Relive the greatest battles of the Wars that made America!

Features

The new great historical strategy video game about the Wars in America

Birth of America II: Wars in America 1750-1815 follows the successful historical strategy videogame Birth of America, AGEOD's American Civil War and Napoleon's Campaigns. It is the long-awaited well-expanded sequel of the acclaimed first game that made AGEOD. You can now fight all the big wars that made America between 1750 and 1815.

Wars in America 1750-1815 is a stand-alone game not compatible with the previous one. It includes:

New Rules
• New cohesion system (based on the American Civil War/Napoleon’s Campaigns model) and its impacton combat
• Brand new concept of Engagement Points, allowing options for armaments purchases, political,economic and diplomatic options.
In addition, a challenging Foreign Entry competitive engine will allow player to struggle in the race forthe French Intervention.
• New orders (e.g. spiking the guns, surrender with the Honour of War, remove leader, distant unloadfrom ships).
• New abilities (adapted from those of American Civil War/Napoleon’s Campaigns and new rules here)
• Different updates and other rules (e.g. combat, Indians, minutemen, blockade, privateers, navaltransport, optional limited activation rules, German mercenaries, etc...)

New functionalities
• New in game Replay module allows to see the turn you played (or any other – exchange them with friends!)
• Updater module to check if you play with the latest game version.
• Play-by-email and TCP/IP ARES module
• Improved AI
• Multiple resolutions Interface

New data
• New map: extension of the map up to the Mississippi in the west, blockade and commerce raiding boxes, new European off-map boxes (France, GB, Spain, Holland) or in the Americas (Hudson Bay, Newfoundland, Cuba)
• Over a hundred new leaders and units.
• New Scenarios (including at least the following)
-Scenarios 1750-1780: Lord Dunmore War, new FIW 1755-1763 war campaign, Galvez 79
-Scenarios 1780-1800: Fallen Timbers 1791-1794
-Scenarios 1812-1815: Great Lakes 1813, Full War of 1812-1815 campaign, New Orleans 1815
• New Events (according to scenarios) and wide set of options for you to customize your strategy.
• Widely extended manual and player’s aides.
• New extra in game music from the time, thanks to the performance and support of 3rd US Infantry Regiment and the US Army Fife and Drums Corps.

Dynamedion contributes soundtrack to Runes of Magic

Best German Soundtrack 2004, 2005 and 2007 (German Game Developers Award) plus best main theme 2007 (GANG Award at GDC San Francisco) – Dynamedion has many reasons to be proud of its prestigious awards collection. Publisher Frogster has now entrusted the prestigious studio with an impressive soundtrack for its upcoming fantasy MMORPG Runes of Magic. Dynamedion can fall back upon a great amount of experience in that particular field. The creative hotbed of sound-engineering situated in the German town Mainz already recorded the fantastic backdrop for Spellforce, John Woo’s Stranglehold, Anno 1701, Drakensang and Die Siedler V & VI. Even in the world of movies, Dynamedion can boast of successful work for 10.000 B.C. or The Bourne Ultimatum.

According to Managing Director Pierre Langer the sound’s atmosphere for Runes of Magic is going to be impressive high fantasy orchestral music. “We see Runes of Magic as an amazing challenge. It is […] our first Fantasy-MMO, one of our preferred genres.” Especially the concept “… to create ever changing moods in the game world, in order to achieve an intensive connection between game and music,” is what excites him about the project.

A small sample of the Runes of Magic main theme is now available on our media server. On the teaser site, interested parties can still subscribe to the newsletter and will automatically be informed when the beta registration process starts: www.runesofmagic.com.

Runes of Magic – a world full of wizardry and adventure
With an extensive range of features Runes of Magic prepares to redefine the standard of free-to-play MMO games. Right from the launch Runes of Magic will convey its absorbing story in over 600 quests embedded in an atmospheric world. Players can choose from six main classes. Combined with a secondary class they dispose of 36 individual character classes over all. All characters possess unique skills with impressive combo attacks and can use mounts in the later stages of game play. A particularly attractive feature for guilds and players is the possibility to arrange their own virtual homes with individual furnishing. Thanks to an extensive crafting and reputation system, thrilling PVP as well as demanding dungeons and boss-monsters, no wishes remain unsatisfied. The Taiwanese developer Runewaker has developed Runes of Magic according to western MMO standards within a time frame of three years. The studio will provide new challenges for players every three to four months with free add-ons and updates. MMO fans can find first pictures and a registration form for the newsletter on the official teaser site www.runesofmagic.com.

