Global MMO Game Festival Finished its Grand Final Match in Korea

Game and Game World Championship 2007 was successfully finished its grand final in Seoul attracting more than 5,000 attendances.

Starting from European match in August, this global MMO game festival went on America, South East Asia, Korea, Japan regional match with six official games: Silkroad online (www.silkroadonline.net), Shot online (shotonline.gamescampus.com), Navy Field (www.navyfield.com), Record of Lunia War (global.lunia.com), and Bomb N Dash (www.bombndash.com).

More than 100 players from winners from Europe, America, Japan, Korea, and South East Asia showed excellent gaming skill to own throne of "the best gamer in the world". For Bomb N Dash, Volkan Kilic and Duy May, both from German, were placed 1st and 2nd winners. The final match, which was 5 out of 9, was on Duy first with outrunning Volkan with 3-to-4, but Volkan won last two games taking advantage of map geometry and won $5,000 for 1st place award.

German, America, and Korea players showed thrilling match on Record of Lunia War, and Jin Sun-Woo from Korea won 1st place. Larry from the US is the youngest final match player of GNGWC2007. This 14-years-old boy came Korea with his father, and did his best, but be in the award list. In War Rock match, the US team won the 1st place, and Poland team did 2nd . Philippine team showed impressive look, with same hood T-shirts with their national flag tagged on their arms like WCG national team, but they didn't beat the Poland team. Japan team went to the cybercafé the night before the grand final match, and practiced their strategy to win over the US team, and they did well, but not enough to win the US team.

15 players selected from regional final match competed for Shot Online final match, and Korean players won 1st to 3rd places. The final match of Silkroad online was held competing with players from three areas - Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Lee Sang-Kook from Korea won over Taiwan and Japan players. "I took the aggressive position as I usually do", he said, "I did my best and I made myself believe that I would win", he added.

Clans from Korean, Japan, and the US joined the grand final, and the final match was between 'ND' clan from Korea and 'OS2' clan Japan, and both team won the 1st place because of technical problem that couldn't progress the final match.

This 2nd annual match of GNGWC was initiated to promote Korean online games to the global gamers, and developers who their games were selected as GNGWC official games are satisfied with its feedback from global MMO gamers. Choi Kyung-Yun, PR manager of allm, said "GNGWC did incredible role to promote global service of Record of Lunia War". She added "With high awareness of Lunia to the global gamers, we now prepare commercial service of our game".

Patch released for SunAge video game

Leading publisher Lighthouse Interactive and Austrian developer Vertex 4 today released a patch for their fresh sci-fi real-time strategy game for PC CD-ROM SunAge. The patch adds several new enhancements and bugfixes, upgrading the game to version 1.05 and is intended for the English and Italian boxed versions of the game. (Direct download versions were released as v.1.05.)

SunAge was released last week in several European countries including the UK, Italy, Scandinavia and online at various direct download websites. In North-America, Germany, France and Spain SunAge will be released by the end of January 2008.

SunAge is the modern day answer for RTS fans who want the best possible overview of their troops, while trying to outsmart opponents in frantic battles where strategy and tactics are more important than ever. If you have been into real-time strategy games for a while, this will bring back the good old days !

Key upgrades in this version 1.05 include:
• A fix for the ‘Load game bug’ where the in-game menu would disappear;
• Added connection-loss handling;
• Added auto refresh of save games-list;
• Multi player chat messages for defeat, victory etc.;
• CTRL+0-9 / 0-9 grouping glitch.

The complete list of new features included in the upgrade, is available at the Lighthouse forums as well as on www.sunage-the-game.com.

To download the patch v1.05 (file size: 3 MB) visit: www.lighthouse-interactive.com.

