NiK NaK launch with Dragonology and Wizardology development deal from Codemasters

NiK NaK, the new Guildford-based studio from Kuju Entertainment that specialises in the creation of games for young players, today announced that its first titles to be developed for Wii will be Dragonology and Wizardology for publisher Codemasters.

The action games are based on the 'Ology series of books from Templar Publishing, which have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Dragonology explores the study and conservation of dragons, while Wizardology is a manual of spells and magical information, purported to be written by the legendary magician Merlin. The NiK NaK games will tap into children's insatiable appetite for all things magical and mythical.

Studio Head Kevin Holloway commented:
"We are delighted to be working with Codemasters on the Dragonology and Wizardology games for Wii. The readers of the Templar books are exactly the target audience that NiK NaK's games set out to entertain. In developing the games, we have designed ways that will make the Wii Remote an intuitive control device for the younger player, whilst allowing more experienced players the challenge of perfecting their performance."

Andrew Wensley, Executive Producer, Family Entertainment and Lifestyle Games, Codemasters, commented:
"NiK NaK shares our passion for extending the 'Ology series to gamers and creating a playing experience that reflects the immersive nature of the books. With such inspirational subject matter as a base, we're thoroughly excited to be bringing the magical worlds of the 'Ologies to life."

Dragonology will be the first title in the series and is expected to launch in the second half of 2008.

Sega Mario and Sonic race to the top of the UK video games chart

All formats

(Full price) Week ending 19 January 2008

1 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES SEGA
2 CALL OF DUTY 4: MODERN WARFARE ACTIVISION
3 THE SIMPSONS GAME ELECTRONIC ARTS
4 ASSASSIN'S CREED UBISOFT
5 FIFA 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
6 SUPER MARIO GALAXY NINTENDO
7 GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK ACTIVISION
8 NEED FOR SPEED: PROSTREET ELECTRONIC ARTS
9 NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. NINTENDO
10 PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2008 KONAMI
11 WWE SMACKDOWN VS RAW 2008 THQ
12 LEGO STAR WARS: THE COMPLETE SAGA LUCASARTS
13 TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 08 ELECTRONIC ARTS
14 GHOST SQUAD SEGA
15 FOOTBALL MANAGER 2008 SEGA
16 MARIO PARTY 8 NINTENDO
17 ZACK & WIKI: QUEST FOR BARBAROS TREASURE CAPCOM
18 IMAGINE: BABIES UBISOFT
19 KANE & LYNCH: DEAD MEN EIDOS
20 MYSIMS ELECTRONIC ARTS

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings Official Website Opens

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that the official website for the eagerly awaited FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS™ is now open. Visitors can explore the site to learn more about the ongoing adventures of Vaan, Penelo, Balthier and Fran, access exclusive downloads and win special prizes. The site is located at ff12revenantwings.co.uk

Set one year after the events of the best-selling FINAL FANTASY XII, FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS answers all your questions about what happens next to your favourite heroes. Return to the land of Ivalice, meet new characters, visit unexplored locations and embark upon a breathtaking new adventure.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS sees the evolution of the innovative Gambit system that allows automated commands to be issued during real-time combat. Smart Touch Screen controls provide complete power over your actions and allow you to play solely using the Nintendo DS™ stylus.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS will be released on 15th February 2008, exclusively on the Nintendo DS handheld system.

About FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS

Story

AN AGE WHEN MAGICK WAS COMMONPLACE AND AIRSHIPS PLIED THE SKIES…

“Purvama, the floating lands. In the border-skies they wait. Untrodden, unknown.”

So the legend went. And the children who heard it turned their eyes to the skies, and dreamed. The Cache of Glabados is the key, throwing wide the doors of fading memory.
There, above, an all but forgotten land – demesne of the winged ones.

Features

• Experience a tale that takes you beyond the amazing events of the PlayStation®2 smash FINAL FANTASY XII
  
• Stunning 3D graphics, music and video bring the land of Ivalice to life and push the capabilities of the Nintendo DS
  
• Take control of your favourite characters using the intuitive stylus and Nintendo DS Touch Screen
  
• Experience real-time battles using the innovative Gambit system
  
• Collect and synthesise items and treasures to create new rare items
  
• More summons than in any other FINAL FANTASY game
  
• Epic soundtrack from the composer of FINAL FANTASY XII
  
• Fully localised for Europe with French, Italian, German and Spanish translations and adjusted difficulty levels
  

Neves Nintendo DS puzzle game comes to Europe

Ignition Entertainment and Yuke's Co. Ltd. Sign Deal To Bring NEVES to Europe

Popular Puzzle Game Coming to Europe in 2008

Ignition Entertainment, a worldwide developer and publisher of interactive software, announced today an agreement with Yuke’s Co. Ltd., to bring the popular puzzle game, NEVES for the Nintendo DS™ to Europe in early 2008. The deal marks the first time that Ignition Entertainment, and Yuke’s, best known for its popular D1 Grand Prix, have worked together.

