Lighthouse Interactive Announces Sword of the Stars Collector's Edition

Leading Publisher Lighthouse Interactive and acclaimed developer Kerberos Productions today announced the upcoming release of the Collector’s Edition for its award winning 4x space strategy game, Sword of the Stars. Since its original release, the Sword of the Stars franchise has received much praise for reinvigorating the 4x genre through its winning combination of turn based strategy and real-time space combat, along with its robust multiplayer capabilities.

The Collector’s Edition brings all of the Sword of the Stars universe together in one package and further expands it with special bonus materials. Sword of the Stars: Collector’s Edition includes: the original base game, the highly acclaimed add-on Born of Blood (never released to retail in Canada or the US), the first ever Sword of the Stars novella The Deacon's Tale by renowned science fiction writer Arrin Dembo and a bonus CD with concept art, screenshots, trailers, cd tracks and other media. Sword of the Stars: Collector’s Edition will begin shipping to retailers across the US, Canada and English speaking European territories on March 25, 2008 on PC CD-ROM.

Erik Schreuder, Lighthouse Interactive CEO said, “Sword of the Stars is a great franchise and well deserving of a Collector’s Edition. Kerberos Productions has proven themselves to be an extremely talented team, which consists of team members behind the successful Homeworld series. They have also stayed loyal to their community by adding loads of new features and additional gameplay to the fanchise over the past 18 months.” Schreuder went on to say, “Current and new fans of the franchise will enjoy discovering the Sword of the Stars universe in much greater depth.”

GAME SUMMARY

The year is 2405. Human scientists have discovered a new technology, the Node Drive, which will finally allow travel from star to star at speeds faster than light. As mankind sits poised on the brink of a new era, tragedy strikes: the first interstellar colony ship is destroyed and Earth itself ravaged by an unknown alien race. What was to be the Dawn of a new Age instead was the beginning of a new reality…We are not alone…and we are not safe.

Take control and build the ultimate empire in Sword of the Stars. In classic 4X style, prepare to eXplore mysterious star systems, claim planets to eXpand your empire, eXploit your resources, then design and build your own bigger, faster, stronger ships to eXterminate your enemies in epic, tactical, 3-D battles, in single- or multiplayer.

In Born of Blood, over 30 years have passed since the first stellar empires began to expand. Four races once set out to explore and conquer the galaxy, meeting in fiery clashes that spanned the universe, but now a promising age of diplomacy dawns. A new alien race emerges shattering the uneasy peace. With new drive systems, ships, technology, and tactics, the Zuul burst onto the scene with a devastating agenda. Form alliances and learn to work with your foes as you lead your fleets to victory in a universe at war.

FEATURES

• Play as one of 5 distinct races - Human, Hiver, Tarkas, Liir and Zuul; each with their own technological advantages and disadvantages
• Each race has a unique mode of transport between star systems, creating very different styles of play and bold new challenges.
• Live out tense, first-contact situations in full 3D combat, which rivals anything seen in the 4X strategy genre
• Over 175 distinct technologies to research in a dynamic tech tree that changes from game to game
• Over 55 weapons from 6 different weapon classes varing in size classes, from devastating nuclear missiles, cutting laserbeams, cloaked mines, boarding pods and plasma projectors, to massive siege drivers that can destroy entire planets
• Research rewards players with new detailed ship models, weapons and combat effects
• Deep economic model that is easy to control through an intuative interface
• Research languages to open diplomatic lines of communication or simply stick to negotiating with your own race; form alliances, non-aggression pacts or go to war with anyone who stands in your way
• Dynamic environments and random events add to the overall atmosphere; discover alien artifacts, wade through meteor showers, and encounter strange alien menaces
• Players can design and build ships from three size classes: Destroyer, Cruiser, and Dreadnought, by mixing and matching ship sections to suit their game play style
• Up to 8 players can play against the AI or one another over LAN or online
• 3 difficulty settings, 15 galaxy types, and 9 singleplayer scenarios, each adding more tactical depth to the Sword of the Stars universe

For more information about Sword of the Stars, please visit: www.swordofthestars.com or www.lighthouse-interactive.com.

School Was Never This Much Fun

KOEI today announced the release of Persona 3 on PlayStation 2 this February. Widely renowned as one of the freshest and most captivating RPGs of recent years, European gamers finally get the chance to experience life in a Japanese high school plagued by creatures of the night. Already bestowed with numerous awards after its US release, Persona 3 has now been awarded the rare honour of a 10/10 review in this month’s Official PlayStation Magazine UK. Persona 3 is scheduled for release on PS2 across Europe on February 29.

About PERSONA 3

It’s gonna take a lot more than a fountain pen and a compass to survive a full year in Persona 3. Not only will players have to contend with the day to day challenges of life in a Japanese high school but there’s also the matter of the demons who lurk within the hidden hour that lies between one day and the next.

Although part of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Persona 3 is a standalone entry in the series requiring no previous knowledge of Shin Megami Tensei games and has no connection to previous scenarios or characters. Set in a completely new fictitious city Persona 3 recreates an authentic Japanese school setting right down to the relationships that the player can make and break throughout an entire school year.

During the day players get to experience high school life whilst also getting the chance to enhance their character’s abilities with the choices they make throughout the school day. By spending their time wisely during the day players will get the opportunity to enhance their abilities in battle and expand the variety of Personas which they can summon.

Personas come into play during the night when they can be summoned to fight the demons and protect you from an untimely death. As your relationships with fellow students grow so will your mastery over your Personas. Different Personas can even be combined to produce even more powerful creations that await your command.

Commenting on the release of Persona 3 on PS2, Naoki Katashima, Executive Vice President of KOEI Europe and KOEI US, said, “Persona 3 is one of the most highly regarded RPGs of recent times and we are delighted to be able to bring this renowned title to European gamers. We look forward to continuing to work with Atlus to bring the very best Japanese RPGs to Europe.”