Runes of Magic features:
• Free2play, no monthly fees, free download
• Dual class system with switchable primary and secondary classes
• Enthralling background story
• Already over 600 quests and level comprehensive quest series on launch
• Instanced and persistent dungeons
• Individually developed skills and spells
• Armor sets with special bonuses
• Dynamic item system: Upgrades with hundreds of runes
• Activatable PvP system (Player vs. Player duels)
• Epic crafting system with the possibility to improve existing items
• Individual coloring of clothes and armor
• Housing: personalization with individual furniture for players and guilds
• Special zones for guild houses
• Reputation system
• Scalable user interface based on the users preference (development of your own add-ons possible)
• In-game map and radar system to find dealers, resources and quests easily
• Auction house: auction and purchase items
• Teleporting possibilities per runes
• Different and unique mounts
• Controlling with mouse (point & click) and keyboard (WASD or arrow keys) possible

TURN YOUR NINTENDO WII INTO A FULL-BLOWN MEDIA HUB

X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE enables users to enjoy their music, videos and photos on a Nintendo Wii. This innovative software turns the popular gaming console into an interactive media centre, by digitally streaming media files such as MP3s and Windows Media Player files from a PC to a Wii.

Share and enjoy your favourite digital media
No longer just for gaming, X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE significantly enhances the Wii’s capabilities. Favourite video files, photos and music normally found on a PC in a bedroom or study can now be easily shared and enjoyed on a TV in any room via a Nintendo Wii. Once installed, the software allows the PC to wirelessly interact with the Wii. Chosen files can then be streamed to the console, eliminating the hassle of transferring content via memory cards, USB devices or CDs.

Access web TV, radio and podcasts
X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE also makes it possible to browse the internet, providing access to over 1,000 digital radio and TV channels. New options include podcast support, RSS feeds and access to popular video sharing sites such as YouTube and Google Video.

Easy installation
Requiring no extra hardware, X-OOM Media Centre for Wii XE is easy to use and install. After installing the software on the PC, use the File Wizard to add files to the Media Centre. Then, simply select the Wii’s Internet Channel, typing in the web address and pass code provided to navigate the simple menus and browse the streamed files.

Photos and films can be enjoyed in high quality as the software is optimised for widescreen and HD programs. Common network connection is provided through WLAN or LAN, and extensive media files are supported such as MP3, WMA, OGG, DivX, XviD, Mpeg2, MPEG4, WMV, JPG, BMP etc.

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JOWOOD PRESENTS WII YOGA – EXERCISE YOUR BODY, MIND AND SOUL

After the start of the successful cooperation with kids- and casual game publisher Tivola, JoWooD enlarges its product portfolio with lifestyle games for Nintendo’s Wii console. The first product of the series in development is Yoga Wii. The well-known and favoured doctrine for mind, body and soul guarantees a unique gaming experience for young and young at heart gamers. The game will support the Wii Balance Board, as it plays a central role for the exercising (gaming) experience.

Release of the title is scheduled for the second quarter of 2009.

Meet golfers from around the world at "Shot Online"

Shot Online, a 3-D golf game, developed and served by OnNet (CEO: Seongju HONG, www.onnet.co.kr), has been chosen as an official game of GNGWC 2008 (Game and Game World Championship 2008) which will be hosted by KIPA and sponsored by KT Corporation.

This year will mark the 3rd GNGWC. A total of 6 countries, including Brazil and Singapore newly added this year, will be holding local contests with the final match being held in Korea in November. 'Shot Online', an official game of the first year GNGWC 2006, has been very attractive to world wide gamers. Now for the 3rd year of GNGWC, 'Shot Online' is expecting more gamers to enjoy it.

Gamers will feel like they are playing a real golf game on the field with Shot Online, as it has been developed as a full 3D game. Jaesun KIM, a director of OnNet said "our goal when developing the Shot Online was keeping the game within the basic rules of golf, and we are still working to achieve this goal", showing the intention for Shot Online as a realistic golf game.

