Marc Ecko Entertainment and Showtime Networks Partner to Bring "Dexter" to Videogame Consoles

Marc Ecko Entertainment and Showtime Networks Partner to Bring "Dexter" to Videogame Consoles

Players Enter the Conflicted World of "The Dark Defender"

Marc Ecko Entertainment today announced it has entered into a production agreement with Showtime Networks to design a videogame based on the Emmy and Golden Globe winning hit television series “DEXTER”. Marc Ecko Entertainment will develop the property for interactive media in close collaboration with Showtime Networks to guarantee its faithfulness to the spirit of the groundbreaking show.

DEXTER follows Dexter Morgan, a forensic blood spatter expert for the Miami Dade Police Department whose perfectly respectable persona hides a dark compulsion: he is a serial killer who hunts down people who have escaped justice.

“DEXTER is the extremely rare TV show with enough layers of action and tension to translate perfectly into a compelling videogame,” said Marc Fernandez, Vice President of Marc Ecko Entertainment. “Our game designers, writers, and artists are going to give Dexter’s morally complex world the kind of interactivity that gamers will love.”

"DEXTER is one of the most popular shows on SHOWTIME with a particularly strong fan base among gamers. It’s a very logical jump to create a game with the website IGN.com naming it 2007’s ‘Best Television Program’," said Len Fogge, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Digital Media and Research at Showtime Networks. "We’re confident Marc Ecko Entertainment’s team has the unique talents to take Dexter to the interactive space in the right way.”

Marc Ecko Entertainment handled the production side of 2005’s Getting Up and is currently working on an untitled project with developer Human Head. The Dexter game is in pre-production and Showtime Networks and Marc Ecko Entertainment are in talks with a handful of developers to bring the game to life. More details will be announced in upcoming months.

Rockstar Games Bully: Scholarship Edition Available on Nintendo Wii and Microsoft XBox 360

Rockstar Games Announces Bully: Scholarship Edition Now Available in North America

Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, is proud to announce that Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Wii home video game system from Nintendo and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft is now available at North American retail stores for the suggested retail price of $49.99. Bully: Scholarship Edition will be available in Europe on March 7.

"With all the love and care that we put into Bully, we are excited that two new audiences can experience this game," said Sam Houser, President and co-founder of Rockstar Games. "It's really difficult to make a compelling comedy-action game about anything, let alone about the experiences of being at high school, and we think we achieved something unique with Bully. I hope people new to the game love it as much as we do."

Originally developed by Rockstar Vancouver, the critically acclaimed fan favorite finally makes its debut on the Wii and Xbox 360. "With new single-player missions and multiplayer games, as well as updated graphics, dialogue, and music, Bully: Scholarship Edition looks like it could attract a new audience with hours of next-generation juvenile mayhem...," says GameSpot, and Official Xbox Magazine writes "...there's so much gameplay richness and black humor in here that we'd jam a dunce cap on anyone who passes it up."

Bully: Scholarship Edition for the Wii and Xbox 360 is rated "T" for Teen.

For more information please visit http://www.rockstargames.com/bully/scholarshipedition

RHEM 3 brain-teasing third installment in the popular pure-puzzle adventure series

Got Game Entertainment Announces "RHEM 3" Now At North American Retail

From the "Prince of Modern Puzzles" comes the brain-teasing third installment in the popular pure-puzzle adventure series

Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced that “RHEM 3”, the third installment in the popular “RHEM” series of pure-puzzle adventure games for PC and Mac, has shipped to stores across North America. From the master mind of developer Knut Mueller, the critically acclaimed “Prince of Modern Puzzles”, “RHEM 3” is a mind-bending trip into a labyrinthine world of hidden rooms and secret passages, strange vehicles and odd machines. The game continues the puzzle-filled adventures of brothers Kales and Zetais in the mysterious land of RHEM. Like its predecessors, "RHEM 3" features non-linear gameplay and non-violent story. “RHEM 3” makes its retail debut at $29.99 (USD) and is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB. The game is also available for direct download purchase at www.RHEM3.com.

