'Kung Zhu' video game to be released on Nintendo DS

Activision Publishing and GameMill Publishing, Inc., in association with Cepia, LLC, announced today that Kung Zhu is coming to Nintendo DS this fall. Based on the smash hit toys, Kung Zhu lets players choose adorable hamsters, train them into ultimate warrior fighting machines, and take them to battle!

An exclusive, rough-and-tumble Kung Zhu hamster, named Tull, will come packaged as a Collector’s Edition with the initial release of Kung Zhu for Nintendo DS. Tull sports a never seen before color scheme and will be available for $34.99 MSRP.

Pets make their way into the video game 'Tales of the Damned' expansion for Dragonica this October

Dragonica is the free arcade-style 3D side-scrolling MMORPG developed by Barunson Interactive and published by Gala Networks Europe. This October will see the introduction of the “Tales of the Damned” expansion for European versions of Dragonica, and we are proud to publish information on the eagerly anticipated pets system.

EyePet The next generation virtual pet for PlayStation 3 with screenshots

What makes a pet real? Introducing EyePet, the virtual pet that follows your every movement and command…

EyePet comes with an impressive array of abilities all made possible by Playstation Eye, the next-generation camera for PlayStation 3 slim (PS3). A loveable, simian-like pet, EyePet lives in an on-screen picture of your sitting room as captured second by second on Playstation Eye.



Working in ‘Augmented Reality’, EyePet is fully aware of people in the room and will interact with you and your environment. Place an object in front of the camera that EyePet hasn’t seen before and it’ll know exactly what to do with it, give it something new and it’ll examine it thoroughly. Tickle it by waving your fingers in front of the camera: it laughs, poke it: it jumps, roll it a ball: EyePet chases around the screen after it.

An incredibly lifelike little critter, EyePet gives you all the lovable benefits and interaction of a real-life pet without tearing up your sofa or making a mess on the rug. Kids and adults alike will love to customise, dress it and watch its facial expressions that range from the sweet to the cheeky to the hilarious. It’s all made possible by the power of PS3 which has enabled EyePet’s developers to achieve incredible graphics and animation in its facial reactions, lifelike fur and incredibly intelligent interaction with you, your environment and anything you choose to place in front of it.

EyePet will be available in late 2009, so prepare to bring a furry ball of mischief into your home and a new friend into your life.

Experience the first virtual pet who doesn’t just live on screen, he lives in the living-room. Using the PlayStation® Eye camera, EyePet will interact with users and the environment to deliver entertainment and fun for the whole family. With EyePet players will learn to care for their new pet, including teaching, feeding, and playing with them. Additionally, players can compete in daily challenges to make their EyePet more intelligent and agile, and to earn special rewards.



Features

EyePet Reacts to Every Move and Command – Place an object in front of the camera and EyePet will interact with it. Tickle EyePet by waving your fingers in front of the camera and he will laugh. Poke him, and he will jump. Roll a ball and EyePet will chase after it.
Customize Your EyePet – With over 250 unique collectibles you can customize your pet’s look by styling his fur, changing his clothes, and giving him new toys.
Graphics and Animation That Only the PS3 Can Deliver – EyePet features Pixar-like fur technology and facial expressions. Watch EyePet change as he evolves over time.
Create and Share With Friends – Draw new toys and watch EyePet interact with them as they spring to life on-screen.

Platform: PlayStation 3 system
Genre: Family
Rating: “RP” for “Rating Pending”
Peripheral: PlayStation Eye

Meet Max the virtual guide dog on Second Life for PC!

Online virtual world Second Life now has its own virtual guide dog available to help blind and partially sighted people – meet German Shepherd Max.

Max revolutionises how people with a visual impairment navigate the global community and can even read signs, using text to speech technology.

The cyber pooch is keyboard controlled, rather than having to use a mouse. It simulates the experience of the ‘real world’, listening to sound and other helpful messages to find its bearings; so being unable to see the screen isn’t a problem.

Max makes it easy for visually impaired users to log on. And he’s a problem solver; designed to help people with sight loss navigate by finding any object (including other avatars (online character) and taking the blind person’s avatar to a virtual meeting.

He gives constant feedback about the immediate surrounding area, so like a real guide dog, he helps visually impaired users avoid crashing into other people and objects. He assists them in navigating the virtual world, reading messages and information with text to speech technology... even a real guide dog can’t do that!

Bridget Warr, chief executive of Guide Dogs said: “This is a significant technological development, meaning blind and partially sighted people now have greater mobility and enhanced vision in the virtual world. Max is one clever dog, opening up new opportunities for those with sight loss.”

Max is free to use, and will be launched on June 20th with a ‘Vision Quest’, designed to help participants experience what it’s like to work with a guide dog and to write stories about those experiences.

Second Life is an ideal place for blind and partially sighted people to explore social networks, take classes, start businesses, and experience a wide range of languages and cultures. Second Life also offers access to vast range of audio content, including live music performances, presentations by speakers, and educational forums.

See http://www.tvwsp.com/questing/visionquests.html for details.

Virtual Pet Weeks for Bounty Bay Online started

The main tasks in Bounty Bay Online are fighting, trading and exploring. But what would a real pirate do without his loyal parrot on his shoulder? Thus, virtual pets play an important role in the sailor online-roleplaying game. To simplify the start into the pet world for players, publisher Frogster Interactive has just called out the virtual pet weeks. Until 4th of November 2008, players on the free-2-play server “Mary Read” can acquire all pet related items for 25 percent off in the ingame shop. Anybody who still hesitated to tame a pet will now be provided with a serious incentive to discover its heart for animals.

Pets actively support the player in the land battles of Bounty Bay Online. But of course they also present a status symbol that earns players much respect already from far sight. But players need to feed the virtual companions regularly so that they won’t get into a bad mood or even die. Thus, only wealthy players can afford the expensive pets. Those who have enough money in their treasure chest, can select from a choice of real animals like lions, tigers or rabbits and reborn creatures of prehistoric times like dinosaurs. A complete overview of all pets and further information about Bounty Bay Online can be found on www.bountybayonline.com.