Free MMORPG, Metin2 Celebrates Christmas with Holiday-Themed Lottery Events, New Monarch System win an Apple iPhone and More

Grand prize includes Apple iPhone, METIN2 2008 calendar!

G4box Inc, a North American publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment media, has announced an exciting holiday lottery event and classic Christmas icons for players of METIN2 to help celebrate the season in style. Beginning December 15 to ring in the holiday cheer, METIN2 gamers can participate in a special holiday lottery event, where they could win an Apple iPhone, among other prizes, as well as find holiday icons to be used as treasure. More details about the game, how to download it and how to participate in the events can be found at the game’s official web site: http://www.METIN2.us.

Christmas Lottery Event:

METIN2 gamers throughout the three Kingdoms will be able to collect special lottery tickets, beginning December 15 - December 27. By slaying various monsters and villains found throughout METIN2 in areas like Tangra Mountain, Nula Valley, and The Wastelands, lottery tickets can be obtained. The event will feature a grand prize of an Apple iPhone for one lucky winner, and other prizes to be awarded include the stunning METIN2 2008 calendar, along with hundreds of additional stocking stuffers such as METIN2 notebooks and posters!

Santa Claus, Holiday Stockings, and Christmas Trees:

With Christmas just a few weeks away, G4box is decking the halls with the addition of new holiday-themed events. These events will run through December 27, and classic Christmas icons may be found throughout the world of METIN2. Holiday-themed items may now be found as treasure when adventuring and slaying monsters throughout the lands of METIN2. Enormous trees decorated with colorful and flashy ornaments can be spotted and are the key to a making player wishes come true, and a generous, elderly man wearing a suit of red with white trim seems to be selling precious goods and materials for prices that are too good to be true – a rare find of valuable components!

METIN2’s Monarch System:

The month of January will signify a revolution in how METIN2 is played as the first Monarchs of METIN2 are born. The Kingdoms of Dendera, Milgaard, and Listhmos will be able to select one outstanding player to represent them as Monarch and lead the charge into battle. Monarchs must take care to use their powers wisely and for the greater good. Monarchs who rule unfairly or are too greedy may find themselves kneeling to a new Monarch before too long. This exciting new innovation heralds METIN2’s community-based approach by allowing players to have a more active role in how their Kingdoms will be lead.

For more information on the lottery event or the Christmas icons, including their start dates and the great prizes, visit the METIN2 website at http://www.METIN2.us/index.htm.

Puzzle game, Fading Shadows, exclusive to Sony PSP

Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Ivolgamus
Release Date: February 2007
Price: £24.99
PEGI: 7+
Format: PSP

Fading Shadows is an incredibly original title, exclusive to the PSPTM, created by European developer Ivolgamus. The unusual style of gameplay is combined with stunning graphics and a compelling storyline to make this a must for any players with a penchant for puzzle-platformer games.

The player must guide an orb through 40 captivating levels by controlling a magical beam of light. This orb contains the soul of a young boy, and it is the player's job to rescue the boy by safely leading the orb to the Castle of Heaven. Pass through swamps, travel over mountains, visit castles and explore deserted cities on your quest to save the world from the forces of darkness.

Each level will require the player to change the state of the orb to glass, wood or metal, and control it with the appropriate force from the beam of light. To proceed past the Dark Castle level the player must turn all the disks of the pentagram towards the gate and place the orb in the centre. But how do you turn the disks? A closer look reveals a number of switches scattered throughout the level, and these can be activated using the orb or the beam of light. The following actions can be seen in the accompanying screenshots.

To reach the switch beyond a matrix of numerals the orb must move over the matrix without touching a number out of sequence.

Press three buttons in the correct order to activate the switch at the fireplace.

To reach the switches above the escalator, players must activate it using the switch placed in front and above the escalator that will raise the platform underneath allowing the orb to travel up and reach the next switch.

Finally when all discs are turned towards the gates and the orb is placed in the middle of the pentagram the gates will open for the orb to be driven through.

Fading Shadows is to be released in February 2008.

