Exit Games and Metismo Announce Multi-Year Deal for Cross-Platform, Mobile, and Online Game Development

Exit Games, a world leading service provider of mobile and online multiplayer gaming, today announced a partnership with mobile technology provider, Metismo, to offer a complete development and deployment environment for both mobile and online multiplayer games.

Under terms of the deal, Exit Games’ cross-platform multiplayer gaming technology, Neutron, will be integrated as an optional add-on to Metismo’s Bedrock Engine to improve the development and porting of online game applications across all major mobile and online platforms including J2ME, Flash, BREW, Windows Mobile and native Windows.

The use of Bedrock with the seamless addition of Neutron reduces the overhead for coders and porters by allowing game developers to write once and roll-out globally across a wide variety of handheld mobile devices and online access points. Advanced multiplayer and community gaming features such as matchmaking, chat, real-time multiplayer matches, in-game billing options, friend lists, and other social mechanisms will also be offered.

“Combining efforts with Metismo’s Bedrock Engine solution offers mobile game developers around the world a chance to create innovative, social, multiplayer games in a global environment with minimal investment,” said Tom Sperry, CEO of Exit Games. “As the industry grows, we think this will have a remarkable impact on how games are produced and distributed.”

“Neutron’s multiplayer functionalities combined with our Bedrock Engine provides coders with an exciting new way to extend market reach with their games and strengthen customer loyalty,” said John Chasey, CEO of Metismo. “This is just one of the many steps we are taking to align ourselves with industry leading partners in an effort to enable the most advanced consumer products to be brought to market.”

www.exitgames.com
www.metismo.com

A New Close Combat – Modern Tactics Update Is Now Available!

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Strategy 3 Tactics are thrilled to announce the first update for the modern incarnation of the immensely popular Close Combat series, Close Combat – Modern Tactics, is now available for download. This hefty new update includes plenty of new units both on the ground and in the air in addition a number of other tweaks and AI improvements.

Most significantly, infantry and vehicles for both the US Marine Corps and the UK Army have been added to the force pool! Also, plenty of new air assets both for the US and Opfor have been added, including: Mi-24, Ka-50 Hokum, British Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon and Eurocopter Tiger. There are lots of shiny new pieces of equipment to command and destroy!

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said of the release, “Close Combat fans are receiving a beautiful new New Year’s gift with this latest update, thanks to the continuing hard work of the development team. With plenty of new squads and vehicles to command, your tactical options have just increased dramatically!”

Andrew Williams of Strategy 3 Tactics also added, “The Close Combat – Modern Tactics staff worked extra hard to make sure this update could be all that it could be. We’re very pleased to be presenting such a substantial increase in new gameplay elements in addition to the regular improvements that come with an update.”

Close Combat: Modern Tactics combines classic top down real time tactical warfare with the excitement of multiplayer head to head gaming. Developed from the US Marines training simulation, Close Combat Marines, you get to take command of all types of modern battlefield weaponry including Abrams tanks and Soviet-made RPGs as well as air, helicopter and artillery support. This is serious gaming at its best.

You take command of modern US forces or various opposition forces in one of 25 scenarios included with the release. Engage in combat with up to 5 players per side and participate in intense head to head battles using Modern Era weaponry and equipment on gorgeous hand-drawn maps measuring from 1km square to giant 4km x 1km maps. Fight on hypothetical battlefields ranging in style from backwoods America to the streets of Iraq and the former Soviet republics. You face all the enemy can throw at you in a series of immersive, action-packed engagements that will test your tactical abilities! Air and artillery support are on-call but the final objective can only be secured by Close Combat. You are in command!

Get more information on Close Combat – Modern Tactics from its official Matrix Games webpage.


ABOUT MATRIX GAMES
Matrix Games produces, markets and publishes historical wargames as well as other computer gaming products. Since 2000, Matrix Games has published over three dozen titles and several award-winning games, including War in the Pacific, Conquest of the Aegean, Gary Grigsby's World At War: A World Divided, Crown of Glory, Battles In Normandy, Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare, Starshatter: The Gathering Storm and The Operational Art of War III. Matrix Games is based in Staten Island, New York. For more information, visit the Matrix Games website at www.matrixgames.com.

CMP's Game Developer Magazine Names Perforce Best Programming Tool for Game-Making

The editors of CMP's Game Developer magazine has named the Perforce Software Configuration Management (SCM) system the winner of the 2007 Front Line Award for best programming tool. The 2007 award marks the fifth consecutive Front Line honour for Perforce in the magazine's annual evaluation of the year's best game-making tools.

Nigel Chanter, chief operating officer of Perforce Software says, "We are proud to count 17 of the top 20 game publishers, such as Ubisoft, Vivendi Games, and Activision, among the 4,500 companies using Perforce. Their developers and designers recognise that in addition to source code, Perforce is ideally suited to manage the wide variety of game assets from large binary files and 3D models to sound effects, music and dialogue."

