Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 for mobile

First ever PES mobile game joins other exciting new titles in latest batch of Glu games launching throughout Europe

Glu Mobile Inc. (Nasdaq:GLUU), a leading global publisher of mobile games, today announced its line-up of games launching in Europe through the remainder of 2007.

The games include big name franchises such as Pro Evolution Soccer, Sega Rally, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 3rd Edition, Sonic Golf and Call of DutyTM 4: Modern Warfare as well as The Golden Compass, a game based on the new feature film coming this December.

Patrick Mork, Marketing Director for Glu EMEA, commented, “Our line-up of titles launching offer a range of mobile gaming experiences that appeals to a wide variety of audiences. We’re proud to be working with such prestigious partners as Activision, Konami, Microsoft, SEGA and Two-Way Traffic, and we believe our upcoming line-up really demonstrates that Glu offers a true breadth of quality, engaging titles.”

More about Glu’s Q4 line-up:

Pro Evolution Soccer 2008

The world’s favourite football game finally makes it to mobile. Based on the world’s most successful console and PC soccer game and launching with Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, this is the most realistic football simulation ever to appear on mobile


SEGA Rally

The SEGA Rally franchise stands for instantly accessible excitement, and the first-ever mobile version is no exception. Racing real rally cars through realistic environments, players will be challenged thanks to fluid and intelligently designed controls.


Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare arms gamers with an arsenal of advanced and powerful modern-day firepower and transports them to the most treacherous hotspots around the globe to take on a rogue enemy group threatening the world.


The Golden Compass

Following the storyline from this Christmas’ big family movie and the award-winning series of books by Philip Pullman, players embark on a journey of adventure and exploration playing as the main characters Lyra and her morphing daemon Pan. Players will set out on a quest to rescue best friend Roger and the other children captured by the evil Gobblers.


Sonic Golf

Set in Sonic’s own universe, Sonic The Hedgehog’s latest adventure sees the blue hedgehog and friends complete a series of Golf challenges. Classic Sonic style twists as well as features that fans of the original game have grown to love are still present; drive and putt to success while collecting gold rings and running through loop-the-loops before challenging the evil Dr. Eggman!


Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 3rd Edition

Building on the massive success of the previous Millionaire editions, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? 3rd Edition introduces innovative new features including 3D elements, statistics and the ability to choose your Phone-A-Friend

World of Warcraft Patch 2.3 - The Gods of Zul'Aman

The latest major content patch for World of Warcraft, The Gods of Zul'Aman, adds an impressive array of new challenges, features, changes, and rewards to World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.

Zul’Aman is a 10-person raid dungeon located in the Ghostlands, with enemies and spoils that pick up where Karazhan leaves off. This outdoor raid dungeon is home to the vicious Amani forest trolls and their leader, the infamous Zul’jin. You and your band of heroes will battle the dungeon’s six bosses, including four avatars of Zul’Aman, each bearing the aspect of a different ferocious creature. Zul’Aman also features a challenging bonus reward structure based on completing certain objectives within a time limit, which provides an extra level of challenge – and thrills – for seasoned raid groups.

The other defining characteristic of The Gods of Zul’Aman is the bounty of rewards, both material and intangible, that it offers many types of players. The powerful epic items found in Zul’Aman are just the beginning. There is a host of new purchasable rewards as well, from the gladiator rewards of Arena Season 3, to the dozens of new Badge of Justice rewards and the full set of new Honor rewards. There are also more useful and fun items such as the new Flying Machine flying mounts, which can be built and operated by skilled engineers. Among the more abstract benefits to players are faster leveling to 60, the revamping of Dustwallow Marsh with new quests, new daily quests for dungeons and battlegrounds, and many class balance changes. This is just a sampling of the bounty that awaits in The Gods of Zul’Aman.

The Heroic Server - on DOFUS for Mac

This December, a brand new DOFUS game mode will introduce another dimension to battle-weary veterans and wide-eyed beginners alike.

This game mode offers quicker character evolution, allowing you to gain more experience from fights and quests. But you will also need to be more vigilant and tactical in your game play because if you die, you won’t come back. The new mode will also call for more dedicated and concerted guild activity in order to help players survive for as long as possible.

In this highly intensive mode, the game has been adapted according to new rules which are exclusive to this server. Among other exciting modifications, this mode allows players to increase their level far more rapidly and to make better and bigger drops! Experience in professions will also be gained more quickly. This server has one cruel rule above all, however: death will be permanent. You cannot come back to life. If your character’s level is in the top 100, however, the corpse will rest in the Cemetery of Heroes.

Another diabolic hallmark of the server: whether players lose against monsters or other players, their victorious enemies will keep all their items. Some enemies, though difficult to beat, will be tempting to fight for just this reason.

