EA - THE SIMS 2 FREETIME EXPANSION PACK for PC

Your Sims Can Now Explore All-New Activities, Hobbies and Cool Careers to Enrich Their Lives

Electronic Arts today announced the newest expansion pack from The Sims Label, The Sims 2 FreeTime. This expansion pack offers your Sims a full suite of all-new activities and hobbies to enrich their lives. Your Sims can build their skills and enhance friendships by exploring new pursuits based on their personal interests, helping them live life to the fullest.

“Players of The Sims love to bring stories to life by exploring new and wonderful areas of their Sims’ existence,” said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. “Now with The Sims 2 FreeTime, your Sims can explore a range of interests to discover new fun and appealing life options and diversions. Realizing these all-new talents adds depth, humour and appreciation for the moments that make life entertaining.”

It’s all about fun, personal development for your Sims in The Sims 2 FreeTime. Sims can follow their individual interests, whether it’s immersing themselves in books, becoming an award-winning foodie, flying a remote-controlled helicopter or playing the violin. Gifted mechanics can repair and then drive their newly-renovated sports cars. Sims can rake in oodles of Simoelons with skilfully crafted pottery or by writing a mesmerising novel.

Cool careers bring happiness and fulfilment to your Sims and your storytelling opportunities expand. New cool career options await, including oceanography, architecture, and entertainment. Now by honing their talents, your Sims can unlock a secondary aspiration making them even more unique.

Key Features:

• New Gameplay Elements Tied to Hobbies. Your Sims can discover the activities that they’re most passionate about! Sims can now participate in contests to win prizes and Simoleons, or they can master interests, practice and improve their skills, and get in “the zone!” Your Sims can enrich their lives by creating items to use or sell, like pottery or cars. These new hobbies can strengthen friendships and uncover secret lots.

• New Lifetime Aspiration Meter. Your Sims can measure the progress of their aspirations over a lifetime and unlock special rewards and interactions!

• Five New Career Tracks and their Reward Objects. Oceanographers can earn a koi pond, entertainers can get their own star of fame, architects can use their own drafting table, dancers can receive a ballet barre and intelligence agents can use an audio augmenter earpiece.

• All New Objects and Outfits. The Sims 2 FreeTime introduces brand new items, including a basketball hoop, pottery wheel, toddler activity table, modular synthesizer, hobby train table and much more. Your Sims can also have new outfits to match their hobbies and activities, including a special outfit that was designed and created by a player of The Sims 2 that will be produced by H&M.


Requires The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Special DVD Edition , The Sims 2 Holiday Edition or The Sims 2 Deluxe for PC to play.

Disney cellphone game Townsmen 5

The legendary Townsmen series of mobile games, developed by Handy Games for Disney Mobile Studios, returns this month with the launch of Townsmen 5. The latest instalment of the popular strategy game series brings two challenging game modes that will keep players mentally occupied for hours and hours. 14 different campaigns as well as a “never-ending” mode with six scenarios add further variety.

From the monk to the oppressor
In Townsmen 5, you play a merciless robber baron, you will oppress other settlements and confirm your influence by imposing excessive taxes. Beer will no longer be brewed in the monastery, but in the settlements. You can create new buildings, add loyal subjects and druids as you expand your own town as a powerful base for launching further conquests.

New story line
The only one who can disrupt the onslaught of the despotic baron is the white wizard Celdron, whose dragons constantly undermine your continuous expansion. If a player captures a dragon, their blood can be used to make potions to power up your hoards of knights and make them invincible (well nearly invincible!).

A new feature in Townsmen 5 allows for “fast forwarding” to skip time when building or collecting resources and an automatic save function ensures that progress is not lost.

“Townsmen 5 is clearly a favourite with gamers across Europe and has grown with each instalment. It is very much the type of game our customers enjoy in that it is easy to pick up and play, but very rewarding the more you get into the detail,” commented Sunil Gunderia, VP Mobile EMEA, Walt Disney Internet Group.

Ubisoft confirm UBIDAYSTM Makes A Comeback

Today Ubisoft announced that UBIDAYS 2008 will take place May 28- 29 in the heart of Paris’s world-famous Louvre museum.