“The feedback we have already received pertaining to NEVES has been fantastic and we are

pleased to be working with Yuke’s. NEVES is one of those puzzle games that once you start to play it is difficult to put down,” said Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment’s US Operations. “So few new games within the genre hit the mark, but NEVES is the perfect choice for any puzzle fan and will capture the imagination and quickly become a favourite.”

Yukinori Taniguchi, President & CEO, Yuke’s Co., Ltd “We are delighted to be working with Ignition Entertainment, who has a great deal of experience and success with the puzzle game category. Yuke’s and Ignition Entertainment believe we have an exceptional game in NEVES and looking forward to presenting the gaming community with this very special title!

NEVES for the Nintendo DS is based upon the Tangram puzzle which is said to have originated as far back as the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD). NEVES offers originality, challenge and fun and like many great games its simplistic approach offers a contest that ‘puzzlers’ and casual gamers alike will find hard to put down once they have picked it up.

In NEVES the player is presented with 7 shapes that must be fit together to form a pre-determined shape. All 7 pieces, also know as ‘Tans’, must be used, without any overlap. These shapes can range from simple items, like an athlete, to the more challenging. Understanding what the task presented is may be easy; mastering it is a challenge.

Making full use of the Nintendo DS™ touch screen, NEVES’ control method is easy to pick up and simple to use, as the shapes can be flipped, rotated and placed into the correct position with a simple movement of the stylus.

Over 500 devious and highly creative puzzles are presented; some of which could take minutes to complete, whilst tackling others will depend on the players approach, dexterity and skill. As each puzzle concludes players will be eager for the next challenge!

Distributed by Atari in UK, and the Nordic countries, NEVES for the Nintendo DS™ is scheduled for release in Q1 ‘08.

Conflict: Denied Ops To Feature Soundtrack Composed By Richard Jacques

Veteran Composer Provides Interactive Hollywood Score Treatment for Latest Instalment in Conflict Video Game Series

Renowned for his Hollywood caliber orchestral writing, multiple award-winning composer Richard Jacques (Headhunter, Mass Effect) has scored an original music soundtrack for CONFLICT: DENIED OPS, a new two-player co-op first person shooter from Pivotal Games and the fifth game in the best-selling CONFLICT series. CONFLICT: DENIED OPS will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in February 2008.

To complement the non-stop action and cinematic moments throughout the game, Jacques composed an energetic military score that employs traditional ethnic instruments and vocals for the settings across Africa, South America and Russia. The music is fully interactive, reacting to the player’s movements, and enhances the immersive experience of the fast-paced gameplay.

“Richard Jacques’ work on Conflict: Denied Ops has been inspirational,” said Stuart Poole, Senior Producer at Pivotal Games. “He rose to the challenge of producing dynamic music for multiple regions and has given Conflict: Denied Ops its own distinct sound whilst giving each region in the game its own unique feel. The music deeply enhances the gaming experience by making the player feel very much part of the action.”

Richard Jacques is classically trained with an extensive repertoire in contemporary music genres and the recipient of numerous industry awards including Best Music from GameSpot and GameSpy. Continually in demand by the world’s leading game studios, he is internationally recognized as one of the A-list composers working in video games and rated as “One of the truly distinctive game music composers in the industry today” (PLAY Magazine, US).

For more information on Richard Jacques please visit: www.richardjacques.com.

For more information on CONFLICT: DENIED OPS, please visit: www.conflict.com.

Napoleon in Italy PC video game Update at Matrix games

Battle lines are formed and ready with this new update

Staten Island, NY, January 22nd, 2007 – Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Hussar Games (www.hussargames.com) are pleased to announce that a new update for Napoleon in Italy is now available. The new v1.05 update includes a number of balance changes to the Piedmont armies and campaign, fixes an AI general issue and tweaks the balance for readiness and cohesion regeneration. In addition, this update includes a new expanded campaign historical background guide.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said of the release, “Hussar has done it again with Napoleon in Italy, providing a fantastic strategy game that’s fun and easy to play. The latest update file will only serve to improve upon an already solid title for Napoleonics fans.”

Bulcsú Várhegyi of Hussar Games added, “Thanks to the team at Matrix Games and to the supporters we’ve met in the Napoleon in Italy community for their feedback and support. Hussar Games is always glad to support its titles, especially when they’ve been so well received and Napoleon in Italy is no exception.”

Lead the young Napoleon's French Army on his first campaign against the Austrians and Piedmontese in Northern Italy or try to stop Napoleon’s dedicated army and tactical brilliance with the mighty allied army of Austria. Experience a great interface and addicting gameplay in this realistically modeled game of Napoleonic combat.

