Metaboli signs new content partnership with THQ, strengthening its position as Europe's leading game download platform.

The digital download market received a massive boost today from the announcement that Metaboli, Europe’s leading PC games Download platform, signs a European content deal with THQ.

Metaboli will launch a series of key THQ new releases, including forthcoming Frontlines: Fuel of War and Warhammer 40,000 Soulstorm, and a range of high profile back catalogue titles such as Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights , S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Company of Heroes. The titles will be available via the purchase-based, Download to Own service and subscription-based, Games on Demand and promoted through Metaboli’s own sites and across their extensive and growing partnership network. The Metaboli network extends to more than fifty white label partners across Europe, including major ISPs, e-commerce retailers and gaming portals.

Pierre Forest, Metaboli’s VP Content commented “This major deal is indicative of the strength that Metaboli has within this market. We are delighted to partner with THQ and look forward to growing the company’s market penetration through new online distribution channels’

‘The momentum for games on demand and download to own continues to accelerate and the support of THQ and other major publishers will contribute to another year of significant growth for Metaboli’. Charlie Barrett, THQ European Market Development Director commented “We look forward to working with Metaboli and take THQ Market share forward in the PC Electronic Download category”

About Metaboli

Metaboli is the European leader in the digital distribution of PC video Games. Metaboli offers both subscription packs to games catalogues (Subscription Games on Demand on www.metaboli.com) and the single game purchase form a vast catalogue of titles (Buy and Download on www.gamesplanet.com). Gamers can either access a large catalogue of games (126 to 272 titles dependant on the country) as much as they want during their subscription, or buy a game on the web and download it straight to their PC. These offers are available on the Metaboli Web platforms as well as through the sites of its European partners. Metaboli is the only digital content distributor present on all of Europe’s four largest Internet Service Providers (ISP). With distribution agreements with the most renowned video games publishers, Metaboli offers the most complete content offer available in Europe, regularly enriched with new titles. Pioneer in the digital distribution of video games, Metaboli has experienced annual growth of over 100% since 2004.

Shadowgrounds Survivor Demo Now Available

Meridian4 (http://www.meridian4.com) and Frozenbyte today announced that the single-player demo of Shadowgrounds Survivor, the acclaimed horror-themed action game, is now available wherever the Internet exists. The 590 MB demo features 2 campaign mode levels and 1 survivor mode level to give players a taste of the gruesome action in Frozenbyte’s spin-off/sequel to their cult hit, Shadowgrounds.

In Shadowgrounds Survivor, gamers are dropped on Jupiter’s Ganymede moon as one of three surviving humans in the midst of an all-out alien onslaught. It’s up to them to take up arms and blast through legions of alien scum to save their own lives and humanity itself, increasing their skills and weapons through the game’s RPG-like character-upgrade system. The mighty Mech and devastating Sentry Gun will help players mow through hundreds of bloodthirsty extraterrestrials in the campaign or the all-new Survivor mode.

The Shadowgrounds Survivor demo can be downloaded at the following sites:

FileFront - http://files.filefront.com/Shadowgrounds+Survivor+Demo/;9620721;/fileinfo.html

FileShack - http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/11780/Shadowgrounds+Survivor+Demo

Gamers Hell - http://www.gamershell.com/download_23192.shtml

GameZone - http://downloads.gamezone.com/demos/d21272.html

GameSpot - http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/shadowgroundssurvivor/download_6185805.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=newlyadded&tag=newlyadded;title;1

WorthPlaying - http://www.worthdownloading.com/game.php?gid=2845

Meridian4 - http://www.meridian4.com/games/Shadowgrounds2/demo.html

Visit the official Shadowgrounds Survivor website at www.shadowgroundssurvivor.com.

For more information about Meridian4 and its products, visit http://www.meridian4.com.

For more information about Frozenbyte, visit http://www.frozenbyte.com.

