New Ouster Race download for Darkeden

Joymax, an independent developer of interactive entertainment for the global market, has introduced a third race, called "Ouster," to its vampire-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Darkeden. A unique race that is half vampire and half human, the Ousters can use special summoning magic and wield bladed weapons called "Chakrams."

New players can now receive special beginners' gear when they join the game. Available for the first 14 days of play, the gear will better prepare neophyte gamers to experience the dark, gothic world of Darkeden.

About Darkeden
A free-to-play MMORPG currently in open beta, Darkeden invites players into a bleak near-future environment and a brutal conflict between three distinct races: vampires, slayers, and ousters. Featuring hand-rendered graphics and an isometric 2D view, Darkeden is easy for novices to learn, yet includes a broad variety 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.

Darkeden is available for download at http://www.joymax.com/portal//.

Nintendo 2007 Wii and Nintendo DS Sales Figures

Throughout 2007 the Nintendo DS and Wii have both seen strong hardware and software sales, as people of all ages across Europe embraced the pick up and play nature of the consoles and titles released.

The phenomenal interest in Wii, with its innovative Wii Remote and interactive titles, has lead to over 6 million consoles flying off the shelves in Europe since its launch in December 2006. The unprecedented popularity of the console has also seen four first party Wii titles; Wii Play, Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Party 8 and The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, each sell in excess of over one million units across Europe and provide complete entertainment for the whole family.

At the same time, the handheld Nintendo DS console has proved a firm favourite with all generations with titles from Animal Crossing: Wild World to Big Brain Academy and Pokémon Diamond and Pokémon Pearl truly providing entertainment to millions of Nintendo DS owners throughout Europe! Sales of the console have now broken the 20 million barrier in Europe, and the popularity of Touch! Generations titles such as the Brain Training series and Nintendogs have paved the way to ensure gaming has been bought to a whole new audience regardless of age, gender of previous gaming ability.

The much loved Mario franchise continues to keep Europe entertained whether the player is an old Mario fan or a newcomer to the series. Mario Kart DS has seen 2 million copies race of the shelves of retailers across Europe and with titles such as New Super Mario Bros selling over 3 million copies to date and Super Mario Galaxy on Wii breaking the 1 million barrier within a few months of launch, Mario is as strong as ever!

The table below lists European sales figures as of the beginning of January 2008. These are sell-through figures based upon retail sales in each European country that are provided by independent research companies.

Nintendo Co., Ltd has also announced today their global consolidated shipment figures. This is the number of Wii and Nintendo DS hardware and software Nintendo has sold to its distributors and retail customers worldwide. *Please reference Nintendo's third quarter financial results announcement issued separately.

European Wii sales (sell-through estimate) figures at a glance as of beg Jan 2008:
Product Total European Cumulative Sales to date (Sell through
estimate as of beg Jan 2008)
Wii Over 6 million units
Wii Play 2.3 million units
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess 1.3 million units
Mario Party 8 1 million units
Super Mario Galaxy 1.3 million units

European Nintendo DS sales (sell through estimate) figures at a glance as of beg Jan 2008:
Product Total European Cumulative Sales to date (Sell through estimate as of beg Jan 2008)
Nintendo DS 20 million units
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain? 5 million units
More Brain Training From Dr Kawashima: How Old Is Your Brain? 2.8 million units
Nintendogs 8 million units

2008 will continue to see innovative titles hit the shelves as Wii Fit arrives in Europe, and the Touch! Generations range expands with the addition of Professor Kageyama's Maths Training: The Hundred Cell Calculation Method on the Nintendo DS.

This year will also see Mario racing back onto Wii in Mario Kart Wii, which will be bundled with a new accessory - the Wii Wheel - allowing anyone to simply pick it up and start playing! In addition, fans will see him head into battle, along with other famous characters from Nintendo and third party titles, as Super Smash Bros. Brawl launches across Europe.

Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason PC GAMERS TO BE FROZEN IN FEAR

505 Games today announced that it will be publishing the European release of the survival horror title, Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason, under the newly created 1C Label. Developed by Action Forms, Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason is due for release on PC in 2008.