Units and armies have various attributes like morale, experience, unit cohesion and supply to reflect the realities of historical operational combat in the Napoleonic era. Leaders are rated for Attack, Defense and Initiative as well as many special abilities designed to reflect the unique historical abilities of each commander. A realistic unit replacement system and historical siege and tactical battle rules bring the ultimate in turn-based gameplay set at the end of the 18th century.

Get more information on Napoleon in Italy from its official Matrix Games webpage. This update is comprehensive and will bring the version of the game up to 1.05.

Purrfect Pet Shop Launches online at Big Fish Games with free trials

Pet Adoption Casual Game Launches on Leading Game Portal

Casual games developer and publisher eGames, announced today that its new pet adoption game, Purrfect Pet Shop launched online on BigFishGames.com on January 18, kicking off two weeks of exclusive placement on the popular casual games portal. During the exclusive period, Big Fish Games will heavily promote the game to millions of casual game fans.

“The Big Fish Games user base is one of the largest casual game communities online, making their site an ideal launching point for Purrfect Pet Shop,” said eGames Product Manager Greg Zesinger. “With earlier releases including Burger Island™, Puzzle City™, and Defender of the Crown®: Heroes Live Forever, Big Fish Games has served as a strong distribution partner to eGames, and we are extremely pleased to expand our relationship with Purrfect Pet Shop.”

“We are excited to partner with eGames and offer Purrfect Pet Shop exclusively on BigFishGames.com,” said Nate Webb, Director, Partner Relations. “eGames continues to develop high quality titles that resonate extremely well with our audience and we are thrilled to be working with them on this release.”

Purrfect Pet Shop puts players in charge of an animal adoption center, caring for strays as they arrive at the shelter, and matching them with prospective owners based on the customer’s desired pet traits. At the same time, players must nurse a special customizable dog or cat back to health, choosing from thousands of possible pet combinations, and earn the animal’s trust through playing with toys, going on special trips to the aquarium or butcher shop, careful grooming, medical care, and the occasional tasty treat. While earning money in the shelter through donations from satisfied customers, players purchase center upgrades and special items in order to get their friend ready for adoption by the end of the game.

“We are confident Purrfect Pet Shop will thrill fans of the time management genre with its unprecedented gameplay, nursing abandoned pets back to health, and then matching them with their perfect owners,” said Zesinger. “With the unique addition of a special Kiddies mode designed especially for young gamers to play and share with the adults in their lives combined with the ability to take pictures of your special pet and email them to your friends, Purrfect Pet Shop provides a feature-rich experience that casual gamers and pet lovers of all ages are sure to enjoy.”

Free trials of Purrfect Pet Shop are now available at http://www.bigfishgames.com and http://www.egames.com, with the full game available for purchase at $19.99. An online version of the game is under development, and should be available in the next few weeks. Purrfect Pet Shop will be available at additional leading game portals following the conclusion of the two week exclusive.

GRRNews.com - top stories in the Animal Kingdom right to the doorstep

Where do you go for news about the Animal Kingdom?

Till now there has never been a one-stop outlet rounding up all of the happenings; but now GRRNews.com brings people news they can trust. From traffic and weather to politics and animal interest, GRRNews is working around the clock to keep you in the know. Now, GRRNews has combined efforts with the politically driven Hail to the Chimp to bring today’s top stories in the Animal Kingdom right to the doorstep (or keyboard in this case) of Homosapiens around the world. From the plains of the Serengeti to the highways of downtown LA; GRRNews correspondents are on the scene for every major event worth covering, now we’re bringing our own brand of coverage into the human realm for the first time.

Remember: We write the news so you don’t have to. Let the people know!

Led by the “Face of GRRNews” – Woodchuck Chumley – the website is constantly updated with news reports from around the Animal world. Alongside Woodchuck, several noteworthy reporters have been brought on to beef up coverage: “Stock Pig" Pollard, "Weather Turtle" Rusty, and "Obit Raven" Alfred B. Du Maurier. These pundit powerhouses combined with staff coverage of horoscopes, polls, personals, and history (published daily) will prove to be the greatest news team ever assembled.

As a sign of their continued dedication to broadening their coverage, GRRNews.com is proud to highlight the new and improved video section featuring special reports by none other than Woodchuck Chumley himself: http://www.grrnews.com/videos.php and while you’re there, don’t forget to support our sponsor – Vertabrexstracil - “life can be better today.”

GRRNews.com is updated daily from Monday through Friday. Take a look below for last week’s recap. Top stories are as follows:
The Global Security Agency ratcheted up the terror threat level to Orange, or Run for cover! Learn why here.


Illegal Migration: Could it happen here? Lessons learned from the Serbonian Bog dry up.