Jamie Bell Revealed As Voice of 'Griffin' In New Jumper Video Game

Jumper: Griffin’s Story is the exciting new video game from Brash Entertainment that is based off the film Jumper, the eagerly anticipated science fiction-action-thriller from Twentieth Century Fox and Regency Enterprises. Adding film authenticity to the player’s experience, Brash Entertainment has confirmed that the role of ‘Griffin’ in the game is voiced by Jamie Bell, who also plays ‘Griffin’ in the Jumper film.

Jumper: Griffin’s Story extends the film’s storyline, following ‘Griffin’, a battle-hardened Jumper determined to avenge the death of his parents at the hands of the Paladins. As ‘Griffin’ player’s will have the ability to experience the character first hand as he battles through exotic locales around the world, on a quest to find his parent’s killer.

“It’s flattering that someone has seen my character and wanted to make it into a video game,” Jamie said about his participation. “Griffin is a unique character and I think if people respond to the movie they’ll love the game.”

Jamie Bell is best known for his role as ‘Billy Elliot’ in the film of the same name, a role that won him a Best Actor award at the 2001 British Academy Awards (BAFTAs). Since then, Jaime has gone on to play instrumental roles in such films as Nicholas Nickleby (2002), King Kong (2005), Flags of Our Fathers (2006), and most recently as ‘Griffin’ in Jumper.

Jumper: Griffin’s Story will be available for the Playstation 2 computer entertainment system, the Wii video game system from Nintendo, and XBOX 360. The game is available tomorrow February 12, 2008 at North American retailers, and will be followed by the theatrical release on February 14, 2008. This game is rated ‘T’ for Teen by the ESRB. For more information about the movie please visit http://www.jumperthemovie.com/, and for more information about the game please visit http://www.jumpermoviegame.com

Nintendo Hosts Three Panels At Game Developers Conference 2008

Three key platform developers for recent and upcoming Nintendo products, Takao Sawano, Takashi Aoyama, and Masahiro Sakurai, will speak to GDC 2008 attendees about the company's most recent developmental Wii™ product achievements including Wii Fit™, WiiWare™ and Super Smash Bros.® Brawl.

Takao Sawano, the producer for the Wii Balance Board™ development team, will address attendees about the development of Wii Fit on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 4 pm. Attendees will learn how Sawano's team created an unprecedented new game controller, the Wii Balance Board, and how Wii Fit, which recently launched in Japan, is already turning family living rooms into private fitness clubs.

On Friday, Feb. 22 at 9 am, Takashi Aoyama will tell the development story of the Wii console's internal hardware programming, which includes a diverse array of built-in entertainment and informational channels for everyone in the household such as the News Channel, the Everybody Votes Channel and the Check Mii Out Channel. Aoyama will also discuss how his team tackled some unprecedented hurdles for Wii, including the most recent challenge of introducing WiiWare.

Also on Friday at 10:30 am, Masahiro Sakurai will present how he approached the task of advancing the legacy of the Super Smash Bros. Brawl franchise by providing a unique Wii experience and by leveraging popular characters and game worlds from the history of Nintendo, as well as other publishers.

For more information about Nintendo, please visit www.Nintendo.com.

GamersGate enters digital distribution partnership with Kalypso Media

GamersGate announced today that Kalypso Media is the latest publisher to join the network of high profile publishers choosing to distribute their games on GamersGate.

Following the success of titles like Jack Keane, Kalypso Media is preparing to release the highly anticipated city building strategy title Imperium Romanum as well as the mystery adventure Agon: The Lost Sword of Toledo.

Kalypso Media is a recognized publisher that continues to bring interesting titles to the gaming community and we are thrilled to be able to offer several of their much awaited releases on GamersGate, said Theodore Bergquist, CEO for GamersGate.

