MySims Agents video game fact sheet

In MySims Agents players take on the role of a special agent on a mission to uncover and foil the sinister plans of Morcubus, the corrupt CEO of MorcuCorp. Players will search for clues and solve cases across the city and far beyond as they piece together his nefarious plans.

Armed with a set of increasingly sophisticated gadgets, players will track footprints, pick locks, hack into computers and do molecular forensics. They will jump, climb, balance and build their way to follow cases no matter where they lead, even taking a private jet to reach an ancient temple, a spooky mansion and an icy mountaintop chalet. Along the way they meet MySims they can recruit to build up their own team of agents, and unlock rare items they can use to deck out their headquarters.

Key Features
• Explore the world – explore your city and beyond, from a ski chalet on the top of an icy mountain to an ancient temple in the depths of the jungle.
• Solve mysteries – Use your wits, skills and trusty collection of gadgets to solve puzzling mysteries. Follow leads wherever they take you, whether it requires jumping, climbing, balancing, picking locks, or hacking into computers. All your sleuthing abilities are brought into play, from interrogation to forensics, from following footprints to fixing machines.
• Build your own team of Agents – Recruit MySims you meet along the way to come back to your headquarters and join your team. Send them out on missions to gather information and unlock rewards for you.
• Construct and customize – Deck out your headquarters with treasures from your adventures, customize it to look the way you want and equip it to maximize the skills of your team.

Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.
Developer: The Sims Studio
Ship Date: Fall 2009
Category: Mystery Adventure Game
Platforms: Nintendo Wii

LITTLEST PET SHOP Game for the Wii and Nintendo DS Offers Girls New Pets, New Adventures and New Stylized Graphics in a Fun Party Atmosphere

Electronic Arts announce that a big LITTLEST PET SHOP-style party is in-the-works for 2009 with the release of LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS on the Wii and Nintendo DS. The new game will center on party preparations as girls and their favourite pets get ready to celebrate. LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS will be brimming with new elements that girls love, from an all-new, adorable collection of pets and their pet best-friends, to a large array of customisable accessories, fun mini-games, and a deep story with all new adventures set in a vibrant world that features delightful new graphics.

Hot on the heels of EA’s successful LITTLEST PET SHOP releases in 2008, this latest game will also offer cooperative play as girls play together side-by-side.

“Girls are going to have a blast playing LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS because it is all about hanging out with their best friends as they share pet collections, discover new towns, and play mini-games together,” said Chip Lange, General Manager of EA’s Hasbro Division. “Our first wave of LITTLEST PET SHOP games performed exceptionally well and we have every confidence that LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS will take the franchise to the next level with regard to exciting new exploration, game play and ways to socially connect with friends.”

“EA continues to create new and innovative ways for girls to engage with LITTLEST PET SHOP, the #1 mini doll brand,” said Mark Blecher, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming at Hasbro, Inc. “LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS blends the brand’s appeal of collecting new pets with unique digital play and age-appropriate social interaction, setting up the ultimate party environment for LITTLEST PET SHOP fans.”

Both platforms of LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS will feature 16 new cute pets such as a peacock, Great Dane and lady bug. The Nintendo DS versions will also offer exclusive pets in each of the three games: LITTLEST PET SHOP CITY FRIENDS, LITTLEST PET SHOP COUNTRY FRIENDS and LITTLEST PET SHOP BEACH FRIENDS. Every pet has a bigger personality and special traits that help players navigate through the game and each pet has a best-friend who supplies the additional skills necessary to accomplish fun tasks or adventures. These engaging game elements help players to advance through the story and get a paw step closer to the big celebration.

Inspired by its tremendously popular toy brand counterpart, LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS allows girls to take their favourite pets on quirky, fun quests such as delivering party invitations, serving up cake and ice cream and gathering party decorations, all in preparation for the biggest LITTLEST PET SHOP party ever. LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS offers a few surprises such as an exciting mystery guest who flutters about, ready to make an appearance at the party, plus new unique gifts players can give to their pets.

In development at the EA Salt Lake Studio, the LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS games will launch in later this year.