Shot Online is being served on the global market through a U.S. branch, while also being served in Japan, Germany, Hong Kong and Taiwan through various partners. Shot Online is planned to be served in 8 different languages within this year.

We visited OnNet and talked to Jaesun KIM, a director of the company, about Shot Online which was chosen as an official game of GNGWC 2008.

▲ Briefly what is Shot Online?
The difference of Shot Online from other existing golf games is that its background is like the most realistic golf field. The basic engine was built by a developer whose major at university was physics, so that the game environment is more realistic and effective. Furthermore, the game is based on Turn method which reflects various communities, such as communication between users or activities using the plaza, etc. In fact, users of Shot Online have built and operated communities for a long time.

▲ It is said that 'difficulty' was applied to the Shot Online to give more interests to the users. Can you explain it more?
Yes. The first users of Shot Online often feel that the game is tough. In particular, compared to other golf games, the difficulty of putts at Shot Online is very high. We initially thought that the game should be easy and finished quickly in the beginning stages of developing the game. However, we focused on our goal that we would make the most realistic golf game. As a result, we were able to bring more satisfaction and excitement to the gamers who have been enjoying the game longer. We are putting our efforts into describing even the condition change or feelings of a character, rather than to simply build just a game.

▲ Why do you think world wide gamers are interested in Shot Online?
Shot Online is currently being served in Korean, Japanese, English, German, Cantonese, and Taiwanese, and planned for expansion into Chinese, Spanish and French. Thus, we can check the user’s tendency in each country, and realized that users in different countries tend to have certain similarities. Most users of Shot Online are older and they enjoy the game while chatting at the same time. We believe that golf is not limited to a certain culture, but appeals with interest and familiarity in any country.

▲ What has been the benefit by being chosen as an official game of GNGWC for 3 consecutive years?
In fact, Shot Online has extended its business to other countries through overseas marketing sponsored by KIPA. Shot Online has been commercialized through that and users formed communities through that gradually. In the meantime, it was chosen as an official game of GNGWC, and as such, the new users and the access have more than doubled. Specifically, we opened its service in Germany last year around the period of GNGWC, which made it a bigger success. To open branches in other countries became easier too. Many users of Shot Online believe that it's the game which world wide users enjoy together. GNGWC, which makes opportunities to meet other people from other countries, is very helpful for overseas marketing.

▲ Have there been any special users of Shot Online in your memory?
First of all, the first and second winners of the local contest in Germany last year became a couple through the Shot Online. In addition, a real professional golfer participated in the local contests. There was the Japanese winner of the first year, who visited Korea to see the final match in the following year with his own money. Furthermore, some guilds printed their characters in specific outfits/clothes which made the contests more interesting to see.

▲ How are you preparing for GNGWC this year?
The European local preliminary contests will start on August 1st, and the local final contests will be held in sequence, starting from Germany on August 22nd, upon the KIPA schedule. This year there are a total of 6 countries who will run the local contests including Brazil and Singapore, which are new additions this year. Sometimes, it happens that winners of online preliminary contests are not able to join the offline contests due to the local circumstances. We will fully support them to ensure that they are able to participate in the local contests as well as the final match in Korea. Also, we are planning for various events through the GNGWC website this year. We will also keep world wide users posted as to the contest status live, so as to ensure them enjoy GNGWC together.

▲ Any final comments for world wide users who are preparing for GNGWC 2008?
We are happy for Shot Online users to gather and play it at GNGWC again this year. We put our full efforts into the preparations of such. We hope the gamers will enjoy their play fully, in hopes of them becoming the best player of Shot Online at GNGWC 2008. We will see you in Korea soon. Thank you!

.... Shot Online has a realistic description and it's relaxing to play while enjoying communication. but you never can lose your tension at Shot Online.... We hope that it will be updated continuously to keep it's original basics...

Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise Release Date and New Details Revealed

Roarios and Tigermisus and Fizzlybears, OH MY! Microsoft today announced that “Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise” will be released and on store shelves by 5th September.

With more than 30 additional new piñata species, expanded co-op options and multiple gameplay modes, “Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise” offers limitless fun for every animal-lover in the family.

Piñata Island has gotten bigger too! Now players can explore wild areas outside of the garden where they will need to bait and retrieve exotic piñata species who won’t venture into the garden on their own.

