Hanjamaru - learn Chinese as you play this PC video game

'Hanjamaru', a game currently in development by NHN and EduFlo, grabbed attention from the beginning of the development. Pedagogists who study Chinese characters and education psychologists from Harvard University have participated in the development process, and the game's education effect has been proved through experiments done in Psychology department of Seoul National University.

'Hanjamaru' was intended to let the users be interested in studying Chinese characters through audio-visual teaching system. 'Hanjamaru' enabled this by combining the education method with battle, which is the basic element of MMORPG.

Also, the influences that changes of various factors, such as the size, speed or aggression of monsters and appearance of items during the game, cause on users' gaze were studied in terms of educational psychology and cognitive psychology, and the results were applied in 'Hanjamaru'.



26,000 users in total participated in the final close-beta test, which was held for two weeks in January 2009, and testers learned 13 Chinese characters per hour in average. Especially, 78% of young (age of 10 or lower) participants' ability in Chinese have increased, which indicates educational effect of'Hanjamaru'.

Kwon Su Yeon (43, office worker), a parent who tried out Hanjamaru with her child, said "It seems Hanjamaru brings interest to the users, and leads to natural education by going through repetitive routine. I hope it will be a nice teaching method for children to learn Chinese characters while having fun."

Currently, Hanjamaru only supports Korean-based Chinese characters, but the global version which will support Japanese-based Chinese characters and Simplified Chinese characters will be published in 2009.

Official Website : www.hanjamaru.com
Type : Edutainment(Educational game)
Target Users : 7~13
Minimum requirements : CPU Celeron 1Ghz, Memory 512 MB, GeForce MX440
Recommended requirements : CPU Pentium 4 2.0 Ghz, Memory 1GB, GeForce 6200 or better
Published Year : 2009
Supported OS : Window XP, 2000 , Vista Supported (DirectX 9.0c or higher version)

Nintendo President Announces Wii Storage Solution, New Zelda game and 50 Million Global Wii Shipment

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata today revealed surprises for consumers and an expanded palette of video game development opportunities for the industry during his keynote address at the Game Developers Conference. Iwata announced a new storage solution for Nintendo’s Wii home console and showed video highlights of a new Nintendo DS game from The Legend of Zelda franchise.

Video game developers now have expanded opportunities given that worldwide shipments for the Wii system surpassed 50 million units and worldwide shipments for the Nintendo DS franchise are at more than 100 million units. Iwata said, “It is in the power of game developers to invent things that gamers have never seen – or even imagined – before.”

Nintendo also noted several key initiatives that are on the way for consumers, some of which are available at the Nintendo GDC booth.

Nintendo DSi

The new portable Nintendo DSi system goes on sale in the United States on April 5. For the first six months after launch, consumers who buy the system and connect to the Nintendo DSi Shop will automatically receive 1,000 Nintendo DSi Points, which can be redeemed for downloadable Nintendo DSiWare™ games and applications through the Nintendo DSi Shop. In order to receive the free Nintendo DSi Points, consumers must access the Nintendo DSi Shop by Oct. 5, 2009, and the Nintendo DSi Points can be redeemed at any time after that (wireless broadband access required).
Similar to how the WiiWare service works in the Wii Shop Channel, the Nintendo DSi Shop will feature a variety of downloadable Nintendo DSiWare™ games and applications. These games and applications will be available at four different price categories: free, 200 points, 500 points, and 800+ points. Consumers can purchase Nintendo DSi Points in the Nintendo DSi Shop with a credit card or by purchasing a Nintendo Points Card™ at retail locations for redemption in the Nintendo DSi Shop. All points from one Nintendo Points Card will need to be redeemed at the Nintendo DSi Shop. Nintendo Points Card will start to become available at select retail locations beginning Apr. 5.
Iwata gave conference attendees a glimpse into some of the upcoming Nintendo DSiWare games and applications such as Moving Memo (name not final) and WarioWare™: Snapped!. Moving Memo (name not final) lets users create animated digital flipbooks of their own design, while WarioWare: Snapped! uses Nintendo DSi Camera functionality for a fresh gaming experience.
On the show floor, conference attendees are able to experience some of the Nintendo DSiWare games and applications that will be available soon. Bird & Beans™ and Art Style™: Aquia™ are fun mini games that will be perfect to play on-the-go.
Nintendo DS & Nintendo DSi Software

