Clever Communications makes impressive public relations

Clever Communications, a public relations agency specializing in interactive entertainment products, celebrates a major milestone in its company’s history-its one-year anniversary of serving the interactive entertainment industry. The Clever team, the agency of record for top publishers including Hudson Entertainment, K2 Network and more, provides an array of public relations services including customized public relations programs, media outreach, messaging, strategic counsel and more. The agency was started in January of 2007 by Mika Kelly, who previously held PR management positions at Namco, Infogrames (Atari) and more.

“We are so excited to reach this milestone in our company’s history,” said Mika Kelly, Principal at Clever Communications.

“We have worked so hard this last year to acquire and impress our clients and our success has been evident as we have grown and flourished. We look forward to helping many more companies to promote their services and products in 2008.”

Over the course of its first year in business, Clever has managed public relations outreach and projects for top video game industry clients including Hudson Entertainment, K2 Network, Ignition Entertainment, Playspan, G4Box Inc., True Games Interactive and the Mastering the Craft of Online Gaming Infrastructure Conference. In addition, the Clever team has branched beyond traditional game clients managing campaigns for Music and Video Production Company, 3volution Productions as well as energy drink company, Redux Beverages and its products: Cocaine and Brawndo.

As the company’s client roster has grown, so has the Clever team, including the hiring of industry veteran, Tina Casalino. Formerly of Sony Computer Entertainment of America and Reverb Communications, Casalino manages day-to-day media outreach, planning, strategy and more as a Senior Account Executive at Clever.

“Clever has impressed us with their extensive knowledge of the video game industry and their proven close-knit relationships with top-tier media contacts and publications,” said John Lee, Vice President of Marketing at Hudson Entertainment. “Their hard work since we started working together has made a great impact on our visibility in the industry—we look forward to a long partnership.”

Clever Communications has offices in Northern and Southern California and partner agencies in many European countries. Additional information can be found on the Clever Communications website www.clevercomm.com.

The alternative Game BAFTAs get sponsored!

Thanks to a kind sponsorship offer this year’s awards are to become: The Rodent Game Awards 2008 – Sponsored by Deep Silver.

Stephanie Baker of Deep Silver comments: “…The Rodent chaps play and love videogames – as the industry becomes ever more sophisticated and more deeply commercial, we thought it was worth celebrating the joy of actually playing and loving videogames.”

The event is to be held TONIGHT, Thursday the 31st of January 2008, in a London pub and to celebrate Deep Silver’s sponsorship we have been able to release a handful of extra tickets. They’ll go quicker than, I dunno, Hot Coffee so blag yourself a couple from here:

http://rodent.eventwax.com/rodent-game-awards-night-2008

www.WayoftheRodent.com – you lucky people!

WARNING! New Challenger approaching...

SPOILER ALERT

Every Character/Map leaked onto the web.

Returning Characters (Known from Dojo):

Mario
Donkey Kong
Link
Samus
Kirby
Fox
Pikachu
Zelda/Shiek
Peach
Yoshi
Ice Climbers
Bowser

Returning New Characters (Not posted on Dojo):

Marth
Game & Watch
Luigi
Falco
Ganondorf
Ness
Captain Falcon
Jigglypuff

Newcomers Known:

Diddy
Pit
Metaknight
Pokemon Trainer
Ike
Snake
Dedede
Olimar
Lucas
Sonic
Wario

Newly released Newcomers:

Lucario
Toon Link
R.O.B.
Star Wolf

Known Stages:

Battlefield (Original)
Battleship Halberd (Kirby Super Star)
Bridge of Eldin (The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess)
Castle Siege (Fire Emblem)
Delfino Plaza (Super Mario Sunshine)
Distant Planet (Pikmin)
Frigate Orpheon (Metroid Prime)
Lylat Cruise (Star Fox)
Mario Circuit (Mario Kart)
Mushroomy Kingdom (Super Mario Bros)
New Pork City (Mother 3)
Norfair (Metroid)
PictoChat (DS)
Pokémon Stadium 2 (Pokémon)
Rumble Falls (Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat)
Shadow Moses Island (Metal Gear Solid)
Skyworld (Kid Icarus)
Smashville (Animal Crossing)
The Summit (Ice Climber)
WarioWare (WarioWare)
Yoshi's Island (Yoshi's Island)
Brinstar (Metroid)
Corneria (Star Fox)
Onett (Earthbound)
Rainbow Ride (Super Mario 64)
Temple (Zelda II: The Adventure of Link)
Yoshi's Island (Yoshi's Island)

Stages Returning (Previously unannounced):

Big Blue

New stages (Unannounced):

Classic Mario Bros. Stage
Green Hill Zone
Tetra's Ship
Port Town
Mt. Coronet
Luigi's Mansion
Electroplankton Stage

For a full summary, visit: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233454

END SPOILER

Dungon Explorer Warriors Of Ancient Arts Goes Gold On PSP (PlayStation Portable) System And Nintendo DS

Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, today announced Dungeon Explorer Warriors of Ancient Arts for the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, and the Nintendo DS have gone to gold master. Published by Hudson and distributed in North America by Konami Digital Entertainment Inc., both versions are planned to ship February 12th, 2008 for a SRP of $29.99 each.

In the game for the PSP system, players are trained in weaponry and mystical forces as Warriors of Ancient Arts. On a quest and ready to uncover the fate of a legendary kingdom, gamers will prepare to battle demonic forces and monstrous creatures. Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts features hundreds of variations of weapons, armor and equipment that can be chosen and upgraded throughout the adventure to defeat enemies. Unique for the PSP system, players have the ability to choose their warfare style with more than 150 different kinds of fighting arts, including Big Bang Arts, allowing three players to team up to triple their destructive power in Ad-Hoc Multiplayer mode.

In the Nintendo DS version, gamers find themselves in a land plagued by a legion of undead, monstrous soldiers. The story takes place centuries after the events of the PSP version, as a legend foretells of a hero who will rise to face the threat.

Gamers must rediscover the lost Ancient Fighting Arts of Westria to restore peace to a once vibrant kingdom. With more than 60 different fighting arts across 8 lost Ancient Fighting Art schools, players can become a skilled warrior to successfully wage battle against dangerous enemies such as the Demon God's undead soldiers, mutated monsters, and an army of ancient automatons. The game offers hundreds of weapons, armor and equipment; all can be reworked along the way. Players can also choose from three hero races and three character classes to form a unique warrior for battle. For a group effort, 3 players can join forces to battle the Demon God's minions via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

For info and assets for both versions please visit: http://www.clevercomm.com/DungeonScreensJanuary/
For more information on Hudson Entertainment or Dungeon Explorer, please visit http://www.hudsonent.com/.

HandyGames honoured with more than 100 awards!

HandyGames is proud of having broken the mark of 100 international awards for their mobile games „Made in Germany“, in January 2008.

In addition to the successful Townsmen-series, big licenses like Gothic 3 – The Beginning or Panzer Tactics and especially complex in-house titles like Sturmtrupp Mars or Anarchy 2087 were able to win the specialised press’ hearts.

The promising line-up for the first half of 2008 already contains a huge potential with exceptional casual games like Dynamite Fishing, new extreme sports titles like Park or Die or action-strategy-blockbusters like The Egyptians.

"This year’s major goal is to bring our top titles area-wide to the US and Asia. Talks have already started and will be intensified at the GDC in San Francisco.“, says Markus Kassulke, CEO of HandyGames™. „The partner who will release only a couple of our top titles in the USA, can count on an enormous increase in sales and thus gain important market shares in this highly competitive market - with only little effort and risk!“

"Our mix of strong licenses and unique in-house productions is going to cause a stir in the industry in 2008 and will lead to increasing market shares in Europe, too.“, says Udo Bausewein, CFO of HandyGames™. „We will continue to focus on very high quality and an in-house production.” From game-design, graphics, programming, sound to porting and QA – everything is done by the company’s own staff in Germany.“

In this course, the HandyGames™ team would like to thank all the renowned European magazines like Airgamer, Areamobile, Doupe, Gaminator, GamingXP, HandyPlayer, Jeuxpo, Jeuxvideo, Looki, Mobilegamefaqs, MobilHry, Mogaming, Movilgamers, Play2Go, Pocketgamer, Projectnext, Wgworld (alphabetical order) and many others for the long and successful cooperation!