The Arctic Circle, Russian North Pole station ‘Pole 21’, 1968 - Alexander Nesterov is a meteorologist sent to investigate the final hours of the North Wind, an old nuclear ice-breaker trapped in an icy grave. This steel beast once fought for its country, but during a dangerous mission it drifted into an ice trap slowly freezing to death every living thing on board.

Alex must fight against the intense cold by finding any remaining heat sources as he investigates the final days of the North Wind and unlocks the mysteries within. However, Alex is no ordinary meteorologist as he possesses a unique ‘Mental Echo’ ability that allows him to relive the final memories of the dead and change their actions in the past, changing their future. Nothing can prepare Alex for the truth he uncovers as he digs deeper into the history of the ship.

Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason takes players on a terrifying trip into the unknown as they explore the dark, frozen, claustrophobic corridors and unlock the shocking secrets of the North Wind.

Key Features:

- Terrifying first person survival/horror action gameplay

- Unique “Mental Echo” ability providing the player the chance to change the outcome of a character’s past

- Highly detailed levels based on a real Russian ice-breaker

- Battle powerful enemies, all with unique capabilities

- Non player characters help to reveal the true story

- Historically-authentic weapons

- Completely new physics and weather system with realistic ice, frost and snow with advanced character/object physics

- Unified dynamic shadowing system – fully dynamic, moving light sources, casting shadows on all objects

Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason, will be published by 505 Games for PC across Europe in 2008.

Tune In To The High-Definition Premiere Of "GameTrailers TV With Geoff Keighley"

MTVN'S ENTERTAINMENT GROUP AND VIDEOGAME JOURNALIST GEOFF KEIGHLEY EXPAND PARTNERSHIP WITH BROAD TALENT AND DEVELOPMENT DEAL

Tune In To The High-Definition Premiere Of "GameTrailers TV With Geoff Keighley" Friday, January 25, 2008 On Spike TV


MTV Networks’ Entertainment Group, a division of Viacom' (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), today announced a talent and development deal with acclaimed videogame journalist Geoff Keighley, the host of Spike TV’s “Game Head,” the preeminent videogame show on television. Premiering Friday, January 25, 2008, the fifth season of “Game Head” will be re-launched as “GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley.” The weekly magazine-style show, made available for the first time in high-definition, will feature an expanded online presence and a tighter integration with GameTrailers.com, the premier provider of video for gamers.

In addition to serving as an executive producer on the new show, Keighley will enter into a development deal with Spike TV to create additional on-air programming, consult on the annual Spike TV “Video Game Awards” show and host a number of to be announced specials. He will also continue hosting and producing “Bonus Round,” GameTrailers’ popular online roundtable talk show about the videogame industry.

“We are thrilled to have the industry’s number one host on the number one videogame show on television,” said Kevin Kay, president of Spike TV. “This new deal allows us to work more closely with Geoff to ensure that Spike continues to be home to the best videogame programming both online and on TV.”

“It has long been my hope to sign Geoff to a larger overall deal so we can make better use of his talents across all of our properties,” said Jon Slusser, SVP Spike Digital and Videogames. “Geoff’s experience as a journalist and passion for videogames make him one of the best gaming experts in the field and he is an invaluable addition to the MTVN Entertainment Group.”

“I’m proud of what we’ve done these past few years with “Game Head,” our various videogame specials and The Bonus Round, so it’s natural to bring everything together into one overall multi-platform deal,” said Keighley. “This year we’re going to continue delivering exclusive content to gamers, but also take videogame programming in some new and unexpected directions.”

“GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley” will bring fans the latest scoop on the gaming industry’s hottest titles, coolest events and biggest stars, offering the access and insight millions of viewers have come to expect from GameTrailers.com. Featuring a rotation of over 20 segments, Keighley and co-hosts Amanda MacKay and Daniel Kayser will provide exclusive content catering to gamers with varying interest levels from the casual gamer to hardcore enthusiasts. In addition to premiering on Spike TV and Spike HD, the program will be available in high definition on GameTrailers.com and Xbox Live Marketplace.