Selected European press and business partners will be invited to discover Ubisoft’s new titles and have the opportunity to play the games that will pave the company’s future.

Last year’s UBIDAYS showcased major announcements, notably the launch of the highly successful Games for Everyone line. The 2008 edition promises to reveal similar surprises and exclusive announcements, while at the same time offer a rare opportunity for guests to meet Ubisoft team members and creative talents.

“The inaugural UBIDAYS in 2007 was a big step for us and a calculated bet, given the worldwide evolution of the industry,” said Alain Corre, Executive Director for Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific (EMEA). “The positive feedback from last year convinced us that this was the ideal way to present our games and to have enriching exchanges with partners who support us year after year. We’re eagerly awaiting UBIDAYS 2008, which is already shaping up to offer a look at future industry trends and the group’s upcoming blockbuster titles.”

The list of featured games and event program will be revealed later.

GarageGames Announces Fallen Empire: Legions For InstantAction.com

After months of rumors and a recent video leak on the web, GarageGames today announced initial details for Fallen Empire: Legions, a first person shooter for the recently announced 3D online game platform, InstantAction.com.

“This is a first person shooter built by hardcore gamers who are wildly passionate about the genre,” said Tim Aste, project director for Fallen Empire: Legions. “The game design allows for us to create a unique experience that brings FPS gaming back to its roots. Legions won’t be just any ordinary jewel matching web game; in terms of graphics and gameplay it will set a new benchmark of what the future of gaming will be on the web.”

"We created InstantAction to give ourselves and the rest of the development community an outlet to make the games they want to play. Rather than churning out sequels or licensed games, we're working with developers focused on creating cool gameplay," said Josh Williams, CEO of GarageGames. "Fallen Empire: Legions will be InstantAction's most advanced example of this so far. Marrying core games with the accessibility and social power of the web is a huge step forward in the industry, and I personally can't wait for this game to be released so I can hop on and start playing everyone."

Developed internally by GarageGames, Fallen Empire: Legions combines distinctive freedom of movement with fast paced first-person combat to create strategic, team-oriented gameplay. The InstantAction platform has allowed Fallen Empire: Legions to leverage the best of what the web has to offer, creating an evolving experience for players that can constantly be improved upon. This is first-person warfare at its fastest and finest!

To sign up for the beta test, receive exclusive sneak peeks of Fallen Empire: Legions, and earn free Action Tokens (InstantAction's virtual currency), please visit www.instantaction.com.

The Trend Continues: Glyphic Entertainment Signs Exclusive Representation Agreement with FOG Studios

Ohio-based development studio Glyphic Entertainment has signed a multi-year, exclusive representation agreement with industry leading business management firm FOG Studios.

Formerly known as Pocket PC Studios, in 2002 the studio adopted the name Glyphic Entertainment in order to reflect their growth into other platforms of development. Renowned for their excellent consumer software on the Smartphone and Windows Powered Pocket PC platforms Glyphic has since established some new tricks up their sleeve – namely in becoming licensed developers for the hugely popular Nintendo DS and Wii. FOG Studios will be offering its suite of services in order to better position Glyphic Entertainment with regards to new business initiatives, of which there are many.

Glyphic Entertainment is currently developing the much-anticipated Warlords DS – a title fans of the series have been frothing at the mouth over for a while now. Warlords DS will mark the second instalment of the Warlords franchise on the Nintendo DS platform after last year’s hit Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords from Infinite Interactive.

Glyphic Entertainment CEO G.R. Moore said, “What’s great about the Nintendo DS and Wii platforms is that they challenge developers in terms of creating a truly unique interactive experience for the player. Thinking outside of the box is something we do on a day-to-day basis in our studio so bringing that sort of work ethic and creativity to these new platforms was a no-brainer for us. One of the reasons we signed on with FOG was that they can handle the business side of things while we concentrate on what we do best – developing great games.”

