NiK NaK launch with Dragonology and Wizardology development deal from Codemasters

NiK NaK, the new Guildford-based studio from Kuju Entertainment that specialises in the creation of games for young players, today announced that its first titles to be developed for Wii will be Dragonology and Wizardology for publisher Codemasters.

The action games are based on the 'Ology series of books from Templar Publishing, which have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Dragonology explores the study and conservation of dragons, while Wizardology is a manual of spells and magical information, purported to be written by the legendary magician Merlin. The NiK NaK games will tap into children's insatiable appetite for all things magical and mythical.

Studio Head Kevin Holloway commented:
"We are delighted to be working with Codemasters on the Dragonology and Wizardology games for Wii. The readers of the Templar books are exactly the target audience that NiK NaK's games set out to entertain. In developing the games, we have designed ways that will make the Wii Remote an intuitive control device for the younger player, whilst allowing more experienced players the challenge of perfecting their performance."

Andrew Wensley, Executive Producer, Family Entertainment and Lifestyle Games, Codemasters, commented:
"NiK NaK shares our passion for extending the 'Ology series to gamers and creating a playing experience that reflects the immersive nature of the books. With such inspirational subject matter as a base, we're thoroughly excited to be bringing the magical worlds of the 'Ologies to life."

Dragonology will be the first title in the series and is expected to launch in the second half of 2008.

Sega Mario and Sonic race to the top of the UK video games chart

All formats

(Full price) Week ending 19 January 2008

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

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Official Website Opens

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that the official website for the eagerly awaited FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS™ is now open. Visitors can explore the site to learn more about the ongoing adventures of Vaan, Penelo, Balthier and Fran, access exclusive downloads and win special prizes. The site is located at ff12revenantwings.co.uk

Set one year after the events of the best-selling FINAL FANTASY XII, FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS answers all your questions about what happens next to your favourite heroes. Return to the land of Ivalice, meet new characters, visit unexplored locations and embark upon a breathtaking new adventure.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS sees the evolution of the innovative Gambit system that allows automated commands to be issued during real-time combat. Smart Touch Screen controls provide complete power over your actions and allow you to play solely using the Nintendo DS™ stylus.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS will be released on 15th February 2008, exclusively on the Nintendo DS handheld system.

About FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS

Story

AN AGE WHEN MAGICK WAS COMMONPLACE AND AIRSHIPS PLIED THE SKIES…

“Purvama, the floating lands. In the border-skies they wait. Untrodden, unknown.”

So the legend went. And the children who heard it turned their eyes to the skies, and dreamed. The Cache of Glabados is the key, throwing wide the doors of fading memory.
There, above, an all but forgotten land – demesne of the winged ones.

Features

• Experience a tale that takes you beyond the amazing events of the PlayStation®2 smash FINAL FANTASY XII
  
• Stunning 3D graphics, music and video bring the land of Ivalice to life and push the capabilities of the Nintendo DS
  
• Take control of your favourite characters using the intuitive stylus and Nintendo DS Touch Screen
  
• Experience real-time battles using the innovative Gambit system
  
• Collect and synthesise items and treasures to create new rare items
  
• More summons than in any other FINAL FANTASY game
  
• Epic soundtrack from the composer of FINAL FANTASY XII
  
• Fully localised for Europe with French, Italian, German and Spanish translations and adjusted difficulty levels
  

Neves Nintendo DS puzzle game comes to Europe

Ignition Entertainment and Yuke's Co. Ltd. Sign Deal To Bring NEVES to Europe

Popular Puzzle Game Coming to Europe in 2008

Ignition Entertainment, a worldwide developer and publisher of interactive software, announced today an agreement with Yuke’s Co. Ltd., to bring the popular puzzle game, NEVES for the Nintendo DS™ to Europe in early 2008. The deal marks the first time that Ignition Entertainment, and Yuke’s, best known for its popular D1 Grand Prix, have worked together.

“The feedback we have already received pertaining to NEVES has been fantastic and we are

pleased to be working with Yuke’s. NEVES is one of those puzzle games that once you start to play it is difficult to put down,” said Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment’s US Operations. “So few new games within the genre hit the mark, but NEVES is the perfect choice for any puzzle fan and will capture the imagination and quickly become a favourite.”

Yukinori Taniguchi, President & CEO, Yuke’s Co., Ltd “We are delighted to be working with Ignition Entertainment, who has a great deal of experience and success with the puzzle game category. Yuke’s and Ignition Entertainment believe we have an exceptional game in NEVES and looking forward to presenting the gaming community with this very special title!