Juliet goes undercover for the first in her series on rampant wolf packs, meets with pack leaders in California, and incites pack violence throughout the country and Mexico. Read more here.

Political candidate Ptolemy’s DNA is linked to daddy-less hippo in Vegas and Arts & Entertainment editor Gizelle gets the exclusive interview.

The plover strikes are out of control with no negotiations in sight. Read the story of one pigeon who bravely crossed the picket line for work, only to say, “Never again!”

Technomamma Zeno reviews Liar 1.3 in his column Caught in the Net.

Book reviewer Gertrude Spine offers her take on The Joy of Feeding.

Woodchuck Chumley wraps up the week with insightful commentary, looking to the future and reaming of the past.

Bloggers Nipsy and Eartha do battle on Ptolemy, Illegal Migration and More in Blogs.

With the Presidential Election ramping up the stakes are piling higher by the second, we’re working to bring you behind the scenes with candid interviews from each candidate. Our own Woodchuck Chumley tenaciously gnaws to the pulpy heart of the issues as he asks questions most other Woodchucks wouldn’t even dream of.

Stay tuned to GRRNews.com for all your news needs. If we didn’t cover it – it probably didn’t happen.

Q&A: Jumper: Griffin's Story on Xbox 360, PS2, Wii

Street Date: February 12th, 2008
Platforms: Xbox 360, PS2, Wii
Rating: Teen

Tell us a little bit about Jumper: Griffin’s Story?
The Jumper game follows the character Griffin, who is a skilled jumper on a quest to avenge the death of his parents, an event that has shaped is life since he was child. The game story runs parallel to David’s (Hayden Christenson’s character) in the film and intersects at a few points – but in the game we learn even more about the Paladin organization, their mission and their history with Griffin.

What type of game play can gamers expect?
Jumper: Griffin’s Story introduces a new way to fight by introducing “jumping”, which will allow players to change locations within an environment in a split second. The game is heavily focused on combat, and being able to teleport and integrate this skill into combat is the key to what makes a jumper’s attacks so deadly. The player can move around the environment and surprise attack, as well as use chain attacks “bouncing back and forth” between enemies. This keeps adversaries constantly guessing. The player has the ability to strategically coordinate attacks on all sides of the opponent, using different attack buttons to perform specific combos. This is important because the Paladin’s heightened senses often allow them to anticipate moves milliseconds before the Jumper executes them.

How will the player experience “Jumping “within the game?
At its essence, Jumper: Griffin’s Story is about being a Jumper and utilizing the skill of being able to teleport instantly in order to defeat your adversaries. There are three distinct types of jumps the player can employ – the combat jump, the traversal jump and the finisher jump. The combat jump is what the player uses the most throughout gameplay and allows players to jump around opponents during a fight sequence while simultaneously executing a series of devastating combos. The traversal jump allows the player to pick a point in the environment and jump to it instantly which is useful for both surprising and evading enemies. The finisher jump allows the player to jump enemies to completely new locations and leave them to their demise - which may be anything from a high altitude drop to dinner for a hungry beast.

How will this game expand fans of the films experience?
The Jumper game is all about giving players the sensation of what it would be like to play the Jumper film as a completely interactive experience. Unlike a lot of sci-fi, the Jumper universe is based in reality so while special effects are inherent to the story, the approach to the visuals – in both the film and the game – is subtle with the focus is placed on the conflict between the Jumpers and Paladins.

In the game, the player will experience a very cinematic feel at every turn as well as a very distinct look and feel based on the unique aesthetic created by director Doug Liman. This combined with the rich fiction of Steven Gould’s books creates an excellent backdrop for a completely new and exciting universe. In introducing a completely new storyline, we have also introduced some new characters within the Paladin ranks. The player controls Griffin, but Roland and David, who appear in the film, also appear in the game.

Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory PC game hits US

CDV Software Entertainment USA today announced they have entered into an agreement with developer and publisher Fireglow Games to bring Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory – the latest title in the acclaimed series of World War II real-time strategy games – to North American retailers.

Sudden Strike 3 features an all-new fully 3D engine optimized for strategy games, new campaigns, massive battles, and historically modeled units that are rendered in accurate relative scale – from a wide assortment of infantry types to massive battleships and aircraft carriers – along with significantly expanded gameplay so players can wage war across a variety of terrains and environments. For more information about Sudden Strike 3, set to begin shipping to North American retail on March 10, 2008, visit http://www.suddenstrike.com.

“We are delighted to enter into this relationship with Fireglow Games,” stated Tom Gross, CEO of cdv Software Entertainment USA. “With over 2.5 million Sudden Strike games sold world-wide, we are thrilled to offer this eagerly awaited third installment to North American consumers.”