CHARTTRACK UK WEEKLY CHARTS

All formats
(Full price) Week ending 1 December 2007


1 NEED FOR SPEED: PROSTREET ELECTRONIC ARTS
2 THE SIMPSONS GAME ELECTRONIC ARTS
3 FIFA 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
4 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION
5 ASSASSIN'S CREED UBISOFT
6 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA
7 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2008 THQ
8 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2008 KONAMI
9 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ACTIVISION
10 SUPER MARIO GALAXY NINTENDO
11 KANE & LYNCH: DEAD MEN EIDOS
12 RATATOUILLE THQ
13 LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS
14 THE SIMS 2: CASTAWAY ELECTRONIC ARTS
15 HALO 3 MICROSOFT5
16 MASS EFFECT MICROSOFT
17 MYSIMS ELECTRONIC ARTS
18 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO
19 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
20 MARIO PARTY 8 NINTENDO

Top Films To Arrive In Xbox 360

Movies such as 300, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Good German and much more available to download

Following the huge success of Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store in the US, where it has changed the way Xbox 360 owners view and enjoy video, Microsoft today announced that Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store will open for business in the UK on 11th December.

Xbox 360 owners will be able to rent full-length films such as 300, The Good German, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from as little as 250 Microsoft Points (*ERP £2) for Standard Definition movies and from 380 Microsoft Points (*ERP £3.20 [1]) for High Definition movies. This is in addition to over 100 music videos currently available to download from partners Ministry of Sound, Sony BMG, PIAS and Vid Zone.

With this launch, Xbox LIVE Marketplace becomes the first video on demand service to be available in six countries – US, Canada, UK, Ireland, France and Germany - and cements its place as the worldwide leader in online distribution of high-definition gaming and entertainment content.

Robin Truchy, Director of Xbox LIVE for Europe, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices Division, commented: “Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store in Europe is all about adding to the ever-expanding number of entertainment choices that our consumers have on their Xbox 360. We want to give them the entertainment they want, in the format they want, when they want it and at an affordable price. We were already offering HD games, HD music videos and the option to enjoy HD-DVD format films, now we are offering HD movies to download and rent as well. This is very exciting for us and the consumer.”

“Providing consumers with more choices and improving the movie experience at home is at the heart of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution’s strategy and we’re delighted to support Xbox Live for the European launch of their Video On Demand service” said Marc Gareton, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution Senior Vice President International.” Microsoft has built a very successful platform, in both Standard Definition and High Definition, and we are happy to make it a home for our movies.”

Arash Amel, Senior Analyst, Head of Broadband Media, Screen Digest, commented: “As Hollywood turns its attention towards selling digital copies of its blockbuster movies, the delivery of movie content over the open internet has become a key battleground for a broad range of service providers. Screen Digest predicts that the total European movie download market will be worth €350m by 2012, up from €17m in 2007[2]. The Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store, as the first multi-territory hardware-based online movie delivery service in Europe, is expected to be a European market leader for movie downloads. Consumers in both the US and Europe have already made it abundantly clear that they are reluctant to watch two-hour long films on their PC, instead preferring to view them on personal devices or most preferably devices that can provide a link to their large-screen living room TVs and home entertainment systems.”

Xbox 360 gamers in the launch countries can access Xbox Live Marketplace Video Store with either an Xbox Live Silver or Gold membership and a broadband connection. More information about the content available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store can be found at: www.xbox.com

Examples of Launch Titles on Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store:

UK/Ireland
300
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS
ZODIAC
MATRIX, THE
MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE
MATRIX RELOADED, THE
OCEAN'S ELEVEN
PERFECT STORM, THE
SWORDFISH
THREE KINGS
TRAINING DAY
FUGITIVE, THE
RISKY BUSINESS
SPACE COWBOYS
EYES WIDE SHUT
ANALYZE THIS
DEMOLITION MAN
ERASER
EXECUTIVE DECISION
LETHAL WEAPON 3
LETHAL WEAPON 4
LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION
MARS ATTACKS!
CLASH OF THE TITANS
SUPERMAN III
DEAD CALM

FIP Publishing licenses Speedball 2 – Tournament to additional territories

Speedball rolls around the world

FIP Publishing licenses Speedball 2 – Tournament to additional territories

After the UK, France, Spain and Benelux, FIP Publishing has now also licensed Speedball 2 - Tournament to Scandinavia, the CIS, South Africa, Australia, Poland, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi-Arabia and Qatar. All regional distributors will publish the retail version of the PC action-sports-game in the first quarter of 2008. Wendros AB brings Speedball 2 - Tournament to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. The Russian distributor Akella is releasing the box version in the CIS-States. QV Software has sealed the rights for Australia and Nicolas Games brings the futuristic mixture of American Football and Rugby to the Polish market. Pluto Gt publishes the game in the mentioned Arabian countries. A few weeks ago, Ascaron had already secured the license for the box release in the UK market. Nobilis Publishing will release Speedball 2 – Tournament in France, Spain and the Benelux. Further deals for the United States and Asia are in progress. “After the current publication in Germany we will send Speedball 2 – Tournament around the world with strong partners in early 2008”, International Sales Manager Julien Renzaho from FIP Publishing comments on the signed licensing agreements.

