Championship Manager 2008 Out Nov 2nd

Eidos Interactive, one of the world’s leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, today announces that Championship Manager 2008 will be released in stores across Europe on PC and via digital download for the MAC on November 2nd 2007. The PC demo of the game is also due to be released on Friday October 12th.

Developed by London based Beautiful Game Studios (BGS), Championship Manager™ 2008 is fully updated for the 2007/2008 football season with a brand new look and user interface, making it the most easily accessible title in the series to date. The game also boasts a vastly improved 3-D match engine with greater realism, more available players and staff than ever before, a unique training system allowing you to mould your players’ skills and the ability to play with your friends over one PC.

Championship Manager™ 2008 still remains the fastest football management simulation on the market and offers a streamlined and constant gameplay experience to the player, free of unnecessary delays. Furthermore following on from its debut appearance in Championship Manager 2007, ProZone is back as a fully integrated Post Match Analysis tool which isolates the key factors that decided the result of your game and provides you with the knowledge to act on the match incidents and strengthen your team for the next fixture.

To download the PC demo from October 12th visit: www.championshipmanager.com
[Please note: Your save game WILL be compatible with the full release version]
MAC - the full game will be available for MAC via digital download from November 2nd visit:
www.deliver2mac.com

Championship Manager 2008 is the only way to experience the awesome highs and challenging lows of being a real-life football manager. For further information and updates in the run-up to release please visit www.championshipmanager.com.

DONKEY KONG'S LATEST MONKEY MADNESS

Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber swings its way onto the Nintendo DS!

Donkey Kong is back and this time for a brand new adventure which will have you going bananas with excitement! Following on from the success of Game Boy Advance title, DK King of Swing, Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber introduces players to an addictive game play mechanic combined with accessible and entertaining game play. Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber will be available across Europe on the Nintendo DS on 12th October 2007.

This is not your typical platform game - in Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber players control the game almost entirely using the L and R shoulder buttons, swinging their character from vine to vine as they traverse large horizontal and vertical stages. The two shoulder buttons on the Nintendo DS are used to swing our hero left or right, grabbing hold of vines as he goes. Once on a vine or peg DK will spin around it until the player releases the button causing him to jump in the direction he is facing. Players must master effectively swinging from peg to peg while avoiding the obstacles and hazards in their way to progress through this game.

In his latest adventure, Donkey Kong is enjoying a much-needed holiday with his friends on an exotic tropical island. However, the sinister King K. Rool and his Kremlin crew steal some mysterious crystal bananas from visiting aliens and use their power to attempt to take over the jungle and the universe. After accidentally destroying their ship, Donkey Kong agrees to put his vacation on hold and help the aliens recover their treasure.

The colourful and original level design featured in this game will delight fans of the Donkey Kong universe as well as newcomers to the Nintendo DS. To help Donkey Kong achieve his goal players must progress through a number of worlds, each with five sub-stages, defeating a sinister boss at the end of each world. While making their way through the action-packed stages players will be able to collect bananas, gems and coins as well as defeating enemies with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong’s attacks.

Even once the game’s main quest has been mastered, Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber provides a selection of other features to keep players busy including unlockable cheats and a host of addictive minigames. These minigames include Rolling Panic where players must jump logs and dodge boulders, Speed Swing which requires DK to make his way through a difficult obstacle course against the clock and Throw’n’Crush, a target practice game using throwing rocks. What’s more, for an added challenge both Speed Climb and Barrel Race can be enjoyed with up to three other players using the Nintendo DS wireless connection.

Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber launches across Europe on 12th October for the Nintendo DS at the estimated retail price of around €40.

Nintendo US release dates

Nintendo Unveils its Incredible Lineup of Games for the Holidays and Beyond

Wii and Nintendo DS continue to appeal to every kind of consumer. As Nintendo's list of upcoming games demonstrates, Nintendo has a game or experience for everyone, no matter their taste, age or video game playing acumen. Wii games like Super Mario Galaxy™ anchor Nintendo's lineup for the holidays, as Wii adds games faster than any other system in this generation. For Nintendo DS, Flash Focus™: Vision Training in Minutes a Day and Master of Illusion™ again will make people think of video gaming in a whole new way.

