SAGA MMORTS announce partners

Silverlode Interactive announced today a retail product for its online collectable game SAGA and the names of distributors to hobby stores in the US and Canada.

Silverlode Interactive has partnered with Alliance Game Distributors, GTS Distribution, Diamond Comics and ACD Distribution to distribute its collectable online MMORTS SAGA to over 4000 hobby and comic book stores in the US and Canada. SAGA will be distributed in a retail display containing the game CD, a registration code and 3 booster packs. Individual booster packs will also be available. Each booster pack will include a card with a code that may be unlocked online to receive a virtual pack that will contain a random assortment of spells and troops.

Here’s what happens when you open a SAGA booster: you’ll reveal one of ten random cards, each representing a specific pack type, some of which are less common than others. Some of the specialty packs are the five faction packs, double-rare packs, dragon packs, spell packs… This makes the retail version more exciting than the online purchase.

Following the success of Eye of Judgement and MapleStory, the SAGA retail product will allow Hobby store owners to carry a virtual collectable game. “Hobby Stores who first spurred our imaginations with role playing games have seen a decline in sales with the proliferation of online MMO worlds, and the same decline is now being seen in collectable game sales as more and more games move online. But SAGA turns the tables, providing a retail product to the people who brought us collectable games in the first place,” said Jason Faller, Executive Producer for Silverlode Interactive.

Unlike traditional RTS games that have 10 or 20 different units, the first SAGA set contains over 100 unique troops and over 50 spells in varying rarities. The common troops may be used by any of the five warring factions while most of the uncommon and all rare troops and spells are faction specific. Only the War faction can use Fiery Catapults, for example. Unlike traditional RTS games, troops in SAGA gain levels through questing and may be equipped with powerful weapons and armor.

Retailers are encouraged to contact their distributor before the pre-order deadline of February 22nd. Both products are currently scheduled to ship to distributors on March 14th.

Football video game PES 2008 heads to Nintendo Wii

Due for release March 28th, PES 2008 has been redesigned to make incredible use of the motion-sensitive nature of the Wii’s control system. The player has more control over the on-screen action than ever before, and in line with such advances, Konami has also unveiled an all-new pack design that conveys the unique in-game visuals and ease of use while maximising its use of cover stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen.

Crucial to PES 2008 for Wii is an all-new control system that truly elevates the level of control available to the player while retaining the depth and intuitive moves of the series. Making use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the player must also consider the movements of their teammates around them. The Nunchuck is used to move the current player, while the Wii Remote is used to pick out players to send them on runs or to receive passes via simple click and drag system which uses arrows to show the path of the run, and a press of the ‘B’ button to complete the move.

The level of control offered by the bespoke Wii system elevates PES 2008 far beyond any other football game. Dribbling is effected by clicking on the player and using an arrow and the ‘A’ button to guide the ball. The speed of the run can then be altered by extending or reducing the length of the guiding arrow, allowing stunning quick turns and bursts of speed to catch defenders off-guard.

Shooting also benefits from more control over the players, with the Nunchuck used to shoot or head simply by shaking it. As with the real sport, however, timing is everything in front of goal, and the speed of the pass or cross, the ability of the player, the angle of trajectory and the timing of the shot or header will all have differing effects on the resultant shot.

To ease the player into the stunning level of control PES 2008 offers, the Wii game features a wide-ranging Tutorial mode wherein a series of instructional videos and tests detail how the Wii Remote and Nunchuck can be used to man-mark players, pass into space, clear dangerous crosses and perform slide tackles. Every aspect of the modern game is brought to vivid life, and the advances in control ensure that PES 2008 is a game that develops and surprises as the user’s skill grows.

PES 2008 challenges the player further across six game modes, including Match, League and Cup games, the aforementioned Training system and a Player Trade option. By the far the greatest challenge, however, awaits in the all-new ‘Champions Road’ competition.

Champions Road is a global, rewards-based challenge, where players are invited to guide and develop the team of their choice through a series of league games all over the world. By systematically winning each competition, the user is given Experience points which can be used to bolster the attributes of their team. Likewise, as team after team is defeated, the player can cherry-pick the best players of the teams they have beaten to their starting XI. In turn, extra skills can also be unlocked, allowing users to piece together a ‘Dream Team’ that constantly grows and evolves as they become more successful. Additional mini-tasks are also randomly set during the course of a Champions Road match, too, such as scoring a hat-trick or stringing together a succession of passes, and doing so allows the player to add higher-rated players to their team.

