Sonic Unleashed video game to be launched on mobile

Gameloft, a leading publisher and developer of video games on mobile phones and consoles, today announced a licensing agreement with SEGA Europe Ltd. to develop, publish and distribute multiple mobile games based on SEGA brands. This is the first partnership between Gameloft and SEGA Europe Ltd.

“We are confident this agreement will be the first step towards a long term partnership between Gameloft and SEGA,” said Michel Guillemot, president, Gameloft. “SEGA’s great brands coupled with Gameloft’s long standing history of excellence in mobile game development can only result in an extraordinary mobile experience for consumers.”

“With so much entertainment on the go, it seems natural to provide fans with a mobile game based on the much loved Sonic brand,” said Gary Rowe, A&R Director, SEGA® Europe Ltd. “Gameloft’s unwavering commitment to quality mobile games combined with a successful track record of bestsellers and unmatched worldwide distribution make them uniquely qualified to develop Sonic Unleashed™ for mobile.”

The mobile game will be a high speed 2D side-scrolling adventure that stays true to what’s made Sonic such a popular and critical success over the years, both through environment and gameplay. Featuring dual gameplay, players will be able to engage as the regular Sonic the Hedgehog or Werehog, a werewolf who comes out at night, moves slower, but possesses incredible strength. The mobile game will once again pit Sonic against Dr. Eggman, taking him across several continents to collect the chaos emeralds to save the world. Exclusive to the mobile game, Sonic Unleashed for mobile will feature a new personality with exciting new skills.

Sonic Unleashed for mobile is currently under development in Gameloft’s studios and will be released in June 2009 in Europe, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Tales of Pirates - Brand New Marriage System get married in a video game...

In the spotlight right now is the highly expected Marriage System in Tales of Pirates. This brand new system has been much talked and is finally to be launched within next week!

Yes, from now TOP players may get married in game and so enjoy special spouse functions designed only for couples. Worth noting is that included in the newest update, many improvements are actually based on players’ own ideas and suggestions.

Now let’s take a quick glance at the new Wedding Ceremony IGG has brought to their players…

Dragonica Closed Beta Test dates announced: May 13th - May 22nd

Ten days of early access for lucky beta key holders European Dragonica Closed Beta Test dates announced: May 13th – May 22nd

gPotato Europe is proud to announce that Dragonica, the new free arcade-style 3D side-scrolling MMORPG, is to enter closed beta testing on the 13th of May.

From the 13th to the 22nd of May, all users in possession of a beta-key or chosen by lottery from those already pre-registered at the official website will be able to download and play the game for free from the www.gpotato.eu game portal.

European gamers will soon be able play in this brand new online world, where 3D side-scrolling combo-based combat sits alongside cutting edge massively multiplayer online gameplay, free of charge and without subscriptions. Dragonica simply requires a broadband connection, and works across a wide variety of notebook, desktop and netbook computers.

Dragonica uses only the keyboard for precise combos and accessible combat. As you train your character from one of the starting classes to stronger versions, you will gain access to more powerful weapons and train up a wide variety of hilarious skills to develop your own fighting style. It also includes a fast-paced arcade-style ten player multiplayer mode, party support for up to four players, a couple system granting additional powers to pairs of players, and all the guild, trade, communication and quest fun that players expect from a top MMORPG.

As soon as servers open, the Dragonica team has a packed schedule of events planned for the ten day Closed Beta. There are plenty of great prizes up for grabs, so if you want to start off the June’s Open Beta in style, entering the CBT events is the best way to earn some unique items to make you stand out. The team will be “meeting and greeting” players at the start to welcome and help them into the game. After the festivities die down, we’re getting straight into the action with combo competitions, challenges to beat the games bosses, PvP tournaments and lots more. Keep an eye on the Dragonica website for full details.

The Dragonica Closed beta commences on Wednesday 13th of May, and runs for ten days until Friday 22nd May. It will then be available to everybody with a free gPotato.eu account in June, for free, for life. Want to know more? Visit the official European Dragonica website at dragonica.gpotato.eu for your last chance to enter the Closed Beta lottery!

