Top Year-End Honors Establish BioShock as a Must-Have Gift for Christmas

2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announced today that BioShock, the bar-raising “genetically enhanced“ first-person shooter available exclusively for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows, is a must-have gift for the holidays with extensive year-end accolades to prove it. A wide range of publications have bestowed “Game of the Year” status on BioShock, including The Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV’s VGAs, G4’s X-Play, Amazon.com, The Houston Chronicle and Paste Magazine. Additionally, BioShock has ranked among the top 10 titles on many other “Best of 2007” award lists, including The New York Times, Time Magazine and Maxim.

Beyond “Game of the Year” roundups, BioShock is being championed as a top pick for the holidays, with the top video game enthusiast websites leading the pack. These include IGN, GameSpot, 1UP, GamePro.com, GamesRadar and GameSpy. The honors follow in the footsteps of the game’s stellar performance on the review circuit. BioShock is one of the highest-scoring games this year on Metacritic.com, the popular site that aggregates review scores from the leading video game publications and websites.

"The winter holiday season is the most important time of the year for game companies, so we are excited to have BioShock selected by many of the largest media outlets as the best game of the year and a top pick for gift guides,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "The media have been supportive of the game ever since it launched, so it’s great to see that praise carry on, especially among such a diverse group of publications.”

BioShock is the "genetically enhanced" first-person shooter that lets players do things never before possible in the genre: turn everything into a weapon, biologically modify their character’s body with plasmids, hack devices and systems, upgrade weapons and craft new ammo variants, and experiment with different battle techniques.

Players experience the game as a castaway in Rapture, an underwater Utopia torn apart by civil war. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically modified “splicers” and deadly security systems, players will have to come to grips with a deadly, mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. No encounter ever plays out the same, and no two gamers will play the game the same way.

BioShock is rated M for Mature and is available now. For additional game details, visit www.2kgames.com/bioshock.

Pirates Of The Caribbean Free Online Video game added content

Just after the launch of Pirates of the Caribbean Online, Disney Online has already announced new content that will give players the opportunity to give their customized Pirate avatars a whole new look!

In Pirates of the Caribbean Online, players create and customize their own pirate choosing from over a million combinations – from gender, body type, face, and hair, to clothing and names. Adding to the already extensive character creation system, Disney Online will introduce new customization options in February. Just a few of these include:

- Clothing: New pants, hats, coats, and more
- New hairstyles
- Tattoos
- Jewelry: Including earrings, nose rings, necklaces and more

In addition to new character customization features, Disney Online has additional content planned for 2008 including expanding ship customization, extending quest story lines, and adding more enemies and challenges.

Pirates of the Caribbean Online, developed and published by Disney Online, is rated E10+ and features lower PC and Mac system requirements than most other games in this genre, allowing for easier access to a broader audience of players.

Players can download the game directly and access additional information at the game’s Web site, www.PiratesOnline.com. A portion of the game is available for free and players can get unlimited access for a monthly subscription fee.

Mech-Based Strategy RPG Drone Tactics For Nintendo DS

Atlus U.S.A., Inc., a leading publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced Drone Tactics, a game of turn-based strategy RPG warfare, for the Nintendo DSTM. Command a brigade of colossal mecha insecta and coordinate your forces as you take on the ruthless army of the Black Swarm! Drone Tactics is currently scheduled to release on March 25th, 2008.

For more on Drone Tactics, please visit the official website: http://www.atlus.com/dronetactics!

About Drone Tactics
Transported to an alien world, you find yourself in the middle of a great conflict. An army of evil Drones is on the march, threatening to obliterate the land of Cimexus. Its inhabitants now turn to you to lead them in battle against the Black Swarm. Each level offers new challenges, and taking full advantage of each Drone's unique specialties will be the difference between success and defeat!


Key Features
Build and command your own Drone army – Wreak mechanical havoc with your squad of insect mechs, choosing from over 100 weapons, upgrades, and power-ups to optimize your forces.

Conquer dozens of campaign operations and over 50 additional maps – Take on the forces of the Black Swarm then confront the challenges that wait in the mysterious Badlands.
Battle for domination in head-to-head combat – Friends become enemies in local wireless play.

Drone Tactics has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

GameSpy Names Call Of Duty 4 video Game Of The Year 2007

Additional Category Winners Announced as GameSpy Unveils Games of the Year for 2007

IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy (http://www.gamespy.com), the ultimate Web site for multiplayer gaming, has announced its 2007 “Game of the Year” winners in various platform and themed categories. The “Game of the Year” is an annual list honoring the best games released in the past 12 months. GameSpy’s editors have declared Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare “Overall Game of the Year”, with The Orange Box and BioShock finishing in second and third place, respectively. Additional titles across each platform have been revealed throughout the week. The full list of winners, and a look back at the gaming world in 2007 are available at http://goty.gamespy.com/2007/.