"Because of Wii and Nintendo DS momentum, third-party publishers are supporting our systems like never before," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Their lineup of diverse games is testament to how we make the population of gamers a little bigger every day."

Major publishers worldwide are making games for Wii and Nintendo DS. Shoppers will find dozens of options through the holiday shopping season and into 2008. By the end of 2007, the library of Wii games is expected to grow to 140, not counting nearly 200 downloadable Virtual Console™ titles, while the Nintendo DS library should be nearly 450. The following is a partial list of the upcoming games for Wii and Nintendo DS. Note that game titles and launch dates are subject to change.

Wii
Oct. 1: MLB® Power Pros from 2K Sports
Oct. 1: Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire™ from D3Publisher of America®
Oct. 2: Crash® of the Titans from Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Oct. 5: Balls of Fury™ from DSI Games
Oct. 8: Donkey Kong®: Barrel Blast from Nintendo
Oct. 9: FIFA 08 from Electronic Arts
Oct. 9: Bleach: Shattered Blade™ from SEGA
Oct. 9: LOONEY TUNES: ACME ARSENAL™ from WB Games
Oct. 10: Arctic Tale from DSI Games
Oct. 15: Sea Monsters from DSI Games
Oct. 16: Thrillville®: Off the Rails™ from LucasArts
Oct. 22: EA PLAYGROUND from Electronic Arts
Oct. 23: Backyard Football from Atari, Inc.
Oct. 23: The Sims 2™ Castaway from Electronic Arts
Oct. 23: Rockstar Games Presents™ Table Tennis from Rockstar Games
Oct. 23: The Legend of Spyro™: The Eternal Night from Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Oct. 23: NARUTO™: Clash of Ninja™ Revolution from TOMY Corporation
Oct. 25: M&M'S® Kart Racing from DSI Games
Oct. 28: Guitar Hero III™: Legends of Rock from Activision
Oct. 29: Battalion Wars™ 2 from Nintendo
Oct. 30: Ben 10™: Protector of Earth from D3Publisher of America®
Oct. 30: Showtime® Championship Boxing™ from DSI Games
Oct. 30: NEED FOR SPEED PROSTREET from Electronic Arts
Oct. 30: THE SIMPSONS from Electronic Arts
Oct. 31: Manhunt 2™ from Rockstar Games
October: Spider-Man™: Friend or Foe from Activision
October: Bee Movie™ Game from Activision
October: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground from Activision
October: Ultimate Duck Hunting™ from Detn8 Games Ltd.
October: Mercury Meltdown Revolution from Ignition Entertainment
October: Namco Museum™ Remix from NAMCO BANDAI Games America
October: Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity from The Game Factory
October: Avatar: The Last Airbender™ - The Burning Earth from THQ
October: Bratz: The Movie™ from THQ
October: Cars: Mater-National from THQ
October: Nicktoons™: Attack of the Toybots from THQ
October: SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis™ from THQ
Nov. 5: Fire Emblem®: Radiant Dawn from Nintendo
Nov. 6: DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Nov. 6: LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga from LucasArts
Nov. 6: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games™ from SEGA
Nov. 12: Super Mario Galaxy™ from Nintendo
Nov. 13: Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 from Atari, Inc.
Nov. 13: Godzilla Unleashed from Atari, Inc.
Nov. 13: Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary from Eidos, Inc.
Nov. 13: BLOCKS from Electronic Arts
Nov. 13: MEDAL OF HONOR HEROES™ 2 from Electronic Arts
Nov. 13: LUXOR: Pharaoh's Challenge from MumboJumbo
Nov. 13: Geometry Wars™: Galaxies from Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Nov. 19: Link's Crossbow Training™ (packaged with Wii Zapper™) from Nintendo
Nov. 19: SMARTY PANTS™ from Electronic Arts
Nov. 20: Jenga World Tour from Atari, Inc.
Nov. 20: Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ from D3Publisher of America®
November: Trauma Center™: New Blood from Atlus USA
November: Star Trek: Conquest from Bethesda Softworks
November: Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey from Disney Interactive Studios
November: Hannah Montana: Spotlight World Tour from Disney Interactive Studios
November: High School Musical: Sing It from Disney Interactive Studios
November: Garfield Gets Real from DSI Games
November: Furu Furu Park from Majesco Entertainment
November: AMF Bowling: Pinbusters! from Mud Duck Games
November: Ghost Squad™ from SEGA
November: WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2008 from THQ
November: Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 from Ubisoft
November: CSI: Hard Evidence from Ubisoft
November: My Word Coach from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Catz 2 (name not final) from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Dogz 2 (name not final) from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Horsez 2 (name not final) from Ubisoft
November: Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 from Ubisoft
Dec. 4 : Alvin and the Chipmunks from Brash Entertainment
Dec. 4 : The Golden Compass™ from SEGA
December: MX vs. ATV™ Untamed™ from THQ
December: Super Swing Golf™ Season 2 from Tecmo, Inc.
December: Rygar®: The Battle of Argus from Tecmo, Inc.
December: Cranium: Kabookii from Ubisoft
December: Nitrobike from Ubisoft
Holiday 2007: NiGHTS™: Journey of Dreams from SEGA
Winter '07: SoulCalibur Legends™ from NAMCO BANDAI Games America
Jan. 21: Endless Ocean™ from Nintendo
Feb. 10 : Super Smash Bros.® Brawl from Nintendo
Feb. 15: Yamaha Supercross from DSI Games
Feb. 19: Sonic™ Riders: Zero Gravity from SEGA
February: No More Heroes from Ubisoft
February: Wild Petz Tigerz from Ubisoft
March: Obscure: The Aftermath from Ignition Entertainment
Q1: LUXOR 3 from MumboJumbo
Q1: One Piece™: Unlimited Adventure™ from NAMCO BANDAI Games America
Spring '08: Mario Kart® Wii (name not final) from Nintendo