Having already received widespread critical acclaim for releases such as Disgaea Afternoon of Darkness, Atelier Iris and Phantom Brave, KOEI have now bolstered their line up of RPGs even further with this latest release and are fast becoming one of the foremost European publishers of quality Japanese RPGs. Already renowned as the leading name in the tactical action arena with their Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series having sold over 15 million worldwide, KOEI continues to look for opportunities to bring many more diverse titles to European gamers and add to the success of titles such as Colosseum: Road to Freedom, Devil Summoner and the hugely popular G1 Jockey series.

Persona 3 is the latest installment from Atlus in the Megami Tensei series that has entertained gamers in Japan for many years. The previous three Persona games have sold over 1 million units in Japan. The various games throughout the series have taken gamers from present day Japan to unique periods in history, and have given players incredible abilities and remarkable moments of excitement, shock and breathtaking entertainment.

Rule Your Personal Leaderboard... GameStrata Launches Today

GameStrata, the premier developer of community tools for gamers, today announced the launch of gamestrata.com, a new online community and ranking system for gamers. In cooperation with publishers of popular online games, including EA's Battlefield 2, Capcom's Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Sega's Universe at War, Activision's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and Sega's upcoming title, The Club, GameStrata provides players with the most comprehensive data and statistics available on their own gameplay, allowing gamers to prove once and for all how they stack up against the best players in the world.

"Whether you are playing a simple, casual game or a really immersive first person shooter, everyone wants to know where they rank," said Lance Smith, CEO of GameStrata. "You may be surprised to see your stats, but you will likely be even more surprised to see how you stack up against your friends!"

GameStrata members can use the site's broad array of game-tracking tools to analyze their own skills, and share their stats with friends and competitors. More than just keeping score, the extensive data analyses of GameStrata track every aspect of the game, providing statistics for accuracy, a user's favorite weapon, kills scored on specific classes, and more. Users can proudly display their rankings in an overall profile, listed on a public "MyStrata" page for all to see. Gamers can also add select stats and achievements on other social networks, throwing down the gauntlet to their fellow gamers and friends on sites such as Facebook.

Members will be able to bring their entire guild or clan on board, building a clan site within GameStrata for any or all of their games, arranging new matches with rival groups, and keeping track of their friends' latest accomplishments with a daily clan news feed. In addition, GameStrata will integrate users' profiles with their achievements in existing third-party award systems, including Xbox Live Achievements. Allowing gamers to come together with rich community features, forums, user-provided game tips and advice, GameStrata's unique offerings will enhance the game experience for several top-tier online titles.

Gamers can sign up now or request an invite to join and find out where they stand at www.gamestrata.com.

Carriers at War Is Updated!

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and Strategy Studies Group (www.ssg.com.au) are pleased to announce that a new update is available for the excellent naval warfare strategy game, Carriers at War. The update will bring a brand new scenario called Tarawa taking place in November 1942, a hefty number of editor improvements to make custom scenarios that much easier to create, and plenty of gameplay improvements and scenario tweaks. The new scenario, Tarawa, comes with plenty of mystery variants so you can never be sure what forces are opposing you or what their plans will be.

David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, said “Carriers at War is one of those games that just stays on your hard drive long after you’ve installed it. This new release is following in the footsteps of the original by adding more improvements and more content as time goes on. Now with a brand new scenario and plenty of mystery variants, there’s still no reason to stop playing this addicting title.”

Gregor Whiley of SSG also added "The new scenario and its mystery variants are a fantastic strategic puzzle. Combine those with dynamically changing weather conditions and the constantly teetering scale of luck and there’s yet another endlessly replayable scenario that should keep armchair admirals guessing for quite a while."

Carriers at War is a WWII naval combat and strategy game set in the Pacific Theatre. Putting you at the heart of WWII carrier combat, you are in charge of commanding carriers with powerful airgroups tasked with delivering a knockout blow to the enemy, while avoiding retribution at the hands of a canny foe. Although it includes land-based airpower, surface combat and invasions, Carriers at War focuses heavily on carrier fleet command strategy, which requires the player to use all of their naval prowess to best the enemy. Throughout the wide range of scenarios found in Carriers at War, history buffs and strategy fans alike will recognize and enjoy playing through famous engagements including Pearl Harbor, Midway, Coral Sea, Eastern Solomons, and more! This 2007 release is a fully modern, brand new Carriers at War, though it remains true to the incredible gameplay of the original wargame classic.

Get more information on Carriers at War from its official Matrix Games webpage. This update is comprehensive and will bring the version of the game up to 1.02.


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.

Two New Exclusive Titles Launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday: "Rez HD" and "Chessmaster LIVE"

A brand new recreation of the cult-classic shooter created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, “Rez HD” launches on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360™ this week. In addition to “Rez HD,” chess fans and newcomers alike will enjoy checkmating friends with “Chessmaster Live” on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Both games will be available on Wednesday, 30th January at 9:00 a.m.

“Rez HD” is a frenetic, wire-frame adventure set to industrial beats and rhythms that match the action. The story of “Rez HD” takes players deep into the world’s computer network where they must hack the system, alter the visual output and take over the music, creating unique rhythms and eye candy as they dig deeper into the cyberworld.

Developed by Q Entertainment (“Lumines Live!” and “Every Extend Extra Extreme”), “Rez HD” for Xbox LIVE Arcade is a high definition update of the original game with brand new elements such as new visuals and sound effects. The game features five levels, each with its own unique visual theme, style and musical track, as well as three modes, including Easy, Main and Score Attack. “

A downloadable version of Ubisoft’s hit “Chessmaster” series, “Chessmaster Live” allows players to test and tune their chess skills against the AI or opponents of all aptitudes around the globe via Xbox LIVE. “Chessmaster Live” features five original chess variants, including a Message Chess option, which allows gamers to engage in matches over the span of several days, weeks or even months. The title boasts both beautifully crafted 3D chess sets inspired by luxury chess board designer House of Staunton.