“This year was great in terms of high-quality, action-packed videogames. Gamers saw the next-generation platforms mature with impressive technology, incredible cinematic visuals and more creative and communal experiences,” said Dave ‘Fargo’ Kosak, Executive Editor of GameSpy. “Naming the top games of the year was easy, but ranking the titles in a year with so many great products proved to be a real challenge.”

Winning games were chosen based on an extensive list of criteria, including: art, graphics, sound, story, innovation, technology, longevity, expandability, community interaction, multiplayer functionality and, most importantly, gameplay. To be eligible, games had to be released between December 15, 2006 and December 15, 2007. GameSpy users were also offered the opportunity to pick their favorites from the year featured in the “Gamers’ Choice Game of the Year.”

The winners of 2007 “Game of the Year” are:

“Overall Game of the Year”


1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, Xbox 360, PS3)
2. The Orange Box (PC, Xbox 360)
3. BioShock (PC, Xbox 360)
4. Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo Wii)
5. Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2)

“PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 Game of the Year”
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

“Multiplayer Game of the Year”
TeamFortress 2 (PC) (Part of The Orange Box)

“PSP Game of the Year”
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of The Lions

“Handheld and DS Game of the Year”
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (Nintendo DS)

“Wii Game of the Year”
Super Mario Galaxy

“PS2 Game of the Year”
God of War II

“Gamers’ Choice Game of the Year”
PC: The Orange Box
Xbox 360: Mass Effect
PS3: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
Wii: Super Mario Galaxy
PS2: God of War II
DS: Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
PSP: Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions

Deliver Toys for Santa this Christmas with Jenkat Media's Free Online Game, The Santa Express

Santa needs a little extra help this Christmas after reviewing his naughty and nice list. Help Santa deliver toys to good children and lumps of coal to not-so-nice kids this holiday season with The Santa Express, a new, free, online casual game released December 11th and available at JenkatGames.com

Jenkat Media, Inc., a leading casual game developer and distributor, founded by veterans of Fox Interactive Media and Intermix Media (parent company of MySpace.com), today announced the release of The Santa Express in time to spread some holiday cheer among fans of online arcade-style games. The Santa Express is a free online casual game where players help Santa with his Christmas deliveries.

As the classic Christmas song goes, Santa "knows if you've been bad or good." This Christmas, Santa will make his deliveries of presents for good little boys and girls and lumps of coal for naughty children with the help of The Santa Express - his souped-up sleigh fully-equipped with turbo boosters to help him through the Christmas rush.

"The holidays are when we all get to be kids again and enjoy the lighter side of life," said Malcolm Michaels, President and co-founder of Jenkat Media. "The Santa Express is a free online game where players of all ages can get into the Christmas spirit, whether during a short work break or playing as a family. Because The Santa Express can be played online for free, players can take a little bit of holiday cheer with them no matter where they go."

In addition to their latest casual free online game in The Santa Express, Jenkat offers a number of downloadable games for purchase, including the recently-released Finders Keepers (an underwater, arcade-style, treasure-hunting game) as holiday gift ideas for casual gamers.

Amphibian Man video game announced by KDV

KDV Games Company announces a new Action RPG title “Amphibian Man”, based on a popular sci-fi novel by Alexander Belyaev.

In the XXI century science has made a breakthrough that has changed humanity forever. Mankind was finally able to function under the water without any kind of equipment. Mankind rushed to explore the underwater universe. But the discovery has also escalated old conflicts and problems. Things are coming to a crisis: the civilization is about to split and global war is about to break out.

Throughout the game the main character and his team will explore the unique and contradictive world of the future, solving mysteries of new civilizations. Colossal conspiracy has bound maverick scientists and their dangerous research, governments and even members of a dark religious cult, and only our hero is able to burst it.

The game is being developed on the updated VistaGame Engine technology (an in-house development of the KDV games studio) for PC and PS3 platforms. Visually the game combines hi-tech\futuristic\cyberpunk styles.

DARK MESSIAH XBox 360 ELEMENTS WEBSITE LIVE - DEMO DOWNLOAD

Ubisoft kicks off the countdown to the release of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements with the launch of the game’s official website www.darkmessiahelements.com.

The Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements official website will be the top destination for gamers to access the most up-to-date information on Sareth’s quest adapted to Xbox 360. Visitors will learn more about the storyline, and key features of the game, and get the most up-to-date content and assets about the game.