Sexy Gemma Atkinson looking racy for 3!

TV star Gemma Atkinson looked stunning yesterday in her racy grid girl outfit, presenting the 3 Need for Speed gaming tournament. The tournament marked an exclusive partnership between 3 and EA Games, offering top racing game Need for Speed ProStreet free on any Sony Ericsson W910i handset.

The tournament saw hopefully drivers going for the fastest lap time over 3 laps, with the eventual winner walking home with a fantastic 5 night trip to Tokyo, home of street racing.

The Sony Ericsson W910i takes music on the move to a different level. Not only does it offer Walkman® and Track ID, but it brings you the new ‘Shake It’ Control which when activated, lets you select a song by the flick of your wrist. Add a 1GB memory card and a 2.4" screen and with the 3 Turbo network you literally have the fastest ‘mobile’ music handset available.

Gaming on a handset has never been more intense - accelerate, slow down and turn by tilting your phone in a particular direction. The A + B control keys complete the unique mobile gaming experience.

While stocks last, 3 are offering Need for Speed ProStreet free with the phone. Specifically designed for mobile handsets, players hit iconic street racing locations and strap themselves into one of 16 licensed high performance cars. Racers can use nitrous boosts to burn rubber on as many as 11 intense road courses, and smoke eight other competitors as they go full throttle in a tricked-out car.

This Just In... Namco Networks Launches Atlantis Sky Patrol

Namco Networks, the leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the availability of the hit PC game Atlantis Sky Patrol on mobile, the company’s first title through its partnership with Big Fish Games. Atlantis Sky Patrol is a unique marble-matching puzzler with hundreds of levels, mini-games and innovative game play mechanics.

In the game, players lead Atlantis Sky Patrol in the fight to destroy Doomsday Devices that have been detected in the skies above Earth. With a double-tiered game mechanic, there are two game objectives to clear each level. The first is to dismantle the machine’s stationary control mechanism. The second is to clear the chain of marbles within each level by shooting matching colored marbles.

“With the popularity of mobile puzzlers among consumers across the U.S., we wanted to bring a quality game that introduced new features to this genre, taking the game play to an entirely new level,” said Scott Rubin, vice president of sales and marketing, Namco Networks. “The hit PC title Atlantis Sky Patrol was the perfect puzzle game to port to mobile and supports Namco Network’s commitment to providing fun, quality games that are suitable for the mobile platform to mass-market consumers.”

“Atlantis Sky Patrol is a fantastic game with a strong following. Namco successfully translated the quick and intuitive play onto the mobile platform,” said Patrick Wylie, vice president of Big Fish Games Studios. “We are committed to delivering the best game experiences to our customers and our partnership with Namco for the mobile version of Atlantis Sky Patrol continues that tradition of excellence.”

In the game, players can set off chain reaction combos to score big points and obtain one of the 12 power-ups in the game, such as releasing the Rainbow Hammer, harnessing the Soul of Atlantis, and unleashing the Oriphculum Bomb to assist in the destruction of the Doomsday Devices. By collecting coins, players can upgrade the ship, enhancing its firing speed and improving shooting accuracy. Mini-games found throughout the game offer additional opportunities for players to obtain coins.

“Atlantis Sky Patrol is a flashy little puzzler. I'm really fond of the theme, because not only does it hit my sweet spot (I love those old serials and the entire art deco look), but it also adds to the overall experience,” said Levi Buchanan of IGN Wireless.

Atlantis Sky Patrol is available today on all national carriers. Visit www.NamcoGames.com/AtlantisSkyPatrol for more information.

