Unsolved Crimes - comes to Nintendo DS

Unsolved Crimes - A new type of game for the Nintendo DS, Unsolved Crimes is an absorbing, enthralling, character driven adventure video game experience which integrates the thrills of an action game with the mental challenges of a 3D crime investigation.

You're a rookie detective - part of the Homicide Division. An aspiring model, Betsy Blake has disappeared. A loner is the prime suspect. But this case is a whole lot deeper than it first appears… Crime is rampant in this city, and the disappearance of Betsy Blake is the latest in unnerving series of events that are slowly bringing New York City to its knees. Can you crack the cases the regular cops can't? And can you get to the bottom of the kidnapping that's all over the news? It's up to you to disentangle the truth from lies, and try to save Betsy before it's too late.

Product Information:
Unsolved Crimes integrates three gaming elements, an action game, a 3D crime investigation and a crime quiz to give players a uniquely absorbing experience. The game fully utilizes the Nintendo DS' unique two screens allowing players to immerse themselves in the environments of New York. The innovative use of the Nintendo DS stylus will also allow you to trace marks, routes and memos on suspicious items discovered at crime scenes, all allowing you to move closer to solving the kidnapping mystery.

Key Features:

• Engaging Storytelling: An overarching story line runs throughout the game to fully immerse Nintendo DS gamers into the world of Unsolved Crimes
• Integrated gaming elements include, a story driven action game, point and click crime investigation, crime quiz, shootouts and action car chases!
• With over 8 independent cases to solve across diverse and fully Interactive environments: Gamers will have to be vigilant and use all of their powers of deduction to find the clues and crack the case

Genre: Action Adventure/Point and Click (Crime Mystery)
Format: Nintendo DS
Release Date: Autumn 2008
Brand: Empire Interactive
SRP: £29.99

The Shroud - Mobile GPS RPG video game

Your World Games today announced the release of their groundbreaking RPG mobile game The Shroud for all Helio network users.

Exclusive to the Helio release of The Shroud is the GPS Challenge, available for all GPS-enabled Helio devices, which will allow players to physically locate Breaches in real-life locations. Using patented GPS technology, players will be alerted to these breaches on screen and, using an on-screen compass, must physically move themselves to these locations. Successfully reaching a Breach point will activate a special timed challenge, which, if successful, will yield gold and rare in-game items. Early challenges will result in shorter distances between breaches (under several hundred feet), while more difficult breaches may require the player to travel longer distances (up to a few miles).

“The Shroud is one of the few truly deep, immersive gameplay experiences available on a mobile device that both casual and hardcore gamers can enjoy,” said Robert Sprogis, Vice President of Your World Games. “We are proud to announce its release on the Helio network, which will not only allow millions of users experience the oncoming invasion of unspeakable terrors from the Shroud firsthand, but also to partake in special GPS challenges that will test both mind and body in a truly unprecedented combination of compelling strategy-RPG and GPS location games.”
“The Shroud really stands out in mobile gaming for its depth and quality of gameplay,” said Leo Jun, Head of Games and Apps at Helio. “The game is a great addition to our growing portfolio of games.”

The Shroud features the protagonist, Taro, who starts off as a simple farmer but becomes a venerable savior as he fights to protect his homeland from the Shroud and its ancient, evil inhabitants. Players begin on an untended farm that they must work on to grow and harvest crops, turning barren, untilled farmland into verdant, fertile topsoil, as well as maintaining livestock. Doing so will allow Taro to accumulate funds and resources which he will need in order to repel the Shroud invasion and close the Breach portals that connect their world to his own. In addition, the game features several other elements such as fishing, mining, real-time monster combat, and the International Farmers’ League (IFL) in order to provide a lengthy variety of activities and competitions for the player to immerse themselves into.

Developed by Your World Games and with production by game developer Hardcore 3D Wireless, The Shroud will be available for all compatible Helio devices. For further details and to learn more about The Shroud visit www.shroudgame.com.

Star Trek online video game

Trek Fans Worldwide Invited to MMO Gameplay Reveal at Annual Star Trek Convention August 10, 2008 or Via Live Webcast at www.startrekonline.com

Cryptic Studios, a leading independent developer and publisher of massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), announced today that it has secured the global rights to develop and publish Star Trek Online, a massively multiplayer online game based on the legendary Star Trek franchise, from CBS Consumer Products.

Cryptic will unveil the first Star Trek Online gameplay footage as well as details about this highly anticipated MMO at the annual Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas on Sunday, August 10, 2008.

Trek fans from around the globe can also view the event live via webcast at www.startrekonline.com.