Put on your mittens and snow shoes as you brave the cold of the Pinartic where you’ll find piñatas that prefer cooler temperatures and the occasional blizzard, like Pengums and Polollybears. Or you can shed the layers and head to the sands of the Dessert Desert, where Camellos and Jameleons bask in the arid sun.

All of these new exotic piñatas will not venture into your garden willingly, so you’ll need to bait and retrieve them yourself. But you can make them feel at home right away by adding patches of snow or sand to your garden, similar to how you add grass and water.

Available exclusively on Xbox 360, “Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise” reinvigorates a colourful and engaging gaming experience. Now with full cooperative gameplay modes and various approachable difficulty settings, the “Viva Piñata” franchise opens its doors even wider with a new game that provides hours of fun for gamers of all ages, fans of the animated series and animal lovers alike.

Guitar Hero: On Tour Sets Activision North American Retail Sales Record

Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced Guitar Hero: On Tour has sold in excess of 300,000 units in North America in the first seven days since its launch, making it the largest North American launch for the Nintendo DS in the company's history by more than a factor of eight. In addition, Guitar Hero: On Tour's performance ranks it as one of Activision's top 5 best-selling launches of any title on any platform in the company's history.

Guitar Hero: On Tour brings the popular Guitar Hero franchise to the handheld platforms for the first time delivering a unique gaming experience and challenging handheld gamers to prove their skills on the most diverse set list of master tracks ever offered in a Guitar Hero game.

"Guitar Hero is one of the most successful entertainment properties and continues to push the boundaries of innovation with Guitar Hero: On Tour," said Mike Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. "The game's breakthrough peripheral brings the Guitar Hero experience to the 41 million DS users in North America and Europe, where they can play anywhere, anytime."

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 $2.9 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008.

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 website, www.activision.com.

RAVEN SQUAD TO BREAK THE RTS MOLD ON XBOX 360 AND WINDOWS PC THIS FALL

SouthPeak Games today announced that it will distribute Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC this Autumn. Published by Evolved Games, Raven Squad is set in the near future. The game is a unique blending of real-time strategy and first-person shooter genres.

Developed by Atomic Motion, Raven Squad puts players in control of two groups of mercenary squads who crash land behind enemy lines in the Amazonian jungles. It will require tactical planning and a liberal amount of brute force to escape to safety. Each of the eight squad members possesses distinctive skills and weaponry that the player will have to use wisely to progress through the game's story driven objectives. Raven Squad sets itself apart by allowing players to switch freely between real-time strategy and first-person shooter gameplay. Only by mastering both of these modes of play, and becoming adept at switching between the two, will players make it out of the jungle alive.

"Raven Squad combines two extremely popular genres into a single robust experience where either gameplay mode could stand on its own merits," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "Atomic Motion is creating something that's visually compelling and building new boundaries in what a military title can accomplish. Fans of both RTS and FPS games are going to love it, as will anyone who enjoys intense, action titles."

To find out more about Raven Squad please visit www.southpeakgames.eu

Rev your engines and get into gear!

Viva Media and SimBin Studios AB announced today that the in-game video trailer for GTR Evolution has been released.
In the second half of August 2008 GTR Evolution will take GT and WTCC Extreme cars to Nordschleife, the holy grail of racing also known as “the Green Hell”.

Check out the hot video trailer and some cool screenshots at:
www.gtr-evolution.com

About GTR Evolution for PC

GTR Evolution contains 5 new classes of the finest cars with a total of 30 new models to race. In the GT classes players can experience legendary cars like the Corvette C6R, Aston Martin DBR9, BMW M3 GTR, Koenigsegg CCGT and Spyker GT2R.
Even more exciting are the all-new WTCC Extreme cars. These are pumped up fictional WTCC car designs developed by SimBin in cooperation with the FIA WTCC, and are exclusive to GTR Evolution.

The racing thrills continue with the Production Car Class featuring the street versions of the Audi R8, Dodge Viper SRT/10, Koenigsegg CCX and Gumpert Apollo. Overall, GTR Evolution offers 49 unique cars in 12 classes with more than 500 variations as well as 19 tracks in over 40 different layouts including the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Features

In-Game File sharing to up- and download setups or ghost files while being in the game.

