Nintendo Wii launch ADVENTURES OF LOLO 2 and SUPER STREET FIGHTER™ II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS on shopping channel

Let's take a quick personality test. Are you the type of person who likes to solve problems by analyzing clues, collecting information and methodically reaching your goal? Or are you more the type to thrust a double-footed kick into someone's face and follow it with a few body blows? Your answers to those questions should help you decide which popular game to choose this week.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

ADVENTURES OF LOLO 2 (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Lolo and Lala are back in this sequel to the popular puzzle game THE ADVENTURES OF LOLO. On their return from the Haunted Castle, the Great Devil kidnaps Lala and challenges Lolo to rescue her again. Now he must take on the challenge of the Great Devil's Tower and Castle mazes. Fortunately, Lala was able to analyze each of the mazes as she was taken to the tower and left clues in the Jewel Boxes in each room. Each Jewel that Lolo collects contains information that will help him in the next room. In order to succeed, he'll also have to push tiles, pick up Heart Framers, temporarily turn enemies into Eggs with his Magic Shots and ward off enemy attacks by moving Emerald Framers. With your help, Lolo and Lala will work together to escape the Great Devil's clutches and defeat him.

SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS (Super NES, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen - Violence, 800 Wii Points): When SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS debuted, the fighting-game genre was forever changed. Along with a revolutionary combo system, the game introduced a new set of challengers to fight alongside the original Street Fighter II cast. In addition to the classic characters of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Blanka, E. Honda, Zangief, Dhalsim, Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M. Bison, take control of four brand-new characters in exciting head-to-head fighting game play. Choose T. Hawk and his unmatched strength to crush your opponents, use Deejay's unrivaled kickboxing ability to defeat your opponents, unleash your inner dragon with the furious kung fu of Fei Long and drill your rivals with the deadly beauty of Cammy. Get ready for the Street Fighter tournament and the fight of your life.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Quake4 HaptX Multiplayer Mod for the Novint Falcon

Reachin Technologies is pleased to announce that its Quake4 HaptX Multiplayer Mod for the Novint Falcon will be available to the public as of February 11th.

The HaptX Mod promises to raise adrenaline levels to new heights with intense online combat providing unique physical recoils and characteristics of all the weapons in the hands of the gamer. The player will also be able to feel the direction of enemy bullets and explosions, including the ability to physically feel the damage inflicted by the Gauntlet weapon for those up-close personal attacks.

The Novint Falcon has won numerous awards worldwide including IGN’s BEST OF E3: GEAR AWARD, and is an entirely new type of game controller. By replacing the mouse or joystick, the Falcon is, essentially, a small robot that lets the player physically experience the game through the sense of touch unlike any controller in history.

The HaptX Quake4 Mod will be available for free, but requires a valid Quake4 installation and a Novint Falcon. The HaptX Mod will be available for download through www.haptx.com and www.novint.com. Videos on HaptX enabled games are available at: http://www.haptx.com/games/index.aspx.

AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage Demo Competition Sponsored by SoundBlaster

Leading computer software publisher Lighthouse Interactive, game developer ClockStone Software, and Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, are looking for the most famous adept among all AVENCAST demo players! Today they announced a player competition for their unique Action RPG game, AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage. The competition begins on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 and ends Tuesday, February 5, 2008 (inclusive). AVENCAST combines role-playing with a fluid combat system found in beat-em-up games, which is unique to the RPG genre. AVENCAST is Windows Vista compatible and is available at major retail stores across Canada, the US and Europe.

What is it about?

One of the features of AVENCAST is a player’s Fame Points. It is a score that evaluates a player’s battle skills as they try to avoid being hit and use their spells with maximum effect to gain lots of points. If players beat the game, their hero will appear in the game’s Hall of Fame. They can compare their scores to those of other characters. If they have their Fame Points Display activated while playing, players can permanently observe their current competence in gaining fame points.

Players will have the chance to win one of the following prizes:

How to participate:

1. Download the latest game demo at www.avencast.com.
2. Download the competition tool at www.avencast.com and save it on your computer.
3. Play the demo to the very end so you hero is found in the Hall of Fame.
4. Enter the competition by starting the competition tool, which submits your hero stats and contact details.

You could win one of the following SoundBlaster prizes:

1st Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card
2nd Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card
3rd Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card
4th Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card

Plus... 5 winners by random draw, each receiving a deck of Avencast branded cards

TOTAL WINNERS = 9

The 1st and 2nd prizes will be awarded to the top 2 players with the highest "fame scores." The 3rd and 4th prizes will be awarded by random draw among the Top 20 best players. The 5 winners of the Avencast decks of playing cards will be allocated by random draw among the Top 100 players.

To view the full contest details, visit www.avencast.com.

Infinity closed beta starts January 28th

Are you ready for a new adventure?

Next Monday January 28th GameTribe will launch the closed beta phase of its action game Infinity!

Enter the Arena with your Aterion warrior and fight against other players or side by side with your friends in the cooperative mode.

Limited access are available so run to GameTribe and register to get your chance to be one of the lucky beta tester: we’ll periodically activate new accounts.

We’ll send an email to all the lucky players that will be extracted!

The game main features are:
Fast paced action: fight alongside your guards to add to the combat mayhem and unlock powerful combos as you press on in the game!
Spectacular graphic: Infinity lets you feel the rage of battle and easily adapts to always give you the best point of view of the fight.
Chain combo system: use up to 42 skill combinations to destroy your enemy!
Be part of the action!

Infinity is waiting for you….

GameTribeTeam
www.gametribe.com
Time to Play!

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.