Interested participants can register today for the Star Trek Online webcast and to sign up for the STO Community by visiting www.startrekonline.com.

zOMG! It's Finally Here! Gaia Online's MMO Game Enters Closed Beta

Gaia Online, the world's most active online community, has launched its upcoming casual MMO into closed beta. Over 10,000 community members will be able to participate in the beta program.Gaia Online proudly announces that the game’s official name will be “zOMG!”, a term generated from the virtual world’s active community. In development since 2006, zOMG! is scheduled for release this summer, and will give the community a new way to play, socialize, and explore.

In April, Gaia Online announced that it would accept requests for entry into the beta program. Over 120,000 applications to enter the closed beta were submitted by community members. Players selected from Gaia Online’s active community of over five million will get the chance to play in-game with the creators of zOMG! and provide feedback on the game.

“Our Gaian community is loyal, vocal and not afraid to ask for what they want,” said David Georgeson, senior developer of zOMG! at Gaia Online. “It only makes sense for online worlds to place a huge emphasis on community involvement. In our case, they aren’t just the people who will play the game; they’re the ones who asked for it.”

Designed in a flash-based environment that is free and requires no downloads, players will interact in zOMG! by engaging in quests, battling monsters, exploring the beautiful worlds and socializing with friends. As an extension of the Gaia Online virtual world, the MMO game extends the current Gaia Online offerings, like mini games, customizable avatars, forums, and numerous creative and social outlets.

Visit www.zomg.com for more information about the closed beta program and new images from zOMG!.

Voyage Century Online: Mecca for Mummies

Voyage Century (http://vc.igg.com/), a 3D MMORPG from IGG (www.igg.com), prides itself on its real world geography, historical design, and eye-catching graphics, and continues to impress its extraordinarily loyal players and fans all over the world.

The latest instance of the Return of the Mummy will be launched soon following the release of Hurricane Island. In order to protect newbie players, the instance was developed with different areas fitting players’ different levels: The legendary mummies domain- Pyramid; Criminal concentration-Iron Prison and the paradise for pirates-the Island of St. Croix. There is also hidden treasure to allure players caught in peril. Going through the Space Door and arriving at the Return of the Mummy, players will face challenges from evil servants of the Dead and loyal guardians who died to protect the Return of the Mummy. The treasure is within arm’s reach-but players must defeat monsters to get a hold of it. Fight or run away, it is also a tough choice players to make. Remember, the treasure in Voyage Century Online is reserved for the fearless and brave.

For more info visit the official site http://vc.igg.com/news/1226/Hunting%20Event.html

Ignition Entertainment is Pleased to Announce the European Release of BOING! DOCOMODAKE DS

Based upon the mascot of the leading Japanese mobile phone company, NTT DOCOMO, INC. – Boing! Docomodake DS will be released exclusively for the Nintendo DS this Autumn.

Set on the day of the annual festival held in the Docomodake Forest, the Docomodake family is nowhere to be seen! You play as Papa Docomodake and guide him through various obstacles and challenges in order to find his family and get them to the festival on time.
Obviously, Papa Docomodake has a trick or two to help him on his quest. With a tap of the stylus he can release ‘Minis’ that aid him when the going gets a little tough. Remember, Minis make the impossible possible!

‘Boing! Docomodake DS has all the elements needed for a great platform game’, says Peter Rollinson, Product Manager, Ignition Entertainment Ltd. ‘the game has a wide ranging appeal, and offers more than enough to keep all gamers happy’.

For further information please visit: www.ignitionent.com/docomodake

Boing! Docomodake DS will be available Autumn ’08 exclusively for the Nintendo DS

Gotta Collect 'em All!

For all the collectors out there, the fine art team at Red Fly Studio put together some kick-ass trading cards, a poster, and hero statue that will be floating around out there. The poster will be available with Rise of the Fungi (DS) pre-orders and the life-size statue with The Spore Wars (Wii) pre-orders. The first 3 trading cards are in the current issue of Nintendo Power (August issue, along with a contest where 2 families can win a trip to NYC for the 20th Anniversary party at the Nintendo World Store in Sept). You’ll also be able to get them at PAX, the 20th Anniversary Party mentioned above, LesClaypool.com, and more. The easiest way to make a complete set of 24 cards will be by pre-ordering the games at GameStop (get a pack of 11 for Rise of the Fungi and different 11 for The Spore Wars and then 1 card will be included with each version of the game).

Mushroom Men Sail the Seas of Cheese…

Les Claypool will be headlining and Mushroom Men will be in full effect aboard Jam Cruise 7 (http://jamcruise.com/). Leaving out of Ft Lauderdale January 4, 2009, they’ll be tons of artists playing day and night as the ship ports in Belize City and Costa Maya.

