Cellphone games The Sims 2 Castaway, NBA Live 08, The Sims Pool, Command & Conquer, and Orcs & Elves 2 released by EA

EA Mobile announces five new games for mobile phones: The Sims 2 Castaway, The Sims Pool, Orcs & Elves II, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars and NBA LIVE 08. Players can visit an uncharted tropical island, hone their pool hall hustling skills, swing swords, defend a base and slam dunk their way through to Spring with these great games, launching throughout February and March across major European carriers.

“EA Mobile is committed to making exciting, approachable mobile games for players of all ages and tastes to enjoy,” said Tim Harrison, European Marketing Director, EA Mobile. “Whatever type of game you like – from sports to strategy, adventure to action – we have something for you to enjoy, when and wherever you want to play it.”

The Sims 2 Castaway
New and veteran fans of The Sims now will be able to set sail for an uncharted island filled with sandy beaches, lagoons, volcanic caves and more. Help your Sims build a life from scratch after washing ashore on a remote tropical island. Avoid danger, make new friends, and unlock the island’s secrets. Build shelters, craft unique items, and enjoy fun island activities with your new-found friends. Become the ultimate survivors and thrive in this undiscovered paradise as you create a new life for your Sims in The Sims 2 Castaway!

The Sims Pool
Join the Sims and rack ’em up for the ultimate pool experience on mobile! Customise your Sim, then hit the pool hall to compete against other Sims in exciting 8 or 9-ball action. Perfect your skills and watch your popularity soar as you sink balls, execute impressive trick shots and pull off slick combos. Advanced pool physics and an easy one-button interface deliver exciting pool fun for everyone.

Orcs & Elves II
From the creators of DOOM RPG comes Orcs & Elves II, the sequel to the award-winning Orcs & Elves. Journey to a place filled with adventure, where heroes are born and legends are made. Take on the role of Valin, a thief who steals a sentient wand to save his imperiled town. Explore foreign towns, mysterious caverns and haunted forests while battling against strange & mythical beasts with an arsenal of powerful enchanted weapons with unlikely allies such as a mouse familiar. Prepare yourself as you travel to the mystical and dangerous world of swords and sorcery!

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars
The critically acclaimed Command & Conquer series comes to mobile for the first time with the launch of Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. This groundbreaking strategic battle game immerses you in combat as you join the GDI to reclaim the region taken by Kane and his evil Brotherhood of NOD. Embark on an adrenaline-fueled single player campaign to stop the launch of a deadly weapon, or engage in the action-packed Skirmish mode to test your strategic wits against wave upon wave of enemies. Welcome to mobile, Commander.

NBA LIVE 08
Real teams, real players, real NBA intensity - it’s easy to pick up and play as your favourite team. Hit the court for one game or a thrilling season. Control offence and defense; make showcase real moves – thundering slam dunks, driving lay-ups, and in-your-face blocks. Hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the NBA championship, and then enjoy the instant replay of your game-winner.


The Sims 2 Castaway, The Sims Pool, Orcs & Elves II, Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars and NBA LIVE 08 will all be available from major operators across Europe launching throughout February and March. For more information on availability and pricing, please visit www.eamobile.com.

Gameloft No1 for Cellphone and mobile games

Recent Sales Figures Places Company in Top Spot For Fourth Quarter

lready the No1 mobile games publisher in Europe & EMEA, Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of games for mobile phones, today announced that it has risen to the top spot in the international market for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2007. The company posted Q4 sales of 25.8m€ ($38.5 million) with an annual growth of 40%, thus surpassing the announced results of its competitors.

“We have been out-performing our competitors and growing faster than the market for quite a while now; our recent number one position only confirms this long-running trend,” said Michel Guillemot, president, Gameloft. “This market will grow at a fast pace, with 4 billion consumers gaining access to our games by 2011. We will continue to strive for excellence and remain on the successful path that pushed us to No1 in Q4.”

Further driving the market in 2008 will be the introduction of new and advanced devices such as the iPhone, Ngage/OVI and Google Android. Gameloft is well positioned to take advantage of these new handsets since it currently supports well over 1,200 different handsets worldwide. These devices will greatly impact the way mobile games are played and make way for a new generation of mega-games that run on powerful phones.