Over 100 million user created creatures in SPORE universe

What do beaked coralfish, whimsical snow globes and intricate atom models all have in common? They are all pieces of content created by players of the critically-acclaimed video game, Spore. Today, Maxis, an Electronic Arts studio, announced that since launching the Spore Creature Creator in June 2008, Spore fans have created and uploaded 100 Million creations – an average of more than 307,000 daily – on the Sporepedia at www.spore.com, the Spore library of user-generated content.

The 100 Million represents a variety of uploaded creations including 31,017,761 Spore creatures – more than 19 times the number of known species on Earth. The creator of the 100 millionth creation may receive a NVIDIA GeForce 9800GT graphics card, Spore and the upcoming expansion pack Spore Galactic Adventures (Official Rules: http://www.spore.com/comm/contests/contestrules/hundredmillionrules). The 100 Millionth creation and the entire collection of player-generated content can be seen at the Sporepedia.

Spore is widely recognized as one of the first games to make user-generated content the central focus and let player creativity drive much of the humor and whimsy of the entertainment experience. Players’ signature creations are the beating heart of the Spore franchise. Though user-generated content is common in social networking sites, the Spore series has pioneered how this content is made, used and shared in video games. In the upcoming Spore Galactic Adventures, players will be able to take their customized content to the next level as they create their own Space Captain and use the Adventure Creator to create missions to play and share with other Spore players through the Sporepedia.

“This is a staggering milestone to have met in less than one year from the launch of Spore Creature Creator,” said Lucy Bradshaw, VP and General Manager at Maxis. “We continue to be astounded by the outrageous creations and incredible creativity that Spore players have poured into the Sporepedia, from lifelike animals to fantastical creatures and futuristic spaceships. We can’t wait to see the ingenuity our players reveal through the missions they create in Spore Galactic Adventures!”

In the coming months, the Spore franchise will introduce new games; Spore Galactic Adventures for PC and Mac, Spore Hero for Nintendo Wii and Spore Hero Arena for Nintendo DS. Spore Galactic Adventures, available June 23, is a highly-customizable expansion pack for Spore, adding a tremendous amount of variety and fun to the Space game. Players can beam down to planets for the first time ever, play Maxis-created Adventures and easily create customized missions. Available in fall 2009, Spore Hero, exclusive to the Wii and Spore Hero Arena for the Nintendo DS, catapult players into the role of a fully-customized hero creature fighting to save its planet.

To learn more about Spore or to download a free trial of the Spore Creature Creator, please visit www.spore.com. For screen shots or press materials about Spore, please visit http://info.ea.com.

Visceral Games the new name for Award - Winning EA Redwood Shores Studio

Electronic Arts announce that its award-winning EA Redwood Shores Studio has been renamed and rebranded Visceral Games to better reflect the studio’s culture, identity and focus on creating intense action-oriented intellectual properties.

Visceral Games is focused on developing best-in-breed action games with state-of-the-art technology, visuals, audio, gameplay and a relentless focus on excellence that spawned the breakthrough, award-winning franchise Dead Space.

The studio is currently working on the highly anticipated games, Dante’s Inferno and Dead Space: Extraction, and two other unannounced titles.

Visceral Games is part of the EA Games Label and is led by Vice President and General Manager Glen Schofield. The studio falls under the auspices of Senior Vice President Nick Earl who manages all Games Label studios in California including Maxis™, EALA and Pandemic™.

“Action, intensity, excellence. It isn’t just in our DNA, it’s in our blood,” said Glen Schofield, VP and GM of Visceral Games. “For the past two years, we have adopted a new culture that prizes excellence above all else. Primal action is the beating heart of the studio and now our new name reflects that.”

Visceral Games is located in Redwood Shores, California at the same site location as the EA corporate headquarters. The same location is also home to The Sims™ Studio. Visceral Games has a branch office in Melbourne, Australia. The two teams work in partnership to create the next generation of action games. For more information about Visceral Games, please visit: www.visceralgames.com.

Free online game Pogo announce its players’ worlds just got fun-sized with Pogo Minis

Electronic Arts free online games site Pogo.com announce that its players’ worlds just got ”fun-sized” – with the introduction of Pogo Minis.