The new The Legend of Zelda™: Spirit Tracks game that Iwata announced will utilize the intuitive touch control of Phantom Hourglass in an all new adventure that will please longtime Zelda fans while keeping the game accessible to all DS owners. The concept behind this Zelda game includes utilizing a steam locomotive to travel around the world, switching Phantom and Link to explore the dungeons, and solving puzzles using new items.
Wii

As the library of downloadable WiiWare and Virtual Console games continues to grow, Wii owners have asked Nintendo to provide easy, expanded storage space. Starting today, Wii owners will be able to save downloaded WiiWare, Virtual Console video games, and Channels directly to High Capacity SD cards, in addition to SD memory cards. To play games that have been saved to SD cards, consumers will be able to select and launch them from an SD Menu icon on the Wii Menu. (Note that when launching games or channels from an SD card, an equivalent amount of internal Wii memory is required. To clear space from the internal memory, users can transfer games or channels from the Wii Menu to the SD card). This feature is included in the latest version of the Wii System Menu Update, which owners will receive immediately after performing a system update today.
Gamers will be glad to have that additional storage space, as the Virtual Console will expand to include the arcade versions of classic third-party games like STARFORCE by Tecmo Ltd., and Mappy, Gaplus and Tower of Druaga by Namco Bandai Games Inc. starting today.
Upcoming games Punch-Out!! and Excitebots: Trick Racing are available to play at Nintendo’s booth. Excitebots: Trick Racing, a new and refreshing take on the classic Excitebike series from the arcade and NES days, is slated to launch on April 20, while a new game in the classic Punch-Out!! series will be on store shelves on May 18.
WiiWare

To highlight new development opportunities for independent developers, Iwata unveiled a game for the WiiWare downloadable game service called Rock N’ Roll Climber™, which uses the Wii Balance Board accessory to help users simulate the experience of rock climbing. The game is being developed by Vitei.
Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access.

The Legend of Zelda - Spirit Tracks Nintendo DS video game debut trailer

Zelda move onto dry land and swaps his sailing boat for a steam train in this latest Nintendo DS adventure...

The new The Legend of Zelda - Spirit Tracks game that Iwata announced will utilize the intuitive touch control of Phantom Hourglass in an all new adventure that will please longtime Zelda fans

Swapping sails for steam engines in Link's latest portable outing - watch the trailer...

Keeping the game accessible to all DS owners. The concept behind this Zelda game includes utilizing a steam locomotive to travel around the world, switching Phantom and Link to explore the dungeons, and solving puzzles using new items.

LEGO Batman - The Videogame on Mac from April 9th

The Mac version of the fast-paced action adventure title LEGO BATMAN - The Videogame on Thursday, April 9, 2009.

Developed by TT Games, the title brings the world of DC Comics’ Caped Crusader to life in an entirely new way. Players can explore a richly interactive LEGO Gotham City as Batman and Robin, capturing infamous villains – and even take control of the villains themselves.

LEGO BATMAN - The Videogame features a completely original storyline, encompassing the lighthearted charm of LEGO minifigures and the multifaceted lore of Gotham City. The story unfolds with Batman’s greatest foes escaping from Arkham Asylum and creating mayhem throughout Gotham City. Tracking criminals, including The Joker and The Penguin, players will utilize Batman’s gadgets as well as build and operate fantastic vehicles.

"LEGO BATMAN is a brilliantly realized game, an instant classic that we are sure will have a very warm reception on the Mac” said Feral Interactive’s David Stephen.

“We are thrilled with the playability and quality of the LEGO BATMAN game when it was released on other platforms, and we are delighted to be working with Feral again to bring it to life on the Mac,” said Garry Edwards, Business Development Director of TT Games.





The game will retail in North America for US $39.95, £29.95 (inc VAT) in the UK and €39.95 (inc VAT) throughout Europe.

Minimum system requirements call for a 1.8GHz Intel Mac only, 512MB RAM, 128MB graphics card, DVD drive and Mac OS X v10.4.10 or later. This game runs on all Macs with Intel processors including all Intel-based Mac minis and MacBook models.

Valhalla Knights 2 PlayStation 2 - Fact Sheet

Sequel to the popular Valhalla Knights, Valhalla Knights 2 features a vast and expansive world to explore as well as customisation tools to create the ultimate battle party. Featuring new races, job classes, weapons and many more, Valhalla Knights 2 builds upon the foundations laid down in the first game along with an intriguing and expansive story arc.