"Game Developer heartily congratulates the winners of the 2007 Front Line Awards," says Jeffrey Fleming, production editor of Game Developer. "These tools represent the most innovative, user-friendly and useful products from behind the scenes of the world's best video games and we are proud to give them a bit of the glory they deserve."

The complete list of winners of the 2007 Game Developer Front Line Awards can be found at http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=16874. All winners are profiled in the January 2008 issue of Game Developer.

About the Perforce SCM System
Perforce, the Fast Software Configuration Management System is an award-winning tool that versions and manages source code and digital assets for enterprises large and small. Perforce is easy to install, learn and administer; seamlessly handles distributed development, and supports developers across a large number of platforms. Perforce ensures development integrity by grouping multi-file updates into atomic changes, enables concurrent development, and intelligently manages multiple software releases using its Inter-File Branching system.

About Perforce Software
Founded in 1995, Perforce Software Inc. develops, markets, and supports Perforce, the Fast Software Configuration Management System. Perforce Software is headquartered in Alameda, California, and sells worldwide. The company has international operations in Europe, Japan and Australia. In addition to application software companies, Perforce customers represent a broad range of industries including game development, electronics, pharmaceutical and financial services markets. www.perforce.com.

Funcom introduces tiered subscription system in Anarchy Online

Funcom announces the introduction of a tiered subscription system in Anarchy Online, and players can now choose between three subscriptions plans going from free-to-play to 5 to 14,95 USD / EUR a month. The newest subscription level means that gamers can access the areas and content in the Shadowlands expansion pack for only 5 USD / EUR a month, thereby offering one of the most profound, engaging and deep online experiences around for a low monthly cost.

The new areas which open up for the 5 USD a month subscribers are all located in the Shadowlands. This expansion pack got an incredible review score average, several awards and great critical acclaim when it launched, and is one of the most heralded MMO expansions of all time. The expansion not only gives players massive new areas to explore, it also introduces lots of new features as well as a chance to reach the maximum level in Anarchy Online.

“A lot of our free players have really wanted to explore more of Anarchy Online, without committing to a premium subscription. We therefore hope that many will take advantage of the option we are now giving them,” said Craig Morrison, Producer and Game Director on Anarchy Online. “With a great range of subscription choices, a brand new graphics engine and a constant update of fresh content we aim to deliver a great MMO experience for many years to come.”

The new subscription tier comes on top of the existing business models in Anarchy Online, and avid MMO gamers can still play the classic version of Anarchy Online entirely for free. In addition, Funcom continue to focus on premium subscribers, who get access to absolutely all which Anarchy Online has to offer for 14.95 a month.

Anarchy Online was the first of the major western MMO’s to go for a free-to-play business model in 2004, and through the years Funcom has introduced numerous progressive models. Ranging from being the first game with dynamic in-game advertisement to being a pioneer in introducing digital downloads, free-to-play models, free trials, paid virtual items and more, Funcom keeps on exploring new approaches to running a MMO. The introduction of a tiered subscription system is meant to further extend the success of Anarchy Online, while giving Funcom customers even more choices in how they want to access the game.

Anarchy Online have to date entertained more than 1.3 million gamers, and continues to attract new players in the hundreds of thousands. As Anarchy Online goes into its seventh year of operation Funcom also looks ahead, and a great new graphics engine will be launched later this year. Funcom is therefore proud to reveal the first video from the new engine, showing what the Anarchy Online players can expect in the years to come. The impressive new video can be found at www.anarchy-online.com.

SWORD OF THE NEW WORLDTM GRANADO ESPADA LAUNCHES NEW EXPANSION—MANIFEST DESTINY

K2 Network (www.GamersFirst.net) a leading online game publisher, announced today that it has launched an expansion for its epic Age of Exploration MMORPG Sword of the New World: Granado Espada. The new expansion is entitled Manifest Destiny; a name that was proposed by the game’s own community. The expansion offers five new characters, two new maps and five new zones as well as new events and additions to the game’s item store.

In 2007, Sword of the New World: Granado Espada players were included in the process of naming the expansion and the Halian Family from the game’s Orpesia World proposed the eventual winner: Manifest Destiny.

“We feel that this name perfectly encompasses all of the aspect of the expansion,” said Philip Maurer, Associate Producer at K2 Network. “As Pioneers will be exploring further West in this expansion, claiming the new lands “Manifest Destiny” puts a real spin on the continuing storyline as the Crown and the Republic begin to lay claim to lands that seem to be occupied by other inhabitants. As the story moves westward it will become clear, that this land was put here by providence and it is up to the Pioneers, to take it.”