One of these great games is a new project creating some stir behind closed doors titled “Marker Man”. The concept behind the game is a mash up of a classic side-scroller with a puzzle game in the vein of Lemmings or The Incredible Machine. Currently planned for release on the DS and Wii, the hook is that Marker Man will only be able to reach his goal with the help of the player - who will be responsible for drawing in the mechanisms Marker Man needs to avoid an untimely demise.

FOG Studios CEO, Ed Dille said, “We’ve known about G.R. and his group for a while now, having worked with them through our client Infinite Interactive in the past. We’re thrilled that the stars have finally aligned and they’ve decided to come onboard as a client. Glyphic Entertainment has a reputation as being both highly capable and creative team. Those are two of the most important ingredients we look for in terms of breeding a truly successful relationship with our clients. G.R. and his team at Glyphic are coming out of the gate strong with some of the most compelling content we’ve seen.”

A Vampyre Story: New Screenshots That Will Raise The Dead!

Focus Home Interactive is pleased to present 6 new screenshots of its highly awaited forthcoming adventure game A Vampyre Story developed by Autumn Moon, Bill Tiller’s new studio. The new screenshots show young opera singer, Mona De Lafitte and her bat companion Froderick, in superb environments from the game. The unique graphical design is similar to the much loved works of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey.

This graphic adventure game, with traditional point-and-click gameplay, tells the tale of a beautiful gifted opera singer Mona De Lafitte, whose life is brought to an abrupt end by a vampire baron named Shrowdy Von Kiefer. Henceforth, she is doomed to a miserable existence as a creature of the night in Von Kiefer's gloomy castle in Draxsylvania. Confronted with her seemingly hopeless fate, she decides to run away and try to fulfil her dream of singing at the Paris Opera. Accompanied by her mischievous bat Froderick, Mona must face a number of challenges in her odyssey and learn not only to accept her vampire nature, but also to use the abilities she has acquired to her advantage.



A Vampyre Story was penned by Bill Tiller, the founder of Autumn Moon Entertainment. A former employee of Lucas Arts, Tiller won himself a place in the hearts of adventure fans through his work on titles such as Steven Spielberg's The Dig, the legendary The Curse of Monkey Island, and Indiana Jones. A Vampyre Story combines modern 3D animation with the qualities of classic 2D adventure design and a unique graphical style.

A Vampyre Story is scheduled for release on Q3 2008 on PC DVD-ROM.

Visit the official website
http://www.vampyre-story.com

Battle Of The Century Invades Eolia As Two Ferocious Armies Clash

The clash of swords, the chink of metal armour and the cries of the wounded can be heard for miles, echoing around Eolia. The inevitable battle has finally erupted into a horrific clash of humans and orcs fighting for their lives and their territory. Prepare for Fantasy Wars, an exciting new battle strategy game for PC…

Choose brute strength, size and evil spells…
Play as Ugraum Grableg using your extensive and fearless orc army to mercilessly tear through the human opposition. The orcs have physical strength and brute force on their side and grotesque goblins to unite with them, smashing through the human troops. Powerful orc shaman Ash-hoon summons evil spells to inflict nasty impediments upon the human enemy: magic that makes feet rot, and potions to create deadly poisonous venom.

Or choose tactics, skill and weaponry…
Play as Derrick Pfeil, the leader of the skilled human army. Feel the ground tremble as your archers take down orcs from a safe distance and hear swordsman roar as they slice through hideous goblins. Flying war eagles circle above, making unsuspected attacks on the enemy below. Noble mage Alfred Brennock can also conjure up spells to freeze the orcs, whilst his Wizard Eye spell spots enemies from afar, useful in the surrounding mountainous terrain where enemies lurk.

Unlock the Alliance!
After battling your way to complete both the orc and human campaigns, the option to play as either elves or dwarves is now unlocked. The elves and dwarves are independent and pacifist races that ally when needed to fight a common danger. Play as Teya Essente, the renowned elven sorceress, or take charge of the dwarf clan, through the small but mighty Dwarnrock.

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 army. Complete set tasks to win your mission, defeating the opposing enemy. The faster you complete missions, the higher your score.

www.fantasywars-thegame.com

Pimp My Orc
Pimp an orc 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.