Race-line in Time-Trial is a feature inspired by the Race-line in GTR2 but features more options. There are distinctive brake-markers to indicate braking points, the game can now show two Race-lines simultaneously. These Race-lines including their ghost-files and setups can be up- or downloaded in-game as well.

Upgraded Replay system with the possibility to not only save the full replay after the race but also the instant replays that can be viewed during the race.

Nationality indicator for the player-profile will now be equipped with a flag and a country indicator following the player throughout the game.

Game modes

Championship functionality for full integration of the GT cars to run an endurance championship as well as a touring car championship. This functionality is also added to the Custom Championship, allowing the player to mix in the GT cars and WTCC Extreme cars with the other content.

GTR Evolution is distributed by Viva Media in the US.

Intel Supports GC Developers Conference for the Sixth Time

GC Developers Conference (GCDC) announced today that Intel will be platinum sponsor of this year's event, sharing a main sponsorship with Nokia. Intel will deliver several sessions as part of the conference agenda, and will have a presence in the exhibition area. The company has supported GCDC, Europe's leading developer conference, since its start in 2003. The conference takes place in Leipzig, Germany, on August 18-20, 2008.

"GCDC 2008 is a remarkable opportunity to highlight Intel's resources and technologies for developers", said Elliot Garbus, Vice President and General Manager of the Visual Computing Software Division at Intel. "Intel is committed to supporting innovation in the worldwide game developer community."

"Intel has continued its commitment to our superb program for the sixth year in a row, helping to make GCDC a must-attend event for the games industry in Europe and around the world," said Frank Sliwka, project director of GCDC.

GCDC 2008 will offer opportunities to interact with industry leaders like Intel Corporation and Nokia. GCDC is Europe's leading international conference for game development and the business of games. The conference is expected to attract even more professionals from the field than last year. For more information about GCDC please visit: http://www.gcdc.eu.

GCDC 2007 Retrospective

In 2007, GCDC was attended by 940 conference participants from 37 countries. Among the speakers were Bob Bates (USA, Legendary Game Designer and Writer), Julian Eggebrecht (USA, Factor 5), Tim Schafer (USA, Double Fine), Bruce Shelley (USA, Ensemble Studios), and Brian Sullivan (USA, Iron Lore Entertainment). GC Developers Conference has established itself internationally and today it is not only the most important event for game development in Europe, but also one of the most important conferences for the industry worldwide.

About Intel

Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at: http://www.intel.com/pressroom and http://blogs.intel.com.

JoWooD Productions announces another branded Adventure title „The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes", set to release at the end of July 2008.

JoWooD Productions expands its branded product portfolio of adventure game titles with the addition of "The lost Files of Sherlock Holmes“ to their lineup. Made famous by a legacy of popular movies, television shows and novels, the Sherlock Holmes name is synonomous with delivering exceptional investigative storytelling and thrilling adventures.

JoWood‘s "The Adventure Company“ publishing label, aims to acquire and publish strong licences and brands for their lineup of quality adventure games. Current and top selling licenses include Sam & Max, Agatha Christie, Hardy Boys and now Sherlock Holmes.

Another top brand coming later this year is "Hardy Boys“. Based upon the top-selling children books series (with more than 100 millions copies sold), The Adventure Company will bring a series of adaptions to the PC and Wii over the next few years, providing great entertainment to all fans of Frank and Joe Hardy. Featuring celebrity voice talent Jesse McCartney and Cody Linley who lend their voices and likenesses to Frank and Joe Hardy, respectively.

In addition to these titles, adaptions for console systems are already in the product pipeline. The successful release of Agatha Christie Wii and the coming releases in Fall 2008 are proving the professional and successful implementation of announced strategic measures.

About Sherlock Holmes:

Sherlock Holmes and his asssistant Dr. Watson solve their cases with intuition and ice-cold logic combined. Each case presents challenging riddles that have to be solved: hidden objects, Sudoku puzzles, memory games and puzzles throughoutdemand both skill and investigative talent. Be a witness of Sherlock Holmes` thrilling investigation at famous locations like Big Ben or the Royal Theatre and experience hours of exciting gameplay as you tackle nine lost cases...

SPACE INVADERS EXTREME AND ARKANOID DS ON SALE TOMORROW

Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, announces the return of two legendary TAITO games, ARKANOID DS for the Nintendo DS handheld system and SPACE INVADERS EXTREME for the Nintendo DS handheld system and the PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, will be available across Europe from tomorrow.