"Sudden Strike 3 is the game that fans of the series have been waiting for,” said Ludmila Ludvig, Managing Director of Fireglow Games. "We are delighted to be working with cdv USA on this product – their deep knowledge of the North American games market - particularly the strategy genre –makes them an ideal partner to deliver this much-anticipated third installment of our Sudden Strike franchise."

Draglade fighting game announced for Nintendo DS

505 Games today announced the release of Draglade, a new fighting game where players use an innovative mix of rhythm and combat to create devastating combos and attacks. Draglade will be launching exclusively on Nintendo DS in March 2008.

In the world of Draglade scientists have discovered that by releasing the energy from atmospheric matter, one can create a powerful audible weapon they call a ‘Glade’. However, the music generated by Glades clashing in combat generates an unmatchable sporting experience; this violent, symphonic ‘Grapping’ quickly becomes Draglade’s premier spectator sport, gripping the world’s population.

Draglade follows in the footsteps of four young Grappers - Hibito, Guy, Kyle, and Daichi - and their quest to reach the ranks of the Major Grappers. The game features intuitive rhythm combat controls, a vast amount of customisable fighting techniques and devastating attack combinations that allow for advanced fighting tactics.

Draglade makes full use of the Nintendo DS dual screen. The top screen shows the battle arena where as the touch screen allows you to mix and match moves to unleash devastating special attacks called ‘bullets’ to defeat your foes! Bullets are used to unlock new special moves or abilities and can even be traded with other players using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. By utilising the L shoulder button, players can also create their own awesome attacks called Beat Combos, inflicting huge damage based on a special rhythm. Gamers can customise these Beat Combos throughout the game to create their own deadly individual fighting style.

Features

• A unique beat ‘em up game using a stylish mix of fighting and rhythm
• Pick up and play fighting combat with intuitive controls
• Each character can be customised, with their own unique weapons and attributes
• Expand your arsenal of abilities by trading skills with other players
• Collect and unlock ‘bullets’ throughout the game to unleash awesome special attacks on your opponent
• Unlock new characters and special fighting techniques and mix moves to beat your foes
• Use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to play against other players in a one-on-one test of skill or connect locally with a friend and take on cooperative quests

Draglade will be available exclusively on Nintendo DS in March 2008.

Microsoft Announces First Ever Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards Plus Limited Time Free Download of "Undertow"

As a way to recognise the teams of talented developers who have together created over 112 games for Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360, Microsoft will announce awards for the top XBLA games of 2007 later this year, with several categories decided by the community. Fans of Xbox LIVE Arcade are invited to cast their votes for the first ever Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards by voting at http://www.xbox.com/xblaawards. Voting begins Tuesday, 22nd January at 10:00 a.m. and runs until Wednesday, 30th January at 07:59 a.m.

The finalists in each category were selected by a panel of consumer and video game industry journalists and the winners will be determined by popular vote. Microsoft will announce the winners at the Game Developer Conference in February.

Below is the list of award categories that will be open for public voting:

· Best Overall Arcade Game
· Best Classic Game
· Best Original Game
· Best Family Friendly Game
· Best Competitive Multiplayer Game
· Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game

Other award categories include the following:

· Best selling game
· Most played game
· Highest rated game
· Staff choice

“Undertow” Free of Charge Download on XBLA this Week

This Xbox LIVE Arcade Wednesday, Xbox LIVE members around the world will be able to download the award-winning “Undertow” free of charge for a limited time. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, 23rd January and continuing until 07:59 a.m. on Monday, 28th January, “Undertow” will be available free of charge on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Developed by Chair Entertainment Group, Undertow redefines aquatic based shooters through a mix of high-definition graphics, intuitive controls and multiple modes of game play action. The game features a full story driven-single player campaign, on and offline co-op, and multiplayer for 2-16 players over Xbox LIVE for Gold subscribers. Players battle for control of the oceans as one of three selectable races, each with four unique, upgradeable units.

In support of the giveaway, Chair Entertainment Group is offering gamers the opportunity to play alongside the Undertow development team on Friday, 25th January at 03:00 a.m. The team will host player matches, provide game play tips and the opportunity for gamers to pick-up Undertow achievements.

Where can I get “Undertow” from?

Undertow: available for free from 10:00 a.m., Wednesday 23rd January 2008 until 07:59 a.m. on Monday, 28th January

It is rated 12+

Finally, don’t forget to check out this week’s new downloadable content for “Mutant Storm Empire.” For more details, please visit www.xbox.com/livearcade.

cdv USA and Fireglow Games Bring New RTS/RPG - "Stranger" – to North America

cdv Software Entertainment USA today announced they have entered into an agreement to promote and distribute developer and publisher Fireglow Games’ upcoming PC-based fantasy title – Stranger.

Stranger, set to begin shipping to North American retail stores on March 3, is a blend of traditional real-time strategy and role-playing elements, set in a rich fantasy world populated by more than a hundred unique monster types. Players will take control of one of three available heroes, enjoying a single-player campaign lasting more than 30 hours, while also being able to take their game online in eight-person Internet multiplayer matches.

