Available soon - Spore Creature Creator Available Worldwide

Spore Creature Creator Available Worldwide June 17

Free Demo and Complete Retail Versions Deliver Powerful Creativity Tools to Create, Play and Share

Electronic Arts and Maxis today announced that a free downloadable demo, and complete retail version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available starting June 17, 2008. The Spore Creature Creator gives Spore fans, and those who are creatively curious, the first hands-on opportunity to design their own species and share it with their friends. All creatures designed with the Spore Creature Creator can be imported into the full retail version of Spore for PC and Mac when it launches on September 5, 2008 in Europe and September 7, 2008 in North America.

“We are thrilled to finally be putting the creative tools of Spore into the hands of players around the world,” said Will Wright, chief designer, Maxis. “The amazing creations players design this summer will help populate the game universe we all enter when Spore ships this September, so in a sense, the Spore Creature Creator is the birth of Spore.”

The free demo version of the Spore Creature Creator will be available worldwide via download from www.spore.com. The demo lets players shape, paint and play with an unlimited number of creatures, using 25 percent of the creature-making parts from Spore. Gamers can then share these creations with their friends, including seamless uploads to YouTube. The demo will also be included in the The SimCity Box, which ships on June 23.



A complete retail version of the Spore Creature Creator will also be available in North America for $9.99 and most European territories for €9.99, which gives players access to all the creature-making parts in the game.

Spore, the highly anticipated game from the creators of The Sims, gives players their own personal universe in a box. Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe created by other gamers. Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even UFOs. Players can then seamlessly share their creations with the world or explore infinite new galaxies created by other gamers.

Consumers can visit www.spore.com to sign up for the Spore newsletter or check out all-new screenshots and video of the game.

Spore Creature Creator retail version is not available in all territories.

Pirates v Ninjas Dodgeball Website Updated With Podcasts, Free Pirate and Ninja Tracks, and Fresh Media

Pirates v Ninjas Dodgeball Website Updated With Podcasts, Free Pirate and Ninja Tracks, and Fresh Media

New Content Hot As a Sweaty Game of Dodgeball

Gamecock Media Group announced today that the website for Blazing Lizard’s masterpiece, Pirates v Ninjas Dodgeball, has been seriously upgraded over at www.piratesvsninjas.com.

Market research shows that all dodgeball enthusiasts, pirates, and ninjas own MP3 players. Upon hearing this information, Gamecock realized it needed to act quickly to get these demographics exactly what they demand: free stuff to download.

The first result is four podcasts, one for each team. Some describe these podcasts as avant-garde, or even Web 3.0. Have a listen and decide for yourself.



The second is four free songs – two ninja tracks from deeply underground stealth assassin DriftingNSilence and two pirate songs from sea shanty masters Sharks Come Cruisin’. These songs can be unlocked by sending the site to a fellow ninja or pirate. Download and listen to ‘em as much as you like!

There are also fresh game assets on the site such as new screenshots and previously unreleased character concept art. As always, there is a sweet collection of desktop wallpapers and IM buddy icons. And for the laziest of the lazy, the site gives you a direct link to the best Facebook “battle app” of all time, “Pirates v Ninjas”.

Get everything now at www.piratesvsninjas.com. The game is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade in mid-Spring 2008.

Codemasters and Sega Racing Studio

Codemasters today announced that it has reached an agreement with Sega that facilitates accelerated growth for Codemasters Studios. With immediate effect, Codemasters is to take over the Sega Racing Studio, based in Solihull, central England.

“In seizing this opportunity, we have created additional resources to escalate our plans in the racing segment,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive, Codemasters. “We hope to welcome more than 40 people to the company and we have enjoyed the full co-operation of our friends at Sega in making this happen. It is good business for Codemasters, an exciting prospect and there will be more to come as we are not content to stand still.”

Mad Catz Introduces Wii Fit Kit

Mad Catz, a leading third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider announced today the release of an exciting new range of accessories compatible with the Nintendo Wii Fit system.