Ubisoft is also proud to announce that the official playable demo of Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements is now available on Market Place.

The demo includes two maps where players can discover the first map of the singleplayer mode and choose to be whether a Knight or a Mage, with their different skills. A multiplayer map allows the players to choose between any of the four available classes for their heroes and to challenge other players in Deathmatch, Blitz mode or earn their spurs through Training mode.

Developed by Ubisoft Annecy, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements will launch on Xbox 360 on 10th January, 2008.

Make a Santa Clorc yourself online plus great prizes to be won

WIN THE LATEST PC GAMING PERIPHERALS FROM SAITEK AT www.PIMP-MY-ORC.com

With Christmas just around the corner, Santa Clorc is ready for a big celebration. While the rest of us enjoy our turkey dinner, Santa Clorc feasts on human remains gathered from the Fantasy Wars. As he rests his feet on a pile of dead dwarves, sipping human blood from a tumbler, he opens his presents; a spear from Ash-hoon, the orc shaman, and chocolate covered elf eyes from Ugraum, the brutal orc leader.

Create your own Santa Clorc
Make a Santa Clorc yourself online by downloading the Orc heads supplied at www.pimp-my-orc.com. Edit and upload pictures of your own orc hybrid creations and you could win a copy of Fantasy Wars along with the latest gaming kit from Saitek.

Fantasy Wars is a turn based battle strategy game to be released in February 2008. We are offering you the chance to 'pimp an Orc' and win a copy of the Fantasy Wars game and the new CYBORG headset, CYBORG command unit and CYBORG mouse from Saitek, collectively worth nearly £200.

Fantasy Wars - www.FantasyWars-thegame.com
Fantasy Wars is a turn based battle strategy game for PC from Ascaron Entertainment
Take on campaigns or missions as either the Humans or Orcs, later unlocking the Elf and Dwarf armies. Complete set tasks to win your mission, defeating the opposing enemy. The faster you complete missions, the higher your score.

Saitek Cyborg Range - www.Saitek.com
The Saitek Cyborg range of PC gaming peripherals have been innovatively designed to suit the hardcore gamer's needs. The headset has built in 5.1 surround sound, the command unit has over 144 programmable buttons and allows the user to easily switch between FPS, RPG and strategy games, while the Cyborg mouse is the ultimate in extreme gaming comfort as it expands or contracts to fit the palm of your hand.

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / Nobilis
Web: www.Ascaron.com
Developer: Ino'Co / 1C
Release date: February 2008
PEGI: 12+
Format: PC
Genre: Turn based Strategy

PARDUS Free PC video game : Universe Expansion - 30% bigger

Bayer & Szell OEG, publishers and developers of Pardus, unveiled the long-anticipated "Aperture." This event, which has increased the overall size of the Pardus universe by nearly 30%, includes the introduction of four new clusters containing nearly 100 new sectors, additional starting areas for new players and countless opportunities for alliances and players of all skill levels.

The Aperture also included the implementation of 12 new NPCs, ranging from virtually harmless to challenging for even the most advanced players.

Pardus is a graphic-based Massive Multiplayer Online Browser Game set in a futuristic universe where traders, pirates and other pilots of various races and factions strive to gain wealth and fame in space. A simple internet browser suffices for playing - no plug-ins or downloads needed.

The game's action point system ensures that players with limited time online are just as competitive as players that have unlimited time online. Further game features include player-created alliances, free territory delimitations and private starbases, a tutorial to help you get started and a friendly, mature player community.

Pardus is free; however, optional low-fee Premium Accounts provide some extra features and in turn help Bayer & Szell OEG finance maintenance and further developments.

Link: http://www.pardus.at

Asia Free games community alaplaya site 100,000 users

Escape reality for free and head straight to the alaplaya games portal, where console quality gameplay and colourful, manga-style anime graphics fly from the screen and suck you in…yet another craze we’ve adopted from Asia with games for all ages and levels combined with online chat to friends (not family!) through its active community of over 100,000 users (not bad considering it only launched four months ago!)

What’s more is that you can be one of the first people to play ‘Come on Baby’ - the adventure game which sees six babies racing against each other in various weird and wonderful worlds.

So, log on to www.alaplaya.eu to try out Come on Baby’s ever expanding features – from weapons to pets to outfits and action combos – or try out one of the many other games such as ‘Audition’, a crazy dance-off, or the ever-popular ‘FantasyTennis’.

Check out the alaplaya games trailers at: www.sevenload.com/alaplaya