Get the Edge with Gaming Hardware from Specialist Manufacturer Ideazon

Leading gameware specialist, Ideazon Inc. develops, manufactures and markets the next generation of gaming peripheral technologies that enhance the gamers experience. Much of their success has been built around the unique Zboard™. The Zboard™ allows keysets for the latest games to be interchanged in the keyboard and therefore allow programmable keys and a keyboard set-up for each game. This produces a much quicker response and better reactions when playing the game.

With a very strong following in the US, the company has now set up the UK channel with the launch of some exciting new products.

MERC™ Stealth Keyboard - features the best illumination in gaming peripherals.

Ideazon has taken its hugely popular MERC™ gaming keyboard to the next level in a way that is leaving the competition in the dark. The MERC™ Stealth's colour and intensity illumination controls allow gamers to dial in the precise lighting level they prefer in any gaming environment. The keyboard offers three distinct illumination levels when turned on: Subtle, Ambient and Intense. The user can also select from red, blue or purple light, or they can choose no light at all.

To maximize both playing comfort and playing time, the MERC™ Stealth comes with 34 dedicated gaming terrain keys and nine rubberized labelled keys for main commands like jump, crouch and directional movement. All keys are labelled and clustered together for the ultimate gaming experience, with the spacing and positioning of keys designed for ultimate precision and control. The keyboard comes with predefined key mappings for the most popular games, but all keys, including the Windows key, can very easily be remapped individually by using the included Z Engine™ software. The Z Engine™ gaming software enables the "precise" management of Ideazon's gaming tools and brings gaming peripherals to the next level. Several features including: a graphical interface; drag & drop functionality, macro making and message key capabilities give gamers the tools to dominate the gaming world and share their strategies with others in the gaming community.

The gaming terrain is tilted 11 degrees to match natural wrist position. Additionally, traditional PC gamers who enjoy gaming on standard WASD keys can still use these keys on the MERC™ Stealth to continue to dominate. SRP £59.99 Inc Vat

REAPER™ Edge gaming mouse.

The REAPER™ Edge is easy to use and easy to programme and is complete with an array of advanced features for both hardcore and casual gamers; the new mouse includes real time, on-the-fly DPI switching to a maximum of 3200 DPI – and much more.
It is ideal for First Person Shooter, Massive Multiplayer Online, Real Time Strategy, Simulation, and Action Games.

It is compatible with Windows 2000/XP and it is Certified for Windows Vista. It has Full Speed USB Interface with 1ms response time, 20g Acceleration with a Max speed of 45ips. There are 5 distinct levels of DPI sensitivity (800, 1200, 1600, 2000, and 3200) The Reaper Edge mouse also features an independent X- and Y- axis calibration.
SRP £ £49.99 inc Vat

GH-100 Gaming Headset. This Gaming headset provides clear in game sound and voice in a Behind the head/Over the ear format. There is an adjustable microphone, in-line volume adjustment and comfortable foam ear pads. SRP £14.99 inc Vat

Ideazon products are distributed in the UK by Interactive Ideas and available from www.amazon.co.uk and www.play.com.

Masthead Studios Unveils the Post-Apocalyptic World

Masthead Studios, the innovative independent game development studio based in Bulgaria, is proud to announce its debut MMO Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic science fiction title slated to release in 2009.

In the aftermath of a catastrophic third world war, Earth lies in ruin, and mankind is all but extinct. In a small corner of the world a new society has risen in the years following, populated mostly by the clones of those stored in a massive DNA database compiled at the end of the war. A corporate government has created a seemingly Utopian civilization, but its heavy-handed control over society, its resources, and even life itself has forced a substantial opposition. These rival factions accuse the government of crimes against humanity in its rampant willingness to abuse the cloning process to its own gain. It is at this crossroads that players will find themselves: fight as a champion of the new world order, or take up arms with Noir, the shadow government sworn to overthrow the totalitarian rule.