Currently featuring a range of four individual, unique and innovative accessories, each product has been thoughtfully designed to enhance and maximize exercise regimes.

The Wii Fit Rechargeable Battery Pack plugs quickly and simply into the Wii Fit balance board, eliminating the need to purchase expensive batteries. Providing up to 20 hours of game play from a single charge, the Rechargeable Battery Pack draws power from the Wii’s own USB output, removing the need for a separate power pack and keeping obtrusive wires to a bare minimum.

Fashioned from high quality weather-resistant materials, the Wii Fit Travel/Storage Case provides ample space for the balance board, software and accessories. Durable and practical, the Wii Fit Travel/Storage Case provides an ideal solution to housing and transporting your Wii Fit balance board when not in use.

Designed with comfort and safety in mind, the Wii Fit Exercise Mat adds increased stability and protection to any Wii Fit workout. Protecting the user when playing on a potentially slippery or hazardous surface, the Wii Fit Exercise Mat features a durable textured surface which improves traction whilst helping decrease impact during intensive workouts.

Keeping the hardware in premium working condition, the Wii Fit Protective Silicone Cover attaches instantly to the balance board, protecting the unit from outside elements and damage. Constructed from lightweight yet durable silicone, the Wii Fit Protective Silicone Cover provides stylish protection and helps ensure accurate operation of the Wii Fit balance board.

Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz commented, “Wii Fit is yet another example of how gaming continues to grow in an organic fashion, providing a compelling experience for the entire family. Mad Catz is delighted to further enhance this innovative release with a range of useful and eclectic accessories which we feel will prove enticing to consumers everywhere”.

The Mad Catz range of Wii Fit compatible accessories is expected to be available across Europe in April 2008 and the United States in May 2008.

NLGD Opens Call for Papers

The NLGD today announced that it has opened its call for papers for possible speakers at the NLGD Game Conference, June 18-20 in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Potential speakers are invited to submit their ideas for lectures, workshops and roundtables over the next week. All lecture and session proposals should cover one or more of the Avenues of Exploration that the NLGD has set for the conference. The deadline for the call for papers is May 1, 2008.

The NLGD also confirmed the following speakers for its upcoming Game Conference: Heather Chandler (Executive Producer and founder of Media Sunshine, Inc.), Ben Sawyer (Co-Founder of Digitalmill), and Chris Swain (Professor, University of Southern California).

After several years in the trenches of video game production at Electronic Arts, Activision, and Ubisoft, Heather Chandler started her own development studio. During her eleven years on the front lines of the games industry, she has contributed to the production of over 35 games, including the first seven games in the Ghost Recon series.

Chandler will be leading a 2-hour work shop session focusing on the production cycle of a fictitious game, some of the problems it encountered, and how the production team solved them.

Ben Sawyer is the co-founder of Digitalmill. He has worked in, and covered game development, for over eight years.

Sawyer will talk about the serious games field, providing strong definitions and a well-built platform on what is needed to make serious games. He will also provide tools for attendees to better understand the serious games market.

Chris Swain is a game designer, educator, and co-author of the textbook Game Design Workshop. He co-directs the EA Game Innovation Lab at USC. His work has received many awards including Time Magazine's Best of the Web.

Swain will present best practices in game development processes. He will provide tools and metrics, in order to reveal different approaches to game development.

“When I was invited to speak at the NLGD Game Conference it did not take me long to say ‘Yes’,” said Swain. “It is an excellent opportunity to reach a new audience as I present Master Metrics 2.0 in Utrecht.”

GOLDEN TRAILER AWARDS ANNOUNCE NOMINEES FOR NINTH ANNUAL AWARDS SHOW

Hammer Creative garnered three of the five nominations from the 9th Annual Golden Trailer Awards for Best Video Game Trailer. This year's nominations for Hammer include ASSASSIN'S CREED (Ubisoft), MASS EFFECT (BioWare Corp. and Microsoft Game Studios), and THE SIMPSONS GAME: MEDAL OF HOMER (Electronic Arts). "These nominations are a real tribute to the entire Hammer video game group, spearheaded by Jim Botko and Scott Hayman," commented Hammer Creative founder Mark Pierce. “We value the opportunity to work with these top publishers and help launch their AAA games.”

