the wireless function of the Nintendo DS.

The Build-A-Bear Workshop game will give young gamers the chance to virtually personalise a furry friend of their liking, living in its very own Cub Condo®. Players will name, brush and care for their furry friend, buy virtual clothes and accessories, and unlock mini games. Building on the success of the 300+ Build-A-Bear Workshop stores worldwide, The Game Factory will give gamers a chance to fully interact with their furry friend just like a Guest in the real-world stores.

In the Build-A-Bear Workshop game, gamers will be able to –

  • Choose, stuff, stitch, dress, name and play with their beary own 3D furry friend

  • Pick from over 100 outfits and accessories

  • Trade outfits, pictures and play games wirelessly with other DS gamers

  • Play 4 themed mini games

  • Explore 5 play areas packed with cool activities

  • Win virtual money to buy additional accessories and clothes

  • Enjoy fully rendered 3D graphics

  • Use touch screen and microphone capabilities


The Build-A-Bear Workshop game will release on Nintendo DS in the UK Easter 2008.

Bratz Ponyz 2™ will be released on Nintendo DS across Europe in Summer 2008.

Xbox 360 Greatest video games Release Schedule Ever


2007 offers Xbox 360 owners the greatest range of games yet

2007 will be a year to remember for Xbox 360 players – a packed release schedule offers a wide range of incredible titles including exclusive, genre-defining games such as Blue Dragon (Microsoft Game Studios - MGS), Project Gotham Racing 4 (MGS), Naruto Rise of a Ninja (Ubisoft), Viva Piñata: Party Animals (MGS), Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation (Namco Bandai Games) and Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action (MGS), not to mention some of the highest scoring games of all time in the form of BioShock (2K Games), Mass Effect (MGS), The Orange Box (EA) and the legendary Halo 3 (MGS), all of which have already been released or are set to arrive before the end of the year.

From the end of summer to the festive period, Xbox 360 boasts over 60 new releases contributing to a portfolio of over 300 high-definition titles.

Two of the most epic adventures of the year arrived in August in Blue Dragon and BioShock. Role-playing game Blue Dragon casts players as Shu, a young boy, who with a party of four must battle the evil that has invaded their world, controlling phantom shadow creatures ranging from Minotaur, to phoenix and of course, dragon.

BioShock is a “genetically-enhanced” first person shooter that lets players do things never before possible in the genre, in the unique art deco world of Rapture, an underwater utopia torn apart by civil war.

September and October were the hottest months since records began seeing the release of the epic Halo 3 and the turbocharged Project Gotham Racing 4.

Halo 3, the third and final chapter in the “Halo trilogy” smashed day-one entertainment sales records when it launched in September with players finally getting the chance to take Master Chief™ into his most crucial battle yet.

October saw Project Gotham Racing 4 return with another garage-full of the world’s most iconic cars. A brand new dynamic weather system makes for an even more exhilarating experience.

Football fans are enjoying a season of highlights on Xbox 360 with the release of FIFA 08 at the end of September and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 at the end of October.

FIFA 08 brings you closer to the action than ever before with new Pro Skills moves that increase user-control by enabling you to combine tricks and skill moves together to recreate signature moves from the real-world superstars, the new Be A Pro: Offline Training mode, and even greater depths of authenticity, while Konami’s latest edition to the multi-million-selling Pro Evolution Soccer series returns as PES 2008, boasting a proprietary AI system, all new moves and set pieces - and even more realism than ever. PES 2008’s rosters of licensed players enjoy a wide range of flicks, nutmegs, and set-pieces, while the less savoury elements of the game appear in the form of shirt-pulling, ugly fouls and diving.

November offers something for everyone. Mass Effect, the science-fiction action-role playing game offers a whole galaxy full of difficult decisions to make as players lead an elite team to bring down a rogue agent.

Sociable fun is also on the cards - both Viva Piñata: Party Animals and Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action offer their own unique blend of party play – Viva Piñata: Party Animals putting the colourful piñatas into a succession of addictive mini games and Scene It? offering a host of movie-related trivia to answer.