New Characters
The expansion brings with it five new UPC (unique playable characters), with three of these characters immediately available on launch day: Soso, Angie and Viki.

Soso is a girl who has traveled to Granado Espada from the far away lands east of Ciam. She is highly skilled in the martial arts and is eager to join the ranks of any family adventuring through the New World. Angie is the niece of Jack, the Overseerer of the Reboldoeux Quarry. Like her uncle she is skilled in the use of the Construction stance. She has just arrived in the New World and already has a problem that can only be solved with the help of brave pioneers. Viki is a little boy from El Tejado Verde who is sick, but with your help he becomes a powerful ally who can summon some of the strongest monsters in Granado Espada to fight for him. With his help Pioneers will be ready to tackle the wilds of the New World.

New Maps and Zones
The expansion also comes with two new Maps with and fifteen new zones including: Gigante Island, this recently discovered island paradise off the coast of Coimbra. The perfect holiday destination for any tired Pioneer, Gigante Island offers games, fun and battle all in one tropical spot! Also, Andre, the famous fashion designer, has just released his new beachwear line: Andre’s Dolce & Granado!

New Events, Elections and Item Store Items
The expansion brings new events including Faction Wars, Elections and Andre’s Ultimately Fabulous Competition!

Faction Wars pits player against player and Clan against Clan in this mad frenzy to claim the lands of Granado Espada. The Faction that gains the most ‘Colonies’ will be awarded the power to rule and levy taxes on other players. Also once a month players can make their voices heard by appointing the Leader of each Faction and the Ruler of the New World.

Andre’s Ultimately Fabulous Competition is also all the rage. Gamers can experience what happens when End Game Raiding meets End Game PvP! This out of control 2 hour battle royale happens three times a day and no one will want to be left out!

Finally, the expansion will bring a whole host of new items to the item store including new UPC costumes, new back costumes with buffs and a new item that assists players who are upgrading their items by guaranteeing they won’t be destroyed in the process.

Sword of the New World: Granado Espada is available under K2 Network’s Free2Play model where players can explore and enjoy most of the game areas at no cost. Gamers who upgrade to one of the premium editions with the Pay2Play model also have the option to access enhanced game play, including extensive in-game events, new items and unlimited customer support.

For more information or to download and play the game visit www.swordofthenewworld.com.

SAMURAI WARRIORS Katana unsheathed online

KOEI today launched the Samurai Warriors KATANA website ahead of its February 22 release. The site details all areas of the multi-million selling series’ debut on the Wii. From explanations about how to wield and master the eight different weapons, to the variety of game modes and characters within the game. Find out about the challenges that await; from fighting alongside Nobunaga in some of Japanese history’s most renowned battles to mastering the techniques of the ninja, and see the game in action on the downloads page. Samurai Warriors Katana is scheduled for release on February 22, 2008.

To view the site head to www.samuraiwarriorskatana.co.uk

“Samurai Warriors Katana is a radical departure for the series on the Wii. The controllers enable the player to experience the Samurai Warriors world from a totally new perspective. And the implementation of eight different weapons within the game lends this title a level of arcade style action and variety that is unparalleled on the Wii.” said Will Curley, Sales Manager for KOEI Ltd.

Epic Games Invites You to Join Us at Game Developers Conference 2008

Epic Games, Inc., one of the world’s leading game developers and creator of the industry’s most popular game engine, today announced plans to demonstrate the latest Unreal Engine 3 features at this year’s Game Developers Conference, which will be held next month at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. Epic will hold closed door presentations for its prospective customers, evaluators, licensees, members of its Integrated Partners Program and the media.

Meet with Epic and See Unreal Engine 3

Come and see why so many top developers and publishers have chosen Unreal Engine 3 to power their best-selling PC and console games. Epic will showcase the most recent enhancements to Unreal Engine 3 for licensees, evaluators and partners in a private theater within its expo suite, ES 144, located in the West Hall. Hours for Epic’s booth are the same as expo hours: Wednesday, February 20, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Thursday, February 21, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Friday, February 22, 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Demos will run on the half hour each day of the show, and appointments are not required.

Those wishing to make appointments to individually meet with Epic should email Mark Rein, mrein@epicgames.com, and specify three possible meeting times, the number of people planning to attend, and whether those individuals would like to see a technology demonstration, chat with Epic business representatives, speak with Epic technical representatives or see to other matters. Availability may be limited, so please respond early. Those unable to confirm an appointment in advance are invited to drop by, and Epic will do its best to accommodate visitors.

GDC Speaker Sessions Featuring Epic

Key members of Epic’s development team will be leading the following GDC speaker sessions:

“Automating Regression Discovery: Finding the Wrenches in the GEARS OF WAR,” will be presented by Martin Sweitzer, programmer, Epic Games. This intermediate-level lecture, to be held Wednesday, February 20, 12:00-12:30, in West Hall Room 3004, will be geared toward programmers, although production and management may also benefit from the talk.