Space Exploration - Serpens Sector video game download

Metal Beetle Ltd has released a new preview version of Space Exploration - Serpens Sector, its upcoming RPG. The new preview is available from http://www.metalbeetle.com/spaceexploration/download.php.

In this new preview, your ship's crew play a much larger role. Crew members now have individual skills and morale levels, and many encounters have been rewritten to let you choose crew members for specific tasks. And instead of the time limit in dev 8, you can now return to Fleet Headquarters to ask for more fuel - the better you do in your mission, the more fuel you are awarded.

Space Exploration: Serpens Sector is a role-playing game based on classics like Starflight and Star Control. You are tasked with exploring the mysterious Serpens Sector after a long period of human absence. Each game has a different map and a different set of encounters, drawn from a large list. The base game will be free, and purchasable expansions will add further encounters for those who enjoy the game and want to see more.

The game is still under development, but preview versions are available for download, and player feedback is very much encouraged. While the basic elements of the game engine are present, the game is still being refined, and a lot of content is yet to be added. The next preview release, dev 10, will focus on improved space combat.

The game has been under development since late 2007 and is slated to be released in 2009. The first expansion will be released simultaneously.

Space Exploration: Serpens Sector is under development by Metal Beetle Ltd, a small UK-based software company.

Tiki Bar TV and Secret Lab Announce First Official Tiki Bar TV Game - Day of the Tiki

Tiki Bar TV game by Secret Lab coming for Mac and Windows in Summer, iPhone to follow

Video podcast pioneers Tiki Bar TV
have joined forces with Secret Lab, an independent video game developer, to create video games based on the Tiki Bar TV video podcast.

"Exciting things are happening in the Tiki Bar," said creator Jeff Macpherson, who stars as Doctor Tiki in the wildly successful, popular podcast Tiki Bar TV. "We are combining the power of video with the fun of game - we intend to call this exciting new medium the Video-Game.

Gamers and drinkers alike will be thrilled to use Johnny Johnny like a puppet, and fling him into the face of danger," enthused the good doctor.

"Our audience has been requesting this for a long time and we're sure they won't be disappointed," added producer Tosca Musk. "This is the beginning of what we hope will be a long and adventurous collaboration." The first game to come out of the partnership, entitled Day of the Tiki, will be a 3D platform game initially available for Windows and Mac OS X, followed by a version for the iPhone. The game will be available for digital download.

Paris Buttfield-Addison, Producer at Secret Lab, noted that the project was a perfect fit for the team at Secret Lab: "We make our games with the same irreverent humor that pervades Tiki Bar TV. We are thrilled to collaborate with the ingenious team from the Tiki Bar."

A release date for Day of the Tiki is to be announced.

Become a Playboy with Playboy Manager PC video game and win a lifetime subscription to Playboy magazine

Jolt Online Gaming, the leading browser games publisher, is more than a little excited to announce the launch of Playboy Manager, the Massively Casual Online Game (MCOG) you can play on any Internet browser at any time.

In Playboy Manager, you play a crack talent agent managing the career of some of Playboy’s hottest up-and-coming models. Competing against thousands of other players, you will guide your model’s career toward her ultimate goal: Becoming a world-renowned Playmate with a permanent room in the Playboy Mansion!

“We’ve wanted to do a Playboy game forever,” exclaimed Dylan Collins, CEO of Jolt. “As enormous fans of the articles, we jumped at the opportunity to bring the game online for a huge audience. Who hasn’t wanted to manage a Playboy model?”

“We are delighted to work with Jolt in offering our fans this great new way to experience and enjoy the World of Playboy,” said Scott Stephen, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Playboy Digital.

Combining the best elements of trading card and turn-based gaming, Playboy Manager is the only online game to feature exclusive content from Playboy, including videos and photos of breathtaking Playboy models. The game, to launch in Summer 2009, will be playable for free at www.playboymanager.com

If you pre-register right now at www.playboymanager.com, you could win one of several lifetime subscriptions to Playboy magazine – a prize offered only to pre-registered users!