Historically, Gameloft has been a prominent player in the mobile gaming industry. Founded in 2000 by Michel Guillemot, co-founder of Ubisoft Entertainment., the group has multiplied its revenues by ten over the last four years. In 2006, it was named the fastest growing company in Europe by BusinessWeek, and was among the top 5 in 2007. Gameloft has been profitable since 2003.

Already the leading publisher in Europe, Gameloft continues to gain worldwide marketshare thanks in part to its internal development capabilities. That investment allows the company to support 1,200 different handsets in over 80 countries and across 180 carriers. The company’s catalogue of games exceeds 200, and expects to release between 70 to 80 games annually.

About Gameloft
Gameloft is a leading international publisher and developer of video games for mobile phones. Established in 1999, it has emerged as one of the top innovators in its field. The company creates games for mobile handsets equipped with Java, Brew or Symbian technology. The total number of games-enabled handsets is anticipated to exceed two billion units in 2008.

Partnership agreements with leading licensors and sports personalities such as Ubisoft Entertainment, Universal Pictures, ABC, Dreamworks Animations SKG, Endemol, 20th Century Fox, Viacom, Sony Pictures, Touchtone Television, Warner Bros., FifPro, Lamborghini, Paris Hilton, Gus Hansen, Kobe Bryant, Derek Jeter, Reggie Bush, Llewton Hewitt, Jonny Wilkinson or Robinho allow Gameloft to form strong relationships with international brands. In addition to the partnerships, Gameloft owns and operates titles such as Block Breaker Deluxe, Asphalt: Urban GT and New York Nights.

Through agreements with major telephone wireless carriers, handset manufacturers, specialized distributors and its online shop, Gameloft has a distribution network in over 80 plus countries.

For more information visit www.gameloft.com

DRACULA: ORIGIN PC video game launch website

Ascaron Entertainment, Focus Home Interactive and Frogwares are pleased to announce the launch of the official website for Dracula: Origin. The new website can be found at http://www.dracula-origin.com/. Five new images of the terrifying adventure game from Frogwares studio, the team that developed the famous Sherlock Holmes series for PC are also now available for download.

Having successfully tackled the myth of Cthulhu in the award-winning Sherlock Holmes - The Awakened, Frogwares is venturing into the disturbing and fantastic world of the Prince of Darkness, in an adventure which combines romance, mystery and horror.

Young, charming and devout, Dracula was once an ardent defender of Christianity, but lost his faith in God when abandoned by his one true love. Dracula makes a pact with the Prince of Darkness, becoming a vampire with an insatiable thirst for blood and vengeance, doomed to eternal damnation.

DRACULA: ORIGIN
In the game, you play the role of Professor Van Helsing, the celebrated vampire hunter, on the hunt for Dracula, who himself is on a quest for a mysterious manuscript that will give him the power to raise the dead. Your goal is to prevent Dracula from finding and using this manuscript, and killing him in order to liberate the souls of all those who have had the misfortune to cross his path.

Using conventional Point & Click gameplay, Dracula: Origin is a superb adventure supported by impeccable graphics and a rich storyline taking you to London, Egypt, Austria and, of course, to Transylvania; the famous home of the great vampire.

The world, inspired by the celebrated author Bram Stoker, is reproduced through 2D environments and animated 3D characters. All of the elements essential to the Dracula story, including horror, love, blood, crucifixes, stakes and garlic, are included in a disturbing and absorbing Gothic atmosphere.

The official Web site of Dracula: Origin http://www.dracula-origin.com/

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / Focus Home Interactive
Web: www.Ascaron.com / http://www.dracula-origin.com/
Developer: Frogwares
Release date: Q2 2008
Price: TBC
PEGI: TBC
Format: PC
Genre: RPG

SAGA MMORTS announce partners

Silverlode Interactive announced today a retail product for its online collectable game SAGA and the names of distributors to hobby stores in the US and Canada.

Silverlode Interactive has partnered with Alliance Game Distributors, GTS Distribution, Diamond Comics and ACD Distribution to distribute its collectable online MMORTS SAGA to over 4000 hobby and comic book stores in the US and Canada. SAGA will be distributed in a retail display containing the game CD, a registration code and 3 booster packs. Individual booster packs will also be available. Each booster pack will include a card with a code that may be unlocked online to receive a virtual pack that will contain a random assortment of spells and troops.