“UNREAL TOURNAMENT 3 Postmortem: ULTRA KILL!” will be led by Dr. Michael Capps, president, and Jeff Morris, producer, Epic Games. This postmortem, to be held Friday, February 22, 2:30-3:00 p.m., in West Hall Room 2001/2003, will cater to all developers, regardless of experience.

Epic Press Sessions and Media Availability

Epic will host two media briefings at GDC. These will take place on Wednesday, February 20 and Thursday, February 21 at 2:00 p.m. in Epic’s expo suite (ES 144, West Hall). Limited space is available, so journalists are encouraged to book places in advance by emailing Dana Cowley, dana.cowley@epicgames.com, with contact details, publication and preferred date. Each 45-60 minute briefing will consist of demos, short talks by key Epic spokespeople and question and answer sessions. There will be additional one-on-one interview slots, and these will be allocated on a strictly first come, first served basis; reporters should indicate interest in booking one of these slots via email as well.

About Unreal Engine 3

The award-winning Unreal Engine is known for cutting-edge graphics and its best-of-breed toolset. Unreal Engine 3 maintains those features while adding massive world support, multi-processor support, next-generation console optimizations, and one of the most mature tool pipelines in the industry. Unreal Engine 3's new toolset is designed specifically to accelerate developers' productivity for ultra-complex, next-generation content. Additional information on Unreal Engine can be obtained through the Unreal Technology Web site at www.unrealtechnology.com.


About Epic Games

Epic Games, Inc., based in Cary, NC and established in 1991, develops cutting-edge games and cross-platform game engine technology. The company has created multiple million-selling, award-winning titles in its Unreal series, recently shipping Unreal Tournament 3 for PC and PlayStation 3. Epic’s breakthrough game, Gears of War, sold over 4 million copies and was awarded overall Game of the Year for 2006 by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, Game Developers Choice Awards, GameSpot, GamePro and many others. Epic is also responsible for the Unreal Engine, which is the underlying technology for a wide range of games including the Game Critics Awards’ Best Console Game and Spike TV’s 2007 RPG of the Year Mass Effect by BioWare and the 2007 BAFTA Best Game and Spike TV Game of the Year BioShock by 2K Games. Epic's Unreal Engine 3 is the current holder, and four-time consecutive winner, of Game Developer magazine's Front Line award for Best Engine. Epic was also recognized as 2006 Studio of the Year by Spike TV, Developer of the Year by Official Xbox Magazine and 2007 Large Company of the Year by the North Carolina Technology Association. Additional information about Epic can be obtained through the Epic Games Web site at www.epicgames.com.

Deadline Games Announces Faith And A .45 For Next-Generation Game Consoles

Deadline Games A/S, the Denmark-based independent game studio, announced the development of Faith and a .45, an original title for next-gen platforms. An intense and atmospheric shooter, Faith and a .45 features a heavy focus on characters, co-operative gameplay, road movie storytelling, and cinematic aesthetics.

Faith and a .45 tells the story of Luke and Ruby - two outlaw lovers destined to go down in history. The duo battles an oppressive enemy force, led by a ruthless, corrupt oilman who's out for their blood. Set in an original take on the Great Depression, one of the darkest periods in US history, the game is a gritty, cross-country epic - a road journey with guns, a dark army of steel-plated vehicles, and armour-clad pyromaniacs.

"Since we at Deadline have our roots in movie production, we value original stories, settings and characters very highly," said CEO Chris Mottes. "Our previous games are testament to this, but we believe Faith is going to take our creative might to a whole new level."

Deadline Games will be presenting the game by invitation only to selected publishers at the 2008 Game Developers Conference on February 18-22.

About Deadline Games

Deadline Games is one of the fastest-growing independent developers to emerge from the highly successful Nordic gaming cluster. Founded in 1996, the company set out as a production company in film, television and interactive entertainment. Today, the company is focused exclusively on games development. The studio currently employs 80 highly-educated, innovative, creative thinkers from twelve nations, and is planning further expansion while maintaining one of the best working environments in the industry. Deadline Games works and communicates entirely in English, making it an ideal company for international development professionals. For more information, please visit: www.deadlinegames.com.

Thwapp! Zok! Kapow! KarjaSoft Announces Spandex Force Beta

Independent game developer KarjaSoft have released the beta version of Spandex Force, a superhero-themed RPG puzzler for Windows and Mac.