Opening the door to a new journey of mystery and adventure, “RHEM 3” finds you in the strange land of RHEM. In search of an unusual gem, and surrounded by atmospheric stereo-environment sound, your quest is assisted by hints hidden in a secret library and clues offered by the peculiar inhabitants of RHEM. With an adventurous spirit, logical thinking, and keen puzzle-solving, you will slowly but surely divine the location of this curious treasure and unveil the secret it holds.

“The hallmark of this game is, as one critic put it, its sophisticated, complex, and logical puzzles,” said Got Game Entertainment President Howard Horowitz. “If you’re the type who loses yourself in puzzles and loves challenging your mind, ‘RHEM 3’ is the game for you.”

For more information, visit www.Rhem3.com.

Angel Cat Sugar games on PC and Nintendo DS

PAN VISION GAMES BRINGS ANGEL CAT SUGAR TO THE INTERACTIVE WORLD

PAN Vision Games will start production of Angel Cat Sugar games to the PC and Nintendo DS format.

PAN Vision Games, the Swedish-based publisher, announced today that a three year exclusive deal to make PC and Nintendo DS games, based on the Japanese IP Angel Cat Sugar has been signed. The games are planned for simultaneous release all over Europe in spring 2009.

Angel Cat Sugar is a brand created by Yuko Shimizu, the creator of world-wide success Hello Kitty, and has been sold in Japan since 2003 as toys, merchandise etc. Ms. Shimizu used to work for Sanrio, but stepped out a number of years ago and started her own character Angel Cat Sugar. In 2007 Angel Cat Sugar came to Europe and the rest of the world through Bruno Productions B.V. licensing firm, based in the Netherlands, and is now quickly spreading across Europe as a licensing brand. Bruno Productions holds the rights to Angel Cat Sugar for all territories in Europe.

The brand story revolves around Angel Cat Sugar, a princess in a world of angels, and her three mice friends Parsley, Thyme and Basil. For more info about Ms Shimizu, the brand or the characters please visit the official website: http://www.angelcatsugar.jp/ .

“We are very happy to have found a committed partner such as PAN Vision to bring Angel Cat Sugar to the games market. This is the start of a new business relationship between PAN Vision and Bruno Productions, and from both sides we hope to expand this relationship in the future to new markets, formats and possibly also other brands,” says Nelleke Bruno, CEO and Attorney-at-Law of Bruno Holding B.V.

“Angel Cat Sugar is an exciting fast-growing brand that suits our catalogue and future publishing plans perfectly,” says Egil Strunke, Sr Business Development Director at PAN Vision, “While we are working on the game, Bruno Productions is spreading the license to all kinds of new products and markets, so a spring -09 release should be ideal from a timing point of view as awareness of the brand will be high,” finishes Strunke.

Capcom®'s Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Sells 1 Million Units on Nintendo Wii

Capcom's "Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles" Ships 1 Million Units Worldwide!
Second Wii Game From the Company to Top 1 Million Units Following Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition
Capcom is pleased to announce that Resident Evil : The Umbrella Chronicles, which was released in November 2007 for the Wii video game system from Nintendo, has shipped over 1 million units worldwide. This is the second Capcom Wii title to ship over a million units, following Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition, which was released in June of 2007.

The Resident Evil series, which has sold over 34.5 million units globally (as of February 29, 2008), is one of Capcom’s most critically acclaimed and beloved franchises. As a testament to Resident Evil’s longevity and success, the series remains as innovative and original today as when the first title shipped in 1996.

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles is a brand new game in the Resident Evil franchise, with familiar locales from the entire series, created specifically for the unique characteristics of the Wii console. This action/shooter hybrid reveals the back story behind the fall of the Umbrella Corporation by exploring locations from Resident Evil 0, 1, 2 and 3 as well as new never-before-seen locations, such as Umbrella’s stronghold. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles combines first-person, light-gun style combat with interactive pathways, multiple weapons and new enemies to create an entirely new Resident Evil experience that could only be delivered on the Wii. The game includes a two-player co-op mode and support for the Wii Zapper for even more intense light-gun style shooting action.