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

Nintendo DS
Oct. l: The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass from Nintendo
Oct. 2: Chibi-Robo™: Park Patrol from Nintendo
Oct. 2: Backyard Hockey 2008 from Atari, Inc.
Oct. 2: Holly Hobbie™ & Friends from Majesco Entertainment
Oct. 2: Crash® of the Titans from Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Oct. 2: The Legend of Spyro™: The Eternal Night from Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Oct. 9: FIFA 08 from Electronic Arts
Oct. 9: Flipper Critters from Ignition Entertainment
Oct. 9: Bleach: the Blade of Fate™ from SEGA
Oct. 9: LOONEY TUNES: DUCK AMUCK™ from WB Games
Oct. 15: Flash Focus™: Vision Training in Minutes a Day from Nintendo
Oct. 15: The Aly & AJ Adventure from DSI Games
Oct. 16: Cheetah Girls: Pop Star Sensations from Disney Interactive Studios
Oct. 16: Thrillville®: Off the Rails™ from LucasArts
Oct. 16: Fish Tycoon® from Majesco Entertainment
Oct. 16: Super Collapse! 3 from MumboJumbo
Oct. 17: Prism™ from Secret Stash Games™
Oct. 19: Betty Boop's™ "Double Shift" from DSI Games
Oct. 22: EA PLAYGROUND from Electronic Arts
Oct. 23: THE SIMS 2 CASTAWAY from Electronic Arts
Oct. 23: Rhythm 'n Notes: Improve Your Music Skill from AGETEC
Oct. 23: Backyard Football 2008 from Atari, Inc.
Oct. 23: Napoleon Dynamite from Crave Entertainment
Oct. 23: Ed, Edd n Eddy™: Scam of the Century from D3Publisher of America®
Oct. 23: Hannah Montana: Music Jam from Disney Interactive Studios
Oct. 23: Disney Princess: Magical Jewels from Disney Interactive Studios
Oct. 23: Power Rangers: Super Legends from Disney Interactive Studios
Oct. 23: Zoo Hospital™ from Majesco Entertainment
Oct. 23: FRONT MISSION® from Square Enix, Inc.
Oct. 23: NARUTO™: Path of the Ninja™ from TOMY Corporation
Oct. 25: Sea Monsters from DSI Games
Oct. 25: Arctic Tale from DSI Games
Oct. 30: Ben 10™: Protector of Earth from D3Publisher of America®
Oct. 30: Suite Life: Circle of Spies from Disney Interactive Studios
Oct. 30: Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch™ Stole Christmas from DSI Games
Oct. 30: NEED FOR SPEED PROSTREET from Electronic Arts
Oct. 30: THE SIMPSONS from Electronic Arts
Oct. 30: Puzzle de Harvest Moon from Natsume Inc.
Oct. 31: Dementium: The Ward from Gamecock Media Group
Oct. 31: Solitaire Overload™ from Telegames, Inc.
October: Spider-Man™: Friend or Foe from Activision
October: Bee Movie™ Game from Activision
October: Shrek®: Ogres and Dronkeys™ from Activision
October: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground from Activision
October: Touch Detective 2½™ from Atlus USA
October: Animal Genius™ from Scholastic
October: Build-A-Bear Workshop from The Game Factory
October: Avatar: The Last Airbender™ - The Burning Earth from THQ
October: Cars: Mater-National from THQ
October: El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera™ from THQ
October: Nicktoons™: Attack of the Toybots from THQ
October: Ratatouille® Food Frenzy from THQ
October: SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis™ from THQ
October: Chessmaster: The Art of Learning from Ubisoft
October: Imagine: Babyz from Ubisoft
October: Imagine: Fashion Designer from Ubisoft
October: Imagine: Master Chef from Ubisoft
October: Imagine: Animal Doctor from Ubisoft
October: Wild Petz Dolphinz from Ubisoft
Nov. 6: Dora the Explorer™: Dora Saves the Mermaids from 2K Play
Nov. 6: Go Diego Go™: Safari Adventure from 2K Play
Nov. 6: Baby Pals from Crave Entertainment
Nov. 6: Horse Life™ from D3Publisher of America®