Simon Hellwig, Managing Director of Kalypso Media Group comments: "We are glad to continue our great relationship with GamersGate by launching our stunning and long awaited title IMPERIUM ROMANUM and the exciting adventure "AGON: The Lost Sword of Toledo" on this platform perfectly matching the needs of making such products successful."

Titles Imperium Romanum and Agon: the Lost Sword of Toledo are scheduled for release on the 22nd of February in most European countries. In North America, Imperium Romanum will be released in retail on March the 4th, 2008.

To find out more about Imperium Romanum, please go to www.imperium-game.com

To find out more about Agon: The Lost Sword of Toledo, please go to www.kalypsomedia.com

Impulse and Impact from PhaseSpace capture every gesture at Game developers conference

PhaseSpace, the price and performance leader in optical motion capture, announced today a new desktop motion capture product - the IMPACT, to be shown for the first time ever at the Game Developer's Conference (GDC) 2008. It will also be showing real time character animation inside the Epic Unreal Engine driven in real time. Demonstrations will take place in booth 6633 at GDC 2008 in San Francisco, February 20-22.

The IMPACT solution allows head tracking, as well as hands, fingers and gestures at an artist's desk without requiring a capture stage. This real time desktop solution was designed to free the artist from doing hand and finger motions by keyframes. At $5,000, the IMPACT system provides 3D input with sub millimeter resolution for VR and AR with better speed and resolution than any system on the market.

PhaseSpace CEO Tracy McSheery said, "Our IMPACT desktop motion capture solution is based on numerous requests from customers who wanted to do head tracking or hands and gestures at their desk, without the space and complexity of a full motion capture system. The IMPACT system now allows the animator to have a solution at their desk that scales with the same software and technology as the full studio solution."

PhaseSpace's IMPULSE motion capture system will be shown with characters from Zombie Inc. being driven in real time in the Epic Unreal Engine during the show as well. Mark Long, President of Zombie Studios said, "Our artists are thrilled to have their own PhaseSpace system in house and get to try on their own characters, bringing them to life in real time. I'm happy that we aren't spending time and money cleaning up data, instead we can be creating characters and action that make our games great."

The PhaseSpace Impulse motion capture system uses active LED markers producing a unique ID for each marker. At 3 times the speed and 3 times the resolution of other systems, the Impulse system displays motion data in real time and is in use with NASA, the armed forces and major research institutions. It is also one third the price of older technologies allowing an 8 camera, 3,600 x 3,600 resolution tracking system to be sold for under $50,000.

The Bible Vs Video Games

Recently, there has been much debate, on both sides of the Atlantic, about the content of video games. Cooper Lawrence's totally misinformed attack on Mass Effect on Fox News, Kevin McCullough being equally misinformed on Townhall.com, Janice Turner of The Times thinks that games are "crack cocaine of the brain" and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has blamed them for knife crime. Even Hillary Clinton has had a go.

What all these critics have in common is that they do not play video games so they don't have the faintest idea what they are talking about, they are as relevant as blind cinema critics.

Now Bruce Everiss, author of the respected and widely read game industry blog Bruceongames.com, has written an article that puts the whole issue into perspective. Entitled The Bible Vs Video Games it compares the content of the Bible, a book which children are encouraged to read, with the content of video games. Would you want your child playing a video game that featured harlots 48 times? Because that is exactly what the Bible does.

Bruce Everiss explains: "Video games are just another form of media like books, film and music. It is the content that matters and it is irrefutable that games have far less sex and violence than books or television. Yet, amazingly, books and television have no age ratings whilst video games do".

Darkeden and Daden available for download

Joymax Announces Darkeden And Daden Market Launch

Joymax, an independent developer of interactive entertainment for the global market, has launched their vampire-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Darkeden. Previously only available in an open beta test, Darkeden is now available for everyone to play for free. Players can log in today and slay vampires, fight humans, or crush ousters! Players can also retreat to the new Daden Market where they can purchase Coins and spend them on Premium Service for access to new areas, rare items, weapons, armor, pets, armor and more.