Playboy Manager is a continuous game designed to be played in short bursts from any Internet browser at any time. Play it during a lecture, on your phone or even in the office (when the boss isn’t looking!) Bookmark www.playboymanager.com now!

Acquire wealth, fame, and a bevy of beautiful models while you compete with thousands of other players - all of them after exactly the same things. Strive to drive the finest cars, throw the biggest parties, and encounter the world’s sexiest women – the luxurious Playboy lifestyle presented in an online game packed full of wit, style, and pictures which can only be described as titillating.

For more information, regular updates and the chance to win a lifetime subscription to Playboy magazine, register at www.playboymanager.com

The Conduit - first-person shooter - video game on Nintendo Wii

The Conduit first-person shooter garnered multiple awards at E3 2008, including three awards from IGN: Best Shooting Game (Nintendo Wii), Best Graphics Technology (Nintendo Wii) and Best Overall Nintendo Wii Game. The Conduit is a stunning, futuristic title powered by a new game engine technology that delivers remarkable visuals and effects, as well as a rich interactive experience that is unlike any other title on the Nintendo Wii.

“Bringing The Conduit into our library is yet another show of SEGA’s belief that the Wii is more than a casual games console,” says Gary Knight, European Marketing Director at SEGA of Europe Ltd.. “As one of the most anticipated Wii games for next year, The Conduit will be the new benchmark for first person shooters.”

“High Voltage Software's partnership with SEGA to publish The Conduit represents an important milestone for this studio,” said Kerry Ganofsky, CEO and founder of High Voltage Software, Inc. “SEGA shares our vision for the title and its tremendous potential, which is why we chose them from a long list of potential partners. With their support, we are confident that The Conduit will deliver the definitive shooter experience that Wii fans have been waiting for since the system's launch.”

The Conduit takes players into a dark story in Washington D.C. after a vicious alien invasion has rocked the country. An organisation called the Trust has sent in Secret Service agent, Mr. Ford, to go up against the insect-like alien race known as “The Drudge.” Armed with an array of futuristic weaponry and an intelligence-gathering device simply called the “All-Seeing Eye,” players follow an intricate maze filled with conspiracy, shady government activity and terrifying aliens.

The Conduit’s detailed control system allows players to customise and configure their controls, including look sensitivity, turning speed, the dead zone and much more. As players delve further into the mystery behind the extraterrestrial invasion, shocking details reveal that the invasion may have been brought on with help from the government itself.

Powered by High Voltage Software’s groundbreaking Quantum 3 engine, The Conduit ensures that players will experience single and multiplayer gameplay with graphical fidelity never seen before on the Wii. The Conduit will also support the recently announced Wii Speak peripheral, allowing online multiplayer gamers the ability to chat as they destroy aliens in each terrifying level. Additionally, the game will take advantage of the Wii MotionPlus for optimal control.

The Conduit is slated to release in Spring 2009 exclusively on the Nintendo Wii.

Red Dead Redemption Wild West video game screenshots trailer

Red Dead Redemption Wild West video game based on Rockstar RAGE engine is the sequel to Red Dead Revolver 2004 video game. Promising and open world environment on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

See a few screenshots on this trailer here...

Design a Raskulls and have it included in the video game contest announced

Coming soon is the release of Halfbrick’s brand new game for Xbox Live Arcade – Raskulls. It’s a puzzle platformer with a rich story mode and multiplayer racing features, so with an original concept and quirky characters, there’s no limit to the creative ideas that can be explored.

You can check out the full list of current character profiles at the Raskulls game page on the Halfbrick website, and to celebrate we’re putting the creative power of Raskulls into the hands of the gamers!

Today Halfbrick is proud to announce the Design a Raskull Competition! We are making the call for all fans from around the world to submit their best design and send it to the Halfbrick team. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity and humor.

The reward for the best character submission is no two-bit family picnic booby prize. This is the real deal that will be seen on Xbox consoles all around the world.
Our Raskulls team will take the design, work it into a 3D model and include the character in the final game on Xbox Live Arcade along with full artist credit.