"We're very pleased to work with cdv USA on this title,” said Ludmila Ludvig, Managing Director of Fireglow Games. “Their experience in releasing successful strategy and role-playing titles makes cdv USA the ideal local partner to deliver Stranger to North American audiences.”

For more information about Stranger, visit the official Web site at http://stranger-game.com.

IBM Completes Lineup of Speakers at Serious Games Best Practice Symposium on 31st January

With IBM speaking about their recently released serious game: Innov8, the signal is there that this market is maturing – and fast. This symposium moves the community beyond the rhetoric to explore best practice in design and development across the Web, Virtual Worlds and Handhelds

IBM completes the unrivalled complement of experts contributing to the realization of a serious games best practice roadmap at this symposium. For the first time, detailed post-mortems are explored from across a variety of serious games for client organizations; including those in the health service, the ‘Big 4’ accounting firms, recruitment and school education. One of the key areas of focus is best practice across platforms: Web, virtual worlds and handheld devices. There is also a session dedicated to existing best practice in games development where games designers and developers share their expertise with the serious games audience.

Martine Parry, production director of event organizer Apply Group said: “We aim to produce a guide to best practice in serious games development on the basis of the findings at the symposium and we will make this available to the delegates for free and to the wider community when it has been refined further. There are only 2 weeks to go before the symposium so if you want to get involved then book one of the few remaining places at http://seriousgames.eventbrite.com .”

The other speakers include: Kevin Corti of PIXELearning; Jez Harris of Buzz developer Relentless Software; Brian Rodway of Affinity Studios; Dave Taylor, National Physical Lab; Graham Brown-Martin of Handheld Learning; Ron Edwards of Ambient Performance and the Chairman Donald Clark: a learning guru and formerly CEO of Epic.

Towards Best Practice in Designing & Developing Serious Games for Learning & Communications: Focus on Web, Virtual Worlds and Handheld Platforms runs all day on 31st January, 2008 at games association ELSPA premises in Soho, London. More information and booking is here: http://seriousgames.eventbrite.com

YoYo Games passes 10,000 uploads to become the World's largest online games site

10,000 games uploaded in 200 days represents a ground breaking achievement for YoYo Games, a start-up games company which looks set to shake up the booming casual gaming industry with a fresh, innovative approach to games creation, publishing and distribution.

The site (www.YoYoGames.com) hosts exclusively user-generated games, community-submitted content with a community based review and ratings system highlighting the very best of these games, and allowing them to rise to the top.

“Since we launched in May last year we’ve been amazed by both the quality and the quantity of games that have been created by the YoYo Games Community.” said Sandy Duncan, CEO of YoYo Games. “We have often been referred to as the ‘YouTube of Games’, and with this incredible volume of content, we’re starting to believe this ourselves!” mused Duncan.

The YoYo Games website is designed to make it easy for game developers to upload, rate, review and share their games with a fast growing community of casual gamers.

Unique to YoYo Games is the “Game Maker” software, now in its seventh release. “Game Maker has been empowering people, often with no previous programming experience, to create sophisticated casual games since 1999” said Prof. Mark Overmars, the creator of Game Maker and one of the founding members of the YoYo Games team. “Game Maker is undeniably more powerful and flexible than Flash and unlike Flash has been designed from the outset to be an environment that is uniquely purposed for game development.” he added.

In the inaugural Winter game creation competition for the YoYo Games community, the winning game, Frozzd, is a highly original two-dimensional platformer, set amongst frozen and slightly malevolent planetoids. The creator of the charming “Wubbly” universe explored in Frozzd, is Netherlands based developer, Jesse Venbrux, who, at just 20-years-old, worked solo on the project. He wins the top prize of $1,000 and community kudos for his efforts. The runners up list reflects the global nature of YoYo Games user base with fantastic games emanating from Russia, Australia, and the Americas.

“Frozzd is more than just a visual and technical achievement, it’s living proof of the creativity that can be unleashed by the Game Maker community” said Michel Cassius, co-founder of YoYo Games. “More than just games, YoYo Games has created the world’s largest single games developer community with more than 75,000 registered developers from all over the world, ranging in age from under 8 to over 80”, he added.

Reduction in the price of games

Following the strategy developed in mid-2007, the Handcase from the day on January 20, 2008 reduced the prices of all their games. There is no promotion, reduction is final. The average reduction is 30%, but some games are 55% cheaper.

Ricardo Garay, director of Handcase explains, "... had planned some actions aimed at expanding our participation in the segment of games for palm, one of them was offering more products, this month reached the mark of 98 games, the other was to reduce the prices, but needed to evaluate how much reduction, and what would be the impact on our market share, reason why announce now."