Speedball 2 – Tournament
In 2326, rival gangs form an ultra-violent action-sports league called Speedball to settle their deadly disputes. Two teams face each other in bloody battles for a steel ball. Nine on nine – in an all-out rush on the opponent’s goal; almost any malicious move is permitted. The highly anticipated sequel to the Amiga classic for the PC platform transforms the futuristic game setting with state-of-the-art technology into a high-speed online sports spectacle. Offering international leagues, a worldwide ranking system and a matchmaking function, Speedball 2 - Tournament pulls all registers of modern multiplayer gaming action. Fully customisable male, female and cyborg characters, dynamic sports battles, and a unique online community platform with online player and clan profiles will thrill sports simulation enthusiasts, action fans, and e-sports experts likewise.

For the production of Speedball 2 - Tournament, developer Kylotonn has assembled a fresh team of experienced game designers and programmers. With photo-realistic 3D models, breathtaking animations and futuristic arenas for Speedball 2 - Tournament, the French development team, already renowned for the “Bet on Soldier” trilogy, heads for a stunning comeback. As eminent advisor and co-producer, Mike Montgomery from the legendary Bitmap Brothers is supervising the overall development of Speedball 2 - Tournament. Since 1987, when he founded The Bitmap Brothers, Montgomery has been behind the legendary original Speedball, as well as classics like Xenon Megablast, The Chaos Engine, Gods, Cadaver, Magic Pockets and Z.

The The Bitmap Brothers logo is a registered trade mark of The Bitmap Brothers.
Speedball is a registered trade mark and copyright of The Bitmap Brothers.

Asda Story Returns for Open Beta

"Maximizing Skill Qualities, Open Beta Service Dec. 6th."

'Soulmates vs. Solos vs. Parties'

Seoul, Korea - December 4, 2007 - Soulmates are ready again to enhance Party system. Parties are ready to kill monsters. Solos are ready to be unique and lead Asda Story. No Twins in the game to get down with.

Huge difference from CBT was developed by MaxOn Soft Corp.
There are Specified Skills for all of the characters
Collecting Unique Optional Item Sets
New 5 Maps with New Goals
Enchanting all Armories and Sowels
Faster Transportation
Digging.

For Open Beta Service, we arranged data to specify one's characteristics among different jobs. There will be no changes in the base settings, but in long term, we adjusted to bring up characters' potential skills 100%. Items with options were added that users can find many different sets of unique items with purposes. For example, there will be healers costume set which will provide extra healing points to increase healing. Users can collect them and use them when needed. For more details and images, you can find out at our website http://asda.gamengame.com.

Among each job, Asda Story is created to play as a solo. We also tried to distinguish most from each jobs' characteristics. In addition to solo playing you can play the game as a party play, we wanted users to play as a party system with buffs, sharing, healing, and finishing blow to have extra effects than playing solo. For Open Beta Test, we are arranging data to specify one's characteristics among different jobs. There will be no changes in the base settings, but in long term, we would like to bring up characters' potential skills 100%. For example, one hand warriors will have some changing in their Skill trees. Now you can customize your own Characters

For more excitement at Open Beta Test, We are going to add extra 5 maps. Each map will have stronger boss monsters. For now, I would like to explain a few unique elite field maps. Elite field maps are like regular Alpen, Rain River, and Silaris, however users can feel the intensiveness of Instance Dungeons like Queen's Palace and Castle of Chess. The difference from regular field is that maps are not a wide open type. Like Instance Dungeon, roads are connected like a maze. Front view and back view are distinguished from each other to feel like actually moving forward. Monsters are strong that they are hard to be taken out by solo. There should be 3 or 4 players in a party to kill the monsters. (Also, there will be a map for solo playing called Sun Beach added to it like the map, Conquest.)