Where can I get “Rez HD” and “Chessmaster LIVE” from?

Rez HD: available for 800 MS Points from 9:00 a.m., Wednesday 30th January 2008

Chessmaster Live: available for 800 MS Points from 9:00 a.m., Wednesday 30th January 2008

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.

'Namco Museum RemixTM' For Wii Brings Revitalized Namco Classics To Europe

Atari today announced the forthcoming European release of NAMCO BANDAI Games’ Namco Museum Remix™ for Wii. Featuring a complete graphical makeover, Namco Museum Remix includes five remixed Namco arcade games with new controls utilizing the Wii Remote to whip, swing, twist and shake up the video game classics. Also featuring a collection of arcade games that stay true to their original arcade style, Namco Museum Remix for Wii is scheduled for European release in March 2008.

Namco Museum Remix breathes new life into all time classic games by taking their fun and famous gameplay and adding new twists which are easy to grasp, involve multiple players, and offer a level of fun only possible with the Nintendo Wii. The titles in the collection include:

Pac’n Roll Remix – Pac-Man takes a break from chomping and rolls his way to victory instead. Players navigate Pac-Man by rolling him through worlds where he will face deadly obstacles, roll-up classic pac pellets and use awesome power-ups.

Galaga Remix – With Galaga invaders arriving from the far reaches of space, players must try to shoot down the invading forces and save Pac-Man from ultimate destruction. Up to four-players are able to challenge the oncoming invaders, and scores are tallied for each player.

Pac-Motos – The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to knocking your opponents off a series of unique and colorful stages all while using the Wii Controller to move, dash and power-up your Pac-Man! Players engage in a small arena where the goal is to knock opponents off while grabbing power-ups and navigating through challenging environments.

Rally-X Remix – With up to 4 players capable of taking the screen at once, this classic Namco title is brought new life with slick graphics, power-ups and a new intuitive control scheme using the Wii Remote to steer.

Gator Panic Remix – Gators pose a serious problem and Pac-Man is here to solve it. Players use Pac-Man to whack at emerging gators that appear on screen. The player with the most gator whacks at the end of a match wins!

Also included in Namco Museum Remix are nine faithful classic Namco arcade games to experience again or for the first time: Galaxian, Dig Dug, Mappy, Xevious, Gaplus, Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania and Cutie-Q.

For more information about Atari’s entire product line up, visit http://www.atari.com.

Vivendi Games Mobile Announces Strong H1 2008 Lineup

Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, today unveiled its first-half 2008 lineup of mobile games featuring big brands and representing a variety of gaming genres, from first-person shooters to casual games. The titles featured in the first-half include popular film and television licenses – The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Bourne Conspiracy and Prison Break – that will bring non-stop action to mobile phones around the world.

“The titles that launch over the next few months position us strongly for the start of our second full year in the industry,” said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. “The lineup features a wide range of genres, as well as an ideal balance between big licensed brands and owned IP.

“Coupled with the continuing strong performances of the titles launched in ’07, which culminated with a 2007 Spike TV Video Game Award for Best Casual Title for The Incredible Machine, the games we’re announcing today will provide a strong opening quarter for us in 2008, and will pave the way for more blockbusters to come,” added Maglione.

First-Half 2008 Lineup

Celebrity Hangman
The first mobile game featuring user-generated content within the universally known gameplay mechanics of hangman, and featuring a unique “pencil & paper” graphics look. Celebrity Hangman allows users to write their own pop-culture themed hangman lists and submit them to the Celebrity Hangman Web site for selection as new weekly download packs to which users are entitled to with download.

Crash Nitro Kart 2
A major sequel to Crash Nitro Kart®, the best-selling Crash Bandicoot® mobile game to date, incorporates best-in-class 3D graphics and gameplay. Players can choose from eight different characters, eight unique karts and 16 different track options. Crash Nitro Kart 2 features sensations of extreme speed with Turbo Plane mode and Mega Boost mode; a range of effects including weightlessness in underwater and outer space levels; oil splat projections on the mobile screen; falling rocks on the track; and other twists and turns. Players can choose from game modes including Cup, Arcade, Challenges, Sudden Death and Monster Truck.

Prison Break
Based on the hit Fox TV show, Prison Break, the mobile game is an action-adventure challenge that takes place in the Fox River prison. Players will embody the most famous captive from the TV show, Michael Scofield, to help him and his brother make their way to freedom. The game incorporates all the winning TV show elements, including the original plot and characters. Players prepare to escape by collecting items, conspiring with other inmates and gaining their support. In the escape attempt, players will solve puzzles by using collected items and their prison mates’ skills.

Pub Darts 180
Pub Darts 180 marks a long-anticipated return to the mobile gaming market for the “Pub Darts” franchise, first introduced in 2004. Pub Darts 180 lets players show off their flicking skills in a cozy tavern-like environment that recreates the atmosphere of a typical English pub. Players can choose from single and multi-player (hotseat) modes. A selection of fun in-game characters and an intuitive control system builds on the successful gameplay of the title’s best-selling predecessor.

The Bourne Conspiracy
Based on Robert Ludlum’s best-selling books and blockbuster film franchise, The Bourne Conspiracy mobile game is a unique action-adventure espionage game where players become rogue agent Jason Bourne. As the game advances, Bourne unlocks special moves to add to his already powerful combat techniques and will have to use them to surpass increasingly challenging enemies. The game features a range of gameplay mechanics, such as fast-paced on-foot pursuit scenes, sniper evasion and rappelling. The stunning animation re-creates Bourne’s perfect mastery of his body, allowing him to perform acrobatic moves while fighting. The Bourne Conspiracy will also be available on console from Sierra Entertainment.