NEVES for the Nintendo DS is based upon the Tangram puzzle which is said to have originated as far back as the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD). NEVES offers originality, challenge and fun and like many great games its simplistic approach offers a contest that ‘puzzlers’ and casual gamers alike will find hard to put down once they have picked it up.

In NEVES the player is presented with 7 shapes that must be fit together to form a pre-determined shape. All 7 pieces, also know as ‘Tans’, must be used, without any overlap. These shapes can range from simple items, like an athlete, to the more challenging. Understanding what the task presented is may be easy; mastering it is a challenge.

Making full use of the Nintendo DS™ touch screen, NEVES’ control method is easy to pick up and simple to use, as the shapes can be flipped, rotated and placed into the correct position with a simple movement of the stylus.

Over 500 devious and highly creative puzzles are presented; some of which could take minutes to complete, whilst tackling others will depend on the players approach, dexterity and skill. As each puzzle concludes players will be eager for the next challenge!

Distributed by Atari in UK, and the Nordic countries, NEVES for the Nintendo DS™ is scheduled for release in Q1 ‘08.

Conflict: Denied Ops To Feature Soundtrack Composed By Richard Jacques

Veteran Composer Provides Interactive Hollywood Score Treatment for Latest Instalment in Conflict Video Game Series

Renowned for his Hollywood caliber orchestral writing, multiple award-winning composer Richard Jacques (Headhunter, Mass Effect) has scored an original music soundtrack for CONFLICT: DENIED OPS, a new two-player co-op first person shooter from Pivotal Games and the fifth game in the best-selling CONFLICT series. CONFLICT: DENIED OPS will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in February 2008.

To complement the non-stop action and cinematic moments throughout the game, Jacques composed an energetic military score that employs traditional ethnic instruments and vocals for the settings across Africa, South America and Russia. The music is fully interactive, reacting to the player’s movements, and enhances the immersive experience of the fast-paced gameplay.

“Richard Jacques’ work on Conflict: Denied Ops has been inspirational,” said Stuart Poole, Senior Producer at Pivotal Games. “He rose to the challenge of producing dynamic music for multiple regions and has given Conflict: Denied Ops its own distinct sound whilst giving each region in the game its own unique feel. The music deeply enhances the gaming experience by making the player feel very much part of the action.”

Richard Jacques is classically trained with an extensive repertoire in contemporary music genres and the recipient of numerous industry awards including Best Music from GameSpot and GameSpy. Continually in demand by the world’s leading game studios, he is internationally recognized as one of the A-list composers working in video games and rated as “One of the truly distinctive game music composers in the industry today” (PLAY Magazine, US).

For more information on Richard Jacques please visit: www.richardjacques.com.

For more information on CONFLICT: DENIED OPS, please visit: www.conflict.com.

Napoleon in Italy PC video game Update at Matrix games

Battle lines are formed and ready with this new update

Staten Island, NY, January 22nd, 2007 – Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Hussar Games (www.hussargames.com) are pleased to announce that a new update for Napoleon in Italy is now available. The new v1.05 update includes a number of balance changes to the Piedmont armies and campaign, fixes an AI general issue and tweaks the balance for readiness and cohesion regeneration. In addition, this update includes a new expanded campaign historical background guide.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said of the release, “Hussar has done it again with Napoleon in Italy, providing a fantastic strategy game that’s fun and easy to play. The latest update file will only serve to improve upon an already solid title for Napoleonics fans.”

Bulcsú Várhegyi of Hussar Games added, “Thanks to the team at Matrix Games and to the supporters we’ve met in the Napoleon in Italy community for their feedback and support. Hussar Games is always glad to support its titles, especially when they’ve been so well received and Napoleon in Italy is no exception.”

Lead the young Napoleon's French Army on his first campaign against the Austrians and Piedmontese in Northern Italy or try to stop Napoleon’s dedicated army and tactical brilliance with the mighty allied army of Austria. Experience a great interface and addicting gameplay in this realistically modeled game of Napoleonic combat.

Units and armies have various attributes like morale, experience, unit cohesion and supply to reflect the realities of historical operational combat in the Napoleonic era. Leaders are rated for Attack, Defense and Initiative as well as many special abilities designed to reflect the unique historical abilities of each commander. A realistic unit replacement system and historical siege and tactical battle rules bring the ultimate in turn-based gameplay set at the end of the 18th century.

Get more information on Napoleon in Italy from its official Matrix Games webpage. This update is comprehensive and will bring the version of the game up to 1.05.