Naruto Rise of a Ninja kick flips into November featuring the perfect blend of adventure, platforming and fighting and enables fans of the show to challenge fellow gamers on Xbox LIVE®.

Finally, top guns will fulfil their aviation dreams in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, thrusting players into the heat of realistic air combat.

The review scores garnered by many of these titles have been astounding, confirming the excellence of the Xbox 360 line up. Halo 3’s score of 94 at Metacritic and 93 at Gamerankings makes it the perfect conclusion to the Halo trilogy, arriving just weeks after BioShock which wowed critics, scoring 96 and 95 at Metacritic and Gamerankings respectively.

Just when review scores looked like they couldn’t get any higher The Orange Box arrived - five innovative games from Valve®, creators of the blockbuster Half-Life franchise, in one action-packed box - scoring an astonishing 96 point average at both Metacritic and Gamerankings. Finally, Mass Effect is the most recent Xbox 360 release to garner 90+ review averages claiming 93 at both sites and rounding off simply the greatest portfolio of video games ever seen. *

These unprecedented scores demonstrate exactly why Xbox 360 continues to hold the record for highest games attach rate across the globe, at 6.3 games sold per console. With life-to-date sales of 13.4 million consoles worldwide this represents incredible software sales.

BioShock, Blue Dragon, Project Gotham Racing 4, Naruto Rise of a Ninja, Viva Piñata: Party Animals, Mass Effect, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action, FIFA 08, PES 2008, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, The Orange Box and Halo 3 spearhead the unparalleled selection of Xbox 360 titles that players will be able to enjoy this year.

“This year’s line up of titles on Xbox 360 is without doubt the strongest I have seen, offering incredible Microsoft-published titles such as Blue Dragon, PGR 4, Viva Piñata Party Animals, Mass Effect, Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action and Halo 3, and incredible exclusives from our partners such as BioShock, Naruto Rise of a Ninja and Ace Combat 6. It’s an amazing year for Xbox 360 players,” said Michael Newey, Group Product Marketing Manager, Microsoft.

*Score averages correct as of 21/11/07

1 on 1 Counter Strike video game tournament


Sennheiser QCUP at Dreamhack

QPAD, Sennheiser, Samsung and XFX are proud to present the Sennheiser QCUP at Dreamhack winter between 29 November to 1 December. All visitors at Dreamhack will have the chance to compete on the legendary 1on1 QTOUR Championship stage, visited by some of the best gamers in the world. Sennheiser QCUP is and open tournament and will decide who’s the best aimer at Dreamhack winter 2007.

Sennheiser QCUP
Sennheiser QCUP is a 1 on 1 Counter Strike aim tournament with 160 players participating in 3 qualifiers. The 3 qualifiers will resolve into eight players for the grand final at saturday playing a single elimination bracket best out of 3 rounds and first to 10 wins the round.(with a 2 points difference) The matches will be played on aim_qpad_2007 tournament map, same as we used in the famous QTOUR Championship.

Great prizes
The Sennheiser QCUP champion will leave Dreamhack with 500 euro in cash, Sennheisers new headset PC 350, XFX 8800GTS 320MB Fatal1ty graphic card, Samsung 22” widescreen LCD screen and products from partners and QPAD.

Sennheiser QCUP Schedule:

Thursday 29/11
64 player qualifier. Signup and matches starts at 12:00
Nr 1, 2 and 3 will go to the grand final

Friday 30/11
64 player qualifier. Signup and matches starts 12:00
Nr 1, 2 and 3 will go to the grand final

Saturday 1/12
32 player qualifier. Signups and matches starts 12:00
Nr 1 and 2 will go to the grand final that starts at 18:00

The Sennheiser QCUP grand finals will be played at saturday 1 of december starting at 18:00 inside the QPAD/Sennheiser booth. Signups to the pre-qualifiers will take place 10 minutes before the start of the qualifiers each day!

Who is the best individual aimer at Dreamhack winter 2007? Stay tuned... That's what we are going to find out!