Here’s what happens when you open a SAGA booster: you’ll reveal one of ten random cards, each representing a specific pack type, some of which are less common than others. Some of the specialty packs are the five faction packs, double-rare packs, dragon packs, spell packs… This makes the retail version more exciting than the online purchase.

Following the success of Eye of Judgement and MapleStory, the SAGA retail product will allow Hobby store owners to carry a virtual collectable game. “Hobby Stores who first spurred our imaginations with role playing games have seen a decline in sales with the proliferation of online MMO worlds, and the same decline is now being seen in collectable game sales as more and more games move online. But SAGA turns the tables, providing a retail product to the people who brought us collectable games in the first place,” said Jason Faller, Executive Producer for Silverlode Interactive.

Unlike traditional RTS games that have 10 or 20 different units, the first SAGA set contains over 100 unique troops and over 50 spells in varying rarities. The common troops may be used by any of the five warring factions while most of the uncommon and all rare troops and spells are faction specific. Only the War faction can use Fiery Catapults, for example. Unlike traditional RTS games, troops in SAGA gain levels through questing and may be equipped with powerful weapons and armor.

Retailers are encouraged to contact their distributor before the pre-order deadline of February 22nd. Both products are currently scheduled to ship to distributors on March 14th.

Football video game PES 2008 heads to Nintendo Wii

Due for release March 28th, PES 2008 has been redesigned to make incredible use of the motion-sensitive nature of the Wii’s control system. The player has more control over the on-screen action than ever before, and in line with such advances, Konami has also unveiled an all-new pack design that conveys the unique in-game visuals and ease of use while maximising its use of cover stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen.

Crucial to PES 2008 for Wii is an all-new control system that truly elevates the level of control available to the player while retaining the depth and intuitive moves of the series. Making use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the player must also consider the movements of their teammates around them. The Nunchuck is used to move the current player, while the Wii Remote is used to pick out players to send them on runs or to receive passes via simple click and drag system which uses arrows to show the path of the run, and a press of the ‘B’ button to complete the move.

The level of control offered by the bespoke Wii system elevates PES 2008 far beyond any other football game. Dribbling is effected by clicking on the player and using an arrow and the ‘A’ button to guide the ball. The speed of the run can then be altered by extending or reducing the length of the guiding arrow, allowing stunning quick turns and bursts of speed to catch defenders off-guard.

Shooting also benefits from more control over the players, with the Nunchuck used to shoot or head simply by shaking it. As with the real sport, however, timing is everything in front of goal, and the speed of the pass or cross, the ability of the player, the angle of trajectory and the timing of the shot or header will all have differing effects on the resultant shot.

To ease the player into the stunning level of control PES 2008 offers, the Wii game features a wide-ranging Tutorial mode wherein a series of instructional videos and tests detail how the Wii Remote and Nunchuck can be used to man-mark players, pass into space, clear dangerous crosses and perform slide tackles. Every aspect of the modern game is brought to vivid life, and the advances in control ensure that PES 2008 is a game that develops and surprises as the user’s skill grows.

PES 2008 challenges the player further across six game modes, including Match, League and Cup games, the aforementioned Training system and a Player Trade option. By the far the greatest challenge, however, awaits in the all-new ‘Champions Road’ competition.

Champions Road is a global, rewards-based challenge, where players are invited to guide and develop the team of their choice through a series of league games all over the world. By systematically winning each competition, the user is given Experience points which can be used to bolster the attributes of their team. Likewise, as team after team is defeated, the player can cherry-pick the best players of the teams they have beaten to their starting XI. In turn, extra skills can also be unlocked, allowing users to piece together a ‘Dream Team’ that constantly grows and evolves as they become more successful. Additional mini-tasks are also randomly set during the course of a Champions Road match, too, such as scoring a hat-trick or stringing together a succession of passes, and doing so allows the player to add higher-rated players to their team.