The customisable avatars, are now available to the free games Pogo.com community; along with access to popular Club Pogo games and features such as Pogo Gems, items once reserved exclusively for the Club Pogo audience.

These new features have also launched on Pogo European sites in the UK (Pogo.co.uk), France (Pogo.fr) and Germany (Pogo.de). All content is localised and will have content customised for each site’s community.

Pogo Minis are online avatars that players can customise with hundreds of virtual backgrounds, outfits and goodies. These items can be acquired with tokens which are earned by playing games or players can deck out their Minis with animated backgrounds and virtual items (goodies) for an additional fee. These animated premium offerings can be attained with Pogo Gems, a convenient way to get premium content on the site.


Since the launch of Pogo Gems in 2006, members have customised their Pogo Mini’s with more than 30 million items to stylize their avatars in dynamic ways.

Access to select Club Pogo games can be acquired through “Club Pogo Premium Game Tickets” which are acquired with Pogo Gems. These “Game Tickets” give players access to a specific game in one, three or seven day increments. During that time, they will have access to the game, ad-free and will be able to unlock special items for their Pogo Mini. The first five games available for “Club Pogo Premium Game Tickets” are Canasta, Everyone Wins Bingo, Mahjong Garden, Pogo Addiction Solitaire and Tri-Peaks Solitaire.

“We wanted to extend the ability for all players to showcase their personality while giving them access to an even larger offering of games and features,” said Pogo. General Manager Michael Marchetti. “We’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our Club Pogo players about how much they love creating their online persona with Pogo Minis. It’s become a favourite way for players to express themselves and connect with other players in our passionate and tight knit community.”

Club Pogo members will continue to enjoy exclusive privileges including 24/7 access to all 40+ Club Pogo exclusive games, unlimited ad-free gameplay, access to exclusive content including Pogo Mini Pets and hundreds of badges, which are game rewards for completing online challenges. Players can join Club Pogo for a monthly fee of £4.99 or access for a year for £34.99.

Lord of the Rings games leave EA - variety say

Electronic Arts won't be publishing any more Lord of the Rings games, according to a Variety report.

The licensing deal expired at the end of last year and hasn't been renewed. Which means LOTR rights pass back to Warner Bros., and by extension, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.

"Based on logic and what some sources have told me, expect Warner Bros. to start producing Lord of the Rings games itself soon," wrote the Variety reporter. That could mean tie-ins for the Hobbit movies due on 2011 and 2012, for example.

EA still owns the Harry Potter game licence, and will make the tie-in for the final film - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - which is set to release in 2011.

Check this earlier gamezplay.org post...

Source: EuroGamer

EA to focus on fewer, better games in 2009...

The boss of Electronic Arts admitted a poor performance in 2008. Not enough gamers wanted to buy our games - John Pleasants told Forbes magazine.

Franchises like Dead Space and Mirror's Edge sales were disappointing.

EA have reduced by 20% the number of titles it is working on. The company will continue to cut costs (but not in marketing) this year.

Dead Space 2 is already confirmed - let's hope this makes a lot of dosh and EA can continue to provide great games.

Source: Forbes

Did EA rush Lord of the Rings - Conquest video game to beat the license expiring?

Saul Zaentz (the holders of the Lord of the Rings video games license) has told IncGamers that the recent EA Lord of the Rings Game was a 'sore point'.

The final approval of the product had 'obvious issues' - they said.

Lord of the Rings - conquest was released on 31st January on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC and was harshly criticised by reviewers.

Saul Zaentz have to make sure that the Lords of the Rings franchise and Tolkien estate are not a party to anything objectionable and that's what they made sure of.

The EA LotR license was about to expire and they may have 'cut corners' to beat the deadline.

The Sims 3 Content Creator Camp

The Sims 3 Content Creator Camp was held at The Sims Studio. EA played host to some of the most passionate and creative custom content creators for The Sims PC franchise and they were able to get hands-on with The Sims 3 and do what they do best—create custom content! Today we have a new video that gives you a behind the scenes look at the creator camp which included creators from Italy, France, Germany, Brazil, Korea and more.