Dreamhack
The Sennheiser QCUP will take place at Dreamhack in Jönköping, Sweden. DreamHack is the world's largest LAN-party, demoparty and computer festival! Last winter Dreamhack checked in 10,638 people!! DreamHack is focused on everything you can do with computers: a lot of gaming and communication. Programming, designing, music composing and whatever you can imagine! They organize a lot of large game tournaments.

Strategy First releases a video game vodcast with Panzer Killer's game Designer!

Strategy First presents a new vodcast featuring Panzer Killer's game Designer Pepe Moreno & Former Red Sox Pitcher Bill 'The Spaceman' Lee.

Software game publisher Strategy First, Inc. a subsidiary of Silverstar Holdings, presents a new Vodcast featuring an interview with Pepe Moreno, designer of the newly released tank action game Panzer Killer, as well as part 7 of the Bill Lee interview.

Join SFI as we continue our profile on one of Baseball’s most outspoken and revered players: Bill ‘The Spaceman’ Lee as he outlines his views as both a participant and a viewer. Just to be a little controversial we ask the All-Star pitcher his views on the Designated Hitter. Also, don’t miss designer Pepe Moreno talk about the new fast paced visually impressive title from Digital Fusion, Panzer Killer. .

“Pepe Moreno has been part of some of the biggest pop culture projects in the last 20 years. Bill Lee is a person that the longer you talk to him, the smarter you become. ”said Strategy First’s Business Development Manager, Emmanuel Wall.

You can view this month’s VodCast production at: http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/downloads/vodcast/

Online video games charitable game free download game

Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, Legacy Interactive and Animax Entertainment today launched The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures: Starlight Charity Challenge (http://www.tuttlesfamilygame.com), a casual platformer style downloadable videogame that pairs having a good time with doing good. Actors William Shatner, Bob Saget, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ashley Tisdale, Dominic Scott Kay, Dave Thomas and Dave Coulier contributed their voices to the animated game. Supporters can try the game at http://www.tuttlesfamilygame.com and purchase it for $19.99 with $15 of that amount going to Starlight to brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families.

"When you think of charity 'signature events,' it's usually races, walks and golf tournaments. Starlight wanted to do something innovative that reflects how people are having fun today. We learned that there are more than 85 million casual gamers in the US, a growing number of whom are women, 40 years and older. That's why we chose to design a national fundraising initiative around a casual videogame the whole family can play," said Patricia Evans, Vice President, Development, Starlight. "The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures gives anyone with Internet access the chance to have fun at home supporting our cause, without the typical barriers to supporting a traditional event, such as location, ticket price and hectic family schedules."
The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures is a hilarious arcade adventure game about a thoroughly modern family trying to bond on a road trip to see the Alamo. Bob Saget voices father Barry, Jamie Lee Curtis is mother Barbara, Ashley Tisdale plays teen daughter Jess, and Dominic Scott Kay voices young son Zach. Other characters include Dave Thomas as The Australian, Dave Coulier as The Islander and William Shatner as the voice of the souped-up mini van that transports the family.

The family-friendly game features:

  • An original comedic script and characters designed by Emmy Award-winning Animax Entertainment

  • 40 engaging levels of side-scrolling action

  • The ability to play as each of the four individual Tuttle family members, all with their own unique gameplay experiences

  • Six lushly rendered environments from desert to undersea

  • Flash-animated comic book style cut scenes and vignettes

  • More than 300 lines of dialogue featuring the voice-over talents of some of Hollywood's biggest names


The Tuttles Madcap Misadventures marks a return engagement for Dave Thomas and Starlight. In addition to being a well-known actor, writer and director, he's also creative director and co-founder of Animax Entertainment, which has a long history of working with Starlight. Animax developed the award-winning "Coping with Chemo" webisode series for the organization, and most recently helped redesign its online social network for seriously ill teens called Starbright World.

Starlight partnered with Legacy Interactive on the game's development and publishing. Legacy is contributing 75% of its proceeds from the game back to Starlight. The game is now available for download at http://www.tuttlesfamilygame.com (where it can also be purchased as a gift) and on multiple online gaming portals for a suggested retail price of U.S. $19.99. The per unit donation amount will vary based on individual distributor agreements. Additional information and press assets are available at http://www.tuttlesfamilygame.com.