Kawasaki Quad Bikes for the Nintendo Wii

Video games publisher and games developer Data Design Interactive are pleased to announce that its Nintendo Wii development team working on DDI’s ‘Arcade Popcorn’ label has hit its target of 14 games gaining Gold status for release this fall.

Kawasaki Quad Bikes

This is the ultimate quad biking experience putting you in the driving seat of one of these awesome All Terrain Vehicles. The game features the most exhilarating off road tracks known to man! Plus you will experience the heart stopping power and agility of these awesome machines.

· A full range of officially licensed Kawasaki Quad Bikes, with unlockable extras, hidden quads, upgrades, courses and much more.

· Outstanding single player game modes include numerous championship and single race challenges, with over 70 track variations.

· Multiplayer mode allows you to compete against friends, with lots of challenging environments to explore, from gravel covered slopes to mud soaked arenas.

Warhammer video game Online Beta Army - Half A Million Strong

More Than 500,000 Sign Up for Early Access to EA Mythic's MMORPG Scheduled for Release in Q2 2008

GOA and EA Mythic today announced that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (W.A.R.), the highly anticipated massively-multiplayer online role-playing game MMORPG from EA Mythic, has surpassed 500,000 closed beta registrants in North America and Europe. Beta testing resumes next week with a special sneak peek at the new Dark Elf lands and careers. Thanks to the tremendous response from fans around the world, the development team now has a strong pool of gamers to tap for W.A.R. final testing stages.

Poised to be one of the biggest new MMORPG releases releases of next year, W.A.R. is slated for official launch in Q2 2008. The Beta Center is still open and accepting recruits at:

www.war-europe.com/#/subscription/

Based on Games Workshop’s epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, Warhammer Online features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm (RvR) game play that immerses players in a world of perpetual conflict. For more information, please visit www.war-europe.com.

Draft Day Sports: College Basketball video game Game Trailers

Wolverine Studios, a developer of sports simulation games, is proud to announce that Draft Day Sports: College Basketball will be released via digital download from www.wolverinestudios.com on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 for $39.95 USD.

In anticipation of the official release we have released four video trailers on our website.

Coach Lineage
http://www.wolverinestudios.com/downloads/DDSCB/videos/lineage/llineage.html
Track the entire coaching “family tree” of every coach in the history of your league. See which coaches have been the most successful in teaching their assistants what it takes to make it on their own.

Player Recruiting
http://www.wolverinestudios.com/downloads/DDSCB/videos/recruiting/recruiting%20vid.html
Our already deep recruiting system just got better! Check out the new pitch and focus areas, the ability to call up recruits and converse with them and gather the info you need to determine if he’s the right fit for your school. Check out the massive amount of detail on each recruit – even down to info on his parents who could play a role in his decision making.

Almanac
http://www.wolverinestudios.com/downloads/DDSCB/videos/almanac/almanac.html
Check out the detail of the history stored for your league. Go back and look up past award winners, pre and post season tournament winners, team, coach and player records and historical standings for each and every season you’ve played!

In Game Experience
http://www.wolverinestudios.com/downloads/DDSCB/videos/ingame/ingame.html
We’ve redesigned our gameplay screen to provide you with much more on court 2D action and our new player icons make it even easier to determine on court matchups and visualize the game. Take a look at the wide array of coaching options you have at your fingertips including the ability to choose different motivation tactics to try and fire up a listless team or heap praise on your boys for a job well done.

Tribulation Knights video game to include music from STRIVE

Atomic Design Laboratory has agreed to license music from the pop rock band STRIVE to be included in the Tribulation Knights video game. The unique sound of the Chicago based pop rock band and their message of encourage and compassion makes their music a perfect companion to the faith based Tribulation KnightsTM video game.

Tribulation Knights is a brand new video game in a series of faith based Christian games. The game is an action based first person adventure for the PC, featuring elements of an RPG in an action packed story line. The title will be released for Windows XP/Vista.