Additionally we have a few more samples of the excellent creations that stemmed from the camp from elaborate lots to personalized furnishings. Hundreds of pieces of content were created to establish a robust set of user-created content for The Sims 3 players which will all be available at www.TheSims3.com on launch day June 2, 2009.

The Sims 3 Game Features

Create any Sims you can imagine and give them personalities! Design your ultimate Sim by choosing up to five traits and numerous body characteristics in the Create-a-Sim feature. Customize your Sims body type, facial features, hair styles, and more. Create an evil, handsome, ripped kleptomaniac that wreaks havoc on those around.

Control your Sims’ destinies. From a rock star or world leader to an expert thief, you choose whether or not to pursue the Lifetime Wish of your Sim. Choose whether to fulfill their destiny, giving them a lifetime of happiness and rewards—or not and be devious!

Customize everything! You are the designer! From clothing to houses, customize patterns, colors, or create any house you can imagine. Customize any aspect of your Sims' style…even down to the style and color of their shoes!

Be the Director of your Sims’ movies! Never before have you been able to make your own movie with a cast, a set, soundtrack, a story and editing without leaving the game. Now you can with the movie making mash up tool set. Make a movie and share it with the world!

Share like never before! Join The Sims 3 online community where you can show off your creations from Sims and houses to objects, movies, and more. Download exclusive content and hear the latest news of The Sims 3 world first.

Website: http://thesims3.ea.com/

Sims 3, Godfather 2 and Dragon Age video games delayed to next year - 2010

EA said it would delay the release of "Sims 3," "Godfather 2" and "Dragon Age" to fiscal 2010 from fiscal 2009, and that it would narrow its product portfolio and cut variable costs.

EA in December warned its fiscal 2009 profit and revenue will fall short of already-low forecasts due to disappointing holiday sales of its video games in North America and Europe.

"The quarter was definitely worse than I thought, definitely below the most pessimistic of expectations," said analyst Todd Greenwald of Signal Hill Group. "The sort of silver lining on the cloud: they gave fiscal 2010 guidance that is slightly above where I was and slightly below consensus, but I think people were fearing worse."

EA to dedicate half it's games output to Nintendo Wii console

Speaking during a conference call, the CEO of EA detailed a renewed focus on the popular machine, as the publisher dedicates half of its home console output to the Nintendo Wii.

"The Nintendo Wii is even more important than one year ago. It is a clear leader in this cycle," said Riccitiello. "They are getting half our emphasis in terms of title count."

EA Sports games are key to breaking the Wii market, said Riccitiello, with the new Wii MotionPlus accessory enabling EA to increase quality and deliver the type of gameplay experiences associated with Nintendo's own first-party output.

"You will see we are taking great advantage of their new hardware addition with the motion sensor," he said. "What that is going to give us is the kind of gameplay we think will rival Nintendo on their own platform, and we are bringing marketing together in such a way that we think we can get noticed in ways that no other third party will."

Two titles central to this are EA Sports Active, the fitness game due later this year, and a new tennis franchise, which also makes use of the Wimbledon license.

"We're going strong, right out of the box, with EA Sports," declared Riccitiello.

"EA Sports Active is taking advantage of the world's fascination with fitness - the strength of the Wii Fit platform - with a spectacular title in my judgement that's coming out in our first quarter."

"The second thing that is coming out in the quarter is we are launching our tennis SKU, and initially Wii only, and following it up with other franchises."

Along with more MySims releases, EA plans to market its Wii range collectively, rather than as individual titles.

"We are bringing three titles together, and we are aggressively marketing them," said Riccitiello.

Yesterday, EA reported a loss of USD 641 million, the decision to close 12 facilities and increase redundancies to 1100 across the group.

Source: GamesIndustry

The Sims 3 PC video game also on iPhone Mac and iPod Touch out on June 2nd

Highly-Anticipated PC Game from Best-selling PC Franchise Slated to Ship June 2, 2009

Electronic Arts announced that The Sims 3, the highly-anticipated flagship game from the best-selling PC franchise, The Sims will launch across the PC, Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch and mobile devices summer 2009. The Sims 3 PC will ship to store shelves worldwide starting June 2, 2009.