In future, part of the official site will be dedicated to this server with regular updates giving information on the new world, including its background. This part of the site will also host the Cemetery of Heroes. Warriors of all nationalities will take each other on to rise to the top of the world league table.

To those who thought they’ve mastered DOFUS or seen it all, the Ankama Games team hereby challenges you!

Official website: www.dofus.co.uk

Close Combat - Modern Tactics - Out now

Hop into that Abrams and fire up the engine, the classic real time tactical series just went modern!

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) Strategy 3 Tactics (www.strategy3tactics.com), and CSO Simtek are thrilled to announce that the latest and greatest title in the legendary Close Combat series, Close Combat: Modern Tactics, is now available for purchase via the Matrix Games Online Store. Offering the tactical real time intensity found in the original World War II Close Combat titles blended with modern weaponry and real-world as well as hypothetical conflicts, Close Combat – Modern Tactics is an exciting and innovative new addition to the Close Combat series that still holds the addicting appeal of its predecessors.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “The Close Combat series has always been among my favorite wargames, so the release of a modern take on this tried and tested gaming system is particularly exciting.”

Andrew Williams of CSO Simtek added “It’s great to finally see fans of the series on the civilian side get to take a crack at this new modern release. It’s been great working with Matrix Games as they’ve given us the support we need to make Modern Tactics cross the gap from a military training tool to a fun new consumer product!”

Close Combat: Modern Tactics combines classic top down real time tactical warfare with the excitement of multiplayer head to head gaming. Developed from the US Marines training simulation, Close Combat: Marines, you get to take command of all types of modern battlefield weaponry including Abrams tanks and Soviet-made RPGs as well as air, helicopter and artillery support. This is serious gaming at its best.

You take command of modern US forces or various opposition forces in one of 25 scenarios included with the release. Engage in combat with up to 5 players per side and participate in intense head to head battles using Modern Era weaponry and equipment on gorgeous hand-drawn maps measuring from 1km square to giant 4km x 1km maps. Fight on hypothetical battlefields ranging in style from backwoods America to the streets of Iraq and the former Soviet republics. You face all the enemy can throw at you in a series of immersive, action-packed engagements that will test your tactical abilities! Air and artillery support are on-call but the final objective can only be secured by Close Combat. You are in command!

Exciting features of Close Combat - Modern Tactics include:
Based on Close Combat Marines, which is used as a USMC training simulation
Gorgeous hand-drawn 1km square to 1x4km maps
Comes with 25 Modern scenarios based on real-world and hypothetical conflicts
Realistic soldier psychological profiles during combat
Mount and Dismount specialized vehicles with infantry units
Close air support and direct and indirect fires.
Ability to protect your men in buildings, bunkers, and trenches.
Includes specialized squads, weapons, soldier types, attack aircraft & artillery.
Designed to be easily moddable to provide years of additional gaming excitement.
Adjustable game speed scroll speed and sound volume.
Multiple nationalities with varying capabilities available to both sides.
.. and much more!

Get more information on Close Combat - Modern Tactics from its official Matrix Games webpage.

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.

Pirates of the Burning Sea

Alchemic Dream to offer European customer support, localization and in-game events

Flying Lab Software, developers of Pirates of the Burning Sea, the MMORPG featuring high seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder, have partnered with Alchemic Dream Inc, leaders in customer support, localization and in-game events for the European market.

Alchemic Dream provided superior quality customer service and community building for partners such as Codemasters (RF Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online™: Stormreach, Archlord, Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of Angmar™), Auran (Fury), Linden Lab (Second Life) and now Flying Lab Software (Pirates of the Burning Sea).

Alchemic Dream will use its experience in creating in-game events to enrich Pirates of the Burning Sea experiences for European players. CEO Aurelien Merville said, “Flying Lab Software has built a fantastic product and we’re eager to provide a true interactive experience to the European players of Pirates of the Burning Sea through in-game events and our complete range of multilingual customer services.”

Pirates of the Burning Sea is scheduled to be available for release on January 22, 2007 and was set for pre-order in North America on Tuesday, November 13, 2007. A European pre-order date will be announced soon.

ABOUT PIRATES OF THE BURNING SEA
Pirates of the Burning Sea is an MMORPG featuring high seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder. Set against the backdrop of the New World of the 18th Century, players can choose one of three nations – England, France or Spain – or choose the role of a Pirate and battle it out for glory and power.

UTour Golf Unveils New Challenge Options

Most Rewarding Virtual Golf Game Offers More Ways to Win and Presents the New "Office Pool"

Groove Media today announced that several new features have been added to UTour Golf, the free, full-featured online golfing experience where players can wager real money against other virtual golfers. Some of the new features include increased challenge options, player created tournaments and new mini-games. To start playing, visit www.utourGolf.com.