Chessmaster Live video game released on Xbox Live


Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced that it is releasing Chessmaster LIVE on the Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

"Bringing the Chessmaster series to Xbox LIVE Arcade makes the game accessible to a whole new audience," said Peter Helm, business development associate at Ubisoft. "Chessmaster LIVE is not only a comprehensive chess program, but it is also one that has expanded beyond the traditional game to include exciting features for fans, both old and new."

Chessmaster LIVE will feature:
Hundreds of AI opponents to play in ELO-ranked matches
Voice-chat and LIVE Vision capabilities for head-to-head matches
New 3D chess sets inspired by luxury board designer, House of Staunton
Five original chess variants, including the all-new Message Chess option, which will allow players to engage in a match over the course of days, weeks or even months

Chessmaster LIVE will be available for download in January 2008.

Ubisoft will also be publishing Chessmaster for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, scheduled for a worldwide release in Spring 2008.

Flashpoint Germany Update


Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and On Target Simulations are happy to announce the release of a new update for Flashpoint Germany. This latest update comes with a handful of changes which include an improvement to browsing unit waypoints and a fixed memory leak in Windows Vista.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “This update illustrates our continuing support for released titles and our commitment to Vista compatibility for the future. Thanks to the efforts of the dedicated Flashpoint Germany team, gamers will be able to continue enjoying this game for years to come on the new Vista operating system.”

Rob Crandall of On Target Simulations added “This update is short but sweet and we’re more than happy to continue improving our product as gamers continue to enjoy Flashpoint Germany.”

Flashpoint Germany is a powder keg of a game, set in one of the most dangerous periods of the Cold War. The historical fall of the Berlin Wall, which heralded the fall of Communism throughout Europe, does not happen. Instead, the Soviet Union, knowing that collapse is on the horizon, decides to seek a military solution to their internal problems. The invasion of Western Europe by huge Soviet and Warsaw Pact armies threatens to overwhelm the desperate NATO forces that deploy to stem the tide. Will you choose to lead Mother Russia’s men and material to a victory that will see the Hammer and Sickle raised over the Rhine? Or will you take the grim task of commanding the small but capable NATO forces, looking to extract a high toll from the onrushing invaders? Regardless of outcome, this most likely will be the war to end all wars!

Get more information on Flashpoint Germany from its official Matrix Games webpage. This update is comprehensive and will bring Flashpoint Germany up to version 1.13.

ABOUT MATRIX GAMES
Matrix Games produces, markets and publishes historical wargames as well as other computer gaming products. Since 2000, Matrix Games has published over three dozen titles and several award-winning games, including War in the Pacific, Conquest of the Aegean, Gary Grigsby's World At War: A World Divided, Crown of Glory, Battles In Normandy, Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare, Starshatter: The Gathering Storm and The Operational Art of War III. Matrix Games is based in Staten Island, New York. For more information, visit the Matrix Games website at www.matrixgames.com.

Monster Ball: a new video game by Legless Lizard Games - free demos


Indie games developer Legless Lizard Games has just released Monster Ball, a new 3D arcade game for the PC. But is this yet another entry in a classic game type that has been around since the early 80's? Nope - it's an entirely new gameplay concept.

Monster Ball is a "snooker-em-up" - a challenging, brain-teasing and somewhat surreal action game with innovative and multi-layered gameplay. It's sort of like pool... but with monsters.

Monster Ball features colourful and attractive 3D graphics, over 150 waves of enemies to defeat, cunningly designed special achievements to aim for, and an adjustable difficulty level to suit all levels of player skill. Players can even save replays of their games.

Monster Ball is family-friendly, but that doesn't mean it's coated in saccharine. Monster Ball can be enjoyed by gaming fiends of all ages. What's more, the game is structured so that persistence will always bring progress - but to truly master the game, a player must become both skillful and adept at thinking on their feet.

A free demo of Monster Ball is available from the game's home page:

http://www.monsterballgame.com

There's a gameplay video there too, so the game can be seen in action right away.