“The Sims 3 is an incredible game that lets you play with life, create art and show off your creations,” said Ben Bell, Executive Producer, The Sims 3. “In the game, players are inspired by endless creative possibilities like the new Traits and Lifetime Wish features which allow players to create Sims with real personalities and destinies. Players can then take their Sim into town to interact with other Sims in the game and capture the action on video to show off online.” *

“The June launch combined with the break-through game the team is building gives us the perfect runway to create awareness for The Sims 3,” said Russell Arons, Vice President of Marketing for EA. “The Sims 3 will be the original IP summer blockbuster of 2009 as we build off the success of the best-selling PC franchise of all time to create awareness with both loyal Sims fans and new players.”

For more information about The Sims 3, please go to www.TheSims3.com. The Sims 3, developed by The Sims Studio, is also in development for Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch and mobile devices.

EA granted exclusive video game license by Ludlum Entertainment

EA announce that Ludlum Entertainment has granted the company exclusive worldwide license to create video games based on the works of Robert Ludlum, including the Jason Bourne series.

Under the multi-year agreement, EA will release the first game based on Jason Bourne, which is currently in development with Starbreeze Studios in Uppsala, Sweden.

Mike Quigley, group vice president of marketing, EA Games Label, said that this agreement will bring the action, intrigue and intensity of Robert Ludlum's fiction to life for casual and core gamers.

EA said that Matt Wolf, a video game veteran, will work with EA to oversee the creative development, production and positioning of the Ludlum Entertainment games portfolio.

Financial details of the license agreement were not disclosed.

Call to Arms with the Announcement of the First Live Expansion for Warhammer Online - Age of Reckoning

The Armies of WAR Prepare to Go Berserk Over Dwarf Slayer and Orc Choppa Careers, New 'Land of the Dead' Dungeon Zone, and Live Events

GOA and Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts studio, today announced the new “Call to Arms” live expansion for its award-winning MMORPG, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (WAR).
Call to Arms will introduce an array of new content for WAR players, including two highly anticipated new careers – the Orc Choppa and the Dwarf Slayer – and a new dungeon zone called “Land of the Dead,” set in the desert realm of the Tomb Kings.

The Call to Arms live expansion, set to roll out for free in early March and running through the beginning of June, will also include three in-game live events, a new Realm vs. Realm (RvR) Scenario, added functionality to the Realm Wars section of the WAR website, the opening of the official WAR Forums, and a new free trial version of the game.

“Since the launch of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Mythic Entertainment and GOA have been committed to bringing European players a rich and enjoyable MMORPG experience“said Ghislaine Le Rhun Gautier, CEO of GOA. “The integration of these high quality, free 'live expansions' is a testament to both companies' continuing dedication to WAR players in 2009.“

“The launch of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning was only the first step in our ongoing quest to make a great MMORPG that players will enjoy for years to come. Over the next few months, we are going to be treating our players to the first of our ‘live expansions’ planned for the game,” said Mark Jacobs, VP and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “With the addition of new careers and a huge Tomb Kings dungeon that is the spiritual successor to the Dark Age of Camelot™ dungeon, Darkness Fall, Call to Arms is an outstanding example of the massive amount of free content we are committed to delivering to WAR players now and in the future.”

Call to Arms Live Expansion Schedule

• ‘Call to Arms: Bitter Rivals Bitter Rivals’ Live Event (March) : Successful completion allows head start access to the new Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer careers. The event will also include the new Chaos-themed RvR Scenario, Twisting Tower.

• Two New Careers Join WAR (March): The Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer answer the Call to Arms.

• ‘Call to Arms: Beyond the Sands’ Live Event (April): Details to be revealed soon!

• ‘Call to Arms: Rise of the Tomb Kings’ Live Event (May): The race between Order and Destruction players begins to unlock the Land of the Dead for their Realm.

• ‘Land of the Dead’ Opens (June):The deserts of Nehekhara open to players with the addition of a new RvR-gated dungeon zone. To gain access to the Land of the Dead, opposing Realms must battle for control of the zone to access dozens of new Public Quests, instanced lairs, and a massive new Tomb Kings dungeon to plunder in search of the Casket of Souls.