Nov. 6: LEGO® Star Wars™: The Complete Saga from LucasArts
Nov. 6: Chicken Hunter from MumboJumbo
Nov. 6: DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS™: Joker from Square Enix, Inc.
Nov. 10: Showtime® Championship Boxing™ from DSI Games
Nov. 13: Enchanted from Disney Interactive Studios
Nov. 13: BOOGIE from Electronic Arts
Nov. 13: ORCS & ELVES from Electronic Arts
Nov. 13: Cooking Mama 2: Dinner with Friends from Majesco Entertainment
Nov. 13: Geometry Wars™: Galaxies from Sierra Entertainment, Inc.
Nov. 19: Mario Party® DS from Nintendo
Nov. 20: Godzilla Unleashed Double Smash from Atari, Inc.
Nov. 20: Jenga World Tour from Atari, Inc.
Nov. 20: LUXOR: Pharaoh's Challenge from MumboJumbo
Nov. 20: FINAL FANTASY® XII: REVENANT WINGS™ from Square Enix, Inc.
Nov. 26: Master of Illusion™ from Nintendo
November: Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare™ from Activision
November: Ontamarama™ from Atlus USA
November: Draglade™ from Atlus USA
November: Elf Bowling™ Collector's Edition from Detn8 Games Ltd.
November: Garfield Gets Real from DSI Games
November: Clue™/Mouse Trap™/Perfection™/Aggravation™ from DSI Games
November: Contra 4 from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
November: Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship 2008 from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
November: Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake from The Game Factory
November: Bratz Super Babyz™ from THQ
November: Bratz: 4 Real™ from THQ
November: Warhammer® 40,000™: Squad Command™ from THQ
November: WWE® SmackDown® vs. Raw® 2008 from THQ
November: Ninja Gaiden® Dragon Sword from Tecmo, Inc.
November: My French Coach from Ubisoft
November: My Spanish Coach from Ubisoft
November: My Word Coach from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Catz 2 (working title) from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Dogz 2 (working title) from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Hamsterz Life 2 from Ubisoft
November: Petz: Horsez 2 from Ubisoft
November: Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 from Ubisoft
Dec. 4 : Alvin and the Chipmunks from Brash Entertainment
Dec. 4 : The Golden Compass™ from SEGA
Dec. 10: RIP: Death Volunteers™ from Telegames, Inc.
December: Diary Girl from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
Jan. 15: Barnyard Blast from DSI Games
Jan. 21: Advance Wars®: Days of Ruin from Nintendo
Jan. 25: M&M'S® Kart Racing from DSI Games
Jan. 31: Command & Destroy from DSI Games
January: Miami Nights from Ubisoft
Feb. 4: Professor Layton and the Curious Village™ from Nintendo
Feb. 12: New Zealand Story Revolution from Ignition Entertainment
Feb. 15: Yamaha Supercross from DSI Games
Feb. 19: Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer from SEGA
Feb. 26: Bubble Bobble Double Shot from Ignition Entertainment
February: Imagine: Figure Skater from Ubisoft
February: Wild Petz Tigerz from Ubisoft
February: Assassin's Creed from Ubisoft
March 4: Disney Friends from Disney Interactive Studios
March 29: Ultimate Card Games from Telegames, Inc.
March: Insecticide from Gamecock Media Group
March: My Life Coach from Ubisoft
Q1: Eco Creatures: Save the Forest from Majesco Entertainment
Q1: Polar Bowling from MumboJumbo
Q1: Slingo Quest from MumboJumbo
Q1: Tropix from MumboJumbo
Q1: Polar Golf from MumboJumbo
Q1: River King: Mystic Valley from Natsume Inc.
Q1: Harvest Moon DS Cute from Natsume Inc.
Q1: Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games™ from SEGA