Purrfect Pet Shop Launches online at Big Fish Games with free trials

Pet Adoption Casual Game Launches on Leading Game Portal

Casual games developer and publisher eGames, announced today that its new pet adoption game, Purrfect Pet Shop launched online on BigFishGames.com on January 18, kicking off two weeks of exclusive placement on the popular casual games portal. During the exclusive period, Big Fish Games will heavily promote the game to millions of casual game fans.

“The Big Fish Games user base is one of the largest casual game communities online, making their site an ideal launching point for Purrfect Pet Shop,” said eGames Product Manager Greg Zesinger. “With earlier releases including Burger Island™, Puzzle City™, and Defender of the Crown®: Heroes Live Forever, Big Fish Games has served as a strong distribution partner to eGames, and we are extremely pleased to expand our relationship with Purrfect Pet Shop.”

“We are excited to partner with eGames and offer Purrfect Pet Shop exclusively on BigFishGames.com,” said Nate Webb, Director, Partner Relations. “eGames continues to develop high quality titles that resonate extremely well with our audience and we are thrilled to be working with them on this release.”

Purrfect Pet Shop puts players in charge of an animal adoption center, caring for strays as they arrive at the shelter, and matching them with prospective owners based on the customer’s desired pet traits. At the same time, players must nurse a special customizable dog or cat back to health, choosing from thousands of possible pet combinations, and earn the animal’s trust through playing with toys, going on special trips to the aquarium or butcher shop, careful grooming, medical care, and the occasional tasty treat. While earning money in the shelter through donations from satisfied customers, players purchase center upgrades and special items in order to get their friend ready for adoption by the end of the game.

“We are confident Purrfect Pet Shop will thrill fans of the time management genre with its unprecedented gameplay, nursing abandoned pets back to health, and then matching them with their perfect owners,” said Zesinger. “With the unique addition of a special Kiddies mode designed especially for young gamers to play and share with the adults in their lives combined with the ability to take pictures of your special pet and email them to your friends, Purrfect Pet Shop provides a feature-rich experience that casual gamers and pet lovers of all ages are sure to enjoy.”

Free trials of Purrfect Pet Shop are now available at http://www.bigfishgames.com and http://www.egames.com, with the full game available for purchase at $19.99. An online version of the game is under development, and should be available in the next few weeks. Purrfect Pet Shop will be available at additional leading game portals following the conclusion of the two week exclusive.

GRRNews.com - top stories in the Animal Kingdom right to the doorstep

Where do you go for news about the Animal Kingdom?

Till now there has never been a one-stop outlet rounding up all of the happenings; but now GRRNews.com brings people news they can trust. From traffic and weather to politics and animal interest, GRRNews is working around the clock to keep you in the know. Now, GRRNews has combined efforts with the politically driven Hail to the Chimp to bring today’s top stories in the Animal Kingdom right to the doorstep (or keyboard in this case) of Homosapiens around the world. From the plains of the Serengeti to the highways of downtown LA; GRRNews correspondents are on the scene for every major event worth covering, now we’re bringing our own brand of coverage into the human realm for the first time.

Remember: We write the news so you don’t have to. Let the people know!

Led by the “Face of GRRNews” – Woodchuck Chumley – the website is constantly updated with news reports from around the Animal world. Alongside Woodchuck, several noteworthy reporters have been brought on to beef up coverage: “Stock Pig" Pollard, "Weather Turtle" Rusty, and "Obit Raven" Alfred B. Du Maurier. These pundit powerhouses combined with staff coverage of horoscopes, polls, personals, and history (published daily) will prove to be the greatest news team ever assembled.

As a sign of their continued dedication to broadening their coverage, GRRNews.com is proud to highlight the new and improved video section featuring special reports by none other than Woodchuck Chumley himself: http://www.grrnews.com/videos.php and while you’re there, don’t forget to support our sponsor – Vertabrexstracil - “life can be better today.”

GRRNews.com is updated daily from Monday through Friday. Take a look below for last week’s recap. Top stories are as follows:
The Global Security Agency ratcheted up the terror threat level to Orange, or Run for cover! Learn why here.


Illegal Migration: Could it happen here? Lessons learned from the Serbonian Bog dry up.

Juliet goes undercover for the first in her series on rampant wolf packs, meets with pack leaders in California, and incites pack violence throughout the country and Mexico. Read more here.

Political candidate Ptolemy’s DNA is linked to daddy-less hippo in Vegas and Arts & Entertainment editor Gizelle gets the exclusive interview.

The plover strikes are out of control with no negotiations in sight. Read the story of one pigeon who bravely crossed the picket line for work, only to say, “Never again!”

