iCarly video game on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS

Activision and Nickelodeon announce a global partnership where the two companies will create an all-new videogame based on the number-one live-action kids' television show iCarly. Releasing internationally this Fall, the videogame will bring the interactive elements from the series to Wii and Nintendo DS for the first time.

"iCarly is a groundbreaking show that encourages viewers to contribute content of their own," said David Oxford, Activision Publishing. "This game is a natural extension of that creativity, and allows players to interact with the characters they know and love through a variety of different ways, any time they like."

"In order to make a property as huge and irreverent as iCarly into a videogame, we tapped into the interactive model of the show itself," said Steve Youngwood, Nickelodeon/MTVN Kids and Family Group. "iCarly's entire premise is to allow kids and tweens to actively participate in their entertainment experience, and Activision is doing a phenomenal job in recreating that for Wii and Nintendo DS systems."

In the iCarly videogame, the possibilities are truly endless as players help Carly, Sam, Freddie and the other characters from the hit TV series craft all-new webisodes of the show in an original storyline designed specifically for the game. Fun and frenetic mini-games, presented as show skits, capture the creativity of the series, and allow players to work with the characters through new adventures. The innovative iCreate mode provides opportunities for gamers to add their own touches to the webisodes by swapping out props, characters, color schemes, audio, intros, outros and more. Up to four players can either compete or cooperate together on Wii to complete the skits and earn Web-Cred, which can then be used to purchase new items, props, accessories and locations from in-game websites.

Nickelodeon's iCarly, a web show within a show, is the number-one live-action program on all of broadcast and basic cable television with kids and tweens, and the top kid-targeted live action series on basic cable with total viewers. It averages nearly 26 million total viewers each week (source: Nielsen Media Research). The show's companion website www.iCarly.com recently boasted its best month ever in March among total visits, visitors and page views (source: comScore Media Metrix March 2009).

Shot Online to host 2009 United Cup USA v The European Union

Popular Free-to-Play MMO Golf Simulation to Host the World Class Golf Competition - Preliminaries Begin Today May 13th

Gamescampus.com (run by OnNet USA), announced today that it will launch the 2009 United Cup, a global scale tournament between the USA and European Union in its game, Shot Online. The preliminary tournament will take place today, May 13 through Tuesday, May 19th and will be held in the game's Hela course.

The finals for the tournament will be held on May 21st at the game's Rufus Arena. Shot Online can be downloaded and played for free at http://shotonline.gamescampus.com/index.asp. There is a fee of 200,000 NG to enter the tournament. Prizes will be awarded to the top ten players and will include special equipment, clothing sets and campus credits.

"The United Cup has become our most popular event because our US and European players love to battle each other for the win," said Eliot Kim, Community Manager of Shot Online. "Shot Online has a tremendous following across the globe and we are looking forward to a great turnout, as always, for the tournament this year."

About the 2009 United Cup

Any player (beginner, amateur, semi pro or pro) can participate in the 2009 United Cup. Players are allowed to participate in the tournament with only one character (the highest level character per account) and can participate in this tournament up to eight times. The best score submitted will be the player's final score.

In the tournament, players will be asked whether they are from United States or the European Union and then will be matched against players from their own region. Players also have the option to choose to represent either the United States or the European Union if they have a preference.

The top ten players from the USA and European Union will play in the United Cup Finals on May 21st at Shot Online's Rufus Arena for special prizes. Winners will each be awarded prizes including a set of United Cup clothing, a repairable United Cup driver and 5,000 campus credits.

LITTLEST PET SHOP Game for the Wii and Nintendo DS Offers Girls New Pets, New Adventures and New Stylized Graphics in a Fun Party Atmosphere

Electronic Arts announce that a big LITTLEST PET SHOP-style party is in-the-works for 2009 with the release of LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS on the Wii and Nintendo DS. The new game will center on party preparations as girls and their favourite pets get ready to celebrate. LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS will be brimming with new elements that girls love, from an all-new, adorable collection of pets and their pet best-friends, to a large array of customisable accessories, fun mini-games, and a deep story with all new adventures set in a vibrant world that features delightful new graphics.

Hot on the heels of EA’s successful LITTLEST PET SHOP releases in 2008, this latest game will also offer cooperative play as girls play together side-by-side.