PES 2008 is also the first Konami Wii title to make use of Nintendo’s highly personal Mii characters. Used as in-game avatars by the Wii user, players can integrate up to 16 pre-defined Miis into a team, while the resultant teams can be stored on to the Wii Remote and switched between two linked Remotes. PES 2008 also enjoys a strong online element, allowing users to play ‘Free Matches’ against unknown opponents, or ‘Friend Matches’ against people on the Wii’s Friends list, while team data can also be sent to friends via the console’s WiiConnect24 system.

Monster Madness Grave Danger comes to Sony PlayStation 3

Coming to Playstation 3, is Monster Madness Grave Danger (first announced under the working name of Monster Madness: Extreme).

Monster Madness: Grave Danger overhauls the best features of its predecessor and adds huge amounts of new content, including customisable character costumes with power-up properties, 4-player co-op either online or offline and 25 new co-op challenge missions.

With this new functionality adding to the original’s 18 story mode levels and its fully-featured 16-person online competitive multiplayer, Monster Madness: Grave Danger is set to become the co-op favourite for PLAYSTATION 3 owners looking for a big slice of frenzied comedic arcade action.

Monster Madness: Grave Danger will be released for PLAYSTATION 3 in spring 2008.

ONE MILLION PLAYSTATION 3 USERS PARTICPATE IN FOLDING@HOME RESEARCH PROJECT

PS3 Users Support Research Efforts of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Certain Forms of Cancer

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that since PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) took part in Stanford University’s Folding@home project on March 22, 2007, the total number of registered users has reached over one million users. This equates to roughly 3,000 PS3 users registering for Folding@home per day or 2 new registered users every minute worldwide.

“Since partnering with SCEI, we have seen our research capabilities increase by leaps and bounds through the continued participation of Folding@home users,” said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. “Now we have over one million PS3 users registered for Folding@home, allowing us to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world’s most life-threatening diseases. We are grateful for the extraordinary worldwide participation by PS3 and PC users around the globe.”

Folding@home aims to understand protein folding and misfolding, and how these are related to diseases and many forms of cancer. When proteins do not fold correctly, there can be serious consequences, including many well-known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many cancers and cancer-related syndromes.

Prior to the inclusion of PS3 in March 2007, the Folding@home project leveraged the distributed computing power of personal computers from around the world. Now a network of roughly 10,000 PS3s can accomplish the same amount of work as a network of 100,000 PCs, and have the ability to perform research simulations in weeks rather than years. In fact, it took just six months after PS3 joining Folding@home for the project to surpass a petaflops (*1), a computing milestone that had never been reached before by a distributed computing network. In September 16, 2007, Folding@home was recognized by Guinness World Records™ as the world’s most powerful distributed computing network.

Currently PS3 users make up approximately 74 percent of the total teraflop computing power of the Folding@home project. For more information, please see official website: http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/.

EA ANNOUNCES THE SIMS CASTAWAY STORIES

Help Your Sim Survive and Thrive on a Tropical Island in this Casual Laptop Game

Electronic Arts announced today that The Sims Castaway Stories for the PC is on store shelves across Europe. Featuring engaging characters and accessible storylines, The Sims Castaway Stories is sure to entertain both new and experienced players of The Sims. For the first time ever on the PC, your Sim can leave the urban jungle for an uncharted island filled with sandy beaches, green lagoons, explosive volcanic mountains and more!

The Sims Castaway Stories is the third game from The Sims Stories, a series of pick-up and play laptop games from EA’s The Sims franchise. The Sims Stories allows fans to get creative and stay connected by keeping in touch with friends by using IM and email – even while playing the game in its own window. Following the theme of the wildly-entertaining The Sims 2 Castaway, which became available on consoles and handhelds last year, The Sims Castaway Stories features an easy-to-play, directed Story Mode that allows fans to help their Sim survive and thrive on a tropical island.

As The Sims Castaway Stories begins, players will meet Jessica, a Sim who washes ashore with only a steamer trunk and a hatchet to her name. With nothing more than orangutans, lagoons and fish in sight, Jessica embarks on her tropical journey and must choose to either survive or escape. While on the island, Jessica will meet natives and castaways in hopes of creating a flourishing community. To do this she must accomplish various tasks – from spear fishing and scavenger hunting to fire starting and more!