Sega Rally lakeside details

Title: SEGA Rally
Developer: SEGA Racing Studio
Format: PS3, XB360, PC, PSP
Genre: Racing
Release date: September 28th 2007

The introduction of SEGA Rally to the arcades in 1995 had the single biggest impact on the racing genre. Subsequent console rally games concentrated on a realistic simulation of the sport but their popularity, reflecting in sales, steadily dropped over the last decade. Now, SEGA Rally is back and set to reinvigorate the genre with the vital ingredients that many of the modern racers lack – fun, character and beauty, with few rally games able to match its unique and rewarding experience. Rally’s dead, long live SEGA Rally.

Lakeside Environment
Unlocked only when players have opened the Masters Final, the Lakeside environment features a mixture of tarmac, soil and gravel surfaces. Players good enough to unlock this track will find reward in racing through beautiful English countryside on a sunny summer’s afternoon. As the title suggests, the Lakeside track guides players on a race around an idyllic lake where sail-boats sit quietly as spectators to the aggressive rally racing around them. Above all, this is a classic track worthy of those who obtain the skills to unlock it.

DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker on the DS

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker will be released across all PAL territories in early 2008 exclusively on the Nintendo DS system.

Have you got what it takes to fight to the top with a team of the meanest monsters? DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker provides the ultimate monster-hunting challenge with over 200 marauding monsters to collect and battle. Train your team to be the best by mastering countless spells, abilities, and more that will help them crush rival beasts. You can also synthesise amazing new monsters that can develop rare new abilities.

DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker is not just about battling though. Explore a colourful 3D world full of treasures and surprises; and meet a colourful cast of quirky characters that can help you with your trip to the top. There’s fun to be had in multiplayer and online use too. Challenge your friends and their monster teams with DS Wireless Communication, or compete against players from around the world in the Wildcard World Cup, via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “After the great success of DRAGON QUEST since we introduced the series to Europe, I am extremely happy that we are now giving fans a chance to enjoy DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker on the Nintendo DS. This is another stylish entry in the DRAGON QUEST series that will bring many hours of enjoyment to anybody that plays it.”

DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: Joker

Story

Welcome to Green Bays, a cluster of mysterious islands that sparkle like jewels in the shimmering ocean! But travellers beware!

The islands are not as peaceful as they seem, for they teem with a multitude of monsters both great and small. Green Bays is also home to the famous Monster Scout Challenge. This renowned contest, held once every few years, determines who will be crowned the world’s greatest scout. The challenge is organised by the Monster Scout Organisation, whose headquarters are located on Domus Isle, which lies at the centre of the archipelago.

Now a new challenge is about to begin, and the crème de la crème of the scouting world are converging on the islands…
It is time for you to begin your quest to become the greatest monster scout in Green Bays, and in history!

Features

• Collect over 200 monsters to create the ultimate team

• Train your monster squad to be the strongest by mastering countless spells, abilities, and more. The combinations are almost endless

• Synthesise amazing new species of monsters that inherit the best abilities of their parents and perhaps some rare new skills too

• Battle other teams of monsters to see who is the best

• Explore a stunning 3D world filled with monsters, treasures and surprises. Graphics use the same techniques as seen in DRAGON QUEST: The Journey of the Cursed King

• Challenge friends and their monster teams via DS Wireless Communication

• Compare your team and compete against players globally in the Wildcard World Cup, available via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

• The DRAGON QUEST “big three” – comprising series creator Yuji Horii, legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama, and renowned composer Koichi Sugiyama – come together once again to create an unforgettable gaming experience

Virtua Fighter 5 Demo available

SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced that Virtua Fighter 5, the highly-anticipated arcade fighting game for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, has gone gold. Virtua Fighter 5 for the Xbox 360 will feature an online versus mode at launch and is scheduled to ship across Europe October 26th, 2007.

The Xbox 360 version of Virtua Fighter 5 is based on the latest arcade version update and features both analogue stick and D-pad control, as well as vibration support. The game also includes an improved Quest mode featuring more CPU rivals, items, and emblems for character customisation. The DOJO mode has added features including leaderboards, training move settings, improved throw escape training, and the option to change your opponent’s position and recovery type.

Also, the VF5 demo is now available on marketplace.
The Virtua Fighter 5 demo allows players partial access to both VS. mode, where two players can battle it out (offline), and also to Arcade mode for spectacular single player action. Both modes feature Akira, Sarah, El Blaze and Eileen as playable characters and the demo has three playable stages – “Arena” (El Blaze’s stage), “Deep Mountain” (Lei-Fei’s stage) and “Island” (Jeffrey’s stage).

For more information on Virtua Fighter 5 please visit http://virtuafighter5.sega-europe.com/en/.

Electronic Arts buys two Video Game Studios

Seeking to fill gaps in its product lineup, the video game publisher Electronic Arts said Thursday that it would acquire two software studios from Elevation Partners in a deal worth $860 million, the largest in its history.

The studios, BioWare Corporation and Pandemic Studios, are known for their action, adventure and role-playing games. Elevation owns their parent, VG Holding.

Electronic Arts, the world’s No. 1 video game publisher, is known for blockbusters like the Sims and Madden NFL, but it has at times had less than 10 percent of the lucrative market for role-playing, action and adventure games.

Under the terms of the deal, Electronic Arts will pay VG stockholders up to $620 million in cash and issue as much as $155 million in equity to some of the company’s employees. The shares will be subject to certain time- and performance-restricted vesting criteria.

E.A., which is based in Redwood City, will also assume about $50 million in outstanding VG stock options and has agreed to lend VG up to $35 million until the deal closes.

Company officials declined to elaborate on the financial terms.

Before this deal, E.A.’s largest acquisition was its $680 million purchase of the mobile game publisher Jamdat Mobile in 2006.