The Family Business Is Fun And Games As Majesco Entertainment Announces 'Toy Shop' For The Nintendo DS

Turn the fledgling family toy store into a toy business empire! That’s the premise behind Toy Shop, an exciting new simulation for the Nintendo DS™ announced today by Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market. Developed by Gameinvest, Toy Shop puts players at the helm of a struggling toy shop where they’ll need to create fun toys that sell while managing store inventory, customers and budget.

“The concept for this unique simulation is like Santa’s workshop meets retail tycoon,” said John Merchant, Marketing Manager, Majesco Europe. “Toy Shop combines creative toy-making with overall store management to give players insight into the challenging, yet rewarding, business of fun. We believe Toy Shop has the same type of appeal as successful casual games like Cooking Mama and Cake Mania.”

In Toy Shop, players can choose their style of play—whether it’s assuming full control of all aspects of the family toy business or just making toys to sell in the store. As the business grows, seasonal holidays will attract new customers that will in turn help the business grow and unlock additional store locations. A true hands-on management approach is the key to success as players use the stylus to make toys, adjust prices, manage merchandising and review customer habits that affect buying patterns. An unhappy customer just might spread the word and compromise your reputation so service is a critical component to the burgeoning business. Shop owners can create more than 30 toys for the store, including teddy bears, action figures and board games, and a tutorial helps future entrepreneurs learn the ropes of the business.

PDC DARTS 2008 – VIRTUAL CHAMPIONS SHOW OFF NEW FEATURES

PDC Darts 2008 for PlayStation®2 and PC will be hitting the shelves on 25th Jan, and Oxygen Games are pleased to unveil two gameplay movies to demonstrate the enhancements in PDC Darts 2008. Starring new World Champion John Part, his semi-final rival Kevin Painter, and long-time adversaries Phil Taylor and Raymond Van Barneveld, the movies reveal:

•All new engine for enhanced throwing physics, meaning darts now move more like real life than ever before - see them flutter through the air and stack as on a real board.
•PDC Pro animations - throw styles and walk ons - have been mo-capped and are fully integrated.
•All new graphic enhancements – player improvements and real-world sets and tournament locations, based on the locations from the PDC calendar.
•Enhanced audio including calling, commentary, convincing dynamic crowd sounds, and darts atmospherics.

Additional New Features for PlayStation2 and PC include:
•Enhanced A.I - player AI is calculated using real life averages from major tournaments and also based on actual playing characteristics i.e. stamina, belief, pressure, complacency and accuracy.
•Improved and indepth career mode, realistically reflecting a player’s progress through the PDC calendar, featuring 7 of the major PDC tournaments each season.
•Three difficulty levels for extended play and learning curves; Amateur, Professional and Master.
•6 additional PDC professionals; Roland Scholten, Ronnie Baxter, Terry Jenkins, Kevin Painter, Andy Hamilton and Andy Jenkins, join original stars: Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, Peter Manley, Wayne Mardle, Dennis Priestley, Adrian Lewis, Alan Warriner-Little, John Part, Colin Lloyd and Mark Dudbridge.
•All new character editor, supplying a greater range of options to customize your pro. Elements include male and female character models, skin tone, eye colour, nationality, name, hairstyle, hair colour, eyewear, shirt style and colour, throwing angle, level of difficulty and preferred checkout. As well as options for dart barrel weights and flight designs.
•Compatible with USB PC gamepad.
•Gameplay movies are available from the Oxygen press site.

Infinity - Get ready for the Closed beta!

Discover the new wild world of Infinity!

GameTribe has launched a dedicated minisite (http://www.gametribe.com/gt/infinity.do) to give you a chance to read in advance some fresh content about this game. Have a look at screenshots, watch the trailer, discover the characters available in the game: absolute hack-and-slash action is coming on GameTribe!!!

We know that lots of gamers are waiting to play this game so get ready: closed beta will begin by the end of January!

Register to GameTribe to get your chance to be selected as one of the lucky beta testers: http://www.gametribe.com/gt/registerUser.do?dispatch=startRegistration

So get ready to fight! Infinity is coming…..

GameTribeTeam
www.gametribe.com
Time to Play!