More details on these and other new features soon to invade the Age of Reckoning will be revealed as the launch of Call to Arms grows near.

Bitter Rivals Answer the Call to Arms!

The Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer may be bitter enemies, but they have at least one thing in common: they live, eat, and breathe close-quarters melee combat. Choppas are ornery and savage, with a one track mind dead seat on bashin’ heads! This savage dedication makes them ferocious fighters, wreaking havoc throughout enemy lines purely for the sake of satisfying their own self-indulgent bloodlust.

The Slayer is driven by a solemn oath to atone for past sins through an honorable death in combat. However, Dwarfs are a stubborn folk and dying quietly is simply not in their nature. Slayers therefore become ruthless and terrifying fighters, throwing themselves into battle with no regard for their own well-being.

“The Orc Choppa and Dwarf Slayer are two of the most iconic characters in the Warhammer universe, and I have no doubt WAR fans will go berserk for them,” said Jeff Hickman, executive producer of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. “Choppas represent the pure anarchy that the Greenskins embody, and the crazed, mohawk-sporting Slayers are their ideal archenemy. It won’t be long before you see both of them adding a new level of insanity to the Age of Reckoning!”

Based on the popular tabletop war game from Games Workshop, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm conflict that will provide an engaging battleground for years to come. Available for PC and rated 12+.

Dante's Inferno - adventure game annouced

An abducted soul, a lifetime of sins, a journey to the depths of despair. EA announced today that EA Redwood Shores, the studio behind hit horror game Dead Space, is making Dante’s Inferno – a third-person action adventure adaptation of the medieval epic poem The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The dark fiction gave birth to the Tuscan Italian dialect and is widely considered to have defined the western world’s contemporary conception of hell and purgatory. The poem tells the tale of Dante who journeys through the twisted, menacing nine circles of hell in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice.

Written in the 14th Century, The Divine Comedy was published and read aloud in Italian (unlike the Bible), thereby making the poem accessible to the mass public. The poem delivers a striking and allegorical vision of the Christian afterlife and the punishments of hell. In part one, known as Dante’s Inferno, Dante traverses all nine circles of hell; limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery.

“The time is right for the world of interactive entertainment to adapt this literary masterpiece, and to re-introduce Dante to an audience that, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art,” said Jonathan Knight, executive producer for Dante’s Inferno. “It’s the perfect opportunity to fuse great gameplay with great story.”

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EA's Pogo.com adds Pictureka! Museum Mayhem to download games

Pogo.com Makes Hasbro's Quirky Seek-and-Find Board Game Digital

Help save the museum! Electronic Arts casual game destination Pogo.com today announced the release of PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM which is based on Hasbro’s award-winning board game PICTUREKA!. The PC game features unique art and compelling game play that’s fun for the entire family.

In PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM, an unknown culprit gets into the museum after hours and jumbles all of the exhibits. Dinosaur bones have traveled through time to the Space Age exhibit, precious stones are holding court among the fossils, and some priceless artifacts are missing. As the new museum curator, players must reestablish order as quickly as possible by searching for hidden objects that are listed on clue cards. Find all of the items listed in a category to clear the cards and help rebuild and re-organize the museum. It’s up to you to restore the museum before time is up and its reputation is ruined.



Game Features:

• The game features the distinctive art style of the board game with new quirky illustrations and wacky themes that make the game come to life on your computer screen.
• Play on thousands of different game boards. Dynamically generated boards bring an abundance of game play and challenges for hours of fun.
• Rebuild dozens of wacky and clever exhibits across five themed museum halls including: Prehistoric Culture Hall, Fantastic Tales Hall, Masters of the Ocean Realm Hall, Hall of Broken Records and Galactic Society Hall.
• Track and capture a number of bandits, each with unique personalities. Trap them during security breaches to get higher scores.

PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM is currently available on Pogo.com for download in the US and the UK for unconnected desktop play. Players can also experience PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM while connected to the internet via the game at no additional charge. While connected, players will be able to earn tokens and chat with family & friends while they play. Additionally, Club Pogo members will be able to earn badges and unlock wacky PICTUREKA! themed Pogo mini-items.



The downloadable version is priced at $19.95 in the US and £11.95 in the UK. The PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM PC-CD will be released at retail in early 2009.