“Girls are going to have a blast playing LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS because it is all about hanging out with their best friends as they share pet collections, discover new towns, and play mini-games together,” said Chip Lange, General Manager of EA’s Hasbro Division. “Our first wave of LITTLEST PET SHOP games performed exceptionally well and we have every confidence that LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS will take the franchise to the next level with regard to exciting new exploration, game play and ways to socially connect with friends.”

“EA continues to create new and innovative ways for girls to engage with LITTLEST PET SHOP, the #1 mini doll brand,” said Mark Blecher, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming at Hasbro, Inc. “LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS blends the brand’s appeal of collecting new pets with unique digital play and age-appropriate social interaction, setting up the ultimate party environment for LITTLEST PET SHOP fans.”

Both platforms of LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS will feature 16 new cute pets such as a peacock, Great Dane and lady bug. The Nintendo DS versions will also offer exclusive pets in each of the three games: LITTLEST PET SHOP CITY FRIENDS, LITTLEST PET SHOP COUNTRY FRIENDS and LITTLEST PET SHOP BEACH FRIENDS. Every pet has a bigger personality and special traits that help players navigate through the game and each pet has a best-friend who supplies the additional skills necessary to accomplish fun tasks or adventures. These engaging game elements help players to advance through the story and get a paw step closer to the big celebration.

Inspired by its tremendously popular toy brand counterpart, LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS allows girls to take their favourite pets on quirky, fun quests such as delivering party invitations, serving up cake and ice cream and gathering party decorations, all in preparation for the biggest LITTLEST PET SHOP party ever. LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS offers a few surprises such as an exciting mystery guest who flutters about, ready to make an appearance at the party, plus new unique gifts players can give to their pets.

In development at the EA Salt Lake Studio, the LITTLEST PET SHOP FRIENDS games will launch in later this year.

Last Release of Dragonica video game closed Beta Keys

Alltern8 competition provides final opportunity

gPotato Europe recently announced that Dragonica, the new free arcade-style 3D side-scrolling MMORPG, entered into closed beta testing from 13th to 22nd May. With available keys on high demand Alltern8 were lucky enough to secure the very last 40 keys for our members.

For those that did not pre-register or were not chosen by the lottery system on the official website, now is the chance to get your hands on the final release of beta keys by going to the Alltern8 website www.alltern8.com and entering the Dragonica competition. The competition will be drawn over the next 2 days and those lucky enough to win will be able to redeem their key for immediate access to download the game from the www.gpotato.eu game portal.

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.

There are plenty of great prizes up for grabs, so if you want to start off 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 Dragonica team will be “meeting and greeting” players at the start to welcome and help them into the game. After the festivities die down you will be getting straight into the action with combo competitions, challenges to beat the games bosses, PvP tournaments and lots more.

The Closed Beta Test only runs for the next ten days so if you missed out visit our competition page on our dedicated MMO area for your last chance to enter the world of Dragonica.

Ship Simulator Professional wins Serious Games Award 2009

VSTEP's simulator was nominated by a professional jury and voted winner of the prestigious Best Serious Game 2009 award by public vote at the 4th Apply Serious Games & Virtual Worlds conference in London.

The award was handed out to VSTEP by the honorable Lord David Puttnam during the conference award ceremony on May 7th in London. VSTEP is proud to be awarded this prestigious prize and would like to thank the jury and user community for its support. The award is an acknowledgement of VSTEP's succesful strive towards quality and innovation and a confirmation of its prominent position in the European Serious Games industry.

Another gamezplay.org post on the subject here...

WonderKing new MMO video game information

NDOORS Interactive today officially announced their newest title, WonderKing. Planned for release in the second half of 2009, WonderKing is an unconventional MMORPG from the developer Ryu & Soft that is designed for gamers of all skill level. The beta is scheduled to launch early this summer.

“With the success of Atlantica Online and Luminary: Rise of the GoonZu in the US, we feel the market is eager for a variety of MMO games,” said Peter Kang, CEO of NDOORS Interactive. “WonderKing’s introduction to the North American market will offer a truly encapsulating experience for gamers of every taste and preference.”
WonderKing is a 2D, side-scrolling MMORPG that takes players on an adventurous journey with story-by-story quests, much like a fantasy novel. Along the way, players will travel from beautiful beaches to murky marshlands and frigid snowfields as they battle to save the world. Don’t let the lack of a third dimension fool you, as this game is a highly developed MMORPG, including features such as:

• Home Town System: Players can personally decorate a private room where they can rest and store items and trophies.