PES 2008 is also the first Konami Wii title to make use of Nintendo’s highly personal Mii characters. Used as in-game avatars by the Wii user, players can integrate up to 16 pre-defined Miis into a team, while the resultant teams can be stored on to the Wii Remote and switched between two linked Remotes. PES 2008 also enjoys a strong online element, allowing users to play ‘Free Matches’ against unknown opponents, or ‘Friend Matches’ against people on the Wii’s Friends list, while team data can also be sent to friends via the console’s WiiConnect24 system.

Monster Madness Grave Danger comes to Sony PlayStation 3

Coming to Playstation 3, is Monster Madness Grave Danger (first announced under the working name of Monster Madness: Extreme).

Monster Madness: Grave Danger overhauls the best features of its predecessor and adds huge amounts of new content, including customisable character costumes with power-up properties, 4-player co-op either online or offline and 25 new co-op challenge missions.

With this new functionality adding to the original’s 18 story mode levels and its fully-featured 16-person online competitive multiplayer, Monster Madness: Grave Danger is set to become the co-op favourite for PLAYSTATION 3 owners looking for a big slice of frenzied comedic arcade action.

Monster Madness: Grave Danger will be released for PLAYSTATION 3 in spring 2008.

ONE MILLION PLAYSTATION 3 USERS PARTICPATE IN FOLDING@HOME RESEARCH PROJECT

PS3 Users Support Research Efforts of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Certain Forms of Cancer

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) today announced that since PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) took part in Stanford University’s Folding@home project on March 22, 2007, the total number of registered users has reached over one million users. This equates to roughly 3,000 PS3 users registering for Folding@home per day or 2 new registered users every minute worldwide.

“Since partnering with SCEI, we have seen our research capabilities increase by leaps and bounds through the continued participation of Folding@home users,” said Vijay Pande, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project lead. “Now we have over one million PS3 users registered for Folding@home, allowing us to address questions previously considered impossible to tackle computationally, with the goal of finding cures to some of the world’s most life-threatening diseases. We are grateful for the extraordinary worldwide participation by PS3 and PC users around the globe.”

Folding@home aims to understand protein folding and misfolding, and how these are related to diseases and many forms of cancer. When proteins do not fold correctly, there can be serious consequences, including many well-known diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease, and many cancers and cancer-related syndromes.

Prior to the inclusion of PS3 in March 2007, the Folding@home project leveraged the distributed computing power of personal computers from around the world. Now a network of roughly 10,000 PS3s can accomplish the same amount of work as a network of 100,000 PCs, and have the ability to perform research simulations in weeks rather than years. In fact, it took just six months after PS3 joining Folding@home for the project to surpass a petaflops (*1), a computing milestone that had never been reached before by a distributed computing network. In September 16, 2007, Folding@home was recognized by Guinness World Records™ as the world’s most powerful distributed computing network.

Currently PS3 users make up approximately 74 percent of the total teraflop computing power of the Folding@home project. For more information, please see official website: http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/.

EA ANNOUNCES THE SIMS CASTAWAY STORIES

Help Your Sim Survive and Thrive on a Tropical Island in this Casual Laptop Game

Electronic Arts announced today that The Sims Castaway Stories for the PC is on store shelves across Europe. Featuring engaging characters and accessible storylines, The Sims Castaway Stories is sure to entertain both new and experienced players of The Sims. For the first time ever on the PC, your Sim can leave the urban jungle for an uncharted island filled with sandy beaches, green lagoons, explosive volcanic mountains and more!

The Sims Castaway Stories is the third game from The Sims Stories, a series of pick-up and play laptop games from EA’s The Sims franchise. The Sims Stories allows fans to get creative and stay connected by keeping in touch with friends by using IM and email – even while playing the game in its own window. Following the theme of the wildly-entertaining The Sims 2 Castaway, which became available on consoles and handhelds last year, The Sims Castaway Stories features an easy-to-play, directed Story Mode that allows fans to help their Sim survive and thrive on a tropical island.