“We created PICTUREKA! MUSEUM MAYHEM with everyone in the family in mind,” said Andrew Pedersen, General Manager of Pogo.com. “We wanted to create a game that is perfect for a quick break for mom during the day or for an entertaining and laugh-out-loud night with the kids around the PC trying to be the first to find the objects.”

“PICTUREKA! is a new property in Hasbro’s board game portfolio and has quickly become a runaway hit,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Gaming and Media at Hasbro. “EA has taken the core of the game and added incredibly fun and adventurous layers of interactivity such as themed museum halls and unique game play elements that will appeal to all members of the family. The digital versions of PICTUREKA! allow fans to seek-and-find any time they have a few minutes or hours to spare!”

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The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden pack in the shops

You Can Now Completely Transform the Curb Appeal of Your Sims' Home by Creating Impressive Estates and Meticulous Gardens.

Electronic Arts announced today that The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff Pack, the latest stuff pack for the critically-acclaimed PC Game The Sims 2, will hit store shelves today. The pack includes unique building elements that let you create mansions and gardens for your Sims in three all new architectural styles including Moroccan, Second Empire and Art Deco. There are a host of new architectural and landscaping items to choose from to make your Sims’ mansions look more stunning than ever.

You now have the ability to re-create your Sims’ homes into luxurious mansions with all-new items. You can add new character to your Sims’ estates with exotic columns, stunning new archways, chic ceiling fans, sweeping grand staircases and beautifully designed windows and doors. In addition, you can completely re-invent your Sims’ gardens with a colorful foundation of flower beds and shrubs including delicate irises, cheerful daylilies and bright sunflowers. Each different architectural style has a unique look and feel. You can transform your Sims’ home into an imposing Moroccan palace with lush gardens. You can build estates that are classic yet bold with the glamorous “Old Hollywood” style of Art Deco or create grand manors and sculpted landscapes with the romantic and elegant Second Empire theme.

The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition, The Sims 2 Holiday Edition, The Sims 2 Deluxe or The Sims 2 Double Deluxe for PC is required to play The Sims 2 Mansion and Garden Stuff Pack. For more information about The Sims 2, please go to www.TheSims2.com.

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EA - Electronic arts want to help you get fit with this Nintendo Wii game

Following in the footsteps of Nintendo's popular "Wii Fit," the video game publisher known for the "Madden" football games is jumping into fitness software targeted mostly at women.

Electronic Arts Inc. was set to announce Thursday a new line, EA Sports Active, that runs on the Nintendo Wii console and aims to complement, not compete with, Nintendo's "Wii Fit" exercise title.

Peter Moore, president of EA Sports, called the Active brand, whose first title, "Kickstart Fitness," launches next March, a "somewhat radical departure from the normal game experiences we provide customers."

EA's sports audience has been mostly young men, who have flocked to football, soccer, basketball and hockey titles to make the company the world's dominant player in sports video games.

But to stay competitive with rivals such as Activision Blizzard Inc., whose success with games like "World of Warcraft" and "Rock Band" seems to be weathering the recession, EA needs to continue to expand its audience.

The company's new brand seeks to take advantage of the popularity of the Nintendo console and of exercise games. While the "Wii Fit" is already enormously popular, Moore, a former physical-education teacher, said EA's sports software will run people through an exercise routine with a more Western approach than the Japanese company's product.

"Wii Fit" includes activities like running, skiing as well as yoga, and it emphasizes balance as well as fitness. EA's products will include exercises like running and lunges, as well as simulations of sports such as tennis.

The games use straps to attach the Wii's controller and "nunchuk" attachment to a player's body, so the fitness routines can be performed without holding the controls. EA also plans to include peripherals such as resistance bands. Titles in the line will cost about $60, the same as a regular video game.

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Details of Burnout Paradise PC Ultimate Special Editon release

Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box – a special edition release that includes the award-winning Burnout Paradise game plus the previously-released Burnout Paradise Cagney and Burnout Paradise Bikes content updates, and the brand new Burnout Paradise Party content. Burnout Paradise Party is an offline multiplayer mode designed to allow up to eight friends to “pass-the-pad” in dozens of Burnout challenges. For players that already own Burnout Paradise, Burnout Paradise Party will be sold separately as downloadable content.