The Spiderwick Chronicles
Based on the upcoming film by Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies adapted from the best-selling books of the same name, The Spiderwick Chronicles mobile game allows players to experience and explore the visible and invisible worlds of the Spiderwick universe. Players can control up to five different characters, each with special abilities, and use their skills to solve mysterious riddles and to uncover the truth about the enchanted world of Spiderwick. The Spiderwick Chronicles will also be available on console from Sierra Entertainment.

Wordox: Word Snatcher
Vivendi Games Mobile’s first network-connected multiplayer game, Wordox: Word Snatcher is based on the popular Wordox online game which reached a peak of 2.5 million players in 2002. The title brings a competitive strategy twist to the word challenge genre by allowing the stealing of opponent’s letters to score extra points, and features an extended dictionary with more than 100,000 words. Online players can choose the multiplayer version and challenge real players, or the game can be played in single player mode against a virtual player.

Vivendi Games Mobile’s first-half 2008 lineup reinforces its commitment to being a major player in the European market for mobile games. Vivendi Games Mobile is known for innovative titles including Surviving High School and Surviving Hollywood (episodic games which offer updated content each week); People’s Choice Hangman (enables user-generated content) and the critically acclaimed first-person shooter Urban Attack.™

About Vivendi Games Mobile
Vivendi Games Mobile (www.vgmobile.com), a division of Vivendi Games, creates and publishes quality titles for the mobile games market. The division runs a global business, with its headquarters, operations and an internal development team in Paris, a US-based team in Los Angeles and its Centerscore studio in San Mateo, California. The company publishes games based on original IP, popular entertainment licenses and classic Sierra Entertainment IP, which are distributed by more than 90 operators and dozens of Web portals in 60 countries around the world.

About FOX Mobile Entertainment
Fox Mobile Entertainment (FME) is a leading mobile content provider for wireless carriers and consumers, providing mobile content in all forms from top FOX TV shows such as 24, Prison Break, and Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? and from such recent films as Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem and The Simpsons Movie. An industry pioneer, FME created American Idol’s text-message voting system and the now-pervasive term Mobisodes™ Series, defining short episodic programming designed exclusively for mobile phones. Additionally, the Company runs mobile video channels on all major US carriers.

Raid Nets Consoles Bundled With £12K Cash video games print money!

A raid undertaken to investigate a man operating an illegal business selling Sony PSP (PlayStation Portable) SD memory cards and chipping offences resulted in the discovery of over £12,000 in cash stuffed into a single original Microsoft Xbox console and three PlayStation2 consoles.

Following the raid at a man’s house in Tower Hamlets on Monday 14th January the incredible discovery only came about when the consoles, seized by Tower Hamlets Trading Standards investigators and officers from the Metropolitan Police, were handed over to ELSPA (the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) IP Crime Unit investigators.

Following standard protocol, the ELSPA investigators began removing the casing of each of the four consoles with the intention of checking for evidence of circumvention devices (chips) and tampered hard drives when they discovered several plastic bank bags – each containing thousands of pounds sterling in note form.

The Xbox contained a staggering £5,925 where the hard drive should have been and the three PlayStation2s each volunteered £2,835 £2,025, and £1,425 respectively, making a grand, wallet-bulging total of £12,210 recovered.

Cash discovery aside, the man had been selling PSP games on SD memory cards (he was caught in possession of an estimated 75) and providing an Xbox and PlayStation 2 chipping service. Consequently, a POCA (Proceeds Of Crime Act) investigation has already started to estimate the criminal gain from his illegal activities.

Michael Rawlinson, managing director of ELSPA, commented: “I’ve heard it all now. It never ceases to amaze ELSPA and its investigators the lengths criminals go to make money – and always to the detriment of honest, hard working businesses. I congratulate Tower Hamlets Trading Standards on bringing to an end this illegal business operation.”

Bogarus Rises! Dominions 3.14 Now Available!

Who says January has to be an unexciting time for computer gaming? Illwinter Game Design and Shrapnel Games are pleased to announce a new patch for the multi-award winning fantasy strategy title, Dominions 3, overflowing with the delectable goodness you've come to expect from Illwinter.

Bringing the retail game to version 3.14 the patch includes something for everyone, even your dear old grandmother! Like new nations? Of course you do! And so you get a new late age nation, Bogarus! Do you get your mod on? Version 3.14 adds a number of helpful modding commands for everyone who enjoys tweaking the game. What about bugs, you say? 3.14 kills bugs deader than Britney Spears' career.

The complete list of changes found in the 3.14 patch includes:

•NEW! A new late era nation called Bogarus!
•NEW! Bakemono got a new scout.
•NEW! New random events.
•Spell AI: Touch of madness and Berserkers avoids casters and archers to some extent.
•Spell AI: No longer casts LoS on armorless units.
•Modding: Increased maximum number of descriptions.
•Modding: Max number of nations and nametypes increased.
•Modding: New monster commands: #darkpower, #firepower, #coldpower, #stormpower, #fallpower, #winterpower, #summerpower, #springpower, #darkvision, #onebattlespell, #patrolbonus.
•Modding: New item commands: #newitem, #descr, #weapon, #armor, #type, #name, #copyspr.
•Modding: New spell command: #nextspell.
•FIXED! MR bless bonus was sometimes displayed incorrectly.
•FIXED! Dominion sometimes spread in incorrect ways.
•FIXED! Legions of Steel bug fixed.
•FIXED! 'y'-screen bug fix.
•FIXED! Caster of Stygian Paths took 1 point of damage for each unit under his command instead of the units taking the damage.
•FIXED! Stygian Paths reported random number of lost on the way.
•FIXED! Ritual casting magic items could malfunction.
•FIXED! Bug preventing more than a hundred sprites or so in mods has been squashed.
•FIXED! Several minor fixes to monster stats and magic sites.
•FIXED! Dance of the morrigans fixed.
•FIXED! Setting 1920x1200 resolution didn't work properly.
•More magic sites enabled in caves.
•Scathach got her magic and flight.
•Hydra sacred all the way.