This action is only for Brazil?

"No, it is for the whole world, for all the stores, who buy today no matter the country pay the same, the exchange rate are minimal, what matters is that the user of palm, turn on your device and have fun with Handcase games, pay very little and have much fun, the rest is details."

I have to warn 3 new freeware games on our website.

For enjoy access www.handycase.com/eng

Ship Simulator 2008

Leading computer software publisher Lighthouse Interactive and developer VSTEP, invite you to sail the open sea in the World’s best nautical simulator. Today they announced that Ship Simulator 2008 has begun shipping to major retailers across Canada and the US.

This true-to-life naval simulation for Windows® includes many great new features, such as: multiplayer (LAN and online), a highly customizable mission editor, 16 new ships, and three vast new environments (San Francisco, Marseille and Southampton/ Cowes/ Solent). A bilingual French/English version will be released in Canada for Francophone fans. Ship Simulator is available in 20 countries and 7 languages, selling over 280,000 copies to date.

SUMMARY

With the growing number of Ship Simulator users worldwide, VSTEP is continuously adding new content and features. In Ship Simulator 2008, players will need to perform a multitude of tasks, all set within stunning 3D environments. They will take control of a wide array of vessels – from massive cargo ships and ferries, to speedboats, yachts, water taxis, personal watercrafts, and even the mighty Titanic! The waters you sail are as varied as the ships, including the harbors of New York, the Thai Phi Phi Islands, Rotterdam and Hamburg, plus three newly added harbours: San Francisco, Marseille and Southampton/Cowes/Solent. Ship Simulator 2008 incredibly recreates real locations from around the world and presents players with the challenges of commanding the vessel of their choice on the open sea.

FEATURES

• Dynamic ocean waves, with realistic ship motions
• Long distance travels, open ocean voyages between ports
• Visible damage system
• 50 new complex and challenging missions
• Extensive day, night and weather systems
• Open sea, plus 7 harbour environments including San Francisco, Marseille and Southampton/Cowes/Solent
• 16 ships, each with walkthrough functionality and interactive bridge controls
• Controllable container crane
• Advanced vector graphic sea chart based on realistic 3D seabed models, with full-screen display option, transparency setting, and high level of detail on text and depth readings
• Advanced damage system showing dents and holes in vessels after severe collisions
• Free-roam mode allows players to choose a ship, an environment, weather conditions, time of day, and set their own waypoints
• Extensive mapping options for keys and joystick buttons
• Advanced rope system, which allows you to connect and disconnect player ships to other ships or mooring boulders at will (anchoring is now also possible)
• Mid-mission save function
• A system for sinking ships when damaged below the water line
• Advanced system for scoring and ranking in different ship type classes, linked to your online profile on the Ship Simulator forum
• Mission editor, so you can create your own adventures and share them with your fellow players on the forum
• Multiplayer free-roaming, including towing and chat
• In-game downloading of new missions, created by other players

To find out more about Ship Simulator 2008 and to keep up with the latest news, visit:
www.lighthouse-interactive.com and www.shipsim.com.

RealtimeUK & Buzz Monster Rumble

2006 saw Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) launch the junior range of their highly successful Buzz! franchise, with RealtimeUK producing intros for both Buzz! Junior: Jungle Party, and Buzz! Junior: RoboJam – so we were pleased to be invited by SCEE to produce the intro for the third in the Buzz! Junior series, Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble.

The brief from SCEE for Monster Rumble was to introduce four very cheeky monsters, in a 60 second intro that would act as a teaser for the game. As the game is aimed at young players aged between six and nine, SCEE’s focus was on fun, humour and mischief – with just the right amount of scariness for our younger audience.

The RealtimeUK team started by playing a demo of the game to gain an understanding of the monsters and the game itself – and to make sure they could reflect the game accurately in their intro piece. SCEE provided some concept artwork and reference material to inspire the team when putting together the script and storyboard for the intro.

RealtimeUK’s Animation Director, Chris Fenna, explains, “Our task was to encapsulate all the fun and mischievousness of the game within a 60 second intro. With four cheeky monsters and a Transylvanian Castle to play with, we had plenty of source material to create a movie; the challenge was to distil this into one minute.”

RealtimeUK’s solution features a mad professor in his lab performing a Frankenstein style monster creation, which takes a turn for the worse as he ends up creating four mischievous monsters. The monsters then stage an escape, hurtling through the house and into the swamp outside, leaving the mad professor bewildered at what he has unleashed on the world.

While the monsters closely reflected the in-game creations, the mad professor, being a brand new character, was created entirely from scratch by the RealtimeUK team.

“One of the more challenging aspects of this project was the highly stylised modelling, as this is one of the most cartoony-like animations we have produced”, says Chris. “The animation was pushed to be as creative and funky as possible and the monsters were developed to be entertaining and full of bounce.”