Sweet 3D MMORPG Asda Story will start its Open Beta on 6h of December, 2007. Based on a colorful, bright, and cheerful world, it is an easy game where monsters with powerful individualities. Lots of female users would be treated awesome and can have great tastes of this comfortable game easily.

Asda Story is very appealing to female users because of unique Soulmate System. We had lots of female users in CBT, and all of them are coming back to play OBT of Asda Story. Among Soulmates, healing, summoning, resurrecting, sharing attack or defense points were most popular. No girls were playing alone. This is very casual game to satisfy both sexes.

Casual users can be satisfied from constructing special and great skill trees or hard core users can be satisfied from expanding limitless item slots to create their own characters with various skills. Come and play Asda Story which can provide lots freedom in the game on 6th of December, 2007.

Bounty Bay Online - Not one, not two, but twenty - two new skills on offer in upcoming FREE add-on

All 22 new Skills Revealed

'Storm Island' is waiting, full of adventure and danger – however, BBO's virtual heroes are ready for the challenge. In the upcoming free add-on for Bounty Bay Online there are 22 new sub-skills, enabling the gamer to customise the character to one's individual gaming style. For example, "regeneration" raises the healing rate 25 % per level. Online merchants can increase the capacity of their ship with "Fishing Training", and "Alchemist spirit" raises the amount of energy available.

An overview of the new sub-skills can be found here: http://bbo.yusho.de/en/Updates/U_Skills/. "Storm Island" will be online 6th December 2007.

Content and new features of the "Storm Island"-add-on:

- Level cap raised from 100 to 120

- 21 new special abilities (alchemy, fishing, muscular power, etc.)

- A new island to discover and explore

- New, extensive quests in group instance areas

- Fresh enemies, monsters, weapons, extras, armour, etc.


Bounty Bay Online puts gamers in the Age of Discovery, beginning in the early part of the 15th century. Gamers are able to build their own online destiny, whether they choose to be a merchant, adventurer, fisherman or pirate. Besides Europe, the continents of Africa and Asia also wait to be explored by Bounty Bay players. More info: www.bountybayonline.com

Angels Online Closed Beta Test Launched

Angels Online Closed Beta Test Launched

The long-awaited Closed Beta Test for Angels Online (http://ao.igg.com) has begun since 00:00 EST Dec 3, 2007!

At that time players can visit http://ao.igg.com/download/download.php to download the client. If you have an IGG account, you can activate Angels Online on the IGG website to start your adventure in Eden.

Angels Online is a 2D MMORPG with distinctive game systems including engrossing storylines, a natural and cute graphic style, liberal character growth, fierce fighting and harmonious communities. A cheerful experience with amazing scenes, partners, lovely rides and pets is waiting for players in Angels Online.

For more information visit the official Angels Online Website: http://ao.igg.com

Gears of War video game for Windows at iGames with $3,000 Tournament

Exclusive Competition, Saturday and Sunday, December 15-16, to Celebrate Windows Version of Blockbuster Xbox 360 Title which Has Sold Over 4 Million Copies to Date

Cash Prizes for the Best Gamers, PLUS Special Giveaways

WHAT:

Leading game center organization iGames to host a special online tournament to celebrate the release of “Gears of War” for Windows, featuring five new campaigns, new multiplayer modes and full Games for Windows – LIVE support for online multiplayer gameplay sessions.

WHEN & WHERE:

December 15-16 online and at 16 select iGames centers

PRIZES + FREE STUFF:

The tournament is a 2-v-2 competition offering $3,000 in CASH prizes as well as giveaways for all Game Center participants. CEVO is providing additional promotional support.

Competitors will be able to compete from any of the Official 16 Game Centers, or from anywhere else over the Internet. Only players competing from Official Game Centers will receive the participation giveaways.