Please note that prior score graphs will disappear when the version 3.14 patch is applied.

The version 3.14 patch is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux and can be downloaded directly from Shrapnel Games at:

www.shrapnelgames.com/Illwinter/Dom3/6.htm

Dominions 3 is an award-winning juggernaut of turn-based strategy gaming that make most other strategy games weep in envy. Available for all popular operating systems (Win, Mac, Linux) Dominions 3 is a game that isn't afraid to use the word 'epic' to describe its gameplay and really mean it. You can recruit, research, empower, forge, battle, search, pray, blood hunt, assassinate, move, storm castles, enchant items, sneak, build, starve, heal, scout. Enjoy three eras of play, scores of nations, well over a thousand unique units, hundreds of magic spells and items, twenty-one players in a single game, random map creation, a manual that could choke Linda Lovelace, and more.

Dominions is also a game that is constantly growing. From the wonderful official support of the developers who have added expansion packs worth of new content since its original release, to the fan base with their ever growing mod library, Dominions 3 is a living, breathing organism. In an era where a Grant will get you six hours of gameplay, that same Grant will get you thousands of hours of gameplay with Dominions 3.

For more information on what may be the last fantasy strategy game that you'll ever need, please visit:

www.shrapnelgames.com/Illwinter/Dom3/1.htm

A complete catalog of Shrapnel Games products may be accessed by visiting us at www.shrapnelgames.com. Since 1999 Shrapnel Games has brought a wide array of unique titles to gamers around the globe, both in computer and board format. Be sure to check out current favorites such as Air Assault Task Force, Weird Worlds: Return to Infinite Space, and WinSPWW2, along with upcoming titles such as Eat Electric Death! and ETO: European Theatre of Operations.

Wii-kly Update: New Classic Game Added To Wii Shop Channel

Traverse the half-pipe from the comfort of your living room. With this classic game, it's Winter Break all the time. Freestyle through white powder, and school your best pal with your new trick! Did you get air?

This new classic game goes live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel 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 game is:

1080°® SNOWBOARDING (N64®, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Hit the slopes for some serious shredding in one of the first truly realistic snowboarding games ever created! Start in the lodge and select from five characters, each with his/her own particular attributes and special tricks. Then take a look at the wide assortment of available boards and choose one that best suits your rider and style. Once you've got the gear, six different modes of play, including Match Race, Trick Attack, and 2-Player Versus, await. Pick a course and get ready to experience a sensation of speed that'll make you forget all about the cold—but it might just send a shiver down your spine. Throw in hidden characters and boards, varying weather and snow conditions, multiple paths through each course, and a variety of tricks to master—topped off with rock-solid play control—and you've got a recipe for winter fun that you can enjoy any time of the year. It's all the fun and excitement of the sport, without the bruises and frostbite!

For more information about Wii, please visit http://wii.com.

Mischievous Monster Mayhem

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 animation 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.

“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.”

About RealtimeUK

RealtimeUK is a production house that creates stunning computer-generated 3D imagery and animations and is widely recognised for producing CG films that make a real impact on their target audience and deliver awesome image quality. RealtimeUK have a successful history of producing imaginative animations for both photo-real and stylised games for some of the world’s premier developers and publishers including Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), Evolution Studios, Juice Games and Namco, and have now produced all 8 intro animations for SCEE’s Bafta Award Winning franchise Buzz!

RealtimeUK also work with some of the world’s leading advertising agencies, producing high-impact CG animations for both online advertising campaigns and product websites. They have worked on high profile projects such as Prehistoric Park for ITV, Vauxhall VXR, Fiat and most recently produced a launch animation for the new Audi R8 super car. Their animations have produced proven results for clients.

To date, RealtimeUK’s client base boasts such well known names as AKQA, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Vauxhall, Juice Games, Ford, Modem Media, Audi, Evolution Studios, Fiat and Codemasters. Their track record and impressive client list has enabled RealtimeUK to win some of the most exciting contracts in the industry. A range of project examples can be viewed at www.realtimeuk.com

RealtimeUK has built up an impressive bank of CG animation and imagery case studies over the past 11 years. With a highly experienced, talented and growing team of Digital Artists and animators, RealtimeUK is confident in their ability to service their clients every CGI requirement, regardless of complexity.

Samsung Embeds I-play's 'Win at Texas Hold Em' Mobile Video & Game

I-play, the mobile publishing arm of Oberon Media, today announced an embed deal with Samsung for its trail blazing ‘made for mobile’ videos, ‘Win at Texas Hold Em’ and Negreanu Pro Poker, the mobile game. The mobile videos and game are presented by Daniel Negreanu, arguably the most successful tournament player in poker history, and will be embedded on the Samsung E950 in February 2008.

A specially designed poker pack will be launched by Samsung containing the E950, Negreanu Pro Poker, the mobile game and twenty-five ‘made for mobile’ ‘Win at Texas Hold Em’ clips and will be available through hundreds of retail outlets in France.

I-play and Daniel have created ‘made for mobile’ video clips, to unleash the potential Texas Hold Em champion that lies in every player. Whether you’re a novice, occasional player or pro, you can learn to win with this video clip series. The 2-3 minute clips, presented by Daniel, have been shot at the Venetian Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, with twenty-five clips covering the basic fundamentals through to more advanced topics such as tournament play, no-limit strategy, tells/bluffs to hot tips.