As The Sims Castaway Stories begins, players will meet Jessica, a Sim who washes ashore with only a steamer trunk and a hatchet to her name. With nothing more than orangutans, lagoons and fish in sight, Jessica embarks on her tropical journey and must choose to either survive or escape. While on the island, Jessica will meet natives and castaways in hopes of creating a flourishing community. To do this she must accomplish various tasks – from spear fishing and scavenger hunting to fire starting and more!

“We’re very excited to bring the rich, beautifully tropical environments to players with The Sims Castaway Stories. Whether you’re roaming around the lush green jungles in search of the perfect coconut, or taking an ocean dip in search of your next meal, The Sims Castaway Stories is the perfect way to experience island life on your laptop," said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. "Available for the first time on the PC, The Sims Castaway Stories also comes with the traditional open-ended The Sims gameplay, so you can continue following the life your Sim has created!”

The Sims Stories line of products – all of which carry a 12+ PEGI rating – are standalone entertainment experiences that do not require companion games from The Sims library – just load onto your laptop or desktop and play. The Sims Castaway Stories washes ashore today!

EA AND STEVEN SPIELBERG REVEAL BOOM BLOX the ultimate Wii and cellphone game

Throw, Grab, and Blast Your Way Through the Ultimate Wii Game

EA has announced that BOOM BLOX, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer Steven Spielberg, is set for a May 2008 release for Nintendo Wii. This high-energy game features more than 300 levels, a cast of more than thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity.

“I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids,” said Steven Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together.”

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii’s interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted. Additionally, players can remix any level of the game in Create Mode using props, blocks, or characters that have been unlocked during the game. Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up. Plus, their designs can then be shared with friends or used to challenge others to solve their newly created puzzle via WiiConnect24.

"We developed BOOM BLOX with endless combinations of gameplay in mind,” explains Louis Castle, executive producer. “With over three hundred levels, built upon a full real-time physics model, your experience can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be - there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”

“My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time,” added Spielberg. “From the initial concept to what the game is today, it’s always been built around the innovations the Wii brings to playing games. BOOM BLOX plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages.”

Developed at EA Los Angeles, BOOM BLOX has not yet been rated by the ESRB and PEGI. For more information or to download artwork, visit http://www.BOOMBLOX.ea.com.

BOOM BLOX is also in production for mobile phones and will be widely available this Spring. The mobile version puts innovative BOOM BLOX gameplay on phones everywhere -- delivering engaging, fun, and groundbreaking action. For the first time in a mobile game, players will be able to create custom levels and share them with their friends directly from the phone, enjoying a rich, interactive community experience. For information regarding mobile phone carrier availability, visit http://www.eamobile.com.

BUILD THE CITY OF YOUR DREAMS WITH CITY LIFE 2008 PC EDITION

CREATE AND MANAGE SPECTACULAR CITIES WITH REAL SATELLITE MAPS AND FAMOUS LANDMARKS

City Life 2008 Edition, to be released in February 2008 by Ascaron, is the latest version of the popular City Life series. The game puts players in the role of an urban planner and real estate developer, designing, building and maintaining every aspect of their creation. The latest version contains an additional 23 maps as well as the possibility to import satellite maps. There are also 60 new buildings including London landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Opera House.

A successful city is built on a thriving economy with happy and well-rounded citizens. To achieve this, all six sociocultural groups must be attracted to the city, from the wealthy ‘Elite’ to the impoverished ‘Have-Nots’. Each has a part to play, from the work they provide to the products they consume. Be careful not to place opposing groups in similar residential areas – the progressive ideals of the ‘Radical Chic’ will strongly clash with the traditional values of the ‘Blue Collars’.

All citizens need to be provided with essential local services to remain loyal and stay in the city. Build enough schools for everyone to get an education and make sure no one is without healthcare services. Provide industries where people can work and recreational areas for leisure time and hobbies. The ‘Radical Chic’ want access to modern art galleries, whilst the ‘Elite’ prefer to attend the Opera.

Watch cities grow and develop as citizens accumulate wealth. Affluent residential areas will contain magnificent villas and large Neo-Gothic structures. The ‘Suits’ enjoy a fairly high income and build modern angular homes, whilst the ‘Fringe’ are proud of their graffiti and mural-clad dwellings. A growing city will also play host to the television media, intent on reporting any divides and clashes on the streets.

The game has a high level of detail and animation with total freedom of construction. Moving away from the traditional right-angled grid, City Life 2008 Edition allows for much more complex installations. Watch each city in beautiful detail with highly realistic settings including reflection mapping and dynamic shadowing. Zoom in to ground level and walk the streets of the city to get a better look at the action.