30 years after the original SPACE INVADERS ignited an entire entertainment medium and founded a gaming generation; players can now prepare to play the most extreme embodiment of the game ever created.

SPACE INVADERS EXTREME combines the captivating essence of the original game with a stunning alliance of futuristic graphic design and cutting-edge audio. The gameplay experience has been developed to maximise on the consoles’ abilities, offering players a whole new range of amazing features including a vast array of new power-ups, DS Wireless Communications and Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

ARKANOID DS updates the classic block-busting gameplay of the 1986 original, with the Vaus vessel, balls and bricks all still intact. Different modes of play provide unique challenges including Clear with 140 levels to complete and Quest mode that sets different rules for clearing each round. Points won in the game can be used to customize the game further, with new backgrounds, blocks and sound effects waiting to be unlocked.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “Both ARKANOID and SPACE INVADERS transcend different generations and gaming abilities, they are as loved for the gameplay experience as they are for their iconic status. With the launch of SPACE INVADERS EXTREME and ARKANOID DS we can offer existing fans the chance to enjoy the next level of gameplay, while offering a new audience the chance to experience these classics in a contemporary way.”

For more information about SPACE INVADERS EXTREME and ARKANOID DS please visit the official websites at http://www.spaceinvaders-game.co.uk and http://www.arkanoid-game.co.uk

SPACE INVADERS EXTREME features

•Futuristic, techno-inspired graphic design takes SPACE INVADERS to new heights
•Interactive, totally immersive sound scheme where sound effects are synchronised to match the beats of the music
•Wide range of amazing new power-ups

Additional Nintendo DS version features

•Play a friend with Nintendo DS Wireless Play
•Challenge other players with Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
•High-Score table supported by Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
•Share the multiplayer fun from a single cart with DS Download Play

Additional PSP version features

•Play against another player via ad hoc mode
•Widescreen 16x9 support
•Soundtrack provided by critically acclaimed musicians and DJ’s including SUGIURUMN, WALL FIVE, DJ Aki, ATOM™ & •MASAKI SAKAMOTO and ALTZ

ARKANOID DS features

•Over 140 levels to complete in Clear Mode, Quest mode adds extra challenge with different rules for each level
•Customize your game by exchanging points earned for new design features such as new backgrounds, Vaus vessels, blocks and sound effects
•Power-up items carefully selected from the ARKANOID series plus exciting new Power-up items: Barriers, Warp and Vanish
•Compete against friends with 2 and 4-player DS Wireless Communications
•Share the multiplayer fun from a single cart with DS Download Play
•High-Score table supported by Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES 'MARKER MAN ADVENTURES' FOR NINTENDO DS

Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Marker Man Adventures for Nintendo DS. Developed by Glyphic Entertainment, this unique game based on drawing and physics challenges players to maneuver the charming stick figure, Marker Man, through 150 scrolling world puzzles in his attempt to find his best friend, Doodle Dog.

Players use the Touch Screen and stylus to draw geometric shapes—including lines, circles, boxes, triangles and pivot points—to create simple machines that help Marker Man advance through levels from point A to point B. Gamers use logic and can collect power-ups to help solve intricate themed puzzles set in underwater, outer space and ice environments, among others. Three difficulty modes and hidden areas within each level present unique surprises throughout Marker Man’s quest to reunite with Doodle Dog.

Marker Man Adventures for Nintendo DS is expected to release in PAL territories in early 2009. For additional information about Majesco’s exciting line of products, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com and www.majescoeurope.com.

Vivendi Games Mobile Brings The Bourne Conspiracy to Mobile Phones

Vivendi Games Mobile, a division of Vivendi Games, today announced the launch of Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy on mobile phones throughout Europe. The mobile game allows players to become Jason Bourne – experiencing the action as both the hunter and hunted, playing as both trained CIA assassin and marked government agent on the run.

The mobile experience features the signature Bourne-style action taking players deeper than ever before into the world of action and espionage. With a seamless blend of hand-to-hand combat, gunplay, dramatic escapes and driving, players will experience an adventure on their mobile phones like never before.