About Atomic Design Laboratory L.L.C.
The interactive entertainment developer Atomic Design Laboratory is a startup founded by John Nelson. The company is located in the Midwest United States in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

About STRIVE
The Chicago-based pop/rock band was formed to share the love of Christ, encourage lives of compassion and to become involved in culture-shaping activities. The members of Strive created The Rock Gospel of Jesus Christ project and founded the non-profit organization Rock Gospel Ministries to impact the world in positive ways through music. STRIVE was Featured Artist in October 2007 by CCM Magazine (Christ, Community, Music) and takes the No14 spot in myCCM's top 100 artists of 2007. For information about STRIVE please contact manager Derick Thompson.

Darkeden video game - MMORPG - Available for Free Play Testing

Joymax, an independent developer of interactive entertainment for the global market, has announced that its vampire-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game has begun its open beta play test period. The new game, Darkeden, is now offering free accounts for the purposes of the beta test, available at the Joymax website. All participants in the Darkeden open beta test will be able to progress through the game at an accelerated rate, receiving experience points at 200%. Eager players worldwide can sign up at Joymax's website and begin playing the near-complete game immediately, enjoying the opportunity to experience Darkeden early, and contribute to the game's final revision process.

"This is an excellent opportunity for players to get in on the ground floor of Darkeden," said June K. Son, General Manager of Joymax. "We welcome everyone to sample what the game has in store, and we're eager to hear what our players have to say as we work on the finishing touches."

Players can access the free beta now by signing up for a Joymax.com account at www.joymax.com.

As a special holiday treat, Darkeden is hosting an in-game Christmas event, starting December 18th, 2007, and ending on January 8th, 2008. During this event, players will have the opportunity to gather puzzle pieces by hunting monsters, which, when assembled, will reward players with a Christmas tree or a Snowman. These festive items can be inscribed with customized messages and placed in the game world. Monsters will also deliver firecrackers as in-game items, which can be set off in the game world to produce colorful holiday cheer.

About Darkeden
Darkeden is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, inviting players into a bleak near-future environment and a brutal conflict between two distinct races-vampires and slayers. Featuring hand-rendered graphics and an isometric 2D view, Darkeden is easy for novices to learn, yet features a broad depth of features and character-building options for hardcore players. Darkeden contains hundreds of potential skills and two distinct systems of character advancement, and is available to download and play free of charge.

More information about Darkeden is available at http://www.joymax.com/darkeden/.

Swizz Beatz video game download for Microsoft Xbox LIVE

"Swizz Beatz" theme available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace

“It’s me Snitches!” – Swizz Beatz takes over your Xbox 360. Konsole Kingz does it again and brings one of the hottest names in hip-hop to the gaming world. The millions of Xbox 360 owners can now customize their entertainment experience with exclusive images of Swizz Beatz by downloading his theme and gamer pictures. Xbox LIVE members can also download an exclusive HD video of Swizz discussing his love for gaming, his album ”One Man Band Man”, and the success of his top billboard chart single, “It’s Me Snitches,” which is featured on Madden 2008.

This is the fourth in a series of themes and gamer pictures that Konsole Kingz has released for Xbox LIVE. According to CJ Peters, Konsole Kingz CEO, "In keeping with our company’s mission, to provide urban content real gamers can relate to, we’re bringing true celebrity gamers from the hip-hop community to Xbox LIVE. We're very excited about working with Swizz Beatz and bringing him to Xbox LIVE, which is the best online gaming service available."

Konsole Kingz is bringing new, innovative content for the urban gamer to the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. Available now, Swizz Beatz fans can download the Xbox 360 theme called Swizz Beatz. The Swizz Beatz downloadable content includes the following:

- Themes – 4 photo wallpapers

- Picture Packs – 5 pictures

- Hi-Def Video Interview with Swizz

Users can access the Xbox content by doing the following:

· The HD interview: Marketplace > Game Videos > Gaming Community Videos > Konsole Kingz

· Swizz Gaming Pics: Marketplace > Theme and Gamer Pictures > From the Community

· Konsole Kingz Swizz Themes: Marketplace > Theme and Gamer Pictures > From the Community > Konsole Kingz

Xbox LIVE Marketplace on Xbox 360 offers the ability to download themes (wallpapers), picture packs (icons), and exclusive HD videos. This online store appeals to the more than 8 million Xbox LIVE users across the world because they are able to identify with a shared commonality outside of music. Konsole Kingz recognized the connection of the two industries and introduced their unique hip-hop-fueled, gaming content to Xbox 360, and made its debut on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace earlier this year with the launch of Redman’s “Red Gone Wild” theme and Bonecrusher’s Theme.