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment
Web: www.Ascaron.com
Developer: Monte Cristo
Release date: 15th February 2008
RRP: £19.99
PEGI: 7+
Format: PC
Genre: Simulation

Put the Sin Back in Sin City with Midway's This is Vegas

Open World, Lifestyle Action Experience Allows Players to Fight, Gamble, Drive and Party in the World's Most Decadent City

Midway Games, a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, today announced This is Vegas, an open world, lifestyle action experience, where players will live out their Vegas fantasies by fighting, gambling, driving and partying their way through the most decadent, fast-paced and wildest city in the world. Developed by Midway's acclaimed Seattle-based internal studio, Surreal, This is Vegas is expected to ship for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows-based PC in Winter 2008.

The first screenshots, video and game information for This is Vegas are being unveiled throughout the week at IGN (http://www.ign.com). Europe will also have a selection of magazine Cover features hitting throughout the month of February.

"We are thrilled to be unveiling the first-ever videogame experience which allows players to live out their wildest Vegas fantasies," said Alan Patmore, studio head, Surreal. "Whether it's partying in the hottest night clubs, racing in underground circuits, testing your luck at the tables or getting into a barroom brawl, This is Vegas has it all."

For the latest game information, trailers and more, please go to http://vegas.midway.com.

Got Game Entertainment Announces "Arctic Stud Poker Run" Goes Gold

Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced that “Arctic Stud Poker Run” has gone gold. Developed by Game Refuge, the veteran arcade team behind “Rampage World Tour” and “General Chaos”, this “full-contact poker” game for PC is a decidedly irreverent, over-the-top reinvention of real-life cross-country "poker runs" in which players race from place to place picking up playing cards in an effort to assemble a winning hand. The Got Game Entertainment release of “Arctic Stud Poker Run” features loads of upgrades and enhancements to the developer’s earlier limited-run edition of the game. “Arctic Stud Poker Run” will make its North American retail debut in March at $19.99 (USD). The game will also be available for download purchase via www.ArcticStudPokerRun.com. “Arctic Stud Poker Run” is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Comic Mischief, and Mild Violence.

“Arctic Stud Poker Run” is an arcade-style combat racing game with a revolutionary multi-player battle experience. The action-packed “full contact poker” game includes everything from heat-seeking missiles and dynamite-filled snowmen to spell-casting goblins and bullet-proof long-johns. The Got Game Entertainment release includes the following upgrades and enhancements to the limited-run Game Refuge edition:

•37 characters from which to choose
•New single player progression
•Event trophies and award ceremonies
•Progressive betting
•No-limit poker and "all-in" options
•Spectator speech and "side nets"
•New bot settings
•User-customizable controls
•Remote server controls
•New game duration options
•Additional incendiaries
•Secret incantations
•Instant access to online games
•Enhanced AI
•Expanded print documentation

For more information, visit www.ArcticStudPokerRun.com.

Tradewinds 2 gets first release for Windows Mobile Standard smartphones

Astraware and Sandlot Games are pleased to announce a new version of Tradewinds 2 for Windows Mobile Standard devices alongside an update to the existing Palm OS and Windows Mobile Professional versions.

The first release of Tradewinds 2 for Windows Mobile Standard devices supports both QVGA and QVGA landscape smartphones, and the 5-way control system has been optimised for non-touchscreen devices to make it easier to navigate map, port, and combat screens in the game. The Palm OS and Windows Mobile® Professional versions of Tradewinds 2 have also been updated to include these enhancements which further improve the playability for users who prefer to use key controls instead of the stylus and touchscreen.

Tradewinds 2 is a fun Caribbean trading adventure featuring 20 ports to explore and trade in, pirates to battle and defeat and fun missions to complete for honor and reward. Players can select from a choice of 4 characters to play as, with an additional unlockable character and a Custom Character Creator to offer many hours of additional play. Tradewinds 2 includes two modes: Story Mode where players undertake tasks to complete a set of missions; and Free Trade Mode where the aim is to trade goods and build your fortune.

Tradewinds 2 is available for download for Palm OS and Windows Mobile smartphones and PDAs from http://www.astraware.com/tradewinds2. To enjoy fully-featured, unlimited play players can purchase the game for $19.95.