Masthead has employed its own engine to craft the stunning graphics and atmosphere in the game, as well as to handle its dynamic combat mechanics. Explore the diverse and sprawling capital city of Sal Vitas and surrounding unclaimed territories. Fight with advanced PvP mechanics featuring customizable power armor, huge mechanized exoskeletons, and an arsenal of weapons to control contested lands and their resources. Influence the market-based economy by working for the corporate world or trading on the black market, all based in immense and highly customized crafting and offline play systems. Players will shape the society in the beginning of a new mankind; or they will create their own dystopia.

“This will change the way we play sci-fi MMOs,” said Atanas Atanasov, CEO of Masthead Studios. “Our team is creating a game that will introduce the next innovative approach to the genre, and we feel to MMOs themselves. We based the game in a vision of society’s future, where the technology and economics of today have ensured an unavoidable cataclysm. Earthrise won’t be just an MMO, but an experience in a new, never-before-imagined post-apocalyptic world.”

Further information, initial concept art, game lore and a growing community around Earthrise are now available at www.play-earthrise.com.

About Masthead Studios

Masthead Studios is an independent game development studio focusing on innovative, next-generation MMORPGs. Integrating its own proprietary engine technology, the company is currently developing its first title, Earthrise, the post-apocalyptic, sci-fi MMORPG to be launched in 2009. Masthead is located in the emerging technology hub of Sofia, Bulgaria, enabling the studio to recruit local and international talent. For more information please visit www.mastheadstudios.com.

Paradox Interactive brings City Life 2008 to North America

Publisher Paradox Interactive announced today that it has signed the next-generation city builder, City Life Edition 2008, for the North American market. Scheduled for release in May, 2008, the title will be available in retail stores as well as for digital download via GamersGate.

The original City Life was praised for bringing originality to the city building simulation genre and the title managed to carve out its own niche in the genre. City Life Edition 2008 brings as much originality and detail as its predecessor, and the 3D game engine with its detail and animation promises total freedom of construction. Several new features have been added, including:

- 60 new buildings making it a total of 360 buildings
- 10 new maps
- An updated editor with the possibility to import real life satellite maps

About City Life – Edition 2008
rom superb villas in residential neighborhoods to imposing skyscrapers in the financial district, design, construct and develop the city of your dreams. Provide comfort and satisfaction for your citizens by offering them work, health care, entertainment facilities, and much more and ensure that your city's coffers are brimming. It's up to you to manage this city efficiently, ensuring booming development while at the same time regulating the very delicate issues of pollution and traffic. Let peace reign between the six unique subcultures, or pay the price if the situation deteriorates into conflict, riots, and, in the worst-case scenario, fires.

About Paradox Interactive
Paradox Interactive has been a leading publisher and developer of strategy games for the PC platform since 1999. Well-known worldwide for their strategy titles, the company has a particularly strong presence in Europe and the US. The steadily growing publishing portfolio includes in-house developed titles such as critically acclaimed franchises Europa Universalis and Hearts of Iron; as well as an extensive third party line-up of titles that include Tarr Chronicles, Penumbra: Black Plague, Supreme Ruler 2020 and Lost Empire: Immortals.

The experienced development team recently announced a new Q2, 2008 title, developed under the world-renowned brand Europa Universalis – ROME. Visit http://www.paradoxplaza.com for more information.

Exit Games and Metismo Announce Multi-Year Deal for Cross-Platform, Mobile, and Online Game Development

Exit Games, a world leading service provider of mobile and online multiplayer gaming, today announced a partnership with mobile technology provider, Metismo, to offer a complete development and deployment environment for both mobile and online multiplayer games.

Under terms of the deal, Exit Games’ cross-platform multiplayer gaming technology, Neutron, will be integrated as an optional add-on to Metismo’s Bedrock Engine to improve the development and porting of online game applications across all major mobile and online platforms including J2ME, Flash, BREW, Windows Mobile and native Windows.