Low res proxy versions of the monster characters were used to drive the cloth simulation, which features during the opening sequence. “We started with default cloth parameters and then went in to make fine adjustments to achieve the best results”, continues Chris. “Matte paintings produced in Photoshop were utilised for all the outdoor background environments. These were based on concept work and in-game reference and were mapped onto flat planes and layered up in the backgrounds of each shot.”

The final animation was a massive success and SCEE felt that the brief had been fulfilled superbly.

Tony Prosser, Managing Director at RealtimeUK commented that “our team enjoyed working on the Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble project. They relished the challenge of creating new characters and bringing these mischievous monsters to life. We look forward to working with SCEE again in the near future.”

TheFunded.com Featured at Casual Connect Europe

TheFunded.com and the Casual Games Association announced today that Adeo Ressi will be making an exclusive European appearance at Casual Connect Europe, the third annual Western European Casual Games Association Conference, on February 7, 2008. This will be Ressi’s first formal speaking engagement since the November 15, 2007 “Inside TheFunded.com” event in Palo Alto, CA.

Adeo Ressi is The Founding Member of TheFunded.com, an online resource for CEOs to research, rate, and review venture funds worldwide. Since its inception in 2007, TheFunded.com has grown to more than 5,000 members. Most recently, Adeo founded and was CEO of Game Trust, Inc., the leading community and ecommerce software platform for online casual game play. Adeo will be available to speak with press at Casual Connect Europe, who are encouraged to coordinate meetings with the listed media contacts.

“Casual Connect is a great event for developers and publishers in Europe,” stated Adeo Ressi. “I am excited to help the next generation of entrepreneurs at the show learn how to navigate the complex fundraising landscape.”

“As the casual game industry matures and investors are beginning to see the advantages of investing in the casual games space, understanding the investment community is of the up-most importance to developers,” said Jessica Tams, managing director of the Casual Games Association. “Adeo is a valuable resource for the casual games community in the process of working with capital.”

About TheFunded.com:

TheFunded.com (http://www.thefunded.com/) is an online resource for entrepreneurs to research, rate, and review funding sources worldwide. Founded in mid-2007 by a serial entrepreneur, Adeo Ressi, the site has attracted over 5,000 CEO members from a wide variety of industries, and TheFunded.com now provides a forum for exchange of strategies and tactics to build a successful business.

About Casual Connect Europe:

Casual Connect Europe is designed for industry professionals, industry executives, and professionals interested in creating, marketing and distributing games for players worldwide. Casual Connect Europe 2008 is the ninth conference organized by the Casual Games Association who also published reports on the industry and a regular industry magazine.
For more information on Casual Connect Europe 2008 please visit: http://europe.casualconnect.org/

TIGA Awards finalists revealed

TIGA, The Independent Game Developers Association, today announced the list of finalists ahead of the prestigious annual 2007 awards ceremony which takes at the Haymarket Hotel in London on 30th January 2008.

The eventual winning TIGA members will have been selected by their peers and will represent the cream of European Development industry talent. For the first time, the 2007 awards include two additional categories; 'Best technology' and 'Best cross-media application of games' designed to represent the diversity of the development sector.

The nominations are:

• Best PC/Console Game developed by a TIGA member 2007 - Geometry Wars: Galaxies – Doublesix (Kuju Entertainment), Colin McRae: DiRT - Codemasters Studios, Worms XBLA – Team 17

• Best Handheld/Console Game developed by a TIGA member 2007 - Geometry Wars: Galaxies – Doublesix (Kuju Entertainment), Crush – Zoemode (Kuju Entertainment), Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron - Rebellion

• Best mobile game developed by a TIGA member 2007 - Championship Manager 2008 – Dynamo Games, Sonic Jump – Airplay, Tomb Raider Anniversary - Finblade

• Best Technology 2007 - The EGO Engine – Codemasters, Super Rub a Dub Water Effect – Sumo Digital, Alice Server – Nice Tech

• Best Cross Media Application of Games 2007 - Realtime UK, Audiomotion, Triage Trainer – TruSim Blitz Games

• Best Developer - Greatest contribution to independent games development during 2007 by TIGA member - Blitz Games, Sumo Digital, Denki

• Best Player - Greatest individual contribution to independent games development during 2007 - Ian Baverstock, Fred Hasson, Jason Kingsley

Commenting on the nominations, Fred Hasson, TIGA CEO said, "Despite increased competition from studios in tax-break countries we're very proud of the outstanding work delivered by our members. These awards are won by and voted by our members and this kind of peer-to-peer recognition of excellence is the most sought after"

Taking place at the Haymarket Hotel, London on the 30th January 2008, the 2007 TIGA awards were voted on by TIGA members. Voting is now closed, TIGA would like to congratulate all the finalists and wish them well for the night.