D2C GAMES REVEALS NEW SCREENSHOTS, DEFINITION OF SPOGS RACING

D2C Games, Inc. a premier developer and publisher of mass-market downloadable interactive entertainment, today revealed a new batch of screenshots from its upcoming WiiWare title, SPOGS Racing.

In addition, the company has decided to clear up a question that numerous gamers have raised since the game's announcement: What, exactly, is a SPOG?!

First, to dispel the rumors, here are several examples of what 'SPOGS' does not stand for:

•Schizophrenic Psychotics Owning Guns and Shooting: The Game (a delightful World War II romp)
•Some People Often Golf Sloshed: The Game (this one already came out - it's called golf)
•Spelunking Pays Off Great . . . Sometimes: The Game (a spiritual successor to Pitfall)

In reality, SPOGS stands for 'Sports Player Object Gyros.' This name was deliberately chosen because there is - scientifically - no other way to describe the unique characters in the high-speed arcade racer. There is no relation to British candy. Please do not attempt to eat SPOGS Racing.

For more information, visit www.spogsracing.com.

Free2Play Server for Bounty Bay Online PC Video game

Frogster launches Free2Play Server for Bounty Bay Online

Free version of nautical MMOG with integrated item shop available

German publisher Frogster Interactive has just launched a free2play Bounty Bay Online server. This new alternative to the existing subscription based server will allow players to join the nautical MMOG free of charge. The game client is free to download at http://bountybayonline.com.

The new free2play server called “Mary Read” features an integrated online shop where players can buy precious ingame items such as potions, figureheads, treasure maps or level boosts. Depending on their value, the price of these items range from 3 cents upwards. The new server model for Bounty Bay Online allows players with limited playing time to achieve more - in less time. Frogster has thoroughly revamped the website to better serve the players. The website has been restructured to be more clear and easier to navigate and now includes new features such the new items shop.

The new free2play server will not affect the established subscription server. All current subscribers will be able to access Bounty Bay Online the way they are used to. Yusho will be providing regular updates for both servers and the support team will be expanded, thus raising the service standards for both servers. An FAQ for the new free2play server is available on http://www.bountybayonline.com/FAQEn.

NEW PLAYABLE CHARACTER FOR ZOMBIE BBQ - MOMOTARO JOINS THE ZOMBIE PARTY!

Gammick Entertainment and Enjoy Up present the second playable character of Zombie BBQ - Momotaro.

Storyland is infested with zombies! Little Red Riding Hood has whipped out her weapon and is locked and loaded, ready to end the threat of the undead. But she will not be alone: Momotaro, the peach boy who’s recently arrived from Japanese folklore, will join her on this dangerous crusade. But… what powers and secrets does this legendary character hold?

Momotaro is the second selectable character in Zombie BBQ. He can access the arsenal of weapons in the game, and shoot their enemies… whenever he has snatched enough weapons from his enemies' cold dead hands! From a lethal laser rifle to a sawed-off shotgun and moving up to an incredibly powerful flame thrower or 'Zombie BBQer', Momotaro will have at his disposal plenty of firepower to take on enemies such as the ferocious Granny, the undead Gretel and Pinocchio, the puppet who wanted to be a zombie boy. Not only that, while Red Riding Hood uses her trusty machine gun as a weapon by default, Momotaro launches sharp ninja stars that will spell certain doom for many of the classic characters that will rise from the grave.

You must choose: Will you control the devastating power of Little Red Riding Hood and her firearms? Or master the deadly precision of a classic Japanese legend like Momotaro? See it at www.gammickentertainment.com

Zombie BBQ will be released on Q4 2008.

GTR Evolution on PC Screenshots

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