The use of Bedrock with the seamless addition of Neutron reduces the overhead for coders and porters by allowing game developers to write once and roll-out globally across a wide variety of handheld mobile devices and online access points. Advanced multiplayer and community gaming features such as matchmaking, chat, real-time multiplayer matches, in-game billing options, friend lists, and other social mechanisms will also be offered.

“Combining efforts with Metismo’s Bedrock Engine solution offers mobile game developers around the world a chance to create innovative, social, multiplayer games in a global environment with minimal investment,” said Tom Sperry, CEO of Exit Games. “As the industry grows, we think this will have a remarkable impact on how games are produced and distributed.”

“Neutron’s multiplayer functionalities combined with our Bedrock Engine provides coders with an exciting new way to extend market reach with their games and strengthen customer loyalty,” said John Chasey, CEO of Metismo. “This is just one of the many steps we are taking to align ourselves with industry leading partners in an effort to enable the most advanced consumer products to be brought to market.”

www.exitgames.com
www.metismo.com

A New Close Combat – Modern Tactics Update Is Now Available!

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Strategy 3 Tactics are thrilled to announce the first update for the modern incarnation of the immensely popular Close Combat series, Close Combat – Modern Tactics, is now available for download. This hefty new update includes plenty of new units both on the ground and in the air in addition a number of other tweaks and AI improvements.

Most significantly, infantry and vehicles for both the US Marine Corps and the UK Army have been added to the force pool! Also, plenty of new air assets both for the US and Opfor have been added, including: Mi-24, Ka-50 Hokum, British Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon and Eurocopter Tiger. There are lots of shiny new pieces of equipment to command and destroy!

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said of the release, “Close Combat fans are receiving a beautiful new New Year’s gift with this latest update, thanks to the continuing hard work of the development team. With plenty of new squads and vehicles to command, your tactical options have just increased dramatically!”

Andrew Williams of Strategy 3 Tactics also added, “The Close Combat – Modern Tactics staff worked extra hard to make sure this update could be all that it could be. We’re very pleased to be presenting such a substantial increase in new gameplay elements in addition to the regular improvements that come with an update.”

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!

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.

CMP's Game Developer Magazine Names Perforce Best Programming Tool for Game-Making

The editors of CMP's Game Developer magazine has named the Perforce Software Configuration Management (SCM) system the winner of the 2007 Front Line Award for best programming tool. The 2007 award marks the fifth consecutive Front Line honour for Perforce in the magazine's annual evaluation of the year's best game-making tools.

Nigel Chanter, chief operating officer of Perforce Software says, "We are proud to count 17 of the top 20 game publishers, such as Ubisoft, Vivendi Games, and Activision, among the 4,500 companies using Perforce. Their developers and designers recognise that in addition to source code, Perforce is ideally suited to manage the wide variety of game assets from large binary files and 3D models to sound effects, music and dialogue."

"Game Developer heartily congratulates the winners of the 2007 Front Line Awards," says Jeffrey Fleming, production editor of Game Developer. "These tools represent the most innovative, user-friendly and useful products from behind the scenes of the world's best video games and we are proud to give them a bit of the glory they deserve."

The complete list of winners of the 2007 Game Developer Front Line Awards can be found at http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16874. All winners are profiled in the January 2008 issue of Game Developer.

About the Perforce SCM System
Perforce, the Fast Software Configuration Management System is an award-winning tool that versions and manages source code and digital assets for enterprises large and small. Perforce is easy to install, learn and administer; seamlessly handles distributed development, and supports developers across a large number of platforms. Perforce ensures development integrity by grouping multi-file updates into atomic changes, enables concurrent development, and intelligently manages multiple software releases using its Inter-File Branching system.

About Perforce Software
Founded in 1995, Perforce Software Inc. develops, markets, and supports Perforce, the Fast Software Configuration Management System. Perforce Software is headquartered in Alameda, California, and sells worldwide. The company has international operations in Europe, Japan and Australia. In addition to application software companies, Perforce customers represent a broad range of industries including game development, electronics, pharmaceutical and financial services markets. www.perforce.com.