Burnout Paradise Party brings the social fun of Burnout Paradise into an offline environment where friends can pass the pad to play competitively. There are dozens of quick-fire, turn-based challenges where players compete in different stunt, speed and skill events. In addition to Burnout Paradise Party, Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box will include a host of new features including a restart option added for racing, easier control of the early vehicles, and for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system the new Burnout Paradise Network. Burnout Paradise Network is another Burnout Paradise social innovation that enables players to keep track of friends and keep up with all the latest Burnout news from either inside or outside the game.

“Whether you’re an experienced player or a gaming novice, Burnout Paradise is a game that anyone can enjoy,” says Pete Lake, Senior Producer at Criterion Games. “With The Ultimate Box, we aimed to deliver the most fun, high quality and high value experience possible to players both online and in the living room.”

Burnout Paradise Party will be on display and available for free play at EA’s booth during the London Games Festival in Trafalgar Square from Oct 31 – Nov 1, 2008.

Developed at Criterion Games in Guildford, England, Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box is rated E10+ by the ESRB and 7+ for PEGI. Burnout Paradise The Ultimate Box will be available in February 2009 on the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and marks the debut of the game on PC.

Read all Burnout posts on gamezplay.org here...

Star Wars - The Old Republic massively multiplayer online PC game set in the Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic time frame

LucasArts and BioWare, a division of Electronic Arts, announced the development of Star Wars - The Old Republic, a story-driven massively multiplayer online PC game set in the timeframe of the Star Wars - Knights of the Old Republic franchise. Star Wars: The Old Republic, being developed and published by BioWare and LucasArts, represents an innovative approach to interactive entertainment, featuring immersive storytelling, dynamic combat and intelligent companion characters.

In Star Wars: The Old Republic, players will explore an age thousands of years before the rise of Darth Vader when war between the Old Republic and the Sith Empire divides the galaxy. Players can choose to play as Jedi, Sith, or a variety of other classic Star Wars roles, defining their personal story and determining their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Along the way, players will befriend courageous companions who will fight at their side or possibly betray them, based on the players’ actions. Players can also choose to team up with friends to battle enemies and overcome incredible challenges using dynamic Star Wars combat.

“Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the most critically acclaimed Star Wars game in LucasArts history and a preeminent example of our company’s interactive storytelling heritage,” said Darrell Rodriguez, President of LucasArts. “For a long time, we’ve wanted to return to the franchise in a grand way, and we felt that the best setting for it was an online world that would allow millions of people to participate in the experience together. We knew that the developer capable of working with us to deliver an engrossing story with a fully-realized online world was BioWare.”

“Traditionally, massively multiplayer online games have been about three basic gameplay pillars - combat, exploration and character progression,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, Co-Founder and General Manager/CEO of BioWare and General Manager/Vice President of Electronic Arts Inc., “In Star Wars: The Old Republic, we’re fusing BioWare’s heritage of critically-acclaimed storytelling with the amazing pedigree of Lucasfilm and LucasArts, and adding a brand-new fourth pillar to the equation – story. At the same time, we will still deliver all the fun features and activities that fans have come to expect in a triple-A massively multiplayer online game. To top it all off, Star Wars: The Old Republic is set in a very exciting, dynamic period in the Star Wars universe.”
Added Dr. Greg Zeschuk, Co-Founder and Vice President Development Operations, BioWare and Vice President, Electronic Arts Inc., “Star Wars: The Old Republic is set roughly 300 years after the events of Knights of the Old Republic, a timeframe that is completely unexplored in the lore. BioWare has been able to add to the Star Wars history in developing the game’s story and has created an overarching narrative that players can enjoy, regardless of their play style. Our goal is to offer players an emotionally rewarding experience that combines the traditional elements of MMO gameplay with innovations in story and character development.”

Additional details on Star Wars: The Old Republic features, gameplay and release date will be announced at a later time. For more information about Star Wars: The Old Republic and to sign up for future product updates, please visit www.StarWarsTheOldRepublic.com.

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