Controlling and choosing character aspects such as skills, race, and appearance, players can engage in real-time 6-on-6 battles, reliant on tactical combat strategies to achieve success. Supporting 2 player ad-hoc network play, gamers can engage in Co-op and Versus modes with friends, or simply trade items and weapons

* Intense real-time 6-on-6 battles requiring tactical combat strategies and controlling various party members rather than button mashing
* Increased customisation gives each player a unique experience, allowing players to change skills, race and appearance with over 100,000 possible combinations
* Encounter up to 245 different types of monsters including Samurai, Zombies, Gargoyles, Dragons and Minotaur
* Play online with friends for two-player Co-op adventures and Versus battles or trade items and weapons
* Improvements to the Quest system with an increased number of quests and the ability to suspend or cancel quests

Animal Kororo Nintendo DS video game Fact Sheet

The residents of Kororo Kingdom have gone missing! From pandas to puppies to pigs, these adorable round critters must be grouped in matching twos and sent home where they belong.

Roll them around obstacles and reconnect them with their partners to ensure their safe return in the newest puzzle addiction to hit the Nintendo DS!

* Use your Stylus to roll adorable rascals around obstacles and into identical twos to eliminate them from the game board.
* Multiple difficulty modes with varying levels in each: Easy (10 levels), Normal (20 levels in each mode) and Hard (!!)
* Four modes of nonstop puzzle play:
- Attack Mode: more rascals appear and create additional obstacles while helping you eliminate enough pairs to proceed to the next level in fast paced, frantic action.
- Challenge Mode: send all the rascals home before time runs out as more obstacles appear in progressively difficult levels.
- Battle Mode: Two player single and multi-card puzzle face offs challenge you to finish the puzzle before a friend does.
- Kororo House Mode: design a home for your rascals by shopping for furniture, goods and the perfect room theme using currency earned in Challenge and Attack Modes. Coordinate your room to your liking and make your Rolling Rascals as cozy as possible!

Hello Kitty Online video game for North America

Sanrio Digital and Aeria Games, a US based online games publisher, today announced they are partnering to launch Hello Kitty Online in North America. The announcement was made at the 2009 Game Developer Conference, held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center from March 23-27. Hello Kitty Online is the eagerly anticipated official massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) of the Hello Kitty universe. Aeria Games will manage North American online publishing and game service operations for Hello Kitty Online. Sanrio Digital will manage retail publishing of the game and operate SanrioTown, the Sanrio-themed portal and social networking site integrated with Hello Kitty Online.

“Sanrio Digital is very excited to partner with Aeria Games, who will be our online publisher and operator for Hello Kitty Online in North America. With Aeria Games’ leadership position in the free-to-play casual MMO sector and Hello Kitty brand awareness among the underserved female gaming audience, Hello Kitty Online will grow into a leading social gaming destination for teens and female adults,” said Robert Ferrari, Vice President of Publishing & Business Development of Sanrio Digital.

“Aeria Games is honored to partner with Sanrio Digital to introduce Hello Kitty Online to the North American audience. Given the global, well-loved brand and the advanced game design, we believe that Hello Kitty Online will propel the casual free-to-play MMO industry into the mainstream,” said JT Nguyen, Chief Marketing Officer of Aeria Games.

Hello Kitty Online is the official MMORPG based on the popular Sanrio characters. The game, currently in its beta stage, will launch in various territories throughout 2009, using a free-to-play model with optional premium upgrades. Players will explore and experience magnificent adventures in the magical and cute world of Sanrio Land as they interact with other players and more than a hundred Sanrio characters, including Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Cinnamoroll, and many others.

Hello Kitty Online is one of few MMORPG titles targeting a female gaming audience. Aside from redefining traditional MMO gaming with the inclusion of integrated social media services provided by SanrioTown, Hello Kitty Online connects the virtual world with real world charity events: during past beta events, Sanrio Digital translated player activities into real donations to charities such as UNICEF. Sanrio Digital intends to continue charitable initiatives as part of North American strategy for Hello Kitty Online.