Command new ships and crew of the release of pirates at Ocean's Edge video game simulator


Pirates at Ocean’s Edge™ is the latest expansion for Sony Online Entertainment’s Pirates Constructible Strategy Game™ Online created at the SOE Denver studio. Featuring new islands, seafaring monsters, and fathomless whirlpools, strategy players will skillfully navigate their ships to the Ocean’s Edge, where they will be tempted by uncharted territory, mounds of gold and thrilling adventures, all while fighting possible destruction and surprise!

• Uncover more than 100 new ships, such as the USS Constitution and the HMS Victoria and over 90 new crew members including Davy Jones and the Crimson Angel, as well as an excess of treasures for players to acquire and command
• Explore the enigmatic Skull Island or traverse one of the many other new and mysterious islands along the horizon
• Sail out into the deep blue sea - but watch out for the ferocious Titans, Giant Sharks, Sea Dragons or deadly whirlpools. You'd best be careful of what lurks out on the waters!
• Claim the sturdy Catamaran and swift Windcatcher ships for yourself and sail your way to victory, gold and glory

WHEN:
Pirates at Ocean’s Edge is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, November 28, 2007

WHERE:
www.piratescsgonline.com www.station.com

About Pirates Constructible Strategy Game Online
The Pirates Constructible Strategy Game (CSG) Online is a digital version of the successful and critically-acclaimed WizKids tabletop game, in which players use die-cut cards to build sloops, galleons and frigates, plundering the high seas in search of treasure. This online version is enhanced with cool visual effects, and players can build and customize fleets, explore islands and raid their fellow online buccaneers for their booty. The game also features real-time communication online, so players can trade treasure and ships to round out their collections

Atari video Games Arriving on Microsoft Xbox LIVE


Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe Available Now

Atari today announced that Asteroids® and Asteroids Deluxe® is now available on Xbox Live® Arcade, with three more beloved Atari Classics coming soon. With Asteroids® and Asteroids Deluxe®, Battlezone®, Tempest™ and Warlords®, Atari will deliver the same gaming sights, sounds and action as the original, as well as a new evolved version of games featuring enhanced graphics, sounds and special effects.

Atari and developer Stainless are giving gamers the best of both worlds with the Atari Classic and Evolved games; nostalgic fun with the original Classics and new gaming experiences with the Evolved versions featuring contemporary graphics and music, plus Achievements to unlock and the chance to boost their Gamerscores.

Asteroids and Asteroids Deluxe offers gamers the chance to rotate, thrust, flip, fire and launch into hyperspace as oncoming asteroids are blasted to smithereens just like in the 1979 original. The evolved version features the same frenetic gameplay with updated, beautifully rendered, high definition graphics.

Following this Christmas season will be Tempest, Battlezone, and Warlords. Maintaining the spirit of the original’s linear geometric rendering by using vector graphics, the evolved version of the cult-classic Tempest features a graphics overhaul. Using skill and an arsenal of weapons, gamers must clear a web of enemies before time runs out and advance to the next stage.

The classic Battlezone has received a serious overhaul and added exciting new multiplayer modes. Players can use the Xbox Live Camera to watch live video of their opponents. Combine these features with new special effects for weapon firing, impacts and explosions and Battlezone becomes one killer classic.

The multiplayer Warlords pits king versus king to resurrect the competitive spirit of arcade games from years gone by. Up to four players can join the action with Xbox Live Camera support and take control of their own castle, allowing for a variety of single- or multiplayer experiences.

Gamers can recall their old-school arcade skills in Emulation mode and experience these treasured games in all their historical glory. Mature trigger fingers can play the evolved versions of the same titles and experience the same core gameplay. Gamers of all levels can test their gaming prowess out with three different settings – Easy, Medium and Hard. For those who need a refresher on Classic Atari games, time-limited trial modes are available for all titles. These Atari Classics on Xbox LIVE Arcade support all Xbox 360 high definition resolutions up to 1080p as well as full-screen anti-aliasing and digital surround sound. Players can make the most of the Xbox LIVE service with leader boards and 12 achievements.

For more information on Atari and its entire product line-up please visit www.atari.com.