The Resident Evil series is not limited to the realm of gaming though, as evidenced by its popularity with movie-goers around the world. Autumn in 2007 saw the continued success of the series on the big screens when the Hollywood blockbuster “Resident Evil Extinction” opened in theaters worldwide, going on to generate $147 million US dollars in revenues. Currently, Capcom, in cooperation with Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan Co., Ltd., is in the middle of producing a full-length CG movie, “Resident Evil: Degeneration”.

GGL LAUNCHES $40K TOURNAMENT: Warhammer $40,000: Dawn of War: SoulStorm

GGL LAUNCHES $40K TOURNAMENT Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War: SoulStorm

Strap on your armor, Space Marines, and gear up! GGL Global Gaming is proud to announce the launch of a 1v1 tournament for PC players.

WHO: GGL - The Leading Media Company for the Expansion and Culture of Videogames

WHAT: GGL’s Warhammer 40K: Dawn Of War: Soulstorm 1v1 $40,000 Tournament (http://warhammer.ggl.com/)
· Ladder Format - Join anytime, for your chances of advancing!

1 Overall prize purse of $40,000

· Top player will take home a Dell XPS M1530 gaming PC; plus a limited edition, hand-numbered Dawn of War: Soulstorm art!

1 Second place finisher will receive a NVIDIA 8800 GT graphics card, Creative Labs Zen 8GB MP# media player, Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-FI XtremeGamer sound card, Creative Labs Inspire T6100 speakers, Creative Labs Fatal1ty Gaming Headset and THQ Game.

2 Each finalist goes home with a THQ game, plus their share of PC gaming hardware from Creative.

WHEN: TODAY!

o Registration March 4th – April 13th by 8:59 PM EST
o Play from March 4th – April 13th

WHERE: Online Ladder (http://warhammer.ggl.com/)

GGL LAUNCHES $15,000 TOURNAMENT FRONTLINES: FUEL OF WAR VIDEO GAME

GGL LAUNCHES $15,000 TOURNAMENT FRONTLINES: FUEL OF WAR VIDEO GAME

The War of the Future Begins TODAY! GGL Global Gaming is proud to announce the launch of a 4v4 tournament for Xbox 360 players.

HO: GGL - The Leading Media Company for the Expansion and Culture of Videogames

WHAT: GGL’s Frontlines: Fuels of War 4v4 $15,000 Tournament (http://frontlines.ggl.com/)
Overall prize purse of $15,000.
Ladder Format - Join anytime, for your chances of advancing!
Final two teams (8 players total) receive Round Trip to New York City, NY, for live Final, from May 9 – 12, 2008, including round trip coach airfare, hotel accommodations for two nights/three days, ground transportation between airport and hotel, and $100 spending money.

WHEN: NOW!
Register between February 26 – April 6 by 8:59 PM
Play from February 26 – April 6
Finals on May 9 – 12

WHERE: Online Ladder (http://frontlines.ggl.com/) - Finals in New York City

Content and Software Update for its MMORPG, Legend: Legacy of the Dragons PC video game

Marriages and Navigators: Waygate Publishing Announces Major Content and Software Update for its MMORPG, Legend: Legacy of the Dragons

Waygate Publishing Limited, a London-based company specialising in the operation of Eastern European online games for the Western market, today announced the largest content update yet for its increasingly popular, free, browser-based Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, Legend: Legacy of the Dragons. The update will see 27 new quests, set to be released over the next month, a Navigator function, to help players find their way round the growing world of Faeo, and the opportunity for in-game marriages between players.

New, new, new!

The content update will add 27 new quests, over 50 new items, 10 new monsters, 12 new locations and 6 new NPCs to the Legend. The majority of quests are for both the Magmar and Human races, though some are specifically tailored to the stories of the rival inhabitants of Faeo. The Magmars will find themselves exploring the new territories of Zviglod Brist, whilst Human adventurers will be led to the Berona Prairies. In addition, the contested Isles of Fay-Go will reveal more secrets. Hawken the Forester, Avelius the Scholar and the mysterious ivy-girl Edera are just some of the characters waiting to assign quests to brave warriors.