BioWare and Pandemic have a total of 10 games under development and together employ about 800 people in Los Angeles and Austin, Tex., as well as in Canada and Australia.

Microsoft is planning to publish BioWare’s Mass Effect game next month, and the studio is in the early stages of developing a multiplayer online game, E.A. said. Pandemic is planning to release Mercenaries 2: World in Flames and Saboteur.

Source: NY Times

THQ Teams Up with American Girl to Create Video Games That Celebrate Girls

THQ announced that it has entered into an agreement with American Girl, a division of Mattel, Inc., for rights to publish video games based on the company’s line of popular dolls and books. Published by THQ’s ValuSoft division, the first in the series of American Girl games is based on the newest American Girl character Julie Albright, a fun-loving girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1970s. The game, entitled Julie Saves the Eagles, is for Windows PC and has shipped to retailers throughout North America. The company plans to release two additional titles in the American Girl series: Julie Finds A Way for the Nintendo DS and a game based on the yet-to-be-announced 2008 Girl of the Year™ character for Windows PC, which are scheduled for release later this fall and in early 2008 respectively.

Julie Saves the Eagles for Windows PC gives players the opportunity to join Julie as she embarks on more than 24 adventures to save a family of endangered bald eagles. Following the book series, players will follow Julie’s journey throughout the San Francisco area on a quest to raise money and public awareness in order to release a pair of majestic bald eagles and their eaglet back into the wild. Julie Saves the Eagles also features hints from Julie’s mom, special diary entries, factual information about bald eagles and conversations with Julie’s family, friends and acquaintances.

The Nintendo DS game, Julie Finds A Way, offers more than 20 exciting and challenging mini-games as Julie explores San Francisco and follows the storyline of four of the new Julie books. Players will interact with Julie’s friends and family, dress her in groovy 1970s outfits, train her rabbit, Nutmeg, for the San Francisco Rabbit Show and more. Additionally, girls can engage in local multiplayer for up to two players.

For more information about Julie Saves the Eagles, Julie Finds A Way and the rest of THQ and ValuSoft’s lineup of games, please visit www.thq.com and www.valusoft.com.

Atari buys Spark developers

Teams with Gamecock for Legendary: The Box

Atari is teaming up with publisher Gamecock to bring first-person shooter Legendary: The Box to PAL territories.

Developed by Call of Duty: Finest Hour studio Spark Unlimited, the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 title is due for release next summer.

"Gamecock have already established themselves as a serious new force to be reckoned with in video games, and we’re proud and excited to be entering into this agreement with them to co-publish such an original and excellent quality product as Legendary: The Box," offered Mathias Hautefort, executive VP of publishing and production for Atari.

"The agreement marks another positive step forward for Atari in bringing original and high quality interactive entertainment to the market."

Sony paid £16 million for Evolution Studios

Chief exec Martin Kenwright gets £12m

Sony's acquisition of MotorStorm developer Evolution Studios and its PSP satellite Bigbig Studios cost the company £16 million (EUR 22.9m / USD 32.6m).

According to a report by the Liverpool Daily Post, chief executive and co-founder Martin Kenwright held a 75 per cent stake in the company, netting him GBP 12 million from the sale. Ian Hetherington, chairman and co-founder, held most of the rest of the shares.

The MotorStorm developer was snapped up by Sony last month, after the racing studio delivered one of the most critically acclaimed and best-selling titles for the PlayStation 3.

At the time, Michael Denny, vice president of SCE Worldwide Studios told GamesIndustry.biz, "We've enjoyed a highly productive and commercially successful relationship with Evolution and now there's a great opportunity in bringing them into part of the family to share further in terms of technology, production methodology and creative goals to make the experiences that these teams are creating even better."

Evolution was established in 1999, but co-founders Kenwright and Hetherington decided to leave the business following the acquisition.

Evolution is currently working a disc-based sequel to MotorStorm as well as further downloadable content, while Bigbig Studios is putting the finishing touches to Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice for the PSP.

Source: Games Industry