Spandex Force is a puzzle/RPG/adventure game that lets the player create his or her own hero to clean up the crime-infested town of Vigilance Valley. The game features many different kinds of puzzles, including, but not limited to match-3 battles in which common crooks and wacky supervillains must be defeated. The battles are similar to those of last year's hit game Puzzle Quest, but feature superpowers rather than magical spells. Spandex Force has a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor and lets the player customize his or her hero with weapon and superpower upgrades.

The game is scheduled for release in early February, but the beta trial is available for download at the website. KarjaSoft would like to urge players to submit feedback and suggestions in the weeks before the release.

"Spandex Force could very well be the best superhero RPG-puzzle-adventure currently on the market," says Miro Karjalainen, owner of KarjaSoft, not in the least bit deterred by the fact that Spandex Force is also the only such game available.

Official website with more information, downloads and screenshots:

http://www.spandexforce.com

Blast Off With Planet Busters

Many videogames feature explosions – big explosions - but none of them have ever come close to the big bang of Planet Busters, the brand new PC title from Slam Games.

Planet Busters is a new casual game that combines fast, simple gameplay, with the chance to avenge mankind, rearrange the universe and – well – blow a lot of it up.

After a sneak attack by the evil Scourge, Earth is gone. Disintegrated. Vapourised. Nothing more than a slowly drifting cloud of interstellar dust.

As one of the few survivors of this unprovoked assault – you're pretty much furious. Thankfully you have a well-armed spaceship and time on your hands for a spot of revenge.

So you swear to chase the Scourge to the ends of the galaxy, communicating in the only language they understand – violent destruction.

Planet Busters’ gameplay couldn't be simpler. Sets of extremely dangerous missiles flash up the screen, messing up the space-time continuum. Players have to move the missiles to create matching groups. This creates chain reactions and triggers some ridiculously powerful explosions. Once a sufficiently large group is made, they flash away into the inky blackness and explode, shattering enemy ships, battle stations and even planets – leaving destruction on a massive scale – and teaching the Scourge that mankind is not to be trifled with.

Lets face it – blowing up the enemy who obliterated your home planet is FUN! The ravening hordes of Scourge flee before your awesome fire power and missile matching skills. Where heavily armed, tentacled alien scum and fleets of mighty spaceships have failed to make even a dent in the galaxy, Planet Busters makes it simple and fast enough to fit world-shattering punishment into your lunch break.

Planet Busters is suitable for every PC running Windows XP or Vista. The game can be played – for FREE – for one of your Earth hours. So players can get their world-destroying wits about them before they decide if they have what it takes to pursue the Scourge to the far end of space and time.

Once the game has been played for 60 minutes, the full game can be unlocked online.

“Planet Busters is a whole new universe for us,” says Slam's Linda 'Star Commander' MacKellar. “Over the last few months, we've released games based on spelling and language and games for the female market, but we've not had anything which has featured lots of really, really big explosions. We're delighted with the results. I've always wanted to be an all-powerful force in the galaxy and now I can be – all without leaving the comfort of my PC.”

Planet Busters is due for release in Quarter 1 2008 and is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB. It will be available for download from from selected casual games sites, motherships and invading alien armies.

“Mwaah hah ha ha haaaah!” added MacKellar, as she obliterated the ancient worlds of Omicron Reticuli IV, V and VII.

PlayStation 2 video game NOBUNAGA'S AMBITION: RISE TO POWER goes GOLD

KOEI's Simulation of the Conquest and Unification of Feudal Japan to Ship on February 5, 2008

KOEI, recognized worldwide as the premier brand of strategy and action games, today announced that Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power has reached gold status. The historical simulation from legendary game producer Kou Shibusawa will ship to North American retailers starting February 5, 2008, exclusively for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system.

Gamers looking for the latest information on Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power, can visit the newly launched minisite at www.koei.com/risetopower.

About Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power
Set during the 16th century, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power sends players back in time to the Sengoku (Warring States) period of Feudal Japan. It was during this time that the visionary Nobunaga Oda assembled the most advanced military force in Japan, and instituted new policies that stimulated the growth of the nation’s economy.


In Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power, players will assume the role of Nobunaga, or of a rival warlord, in their quest to unite Japan under one rule. Packed with 7 dramatic scenarios - from the 1551 Struggle for Power to the events following Nobunaga’s death in 1582, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power lets players embark on their quest from more than 300 different starting points.

For the first time in the series, military campaigns are carried out using an explosive 3D real-time battle system. Plus a new command lets players go “all in” and risk their entire empire in battle. If victorious, players will expand their empire, but a defeat could mean the total loss of their land.

Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power is more than just a game of military domination. Life in Feudal Japan is brought to life with remarkable detail. In vibrant castle towns the daily lives of characters will unfold while players nurture their village into a flourishing empire. Players will also manage government affairs and develop critical infrastructure such as ninja camps, blacksmiths, and markets. A robust character edit function features a wide variety of character faces, the ability to edit stats, and let’s the player choose when and where the characters will appear.