• Pet System: Adorable, loyal AI animals will aid in hunting, item collecting, and other tasks.

• Class Change: The game allows players to focus their character’s abilities and change between classes to learn powerful techniques (mage, swordsman, thief, and scout).
• Mounts and Vehicles: Get moving with a variety of vehicles to ride and animals to mount, providing boosts to attack and defense.
• Castle Battles: Engage in PvP battles using siege warfare across castles.
• Crafting and Cooking: Weapons, food, and potions can be made to give players an edge in battle.
Designed for gamers of all ages, WonderKing is set in a vibrantly colorful world and features some of the most uniquely creative character designs and gorgeous graphics in any game. As with all of NDOORS’ titles, the game is 100% free-to-play.

Search for the Next Live - Action Duke Nukem Expands

Three-City Tour Evolves Into Massive Online Hunt

Got a little Duke in ya'? Well, we want to see it! Starting today Deep Silver, Inc. and Apogee Software, LLC announced that due to popular demand, their search for the next live-action Duke Nukem actor has evolved from a three-city tour into a massive online audition open to anyone willing to take on the challenge.

Fans can do just about whatever they want to demonstrate why they should be the next Duke Nukem. Their performance will be judged by a panel of Duke Experts, including some of Duke's creators. The Experts will combine all entries from all over the United States and will then narrow it down to a lucky few. The judges will then make their decision and the winner will be announced.

The winner will get to travel around the world representing Deep Silver and Apogee Software, LLC as the new "official" Duke Nukem...and they'll get paid to do it! They will be the new face of the the Duke Nukem Trilogy and get to interact with the world like no other iconic videogame character ever has.

"We are opening the floodgates on the search for the next live-action Duke Nukem. Before we were reaching out to the fans with a three-city nationwide search, but due to the high demand we have chosen to expand our search to allow every Duke fan a chance to submit their entry, said Chad McNeil, marketing manager for Deep Silver, Inc. "We want to see your best Duke Nukem, so get ready to kick ass and chew some bubblegum because this is going to be one of the craziest promotions the videogame industry has seen for a long time!"

For those who cannot upload their auditions online, but still wish to participate in the Search for Duke will be allowed to submit their entries by mail on a DVD, VHS tape or video file on USB drive (not returnable) or burned to a CD-R.

Deep Silver and Apogee are calling on all Duke fans to step up and compete to be The Next Duke Nukem. If you think that you have what it takes, or know someone who does, head on over to www.dukeisback.com for more information, as well as contest rules.

The Duke Nukem Trilogy is comprised of three episodes: Critical Mass, Chain Reaction, and Proving Grounds, and will be released sequentially beginning in 2009 for Nintendo DS and PSP (PlayStation Portable) system. More information is available at Apogee's recently relaunched site, www.apogeesoftware.com

East India Company PC video game Developer Diary Launches

Developer Nitro Games Gives Fans a Hands-On Look at the Upcoming PC Titles Features and Game Play

Paradox Interactive today announced the release of the first video developer diary for the upcoming PC title East India Company. This first entry is part of an ongoing series to be released bi-weekly on GameSpot during the time leading up to the games launch.

In the video developer diaries, lead designer Kim Soares of Nitro Games will give viewers a glimpse of East India Companys extensive features and share insights from the development process.

The first episode of the East India Company developer dairy is an overview of the game. In the entry, Soares explains how players will use battles and trade management to rule nations from Europe to the Far East. He also reveals the three primary view points available in the game: strategic level, which provides an overview of the world map, port level, which displays the seaport for a particular destination and tactical level, which shows a sea level view of naval battles.

Explaining Nitro Games motivation behind creating the video developer diary, Soares said,
“The East India Company community is growing rapidly and the thing we hear the most is show us in-game material. These videos were created as a response to that request, giving players a good overview of the different aspects of East India Company by showing them how things work in the game.”