Technomamma Zeno reviews Liar 1.3 in his column Caught in the Net.

Book reviewer Gertrude Spine offers her take on The Joy of Feeding.

Woodchuck Chumley wraps up the week with insightful commentary, looking to the future and reaming of the past.

Bloggers Nipsy and Eartha do battle on Ptolemy, Illegal Migration and More in Blogs.

With the Presidential Election ramping up the stakes are piling higher by the second, we’re working to bring you behind the scenes with candid interviews from each candidate. Our own Woodchuck Chumley tenaciously gnaws to the pulpy heart of the issues as he asks questions most other Woodchucks wouldn’t even dream of.

Stay tuned to GRRNews.com for all your news needs. If we didn’t cover it – it probably didn’t happen.

Q&A: Jumper: Griffin's Story on Xbox 360, PS2, Wii

Street Date: February 12th, 2008
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS2, Wii
Rating: Teen

Tell us a little bit about Jumper: Griffin’s Story?
The Jumper game follows the character Griffin, who is a skilled jumper on a quest to avenge the death of his parents, an event that has shaped is life since he was child. The game story runs parallel to David’s (Hayden Christenson’s character) in the film and intersects at a few points – but in the game we learn even more about the Paladin organization, their mission and their history with Griffin.

What type of game play can gamers expect?
Jumper: Griffin’s Story introduces a new way to fight by introducing “jumping”, which will allow players to change locations within an environment in a split second. The game is heavily focused on combat, and being able to teleport and integrate this skill into combat is the key to what makes a jumper’s attacks so deadly. The player can move around the environment and surprise attack, as well as use chain attacks “bouncing back and forth” between enemies. This keeps adversaries constantly guessing. The player has the ability to strategically coordinate attacks on all sides of the opponent, using different attack buttons to perform specific combos. This is important because the Paladin’s heightened senses often allow them to anticipate moves milliseconds before the Jumper executes them.

How will the player experience “Jumping “within the game?
At its essence, Jumper: Griffin’s Story is about being a Jumper and utilizing the skill of being able to teleport instantly in order to defeat your adversaries. There are three distinct types of jumps the player can employ – the combat jump, the traversal jump and the finisher jump. The combat jump is what the player uses the most throughout gameplay and allows players to jump around opponents during a fight sequence while simultaneously executing a series of devastating combos. The traversal jump allows the player to pick a point in the environment and jump to it instantly which is useful for both surprising and evading enemies. The finisher jump allows the player to jump enemies to completely new locations and leave them to their demise - which may be anything from a high altitude drop to dinner for a hungry beast.

How will this game expand fans of the films experience?
The Jumper game is all about giving players the sensation of what it would be like to play the Jumper film as a completely interactive experience. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, the Jumper universe is based in reality so while special effects are inherent to the story, the approach to the visuals – in both the film and the game – is subtle with the focus is placed on the conflict between the Jumpers and Paladins.

In the game, the player will experience a very cinematic feel at every turn as well as a very distinct look and feel based on the unique aesthetic created by director Doug Liman. This combined with the rich fiction of Steven Gould’s books creates an excellent backdrop for a completely new and exciting universe. In introducing a completely new storyline, we have also introduced some new characters within the Paladin ranks. The player controls Griffin, but Roland and David, who appear in the film, also appear in the game.

Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory PC game hits US

CDV Software Entertainment USA today announced they have entered into an agreement with developer and publisher Fireglow Games to bring Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory – the latest title in the acclaimed series of World War II real-time strategy games – to North American retailers.

Sudden Strike 3 features an all-new fully 3D engine optimized for strategy games, new campaigns, massive battles, and historically modeled units that are rendered in accurate relative scale – from a wide assortment of infantry types to massive battleships and aircraft carriers – along with significantly expanded gameplay so players can wage war across a variety of terrains and environments. For more information about Sudden Strike 3, set to begin shipping to North American retail on March 10, 2008, visit http://www.suddenstrike.com.

“We are delighted to enter into this relationship with Fireglow Games,” stated Tom Gross, CEO of cdv Software Entertainment USA. “With over 2.5 million Sudden Strike games sold world-wide, we are thrilled to offer this eagerly awaited third installment to North American consumers.”

"Sudden Strike 3 is the game that fans of the series have been waiting for,” said Ludmila Ludvig, Managing Director of Fireglow Games. "We are delighted to be working with cdv USA on this product – their deep knowledge of the North American games market - particularly the strategy genre –makes them an ideal partner to deliver this much-anticipated third installment of our Sudden Strike franchise."