For anyone interested in winning their way aboard, GameStop is running a special sweepstakes. Visit http://www.gamestop.com/mushroommen for more on that. And for those actually going, they’ll be more great contests to win Mushroom Men stuff while out on the open waters.

Tall Tales of Mushroom Men

There is also a custom Mushroom Men VW Bus in the works (details coming to www.MushroomMen.com soon). And the Space Squid writing contest has 1 week left for submissions (details: http://spacesquid.com/free_writing_contests.htm).

SPORE FOR MAC GOES ON-SALE WITH TRANSGAMING

TransGaming Inc. (TSX-V: TNG), announces the launch of Pre-Orders for EA’s SPORE for Mac at GameTree Online (www.gametreeonline.com/ea/spore/), the company’s digital distribution portal for Mac video games.

The release of EA’s SPORE on Mac September 7-8, 2008, the newest video game creation from The SIMS creator Will Wright, marks a new age for Mac gaming around the world, and GameTree Online will make it easier then ever for Mac consumers to purchase and enjoy the game. TransGaming has expanded its relationship with EA, the worlds largest video game publisher, beyond Mac enablement, to provide a global distribution strategy for the SPORE franchise on Mac. The GameTree Online digital distribution portal complements TransGaming’s Cider Portability business, which provides publishers, like EA, with a turn-key solution to enable games for the Mac. TransGaming enabled EA’s SPORE Creature Creator for Mac, which is also available to consumers at GameTree Online now! Mac consumers everywhere can now enjoy the newest Will Wright creation at www.gametreeonline.com/ea/spore.

With a truly unprecedented level of flexibility, SPORE and SPORE Creature Creator let you make a limitless number of fun creatures and embark on an evolution adventure. Bring creatures to life with SPORE Creature Creator — see how they dance, strike a pose, and in September guide your unique personal creature on an epic journey of discovery.

For more information on partnering with TransGaming and distribution via GameTree Online, visit their sites at www.transgaming.com or www.gametreeonline.com.

TEMPT LADY LUCK IN FREE-TO-PLAY MMORPG, FIESTA

Outspark, a leading virtual playground offering online community-based gaming, today announced the newest feature for its hit fantasy role-playing game, Fiesta. Remi’s Rare Finds is a thrilling new minigame offering players a chance to win exclusive, rare and unreleased in-game items like mounts, weapons and power-ups. The game is available now at http://store.outspark.com/fiesta/rarefinds .

To play Remi’s Rare Finds, players spend 1500 SparkCash and receive a random item from the collection. Keep your item and use it with any Fiesta game character, or exchange it for a credit. Five credits may be exchanged for a free play. The prize pool is always changing, with new items being added every month.

“Engaging our community is very important to us, and Remi’s Rare Finds is the newest exciting addition to a game already filled with rich, dynamic gameplay,” said Outspark founder and CEO Susan Choe “Each play offers a chance at some great in-game items, and we’re sure our players will love it.”

Fiesta is a free to play MMORPG with a friendly, social community. Set in the fantasy world of Isya, the game features fierce monsters, exciting in-game events, accessible Game Masters and more. Fiesta continues to undergo active development by Korea’s Ons On Soft for the PC. For more information and to become a part of the Fiesta community, visit http://fiesta.outspark.com

Ninja Gaiden II statues launched

First 4 Figures is thrilled to announce that they have been awarded a license from Microsoft and TECMO/Team Ninja to create high end 1/4 scale statues based on the characters from the Ninja Gaiden II video game exclusive to Xbox 360. The first statue release is the video game’s super Ninja warrior, Ryu Hayabusa. In Ninja Gaiden II, Ryu must battle the evil Black Spider Ninja clan and Four Greater Fiends to avenge the honor of the Hayabusa Clan and protect Humanity from destruction.



Ryu Hayabusa, in his default NGII black costume, is coming soon from First 4 Figures. Based on the official Ninja Gaiden II box artwork and in-game 3D model, First 4 Figures has painstakingly captured Ryu Hayabusa’s intensity and deadly demeanor. The base is covered in artificial grass and features Ryu walking through a graveyard of swords from fallen warriors. He comes equipped with his signature Dragon Sword, Eclipse Scythe, and a Falcon’s Talon. At 1/4 scale, Ryu stands at 18 inches tall and when you include his Eclipse Scythe, he stands at 31 inches tall (that’s over 2½ feet)!

Height: 31 inches to the top of the Eclipse Scythe (approximately 80cm).
SRP: $349.99
Available: Q1-2009
Limited: 1,999 pieces worldwide

Order here...