Tales Runner PC video game fact sheet

1. Game name : Tales Runner
2. Website : http://tr.nopp.co.kr/
3. Genre : Casual MOARG (Massivery Online Action Running Game)
4. Supporting Platform : H/W- PC
Minimum Requirements
CPU : Pentium 3 (800 mhz or higher)
VGA : Geforce 2 MAX (32 M or better)
RAM 128 Mb
Recommended Requirements
CPU : Pentium 4 (2GHZ or higher)
VGA : Geforce FX 5600 or better
RAM : 512 Mb

5. Game Synopsis
"Very, very beautiful and fantastic nation", a place that holds, and gives birth to every stories of the world, exists.
However, because people and children began to lose dream and hope, and do not even read fairytales, this country that runs by people's hope and dream, is under peril.
In order to save this place, King Henry opened 'Running competition'. This competition restores the innocence of the competitors by letting them to run in the fairytales and legends for real, and "Stone of wish", an artifact that will grant any wish for once, will be given to the winner. Now, the adventure of 'Tales Runners' is about to start.

6. Special features
- Not only the game's basic element, running, but many actions such as swimming, skiing, and magic-carpet ride are available.
- Unique game modes are supported, which includes 30-people competition and relay.
- It is for everyone, since the game does not include any violence.
- Educational elements such as math and English are connected with certain maps, proving the game's interest and educational effect at the same time.
- Users can enjoy the community systems such as mini-game, fortune teller, and broadcastings in the place called 'park'.
- Housing system is embodied through a personal inner-game space called 'Tales Farm'. Not only game, but other features such as decorating individuals' own space, and playing with friends, is also supported.

7. Current oversea service status of Global Game 'Tales Runner'
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand in 2006. China in 2007. US in 2008. Going beyond Asia, now advancing to North America region. Tales Runner's leap towards globalization, by broadening its service regions to worldwide, has just begun. Tales Runner's racing towards the world will continue.

8. Tales Runner's cases and reason for success in oversea services
- Easy and simple controls, cute characters, sound game features grasped the worldwide users' attention
- It built a strong base for success by going through thorough localization policies and support, which considered individual countries' cultures.
- Hong Kong 'Tales Runner' pulled down the lead of 'Audition', taking the 1st place after 6 months of service. It maintained its place for 32 weeks in a row.
- In Thailand, it took third place during its close-beta test, a good start for a close-beta. It was the result from the devoted cooperation and mutual support of 3 companies, NowCom, RaOn Entertainment, and TOT.
- It won Best Casual game award, Best Game Publisher award in the largest game exhibition of Thailand, 'Big Fest 2008 (Bangkok Interactive Game Festival 2008)'.
- Hong Kong Tales Runner won 'Best Publisher Award' in Best Digital Entertain part, in 'Hong Kong ICT Award 2008'.

Crazy Capers for Tchoop - Gobliiins 4 PC video game

Introducing the Tchoop teaser trailer: Fun and games are in store for Tchoop, one of the lead characters in Gobliiins 4. See inside his home where he gets himself into a tangle with his cheeky plant. Expect the unexpected when you explore his home and find your way through the puzzle..

Keep your eyes open, there’s always something happening in the background to surprise you – nothing is as it seems. Hilarious pranks and capers to keep you amused for hours of game playing fun……




Gobliiins 4 will be released on 24th April 2009 for a recommended retail price of £19.99.

Gobliiins 4 was developed by Société Pollene and is published by Kalypso Media and Snowberry Connection.

MMORPG Lime Odyssey to be released - Thailand in 2010.

'Lime Odyssey', a game with warm and bright texture that has been collecting gamers' continuous attention, has revealed its new pictures. Game developing company 'Sirius Entertainment Inc. (Representative Hwang Beong Chan)' stated that 20 new screenshots of the Changing MMORPG 'Lime Odyssey, currently developing in the company, will be presented.

The game screenshots' special feature is that the shots are taken in highland area for mid-level users, 'Dubal Highland' which will be introduced in 1st close-beta test, and includes the main characters' various poses. Especially, the elements that will be presented to gamers in the future, such as

• Unique looks of the Male&Female characters of each race
  
• Moving to different worlds with party members
  
• Delicate backgrounds
  
• The game's overall aspects including U, can be seen as a general overview.

The screenshots mainly focus on the main characters of each race introducing the natural environment and various landscapes of mystical 'Dubal Highland'. Especially, the screenshots show the aspects of 'Fantasy life', including the unique natural figures that are in wide grassland and 'Highland rock' which is placed in the middle of the stone images of ancient heroes.

In addition, the game characteristics of Lime Odyssey that the developing company has been developing for the 1st close beta test, such as the battle scenes with monsters, moving through different worlds with party members, will be revealed through the screenshots.



After the screenshot release, the developing company is planning to renew the official website as soon as possible and deliver continuous information about the game, such as new illustrations and images, to the gamers.