No1 Selling Board Game now available Blokus World Tour download

No1 Selling Board Game on Amazon Now Available as a Unique Try-Before-You-Buy Game

Funkitron, a widely respected publisher of casual games, today announces their latest release, Blokus World Tour, is now available for download from the following website: www.blokusworldtour.com. Blokus World Tour is launched in partnership with Sekkoia, publisher of the popular Blokus board game, which has sold over three million units worldwide since 2000. With 26 awards to its credit, Blokus is the most award-winning board game of the 21st century, and among the top selling board games around the world. Blokus World Tour is the official version of the game developed exclusively for the PC platform by Funkitron and retails for $19.95.

The downloadable PC version of Blokus offers unique and brand-new features. For the first time, players have the chance to play in tour mode and take part in 10 different Blokus tournaments. The game also features 16 unique computer opponents from around the globe, each with their own AI and character. Players are also able to collect special Gold Bloks for attaining special achievements along the way. Your goal? Travel the world, win the tour, and become the ultimate Blokus champion.

Blokus World Tour also lets you choose from any one of the Quick Game modes that allow you to choose your level of difficulty. This includes Classic (two players using two colors each or four players using one color each) and Duo (two players using one color each). A new twist on the classic game adds Blokus Challenges, consisting of special puzzle games featuring Blokus gameplay to test your puzzle-solving abilities. Blokus World Tour provides intelligent fun to everyone: all the members of the family will enjoy discovering this easy-to-grasp, addictive, and mind-challenging game.

"Sekkoia has done an amazing job making Blokus into one of the most successful board games of all time, and it's been a great opportunity to work on such a popular family title," said Dave Walls, President of Funkitron, Inc. "We've worked very closely with Sekkoia to ensure that all the details are captured in the same way as the board game, and that the PC play experience is every bit as challenging and fun."

"Funkitron has a great reputation for developing high-quality, family-friendly PC titles, and the work they've done on Blokus World Tour is no exception," said Pierre-Jacques Jouars, Managing Director of Sekkoia. "We expect strong support for the title from our diverse fan base of strategy gamers, who'll have plenty of time to enjoy the game during the winter holidays."

Blokus Rules
As a turn-based strategy game, Blokus follows very simple rules. Each player starts with 21 polyominoes, shapes consisting of one to five squares. Each player places his/her pieces on the board in turn, with the purpose of placing a maximum number of pieces on the board. There is one essential constraint: the pieces of the same color must touch each other by one or more angles, but must never touch at an edge. Players must invoke a clever strategy to extend their territory, all the while attempting to block their opponents' paths. But remember, each piece is different and every move can be decisive!

New Albatross18 Golf video game Additions for Christmas

Additional Rumble Fighter Holiday Items also Unveiled

OGPlanet, an innovative provider of multiplayer online games, today announced new holiday-themed events for Albatross18 and Rumble Fighter.

Albatross18, OGPlanet's golf role-playing game, is getting into the swing of Christmas with an array of holiday items including holiday sweaters, Rudolph noses, Santa hats and specially designed holiday golf clubs. A number of holiday items will appear as random drops in-game, and some will also be available for purchase using game points.

Ten Albatross18 players will be selected as winners each day during the holiday season in the Albatross18 Christmas Wish List contest. Players can enter by adding Albatross18 to their MySpace friends' lists. Albatross18's MySpace page can be found at http://www.myspace.com/albatross18.

Rumble Fighter players will be able to dress their characters in Santa Claus outfits, and a new hand-to-hand fighting method is now available for purchase with Astros, the official currency of the OGPlanet universe.

Both Albatross18 and Rumble Fighter players will also find special deals in the OGPlanet store throughout Christmas.