About Darkeden
A free-to-play MMORPG, 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.darkedenonline.net/.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 out soon

DYNASTY WARRIORS 6 REACHES GOLD STATUS

Latest Installment of KOEI's Popular Action Series Ships to North American Retailers Beginning February 19, 2008

Burlingame, CA – February 12, 2008 - KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that Dynasty Warriors 6 has reached gold status and will ship to North American retailers beginning February 19, 2008. Dynasty Warriors 6 will be available for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

Consumers can find Dynasty Warriors 6 at the following retailers: Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, Game Crazy, Game Rush, GameStop, Gamefly, EB Games, and Wal-Mart.

About Dynasty Warriors 6
Selling over 15 million units combined worldwide, KOEI’s award-winning Dynasty Warriors series and Samurai Warriors series of Tactical Action games have become an astonishing success and are global phenomenon. With Dynasty Warriors 6, KOEI is reinventing the Tactical Action experience for the next generation.

Set in Ancient China during the 3rd century, Dynasty Warriors 6 immerses gamers in a truly cinematic kung-fu action experience. Celebrated characters have been completely re-imagined with new weapons and fighting techniques motion-captured from some of today’s leading stuntmen and women in Asia. With the game’s new “Renbu” attack system and game controls, players can execute lightning-fast combos and the most dazzling fighting moves with ease.

Developed from the ground up exclusively for next-generation platforms, the game’s proprietary engine delivers the most chaotic and challenging Tactical Action experience to date. Players can use the landscape to elude the thousands of soldiers swarming the battlefield. But as players move and attack, adaptable enemy A.I. devises offensive and defensive combat tactics, and can retaliate with packs of fierce hunting dogs and patrol boats. All of the explosive action comes to life in high definition, 60 frames per second (fps) graphics.

Based on the epic novel, “Romance of the Three Kingdoms”, Dynasty Warriors 6 depicts the massive battles ignited by the fall of the Han Dynasty when three rebellious states moved to overthrow the Emperor of China.

Created by KOEI’s Omega Force team, Dynasty Warriors 6 delivers breathtaking visuals in 720p HDTV, and in-game DolbyDigital audio. This game is rated “T” (Teen – Violence) by the ESRB. Dynasty Warriors 6 is for 1 to 2 players. Press can find assets (watermark-free) at gamespress.com. For the latest information on Dynasty Warriors 6, visit www.koei.com/dw6.

Fate Of Hellas PC video game

JoWooD Productions Engages Strategy Genre With Fate Of Hellas

JoWooD announces new strategy game – pick your battles in ancient Greece

Liezen, Austria, February 12th 2008; JoWooD Productions announces a new title for 2008 and expands their strategy portfolio.

The RTS game “Fate of Hellas” combines economic development with tactical real time battles, all fully shown in 3D. In two campaigns with seven missions, each the player is able to take over control of the legendary people of Macedonia.

You will fight alongside Alexander The Great and bring peace to the city states of ancient Greece. Put together an army and fight with your soldiers for wealth and peace, becoming more successful than Alexander The Great has ever been. But beware: It will not be just your enemies that will envy you!

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Thrilling realtime battles in ancient Greece
„Fate of Hellas“ is an RTS game, which takes the player to ancient Greece: 2500 Years ago, before the rise of Rome, fierce battles between the Greeks and their enemies took place.

Build formations with your troops
3 different formations for strategic fights!

Equip your troops with weapons from your defeated enemies
Pick up the weapons left behind by your enemies after you have killed them in combat

Besiege the citys of historic Greece!
The more cities you conquer, the greater your power on the battlefield

More than 60 different characters!
Different fighters, buildings, vehicles and many more

Fate of Hellas will be available in March 2008 for 29,99 €.

Developer: WorldForge
Genre: Real Time Strategy
Expected age rating: 16+
UK Release: March 28th 2008