Originally released in Japan as Nobunaga’s Ambition: Tenkasousei, Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power marks the return of the series to North America. Nobunaga’s Ambition: Rise to Power is developed by KOEI Co., Ltd and produced by Kou Shibusawa, the mastermind behind the legendary Romance of the Three Kingdoms and P.T.O.™ historical simulation series.

PIRATES OF THE BURNING SEA PC game launched Online

Online PC Game Delivers Unique Swashbuckling Action Experience

Grab your parrot, raise the gang plank and ready the cannons with Pirates of the Burning Sea™ (PotBS), the hotly anticipated online PC game where players can clash on land and sea. This new title from Sony Online Entertainment LLC’s (SOE) Platform Publishing label, and Flying Lab Software LLC (FLS), is available today at participating retail outlets worldwide and as a digital download through www.station.com and www.direct2drive.com for a suggested retail price of US$49.99, with a monthly subscription fee of US$14.99 plus applicable taxes.

“After years of hard work by our top-notch crew, we are thrilled to announce players can now conquer the virtual Caribbean, circa 1720, in Pirates of the Burning Sea,” said Russell Williams, CEO of Flying Lab Software in Seattle. “Working together with SOE’s Platform Publishing, we are able to launch this game simultaneously in the U.S. and Europe and release localized versions in English, French, Spanish and German, allowing players from all over to captain a ship in this world full of swashbuckling and high-seas adventure.”

Players start by joining the French, Spanish, English or Pirate nations as a naval officer, freetrader, privateer or pirate. At sea, players can blow enemy ships out of the water. On land, players can engage in a world of action and peril rife with sword fights. A unique economy lets players become captains of industry, running mines, lumber mills, shipyards and other large-scale operations. Players produce all the various goods needed to supply others with the raw materials to conquer the Caribbean, one port at a time. A player-generated content system lets gamers create their own sail and flag designs and even model their own ships.

Set in the New World circa 1720, PotBS recreates a dramatic time of conflict and riches with action for every play style, from epic ship combat to building an empire. With more than one thousand missions per nation, dozens of ports to explore, and the entire Caribbean as their domain, players will find an online experience like no other.

Pirates of the Burning Sea game features:

• Join one of four nations (Pirate, English, French, or Spanish)
• Every player is the captain of their very own ship in massive naval battles
• Duel other players to control more than 80 conquerable ports in the Caribbean
• Explore the world and make a name for yourself with more than 1,000 missions per nation
• Economy driven by players, who manufacture and sell all ships and equipment found in the game
• Take command of more than 50 historical ships
• Design your own flags and sails
• Build your very own or customize any of the ships in-game to your liking
• Choose from three different combat styles – deadly and formal Fencing, flashy, dual-wielding Florentine or rowdy and treacherous Dirty Fighting
• Participate in epic PvP sea battles with up to 25 players per side

For more information on Pirates of the Burning Sea, log onto www.piratesoftheburningsea.com or the community site at www.burningsea.com

SwitchBlade Coming To Guild Wars, Hellgate: London And Half-Life 2

Blue Orb Brings its Custom-Tailored PC Gaming Controller Software to Scores of New Titles While Further Refining its Original World of Warcraft Solution.

Blue Orb, Inc., the company that brings the console controller experience to PC games with SwitchBladeTM, has announced plans to add support for Guild Wars, Hellgate: London, and Half-Life 2 on January 29.

The game-specific solutions, called "Blades," are being fine-tuned by Blue Orb's user experience team, and promise to bring gamers a whole new way to play these popular titles. In addition to the new offerings, the World of Warcraft Blade has been upgraded, with new class-specific templates that offer a better controller experience to individual classes.

"The WoW Blade launch exceeded even our own expectations," said Aaron Levin, Vice President of Business Development for Blue Orb. "Its success has only reaffirmed our goal - to provide something that many people have been demanding; the console experience with their PC. It goes beyond just slapping on controller support. Our team creates a finely tuned experience."

SwitchBlade is now available for free download from SwitchBladeGaming.com, FileFront.com, FilePlanet.com, Curse.com, and Xfire.com. For more information, please visit www.switchbladegaming.com.

The Kamael PC video game MMORPG hits the shops

Latest Version Of Lineage II Available To Purchase Across Europe
Tuesday 22nd January/... Brighton, England (January 22nd, 2008) – NCsoft® Europe today announces the retail launch of The Kamael, the latest addition to the hugely popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), Lineage® II: The Chaotic Throne.

The Kamael introduces for the first time an entirely new playable race, additional and evolving pets to train and fight alongside characters, fortresses to lay siege to and terrifying, high-level zones to conquer. This coupled with enhanced visuals and modified gameplay makes this update the largest in the game’s four-year history. Priced at £14.99 / €19.99, Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne - The Kamael will be available at retailers across Europe from the 1st February 2008.