I-play and Daniel have also creating a next generation mobile poker game, the Artificial Intelligence behind has been tested against Daniel himself, and will therefore be the most sophisticated AI available on the market. Daniel’s enthusiasm for poker is insatiable, and having him by your side as your personal tutor, providing intelligent and in-depth analysis at each stage of the game is sure to make you winner.

Daniel Negreanu has been consistently winning poker tournaments since the age of 23 and has accumulated over 36 world-wide poker victories along the way. In 1998, he earned the title of “youngest World Series of Poker (WSOP) champion,” a designation he held until 2004. His career tournament winnings top $10.6 million dollars, which puts him in the top three poker players worldwide in terms of tournament earnings. Daniel’s professional accolades include being named the 2004 Card Player Magazine Player of the Year, 2004 ESPN World Series of Poker (WSOP) Player of the Year, and 2004-05 World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year.

Stephane Blanc, Business Development and OEM Director Europe for I-play commented: “We are extremely excited to be launching the next generation in poker entertainment with Samsung and to be working with someone as accomplished and well-respected on the poker circuit as Daniel. I-play’s diversification into mobile video capitalizes on the huge opportunity this space presents while leveraging the company’s partnerships and proprietary technology strengths. The combination of the mobile video and game signals a ground-breaking new offering and an industry first, offering bite sized chunks of entertainment to develop the Texas Hold’em aficionado in us all.”

About I-play

I-play brings the best in mobile entertainment to an audience of over one billion people via a network of more than 120 carriers worldwide. I-play has been creating mobile games since 1998 and continues to spearhead the creation of mobile entertainment for the next generation.

I-play is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oberon Media, the world's leading casual games company. Oberon’s Game Centre platform, is the industry standard and has been adopted by many of the world's largest corporations. The platform combines casual game content, merchandizing and features to fulfil each partner's specific needs. Oberon Media's publishing arm works with the industry's best, award-winning game developers to produce the top-selling casual games, which can be played in more than a dozen languages on PC, web-based, mobile and console platforms.

Founded in 2003, Oberon Media is headquartered in New York, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia.

For more information visit us at http://www.iplay.com/

THQ Wireless Inc. And Playboy Enterprises Sign Global Agreement For New Mobile Games Launch

THQ Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI), today announced that it has signed a worldwide agreement with Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: PLA, PLAA) to exclusively develop Playboy-branded mobile games. The multi-year Playboy agreement covers the development and publishing rights to multiple Playboy-branded, lifestyle themed, non-nude mobile games featuring bikini-clad Playmates to be released worldwide. The first title, Playboy Games: Pool Party, is scheduled to launch in summer 2008.

“Given the extensive appeal and popularity of the Playboy brand, mobile games based on this license are sure to provide a fun and entertaining experience,” said Adam Comiskey, vice president, international, THQ Wireless. “THQ Wireless is ideally positioned to provide engaging games with the hallmark of the Playboy lifestyle.”

“The number of Playboy fans around the world has never been greater and that popularity is reflected in the growing sales of Playboy-branded products and services,” said Ed Lang, senior vice president of mobile, Playboy Media Group. ”Given the growth of the mobile industry, we’re excited to join THQ Wireless in offering this next-generation form of entertainment to consumers."

Playboy Games: Pool Party will include a set of mini-games depicting animated, bikini-clad Playmates at the famous Playboy Mansion engaged in “pool party sports” including poolside water balloon fights, waterslide slaloms and aquatic mechanical bull riding. Developed by THQ Wireless internal studio Universomo, Playboy Games: Pool Party is based on actual events held at the Playboy Mansion and immortalized in the Playboy Home Entertainment DVD release, Playmate Playoffs, hosted by Chuck Woolery.

Early Registration Opens for the 2008 ION Game Conference

Game industry professionals looking for an upscale exclusive event to attend this year need look no further: the 2008 ION Game Conference is now open for early online registration. The discounted early registration rate will only be offered until March 17, 2008. Attendees can save $500 off the full registration price by registering online before the cutoff date. Attendees are encouraged to register early, since ION will have a limited capacity and is likely to sell out.

The ION Game Conference will take place at the first-class Seattle Waterfront Marriott Hotel in Seattle's picturesque waterfront district from May 13 to May 15, 2008. ION will feature a broad array of in-depth level lectures and panels, networking events and an expo area exhibiting cutting-edge products and services relevant to the industry for 2008 and beyond.

The Seattle Marriott Waterfront hotel, the site for the 2008 ION Game Conference and all official event activities, is offering a special discounted rate for attendees of $209 for single or double occupancy. The rate is available until April 14, 2008.

“We’re enthusiastic about being able to be to open our doors again for 2008, so game industry veterans can see for themselves all the exciting changes we have planned under the new ION Game Conference banner,” said Peter Freese, Conference Director for the 2008 ION Game Conference.

The 2008 ION Game Conference is shaping up to be an exciting, ground-breaking experience for the online game industry, as the lectures, panels, networking events and more take form. Confirmed speakers for the conference include:
Allison Luong - Managing Director, Pearl Research
Bill Fulton - Founder, Ronin User Experience
David Ryan Hunt - Game Designer, Flying Lab Software
Geoffrey Zatkin - CEO, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research (EEDAR)
Osma Ahvenlampi - CTO, Sulake

The ION Game Conference is an annual game industry event designed for an international attendee audience, for those who strive to network and learn about new online game development and business trends, at the highest level. Visit the official website http://www.ionconference.com for the latest news and information about the ION Game Conference. To review the global and diversified advisory board supporting the ION Game Conference, visit http://www.ionconference.com/advisors.html. To keep informed about the latest news about ION and the online game industry, sent straight to your e-mail Inbox, sign up for the free ION Connection newsletter at http://www.ionconference.com/signup.html.

First person shooter - NecroVisioN, PC video game

First person shooter, NecroVisioN, for PC across Europe under the newly created 1C Label.