New UTour Golf features include:
-New Challenge Option: Handicap Play - Players can utilize the new handicap play feature which allows players to offer or request strokes, in order to make the games fair and challenging for both players regardless of their skill rating.

-New Challenge Modes - The new one-hole option lets players challenge an opponent to a quick, one hole game. Combined with the new entry fee options, it is now possible to put up to $100 on the line for just one hole!

-Player Created Tournaments - Players can now invite up to eight of their friends to play exclusive tournaments with customizable game options; including course played, number of holes and entry fee. This puts a new spin on the classic "office pool".

-Mini-Games - A Score-Based Driving Range game rewards players for their tee shot accuracy. The closer the player comes to the pin, the more points they earn. The player with the highest cumulative points wins the game.

-Stats for Everyone - All players now accumulate free lifetime golf statistics including handicap, holes played, longest successful putt and much more!

About UTour Golf
UTour Golf is the world's first free online full-featured golf video game. Players of all levels can download the game in minutes and tee off online against competitors for fun or cash prizes. Courses are inspired by golfing locations from around the world and offer multiple game rules including traditional Stroke Play and Match Play. Every game offers a new challenge with game variables that include dynamic wind and weather conditions, variable pin and tee block placements and even variable green speed and rough length. To play, visit www.utourGolf.com.

Astraware Classic Collection

Astraware is excited to announce a brand new games pack featuring 3 of their most-popular games.

Following many customer requests, the Astraware Classic Collection brings together 3 family-friendly favorites featuring an award-winning Sudoku game, 8 classic boardgames, and 12 of the best-known card games, all in one super value pack for a very special price.

The Astraware Classic Collection includes Astraware Sudoku, Astraware Boardgames, and Astraware Solitaire and is available for Palm OS®, and Windows Mobile® smartphones and PDAs. The collection is priced $39.95 - a saving of one third off the price of all 3 games bought separately and special pricing is also available to customers who already own one of the games.

For more information or to buy, visit the Astraware website at http://www.astraware.com/classic/.

About Astraware
Founded in 1994 and incorporated in 2000, Astraware Limited develops, publishes and distributes games for mobile devices. Some of the company's best known handheld titles include Astraware Sudoku, Zap! 2000/2016, PopCap Games’ Bejeweled, Zuma, and Insaniquarium, and Sandlot Games’ Tradewinds, and Glyph. Astraware is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner. Mobile gaming enthusiasts have downloaded more than 50 million copies of Astraware's products, and the company has customers in more than 100 countries. Visit Astraware at http://www.astraware.com.

Super Mario Galaxy to outsell Halo 3?

Nintendo Wii's new game is likely to become the fastest-selling Christmas gift as stores stay open late tonight so fans can snap up Super Mario Galaxy.

The latest adventures of the Italian plumber are expected to outsell Xbox's recent hit Halo - which itself had orders of 1.25 million.

The launch came as a new poll shows that the Mario character is more widely recognised worldwide than The Beatles.

Amazon Delaying Super Mario Galaxy Pre-Orders

This isn't good. From our faithful reader Ben, it looks like at least some Amazon pre-orders of Super Mario Galaxy are going to see a delay of one whole week.

I pre-ordered Super Mario Galaxy 2 weeks ago from Amazon.com.

Today I received this in my inbox:
"We wanted to let you know that there is an unexpected delay with your video game order you placed on October 25 2007 09:26 PDT. Unfortunately, we are unable to ship the product(s) as soon as we expected and need to provide you with a new estimate of when they may be delivered:
"Super Mario Galaxy" [Video Game]
Estimated arrival date: 11/20/2007

We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this delay."

I canceled my order so I can buy it tonight at a brick&mortar store tonight after work.

No pre-order coin for me, I guess.

Sony makes most of Wii shortages

Sony is taking advantage of Nintendo Wii shortages and a recent price cut of the PlayStation 3 to double weekly sales of the console in the US.

Sony boss Howard Stringer told the Associated Press news agency: "It's a little fortuitous that the Wii is running out of hardware."

Two weeks after the price cut Sony sold 100,000 PS3s in seven days.

Mr Stringer said the increase in sales of the console was "the breakthrough we have been anticipating."

He added: "Obviously, we've taken so much heat over the year on PS3. Finally, the turning point has been passed."

Nintendo has become a victim of its own success, with many shops in the US and UK struggling to meet demand.

A spokesman for Nintendo UK denied that the company was witholding supply to boost interest.

"The video games market is a fiercely competitive one and it is not in our interest to withhold stock from anyone," he said.

Microsoft and Nintendo have not released weekly sales figures for their consoles.

Source: BBC