Navigator

The most significant feature of the software upgrade is the Navigator function which will make navigation around the game world much easier, a vital addition as the areas for exploration grow. Players will be able to select a location, resource, monster or NPC from a drop-down menu, after which a route will be plotted on the player’s map, from their current location to whatever it is they are seeking.

Weddings

The update will include the facility for players to marry each other, an exciting and fun addition to the gameplay which will become operational by the 17th March 2008. Players will be able to buy a set of rings and have their partnership officially recognised by a Consecrator.

For more information, visit www.warofdragons.com.

Beta to Cert Push – Condemned 2 video game diary

Our Beta was originally due on December 3rd, 2007 but we didn’t complete it until December 21st. We’ve been running about 3 or so weeks late since October but we’d reached that crux where making cuts to pull the schedule in by three weeks would have created more than three weeks worth of work (a true paradox) and would have definitely added more risk to the ongoing project than us just sucking it up, moving forward and getting the game done.

One of the areas of high risk in the development process was the user interface. Before Condemned 2, our UI system was our own creation. Even though it was sufficient for past products, we needed something that would allow for greater artistic expression and would be able to be updated more quickly and efficiently by artist types. We eventually settled upon the Flash-based Scaleform solution. We also expanded our UI team to include 2 Flash-based UI Engineers, 2 C++ UI Engineers and we had our Art Director cranking out assets for the UI as quickly as possible.

An area of concern was getting enough of the core gameplay locked down so we could focus on the UI support. One of the new features of the game is the Attack Chains. When we first worked on the UI, we wanted to get Ethan’s rage across so we tied the meter into a face graphic of Ethan. Once you hit a new Attack Chain level, you’d see the second face and have a 2-part meter. Once you hit the third and final level, you’d see the face on the far right and you’d have a 3-part chain attack meter (see image 001) It was a bit large and sucked up some screen real estate – but was quickly ignored by the player as they were more focused on the action on screen.

NARUTO CLASH OF NINJA REVOLUTION OUT ON NINTENDO Wii

NARUTO CLASH OF NINJA REVOLUTION STEALTHS ITS WAY ON TO Wii

Join the Ninja Revolution as the legendary Naruto anime franchise makes its long awaited European debut on Wii in Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version on March 28th. Featuring the very best of Naruto, this brand new game combines the latest characters, environments and storylines with the next generation technology of the Wii, resulting in a fast and furious fighting game guaranteed to bring out the Ninja in you.

Set in and around the mystical village of Hidden Leaf, Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version takes key elements from the recently aired Chunin Exam storyline and gives players the chance to play as their favourite characters to become the greatest ninja that ever lived. With four key modes of gameplay – Mission, Single Player, Multi Player and Mini Games – players are continually confronted with numerous, testing challenges to improve their combat skills and effectively use their Chakra energy. Learning the basics is easy, but only through dedication and commitment will players master the art of being a true ninja.

Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version features the largest number of playable characters from the Naruto series and introduces several prominent and popular characters for the first time, many of which are available to play from the beginning, in addition to the regular favourites of Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke and Kakashi. Furthermore, it is possible for four players to join a single fight, heightening the battle ferocity to a level not previously experienced. As always though, managing your character’s Chakra is crucial as special moves and blistering combinations are dependent on this natural body energy. As an extra twist, during a fight it’s now possible to move the action to another environment by performing a strong attack near the border of the arena – a first in the Naruto series.

As with every Naruto game, the look of the game content is faithfully recreated using sharp, ‘cel-shaded’ graphics to perfectly reflect characters and backgrounds. Each character has had their fighting style and special moves reproduced perfectly bringing players closer to their heroes, while arenas are inspired by locations found in the original show. In addition, on carrying out special moves that require Chakra, unique animations take place that zoom in on the character to add an extra layer of intensity and atmosphere to the game.

Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version can be enjoyed using the Wii’s various controls and allows many different configurations. It can be played with a lone Wii Remote, a Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the Classic Controller or the Nintendo GameCube controller ensuring players can enjoy the game to its full.

Published by TOMY and distributed by Nintendo, Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution European Version springs across Europe for an estimated retail price of £49.99 on the 28th March 2008.