Lineage II is revered as the premier player-versus-player (PvP) MMO and, since its launch in 2003, has enticed more than seventeen million players worldwide. Active subscribers to Lineage II automatically received The Kamael update in December 2007 and already the player feedback to the new race and game additions has been overwhelmingly positive, with active player figures increasing across Europe.

New players to Lineage II will be able to take advantage of over four years of game refinements, making The Kamael the most engaging version of Lineage II to be released. Top of The Kamael’s feature list is the aforementioned new playable race. With an affinity to dark magic, these single-winged warriors have finally been freed from their age-long exile. Through deadly and decisive combat skills, they aspire to attain their almighty ‘final form’ as a dual-winged demon.

Pivotal to Lineage II’s gameplay has always been the gargantuan castle sieges, where hundreds of players on either side lock swords in deadly PvP combat. The Kamael’s Fortress battles offer a more dynamic, smaller scaled version of these events; granting smaller clans the opportunity to conquer new territories, elevating their clans in the larger political and military background.

Lineage II veterans above level seventy will relish the addition of two new zones: the Isle of Prayer and Hellbound. Only the most formidable of Lineage II’s monsters inhabit these two new areas, providing a deadly new challenge for the brave or foolish.

Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne - The Kamael includes a 15 day time card in addition to the standard 30 days play; giving players a total of 45 days play time. Monthly subscription fee to the game is £8.99 / €12.99. To purchase the game or other Lineage II merchandise, go to the PlayNC store at: http://eu.plaync.com/eu/store/ .

Namco's Pole Position II is revved up for iPods

'Prepare to Qualify' as Namco Networks Unveils Pole Position: Remix Designed Exclusively for iPod

Namco's Pole Position II is revved up for iPods with video to celebrate 25 years as a top-selling racing classic

Namco Networks, the leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the worldwide release of Pole Position: Remix, now available for purchase and download from the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) for play on iPod. Pole Position: Remix is based on Namco’s popular racing classic Pole Position II, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The iPod title includes completely new game play, graphics, soundtracks and an entirely new course exclusive to the iPod. Pole Position: Remix is available from iTunes for $4.99 and can be played on the iPod nano with video, iPod classic and the fifth generation iPod.

In the game, players race to the finish line while avoiding explosive collisions with cars, billboards and other obstacles. Pole Position: Remix includes updated 3D versions of the four classic Pole Position II tracks and the brand new Misaki Point track available only on the iPod.

“Pole Position: Remix takes the classic game play of one of Namco’s most popular racing series and combines it with new themes, designs and more integrated game play,” said Scott Rubin, vice president of sales and marketing, Namco Networks. “The iPod Click Wheel is a perfect control pad for steering in a racing game and the device’s portability gives consumers access to this quality game experience anywhere, anytime.”

Each track in Pole Position: Remix can be played across four types of racing: practice, single race, grand prix and sudden death. Points are earned for the distance traveled and for passing enemy cars. If players race well they can unlock reversed or mirrored versions of the tracks and themes for tracks, cars and billboards, including those based on favorite Namco games such as PAC-MAN. Players can also choose to listen to their music library on their iPod while playing the game. Exclusive to the iPod, players can take advantage of Pole Position: Remix’s album art feature which randomly displays album art on roadside billboards from the player’s personal music collection. The feature will automatically display album art from the song that is currently playing as well as randomly pull album art from other songs in the player’s iPod.

Guitar Hero No1 best-selling video game of all time and makes a billion say Activision

Calendar Year North American Retail Sales for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Set New Industry Record

Activision, today announced that the Guitar Hero franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was the No1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the No1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game's launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

"Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today," said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. "Guitar Hero's popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium."

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

Nintendo Wii launch ADVENTURES OF LOLO 2 and SUPER STREET FIGHTER™ II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS on shopping channel

Let's take a quick personality test. Are you the type of person who likes to solve problems by analyzing clues, collecting information and methodically reaching your goal? Or are you more the type to thrust a double-footed kick into someone's face and follow it with a few body blows? Your answers to those questions should help you decide which popular game to choose this week.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

ADVENTURES OF LOLO 2 (NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Lolo and Lala are back in this sequel to the popular puzzle game THE ADVENTURES OF LOLO. On their return from the Haunted Castle, the Great Devil kidnaps Lala and challenges Lolo to rescue her again. Now he must take on the challenge of the Great Devil's Tower and Castle mazes. Fortunately, Lala was able to analyze each of the mazes as she was taken to the tower and left clues in the Jewel Boxes in each room. Each Jewel that Lolo collects contains information that will help him in the next room. In order to succeed, he'll also have to push tiles, pick up Heart Framers, temporarily turn enemies into Eggs with his Magic Shots and ward off enemy attacks by moving Emerald Framers. With your help, Lolo and Lala will work together to escape the Great Devil's clutches and defeat him.

SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS (Super NES, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen - Violence, 800 Wii Points): When SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS debuted, the fighting-game genre was forever changed. Along with a revolutionary combo system, the game introduced a new set of challengers to fight alongside the original Street Fighter II cast. In addition to the classic characters of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Blanka, E. Honda, Zangief, Dhalsim, Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M. Bison, take control of four brand-new characters in exciting head-to-head fighting game play. Choose T. Hawk and his unmatched strength to crush your opponents, use Deejay's unrivaled kickboxing ability to defeat your opponents, unleash your inner dragon with the furious kung fu of Fei Long and drill your rivals with the deadly beauty of Cammy. Get ready for the Street Fighter tournament and the fight of your life.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

Quake4 HaptX Multiplayer Mod for the Novint Falcon

Reachin Technologies is pleased to announce that its Quake4 HaptX Multiplayer Mod for the Novint Falcon will be available to the public as of February 11th.

The HaptX Mod promises to raise adrenaline levels to new heights with intense online combat providing unique physical recoils and characteristics of all the weapons in the hands of the gamer. The player will also be able to feel the direction of enemy bullets and explosions, including the ability to physically feel the damage inflicted by the Gauntlet weapon for those up-close personal attacks.

The Novint Falcon has won numerous awards worldwide including IGN’s BEST OF E3: GEAR AWARD, and is an entirely new type of game controller. By replacing the mouse or joystick, the Falcon is, essentially, a small robot that lets the player physically experience the game through the sense of touch unlike any controller in history.

The HaptX Quake4 Mod will be available for free, but requires a valid Quake4 installation and a Novint Falcon. The HaptX Mod will be available for download through www.haptx.com and www.novint.com. Videos on HaptX enabled games are available at: http://www.haptx.com/games/index.aspx.

AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage Demo Competition Sponsored by SoundBlaster

Leading computer software publisher Lighthouse Interactive, game developer ClockStone Software, and Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, are looking for the most famous adept among all AVENCAST demo players! Today they announced a player competition for their unique Action RPG game, AVENCAST: Rise of the Mage. The competition begins on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 and ends Tuesday, February 5, 2008 (inclusive). AVENCAST combines role-playing with a fluid combat system found in beat-em-up games, which is unique to the RPG genre. AVENCAST is Windows Vista compatible and is available at major retail stores across Canada, the US and Europe.

What is it about?

One of the features of AVENCAST is a player’s Fame Points. It is a score that evaluates a player’s battle skills as they try to avoid being hit and use their spells with maximum effect to gain lots of points. If players beat the game, their hero will appear in the game’s Hall of Fame. They can compare their scores to those of other characters. If they have their Fame Points Display activated while playing, players can permanently observe their current competence in gaining fame points.

Players will have the chance to win one of the following prizes:

How to participate:

1. Download the latest game demo at www.avencast.com.
2. Download the competition tool at www.avencast.com and save it on your computer.
3. Play the demo to the very end so you hero is found in the Hall of Fame.
4. Enter the competition by starting the competition tool, which submits your hero stats and contact details.

You could win one of the following SoundBlaster prizes:

1st Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card
2nd Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card
3rd Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card
4th Prize – 1 qty. Sound Blaster XtremeGamer sound card

Plus... 5 winners by random draw, each receiving a deck of Avencast branded cards

TOTAL WINNERS = 9

The 1st and 2nd prizes will be awarded to the top 2 players with the highest "fame scores." The 3rd and 4th prizes will be awarded by random draw among the Top 20 best players. The 5 winners of the Avencast decks of playing cards will be allocated by random draw among the Top 100 players.

To view the full contest details, visit www.avencast.com.

Infinity closed beta starts January 28th

Are you ready for a new adventure?

Next Monday January 28th GameTribe will launch the closed beta phase of its action game Infinity!

Enter the Arena with your Aterion warrior and fight against other players or side by side with your friends in the cooperative mode.

Limited access are available so run to GameTribe and register to get your chance to be one of the lucky beta tester: we’ll periodically activate new accounts.

We’ll send an email to all the lucky players that will be extracted!

The game main features are:
Fast paced action: fight alongside your guards to add to the combat mayhem and unlock powerful combos as you press on in the game!
Spectacular graphic: Infinity lets you feel the rage of battle and easily adapts to always give you the best point of view of the fight.
Chain combo system: use up to 42 skill combinations to destroy your enemy!
Be part of the action!

Infinity is waiting for you….

GameTribeTeam
www.gametribe.com
Time to Play!