Developed by The Farm 51, NecrovisioN is a first person shooter which immerses gamers in the claustrophobic trenches and bunkers of the First World War. Reminiscent of a Lovecraft horror, NecroVisioN seamlessly mixes the harrowing battlefields with a nightmarish demon and vampire underworld, unleashing a truly visceral experience.

The year is 1916 and the Great War has been raging for two long years when Simon Bunker, a US army soldier, joins the front line with the allied forces. During the ferocious fighting, Bunker and his battalion get lost behind enemy lines while trying to break through to allied positions. While being pushed back into defensive positions they stumble across a series of mysterious trenches where all is not as it seems. As they push forward they discover that there is a greater evil hiding underneath the battlefields of the Great War, an evil which is forcing its way to our world and threatens to change the delicate balance of power.

Battling his way through the trenches, Bunker uncovers an enemy more deadly than anything he has ever encountered. Demons and vampires wage a brutal underground war, which is spilling into the human world, and Bunker finds himself fighting not only for his own survival, but the survival of Mankind.

Key features include:

- a stunning mix of WWI and Hellish underworld environments
- intense and explosive first person combat
- 18 different weapons with a mix of authentic WWI and Underworld mystical
- hordes of enemies including human, demons and vampires
- 12 visceral missions to challenge all abilities
- huge, brutal boss battles
- online/LAN gaming for up to 16 players
- six maps with three game modes, including deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag/artefact

Sony PlayStation 3 overtaking Microsoft XBox 360 In Europe?

A million PS3s sold in PAL region in December; Gap closing quickly on 360
PlayStation 3 is set to overtake Xbox 360 in Europe by the summer of this year, despite launching well over a year after its rival.

That was the bullish claim of SCEE president and CEO David Reeves this week, who revealed that PS3 has already outsold 360 in certain territories such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy.

In an exclusive interview, Reeves told MCV that in December PS3, PSP and PS2 all sold over a million units each in the PAL region.

And although Sony Corporation is yet to announce full global sales figures, Reeves provided a snapshot of PS3’s PAL performance so far, whilst predicting the leap ahead of Xbox 360 within the next few months.

“In December we sold just over a million PlayStation 3s during the month,” he told MCV. “That’s across all PAL territories and that’s a sell-through figure. About 20-22 per cent of that figure was sold in the UK alone.

We’re very happy with the performance of PS3 in the UK.

“We don’t often mention the competition, but I will give you some interesting data: In terms of installed base in some of our major markets, such as France, Spain, Germany and Italy – plus some distributor territories in smaller markets like Switzerland – our current cumulative installed base is now higher than Xbox 360.

“It has not yet reached that in the UK. But the team here expect to overtake the installed base of Xbox 360 across all PAL territories in late summer. It’s also worth mentioning that last week we outsold Xbox 360 in PAL territories by a ratio of three to one.”

Full interview from MVC

Mass Effect sex-show Fox News to EA: Let's Talk…On Camera

Electronic Arts asked Fox News to correct false statements the publisher believes the channel made about Mass Effect on a recent installment of Live Desk With Martha MacCallum.

The news channel's response? Come on the show, and we'll talk about it.

As first reported on MTV's Multiplayer gaming blog, an unnamed Fox News spokesperson says the network has "extended several invitations to EA through a company representative to appear on 'Live Desk With Martha MacCallum' to discuss 'Mass Effect' and the segment which aired on Monday. We have received no response."

Today, Fox News sent that same statement to IGN, declining to comment further on the matter.

In light of the way EA feels the show's reporters presented their game, an appearance on Live Desk may be the last thing the company has in mind. In a letter this week to Fox News, which is owned by IGN parent company News Corp., EA VP of communications Jeff Brown accused the show of being reckless, ignorant and unfair in its treatment of Mass Effect, a BioWare role-playing game released last year to wide critical acclaim.

Brown took Fox to task for unfairly judging Mass Effect against other Fox properties and asked the channel to correct what EA says were errors in its reporting and presentation of the game:

"As videogames continue to take audiences away from television, we expect to see more TV news stories warning parents about the corrupting influence of interactive entertainment. But this represents a new level of recklessness.

"Do you watch the Fox Network? Do you watch Family Guy? Have you ever seen The OC? Do you think the sexual situations in Mass Effect are any more graphic than scenes routinely aired on those shows? Do you honestly believe that young people have more exposure to Mass Effect than to those prime time shows?

"This isn't a legal threat; it's an appeal to your sense of fairness. We're asking FNC to correct the record on Mass Effect."

We've contacted EA for an update, but have yet to hear back. We'll keep you posted on the Mass Effect mess.

Source: UK media box

SEGA Bass Fishing on Nintendo Wii out in February

The Nintendo Wii has crappy fishing games. What's up with that? Three fishing titles have come out and none of them have managed to be more fun than the fishing minigame in Twilight Princess. At the end of February SEGA will throw its hat (and line) into the ring when it releases SEGA Bass Fishing, a sequel of sorts to the popular arcade and Dreamcast series. They came by the office and dangled the game like a lure in front of our faces until we bit.

Though the series doesn't have numbers attached to the titles, players can think of the new Wii title as SEGA Bass Fishing 3 ½. In addition to seven completely new levels, the game features eight remade levels from the arcade and Dreamcast versions. So long time fishing fans will get to see some familiar spots along with the new ones. We got a chance to check out the Dam, Country, Spring, and Castle levels. Each one has a distinct feel to them, even when underwater. It doesn't become the same thing once the lure dips below the surface.

The levels have different variables that can be selected by the player before starting. The Season, time of Day, and Weather can all be selected from a variety of options, and the gameplay changes based on the player's choice.