To watch the first video developer diary for East India Company, please visit:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/eastindiacompany/video/6209550/

East India Company scheduled for release in Q3 2009 and will be published worldwide by Paradox Interactive. The PC title will be available for digital download on leading digital distribution platforms.

About East India Company
East India Company is a naval war strategy game based on the 18th century East India Companies. Players will attempt to build the world’s most powerful trading empire in a breathtaking cinematic environment. Offering both single and multiplayer modes, players will fight, manage and rule nations from Europe to the Far East using a wide array of ship classes. The game will feature fierce naval battles and direct command of individual ships.

Aliens in the Attic coming to a Video Game Console in July 2009

Playlogic and Twentieth Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising to release the action-adventure game based on the soon-to-be released film. Playlogic Entertainment and Twentieth Century Fox announce that Aliens in the Attic, the family friendly, action–adventure video game based on the Twentieth Century Fox movie, will be available in retail stores across Europe, starting July — in advance of the film’s release across European territories.

The new game will be available for the Wii system, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Windows PC.

The Aliens in the Attic video game will follow the storyline of the adventure-comedy film about a group of kids on a family vacation who must stave off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-conquering ambitions; all while trying to keep their parents from finding out! The video game will offer players two different gameplay perspectives depending upon which video game platform players choose.

“Aliens in the Attic provides endless hours of fun for the whole family,” said Rogier Smit, executive vice president for Playlogic. “Fox has created a movie full of heart-pumping action, thrills, comedy and good old fashion entertainment and we’ve translated those features right into the gameplay.”

Aliens in the Attic for DS puts players in the shoes of the movie’s main characters; Tom, Hannah and their cousin Jake. Players will use the children’s abilities – Hanna’s jump skill, Tom’s engineering skills and Jake’s weapon knowledge – to rid the planet, and the upstairs, from the nasty invaders. This action packed version of the game features multiple levels within each beautifully designed gameplay area and is loaded with boss fights, tons of puzzle elements and a variety of weapons to choose from including grenades and a customizable gun.

Aliens in the Attic for Wii, PS2 and PC gives players a whole new way to experience the storyline by allowing them to assume the identity of one of four different alien explorers whose mission it is to take over the summer home, and possibly the world! This version of the game features 15 exciting levels that are carried out in four different locations. Plus, players can switch between characters on the fly for fast-paced action!

“Aliens in the Attic is a great summer family film and provides a storyline that is perfect for gaming,” said Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President, New Media for Fox Licensing. “Playlogic has created a game that will extend the film experience for gamers of all ages.”

Aliens in the Attic the movie, co-scripted by one of the writers of Madagascar and the Academy Award-winning Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbits, is an adventure/comedy about kids on a family vacation who must fight off an attack by knee-high alien invaders with world-destroying ambitions—while the youngsters' parents remain clueless about the battle.

1942 - Joint Strike and Wolf of the Battlefield - Commando 3 Soundtracks Now Available on iTunes

Two action-packed soundtracks from the GEM Impact team available on iTunes as of April 14, 2009

GEM Impact, Inc. announced today that the soundtracks for both 1942: Joint Strike and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 were released today on the iTunes music store by Sumthing Else Music Works.

Developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Capcom Entertainment, the two retro remakes paid homage to their original franchises not only through their intense action-oriented gameplay, but also through their memorable and in some cases retro soundtracks.

The 1942: Joint Strike Original Soundtrack and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 Original Game Soundtrack each feature over thirty minutes of original music that spans a variety of styles, from hybrid electronic/orchestral tracks to upbeat orchestral takes on classic themes from the NES. The scores also stand out as successful collaborations between composers in Japan and Western developers.

“Just when I was thought that fans of these games would never get the opportunity to hear the music outside of the gameplay experience, an official release finally became possible,” comments Hibino, CEO and composer at GEM Impact. “It was an honor to have had the opportunity to collaborate with such a talented team of developers in the United States on these classic Japanese franchises, and we feel we were successful in bridging the gap between Japan in the United States to create two excellent games with fitting soundtracks and a worldwide appeal.”

The 1942: Joint Strike Original Soundtrack is currently available on the iTunes music store for $7.92 USD while the World of the Battlefield: Commando 3 Original Game Soundtrack is available for $6.93 USD.