Free Stuff:

Up to 10 players (5 teams) per Game Center will each receive, simply for participating:

1 x Games for Windows T-Shirt (L or XL)
1 x Gears of War Custom Limited-Edition T-Shirt (L or XL)
1 x Three Month LIVE Gold Kit with Headset

Prize Distribution:

1st: $750 (Team Total)
2nd: $500
3rd: $350
4th: $250
5th-6th: $150
7th-8th: $125
9th-16th: $75

ABOUT THE GAME:

Gears of War, a Games for Windows title, features the amazing tactical action and multiplayer excitement found in the critically acclaimed Gears of War for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system that sold more than 4 million units, and a variety of all-new content, including three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game type, Game Editor, five new campaign chapters and DirectX 10 support.

Gears of War thrusts gamers into a deep and harrowing story of humankind's epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the planet.

With Gears of War, Epic Games returns gamers to the massively scoped worlds, memorable characters, cooperative gameplay and hyper-realistic combat that gamers have come to expect from the franchise, plus a few new surprises.

Features:

• Frag-filled new content. Gears of War will feature locations that are unique to the franchise and the genre. Players will encounter all their favorite foes from the Xbox 360 version; however, these intense encounters will take place in some new environments and allow players to manipulate the new game modes and technology found only in the Games for Windows title. Boasting three new multiplayer maps, a new multiplayer game type, Game Editor, five new campaign chapters and DirectX 10 support, Gears of War, will challenge and push the limits of the PC gaming experience and provide an unparalleled visual presentation.

• Engaging and disturbing cinematic story. Movie-like cut scenes, cinematic camera moves and in-game storytelling bring the brutal, emotionally charged narrative to life. Gamers control Marcus Fenix and his fire team as they pit advanced technology against the overwhelming and horrific Locust Horde.

• Unmatched online gaming. Gears of War will tap into the power of Games for Windows — LIVE to deliver online matchmaking for its Gold account members. The service will enable gamers around the world to connect via their PCs, allowing players to experience individualized matchmaking, view player statistics, earn player Achievements, customize games and create personalized profiles.

• New Game Editor. The game will also feature the all-new Game Editor, guaranteeing new user-generated content in the future. The Gears of War community will be able to tap its endless creative potential to develop an unlimited number of user-created levels through complete access to the Unreal Editor. Using the new engine, players can now import custom artwork into the engine, create particle systems, scripted encounters, cinematics and more.

• Astounding visuals in next-generation gaming. Gears of War ushers in the next generation with incredible visuals, pushing DirectX 10 visual designs and bringing out the smallest details in the largest battle. Gamers experience a rich, dynamic world with a supreme level of detail. Characters come to life with unbelievable model quality and a physics-integrated animation system that has them truly reacting intelligently to events unfolding around them.

• Hyper-realistic and intense combat. In Gears of War the battlefield is a lethal place — to foolishly stand out in the open is to invite an untimely demise. To survive, gamers must employ strategy, take cover using the interactive and dynamic environments, and suppress the enemy with blind fire, using their weapons and teammates to outwit and outfight their terrifying enemies.

Gears of War for Windows is rated “M” for “Mature” with descriptors Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Violence, by the ESRB and comes with a MSRP of $49.99. For more information about the title, visit: http://www.gearsofwar.com.

Saga Beta 2 Launch Set For December 11th

Saga, a new Massively-Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy (MMORTS) game from Silverlode Interactive announces December 11th for its final Beta phase.

Silverlode Interactive today locked in December 11th as the start of their final Beta. Players who joined in the Phase 1 Beta test will be the first to gain entry; others will be admitted on a first-come first-served basis. In addition, Silverlode Interactive is working with game and hobby shops across the U.S. and game review websites worldwide to distribute Beta keys good for priority entry into Beta.

Saga Beta 2 will release many anxiously awaited features over the course of the phase.

Here’s a few: The initial screens and user interface have been improved and completely rebuilt in an easy and intuitive format. A brand new storyline-based quest system has been added that includes epic boss battles for multiplayer strategy. The chat system has been renovated to enhance trading and guild communication. A tournament system will be introduced later in Beta 2 that allows players to win products as well as increase their ranking. In addition, Saga received a major graphics overhaul making the visuals spectacular.

Silverlode Interactive is distributing preferred Beta keys to local gaming stores across America.

Players are currently invited to sign up at www.playsaga.com/signup_beta.php. Visit the Saga main page www.playsaga.com and the Saga forums for updates and latest reviews as well as a video of Saga game-play footage coming later this week.