As far as the fishing mechanics go, SEGA Bass Fishing operates similarly to other fighting games. Player's hold the Wii remote in their left hand like a fishing pole, and fling it to cast. By rotating the nunchuck in their right hand the player can drag their lure, or reel in fish. There's also a Wii remote only mode of play, where reeling is controlled with the A and B buttons. It works, but seemed to be far less fun, especially since SEGA Bass Fishing is a series based on being a very tactile fishing experience.

One of the biggest additions to the new Bass Fishing is the incorporation of four species of bass, instead of just one. There's Florida Large Mouth, Red Eye, Small Mouth and Northern Spike Large Mouth. That's four times the fish! The extra types of fish will hopefully add new levels of depth and complexity to a pretty basic series. Already we got to see some of the fish AI, and how they react different to different lures. The separate species have unique strategies for trying to get off the hook.

SEGA Bass Fishing features four different game modes: Arcade, Tournament, Practice, and Nature. The first three should be pretty obvious, especially for players of the previous games, but Nature is a new mode. It's like a Free Play mode where players can fish as long as they want without the timer, objectives, or dramatic fishing theme music. It's designed to create a more casual, realistic fishing experience that doesn't require the player to wake up at 3 a.m.

Those competitive fishing enthusiast gamers who are hoping to get some multiplayer fishing action in will have to wait. SEGA Bass Fishing is single player only. It's designed to stay true to the arcade roots of its predecessor. Perhaps they will appreciate SEGA's effort to make the game more accurate by getting fishing experts to confirm the names for the various fishing terms and 20 different lures.

Source: ign

Professor Layton - Curious Village game on Nintendo DS

And now, here we are: Nintendo of America has localized the first Professor Layton game, titled Professor Layton and the Curious Village, and is readying the game for its February 10th street date in the US. The publisher recently handed over a final version of the game so that I can see for myself what the hubbub is all about, and so far in my short hands-on with the game I really like what I've played.

The game opens up with an extremely well-produced video complete with equally quality voice acting. The animation is almost theatrical quality with an almost French-inspired art style, something that might remind people of The Triplets of Bellville. The characters, the puzzle hungry intellect Professor Layton and his eager young apprentice Luke are traversing the backroads of a European country towards St. Mystere. The duo is intrigued with a Golden Apple, a treasure that has sprouted up in the late Baron Augustus Reinhold's will.


For those that miss the point-and-click genre from the days of the PC, you'll find a lot to like in this Nintendo DS game. The game focused both on exploration as well as puzzle solving, though – at least in the early part of the game – many of the puzzles are more detached from the adventure than incorporated into their environments. What I mean is, in these early puzzles, you're not running around finding different pieces to a puzzle and trying to use these items in some fashion to move on in the adventure. Instead, you're given brain teasing challenges that revolve around a certain object that you find

All this could change as I get deeper into the game, but it definitely seems like all puzzles you discover are stand-alone challenges based upon the location you happen to be in. The first puzzle the player's given is to circle the village on the map based upon the clue that's given on the top screen. In another, you have to pick the proper slot to put the crank based upon the crank's shape. And in another, when you click on a clock you're tasked to figure out how many times a non-military, 12-hour digital clock will display three or more of the same numbers in a row during a 24 hour day.

Each puzzle has a specific value and every time you answer a puzzle incorrectly that value goes down, lowering the amount of points you can earn. However, you can use hint coins to help you solve particularly tricky puzzles, coins that are earned by poking at specific areas in the environment. The game warns that there are only a finite amount of coins to be used in the adventure, so it's best to only use them when you need to.

Though the game's challenging, it's easy to cheat the system by guessing, getting the right answer, then turning off the system and restarting at the last save point to answer the question without the guesses. But you're not going to do that, right?

And even when the adventure's over, it's not. Nintendo plans on putting one puzzle a week on the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. In my playtest there was already one on the server: a puzzle where you have to rearrange matchsticks in such a way that turns five squares into four.

The game looks to be extremely extensive with several dozen puzzles in the adventure, and then the extra puzzles that'll only be available when you hop online with the system. In all, there seems to be several hours of gameplay in Professor Layton's first adventure in the US. Watch for my full review when the game ships in just a few short weeks.

Source: ign

Death Track: Resurrection PC Video game lauched

European release of Death Track: Resurrection, the successor to the legendary Deathtrack, considered by many as the founder of the modern combat racing genre. Developed by SkyFallen Entertainment, Death Track: Resurrection is due to release on PC in early 2008 and will be published under the new 1C Label.

Death Track: Resurrection is a racing/action title set in the not too distant future where traditional sports have been replaced and a new, violent entertainment rules. The attention of the world’s population is drawn to the main event of the year, ‘The Survival Race’, the biggest and most brutal race on the calendar. This is a world tournament that takes place in the largest cities across the globe and attracts the most powerful vehicles and world-renowned drivers on the circuit. Spectacular road battles and insane driving keeps the crowds screaming for more and the lure of fame and fortune attracts more rookie drivers every race.

You are one such rookie who enters the tournament for the first time. Soon enough it becomes clear that the battle on the track is not always a fair one and to achieve top results you must use every ounce of driving skill and every weapon at your disposal. On your way to the top you’ll have to win treacherous races and brutal battles, eliminate all who stand in your way and bear witness to great treachery. Do you have what it takes to survive?


Key features:

· 10 cities of the future including Bangkok, Vatican City, London, Moscow, New York, Paris, Prague, San Diego, Istanbul and Tokyo.
· Cutting-edge graphics and stunning visuals.
· Five racing modes with over 100 km of tracks.
· 10 powerful cars with different upgrades options and skins.
· Deadly weapons, mines, guided robots and a huge range of bonuses.
· Breathtaking aerial stunts.
· In-game videos reveal the thrilling plot.
· Next gen graphics and physics engine.
· Exclusive soundtrack.

Death Track: Resurrection will be published by 505 Games under the 1C Label for PC across Europe in 2008.