Serious Games Trade Body ANGILS appoints DMH Stallard Legal Expert

Top 100 law firm DMH Stallard announced today that lawyer Frank Jennings is the newly appointed Company Secretary for serious games trade body ANGILS. Frank commented: “ANGILS is an exciting development for the serious games industry and will act as a focal point to assist with the continued growth in this sector. I am very happy to be involved and look forward to guiding ANGILS members through the legal pitfalls that they will encounter.”

Martine Parry, ANGILS CEO, stated: “Members in this community are dealing with a slate of legal issues in an increasingly complex world. Simulations, learning games and politically-orientated interactive content all have heightened legal and contractual issues that need to be addressed. “

She added: “Frank Jennings is a leading lawyer who has worked with the games industry for many years and has now taken his expertise into the serious games and simulation domain. Many of the legal issues are similar across both games and serious games – and many are not: there is need to handle the more stringent requirements associated with delivering effective serious games.”

G4Box Inc. Signs Exclusive Deal With Cell Phone Payment Provider Onebip

G4BOX Inc, a North American publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment media, announced today that it has signed a deal with cell phone payment provider, Onebip that makes the company their exclusive cell phone payment service in ten different countries.

The deal means that METIN 2 players can now purchase 500 METIN 2 points instantly from the game’s item mall by using their cell phone. In addition, each player will receive a 50 Q point bonus with their purchase. The countries included in the agreement are: Australia, Denmark, Deutschland, Latvia, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. For a full list of providers in those territories visit http://mall.metin2.us/mall.

“When a gamer wants to purchase an item for one of our games they want it as fast as possible and Onebip’s service offers them a quick and convenient alternative to other payment methods,” said Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX. “Their great service allows us to give our gamers just the kind of safe, accessible and easy payment option they need so they can get back to their game. We are very excited to be working with them.”

The world's first easy, secure and reliable mobile phone payment processing solution, Onebip will provide a quick, dependable and safe way for gamers to instantly purchase items for G4BOX’s online video games via their cell phones. Players can sign up for an account and easily make payments online without using a credit card or bank account.

“Onebip’s service is especially suited to G4BOX’s needs because they have customers in many different countries around the world who want to be able to pay for their item quickly and get back into the game,” said Diego Mortillaro, Co-Founder and President of Onebip. “With our service G4BOX can offer one inexpensive package that is convenient for their users who do not have a credit card.”

G4BOX’s customers can use the service now by visiting http://mall.metin2.us/mall.

For more information about G4BOX and its games visit www.G4BOX.com or visit their games METIN 2 and DragonRaja directly at http://www.metin2.us and http://www.newraja.com/.

Got Game Entertainment Announces "RHEM 3" Goes Gold

Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced that “RHEM 3”, an intricate pure-puzzle, first-person adventure game for PC and Mac has gone gold. In this third installment in the popular “RHEM” series, the adventures of brothers Kales and Zetais continue in a labyrinthine world of hidden rooms and secret passages, strange vehicles and odd machines. Featuring non-linear gameplay, non-violent story, and mind-bending puzzles, “RHEM 3” opens the door to a new journey of mystery and adventure this February. The game makes its retail debut at $29.99 (USD) and is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB.

“RHEM 3” finds you in search of a powerful black gem. As alluring atmospheric sounds surround, you search for hints hidden in a secret library and ponder clues offered by the peculiar inhabitants of the world of RHEM. With an adventurous spirit, logical thinking, and keen puzzle-solving, you will slowly but surely divine the location of this curious treasure and unveil the secret it holds.

For more information, visit www.Rhem3.com.


About Got Game Entertainment

Founded by Howard Horowitz, Got Game Entertainment, LLC is a leading publisher of interactive entertainment games. With the release of games such as "RHEM 3", Got Game Entertainment continues its commitment to bringing to market quality games offering exceptional entertainment. For more information on the company and its games, visit www.GotGameEntertainment.com.