The Grand Prize winner will receive:

- Their design modeled into the final Raskulls game to be released on Xbox Live Arcade, along with artist credit
- A free copy of Raskulls upon its release on Xbox Live Arcade
- A limited edition King figurine
- A Halfbrick T-shirt
Two runner-up winners will receive:
- A free copy of Raskulls upon its release on Xbox Live Arcade
- A limited edition King figurine
- A Halfbrick T-shirt

Entering is simple. Download the Raskully Profile template from the official contest page and base your work on that. Sketches, drawings, painted, colored-in: all is fine, so long as you show us your creative side! You can draw with your tablet, print it out and work with your own materials, anything you like – just make sure the final version is submitted to us via raskulls@halfbrick.com in JPEG format, subject line DESIGN A RASKULL ENTRY, along with your name, age, country of residence and contact email address. Don’t forget to sign up to the Raskulls forum and show off your entry with the rest of the community!

Head on over to the contest page for the template and conditions of entry. Entries close on Wednesday, June 17th, so get started and show us your skills! One quick note - don't send us any copyrighted characters placed onto the Raskulls template. Trust us, we've already thought about how awesome Boney Spiderman and Homer Simpskull would be, but the owners of such properties would be none too happy. Original ideas only please!

Ghostbusters video game Exclusively on Two PlayStation Platforms in June for the 25th Anniversary of Original Hit Movie

Original Cast of the Hit Movie Come Back Together to Do Battle With the Supernatural on the Streets of Manhattan

PSP Version Coming Autumn 2009 - Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, and Atari Europe today announced that Ghostbusters: The Video Game for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) and PlayStation 2 is to be published in PAL territories by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe in June, meaning that owners of PS3 and PlayStation 2 will get their hands on the game that reunites the cast of the hit movies.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the well-loved franchise, the game will launch in coordination with the Blu-ray release of the original hit movie and licensing programs from Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. Ghostbusters: The Video Game will launch in Europe and PAL regions on June 19th 2009 exclusively for PS3 and PlayStation 2.

“We’re committed to bringing the PlayStation family the biggest and best gaming experiences first,” says Mark Hardy, European Product Marketing Director at SCEE, “and it doesn’t get any bigger and better than this blockbuster title. This summer, PlayStation owners will be the first to grab their proton packs and fight the spirit world. We’d like to wish them the best of luck in their ghostbusting endeavours and, of course, to remind them not to cross the streams!”

“With our colleagues at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe publishing Ghostbusters: The Video Game, we are thrilled by the dynamic new Ghostbusters game. We think it will have tremendous appeal to gamers and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of this beloved franchise.” said Mark Caplan, Vice President of Licensing-Interactive for Sony Pictures Consumer Products Inc. “With this superb game launching alongside the Blu-ray release, we will reach existing fans and the next generation, bringing them all into the irresistible Ghostbusters universe.”

“Atari is committed to maximizing the launch of the Ghostbusters videogame across Europe,” Said Jim Wilson, VP Worldwide Marketing, Atari. “In partnership with both Sony Pictures Consumer Products, Inc and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, we have a unique opportunity to add new game products and expand marketing opportunities to reach Ghostbusters fans in Europe.”

In Ghostbusters: The Video Game, players can grab a proton pack and turn their ghostbusting fantasies into reality as the new recruit to the Ghostbusters team in a story set two years after the Ghostbusters 2 movie. Once again, the city of Manhattan has been overrun with ghouls, ghosts and all things foul – and it’s down to the Ghostbusters team to capture them all and regain control.

The game has been written by original Ghostbusters writers Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites members of the original cast for the first time in 20 years. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson lend their voices and in-game likenesses to the game, which also features performances from favourites including William Atherton (Walter Peck), Annie Potts (Janine) and Brian Doyle-Murray (Mayor Jock Mulligan).

Developed by Terminal Reality and Red Fly Studios Ghostbusters: The Video Game will arrive on PS3 and PS2 this June. PSP version of the game is scheduled for launch in autumn 2009.