“We’re very excited to bring the rich, beautifully tropical environments to players with The Sims Castaway Stories. Whether you’re roaming around the lush green jungles in search of the perfect coconut, or taking an ocean dip in search of your next meal, The Sims Castaway Stories is the perfect way to experience island life on your laptop," said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. "Available for the first time on the PC, The Sims Castaway Stories also comes with the traditional open-ended The Sims gameplay, so you can continue following the life your Sim has created!”

The Sims Stories line of products – all of which carry a 12+ PEGI rating – are standalone entertainment experiences that do not require companion games from The Sims library – just load onto your laptop or desktop and play. The Sims Castaway Stories washes ashore today!

EA AND STEVEN SPIELBERG REVEAL BOOM BLOX the ultimate Wii and cellphone game

Throw, Grab, and Blast Your Way Through the Ultimate Wii Game

EA has announced that BOOM BLOX, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer Steven Spielberg, is set for a May 2008 release for Nintendo Wii. This high-energy game features more than 300 levels, a cast of more than thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity.

“I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids,” said Steven Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together.”

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii’s interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted. Additionally, players can remix any level of the game in Create Mode using props, blocks, or characters that have been unlocked during the game. Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up. Plus, their designs can then be shared with friends or used to challenge others to solve their newly created puzzle via WiiConnect24.

"We developed BOOM BLOX with endless combinations of gameplay in mind,” explains Louis Castle, executive producer. “With over three hundred levels, built upon a full real-time physics model, your experience can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be - there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”

“My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time,” added Spielberg. “From the initial concept to what the game is today, it’s always been built around the innovations the Wii brings to playing games. BOOM BLOX plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages.”

Developed at EA Los Angeles, BOOM BLOX has not yet been rated by the ESRB and PEGI. For more information or to download artwork, visit http://www.BOOMBLOX.ea.com.

BOOM BLOX is also in production for mobile phones and will be widely available this Spring. The mobile version puts innovative BOOM BLOX gameplay on phones everywhere -- delivering engaging, fun, and groundbreaking action. For the first time in a mobile game, players will be able to create custom levels and share them with their friends directly from the phone, enjoying a rich, interactive community experience. For information regarding mobile phone carrier availability, visit http://www.eamobile.com.

BUILD THE CITY OF YOUR DREAMS WITH CITY LIFE 2008 PC EDITION

CREATE AND MANAGE SPECTACULAR CITIES WITH REAL SATELLITE MAPS AND FAMOUS LANDMARKS

City Life 2008 Edition, to be released in February 2008 by Ascaron, is the latest version of the popular City Life series. The game puts players in the role of an urban planner and real estate developer, designing, building and maintaining every aspect of their creation. The latest version contains an additional 23 maps as well as the possibility to import satellite maps. There are also 60 new buildings including London landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Opera House.

A successful city is built on a thriving economy with happy and well-rounded citizens. To achieve this, all six sociocultural groups must be attracted to the city, from the wealthy ‘Elite’ to the impoverished ‘Have-Nots’. Each has a part to play, from the work they provide to the products they consume. Be careful not to place opposing groups in similar residential areas – the progressive ideals of the ‘Radical Chic’ will strongly clash with the traditional values of the ‘Blue Collars’.

All citizens need to be provided with essential local services to remain loyal and stay in the city. Build enough schools for everyone to get an education and make sure no one is without healthcare services. Provide industries where people can work and recreational areas for leisure time and hobbies. The ‘Radical Chic’ want access to modern art galleries, whilst the ‘Elite’ prefer to attend the Opera.

Watch cities grow and develop as citizens accumulate wealth. Affluent residential areas will contain magnificent villas and large Neo-Gothic structures. The ‘Suits’ enjoy a fairly high income and build modern angular homes, whilst the ‘Fringe’ are proud of their graffiti and mural-clad dwellings. A growing city will also play host to the television media, intent on reporting any divides and clashes on the streets.

The game has a high level of detail and animation with total freedom of construction. Moving away from the traditional right-angled grid, City Life 2008 Edition allows for much more complex installations. Watch each city in beautiful detail with highly realistic settings including reflection mapping and dynamic shadowing. Zoom in to ground level and walk the streets of the city to get a better look at the action.

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment
Web: www.Ascaron.com
Developer: Monte Cristo
Release date: 15th February 2008
RRP: £19.99
PEGI: 7+
Format: PC
Genre: Simulation