“Fans of the movies, novels or anyone familiar with the relentless action synonymous with Jason Bourne now have the chance to become Bourne on their mobile phones,” said Paul Maglione, president of Vivendi Games Mobile. “The Bourne Conspiracy for mobile takes action-adventure mobile games to the next level as players experience a mix of exciting gameplay including driving, rappelling, parkouring and much more.”
The game features a fully interactive environment allowing players to strategically use floors, doors, walls, and other features to take cover and wreak havoc on foes. With seven unique environments including Zurich (Switzerland), Vilnius (Lithuania), Marseille and Paris (France), players will challenge enemies in an all out battle as a highly trained CIA assassin.

Players have the ability to engage in hand-to-hand combat, access a variety of different weapons, disarm enemies and pick up ordinary objects as weapons and use them defensively. Players will also help Bourne escape intense chases by driving throughout the streets of Paris.

The Bourne Conspiracy is also available for console from Sierra Entertainment.

GUITAR HERO GUINNESS WORLD RECORD CHAMP CHRIS CHIKE (Iamchris4life) SCORES 100% ON THE HARDEST SONG IN THE GAME

The record setting teen is at it again! Chris Chike (known online and in-game as Iamchris4life) has broken his own Guinness world record of 840,647 points on the hardest song in the game, "Through the fire and the flames" and has now perfected the song with a flawless 100% (987,786 points and a 3722 note streak) on expert--AND caught the whole performance on video.

The video is currently one of the top viewed videos on Youtube and has just broken the 1.6 million view mark (currently stands at 1,609,299).

The video can be viewed here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=S5GpRJItqjw
(WARNING: there is swearing at the end of the video).

A clean downloadable version with no swearing at the end can be found on the Ant Commandos FTP at http://www.theantcommandos.com/chris1.zip)

"I was almost in shock when I finished the song and had hit the 100%-I am so glad I caught it on video or even I wouldn't have believed it happened," said Chike. "It feels great to have accomplished it, and it is exciting to see so many people online watching me get a perfect score on the hardest song in the game."

The teen, who recently signed with The Ant Commandos guitar and peripheral company to be their spokesperson and help them design their next guitar, was recently challenged for his Guinness World record title, but Chike has no doubt he will continue to be at the top of his game and will get the title back soon, declaring "It is pretty hard to beat 100%".

Rummikub Nintendo DS video game

Games Factory Online (GFO), producer and publisher of Entertainment and Serious Games, and Engine Software, game developer based in the Netherlands, today announce that they are currently in the process of developing Rummikub® for the Nintendo DS platform. The game is aimed to be released in Q4 of 2008.

Since the 1950s Rummikub has been an immensely popular family game, played by millions of people all over the world, and being voted “Game of the Year” in over a dozen countries during its existence. Now, Engine Software and GFO are bringing the officially licensed version of the game to the Nintendo DS. Rummikub for DS will be based on the classic version of the game, and like the original game it will be targeted at the 7+ audience.

Jurriaan van Rijswijk, General Manager at Games Factory Online said: “ When we acquired the official license for this game, we looked for a stable and experienced developer to turn the license into a succesful release for Nintendo DS. With Engine Software we found the ideal partner for this project, and we are quite excited about bringing this product to the market in the near future. “

Games Factory Online and Engine Software will be releasing further information, including screenshots and other media, in the coming period. An exact release date and price point have not yet been confirmed, and will be announced at a later date.

NYKO Media Hub Announced for the PlayStation 3

Nyko Technologies, the premier gaming peripherals manufacturer, today revealed details for its upcoming Media Hub for the PlayStation 3. The Media Hub easily attaches to the console, adding three additional USB ports and a media card reader slot that supports SD cards and Memory Sticks. Compatible with all PS3 models, the Media Hub matches the color and contour of the system to expand its media capabilities while maintaining a clean form factor.

The all-new Media Hub from Nyko attaches to any available USB port and enables the connection of three additional USB devices including flash drives, PSP, MP3 players and additional controllers. Its unique design requires no tools or internal modifications, draws its power directly from the PS3, and easily installs in just seconds.

“We found that many of our customers who had purchased the popular 40 GB version of the PS3, which has less USB ports and no media card reader, were looking for an affordable solution to expand with these features,” said Chris Arbogast, Director of Marketing at Nyko Technologies. “With the Media Hub, an additional three USB ports and a media card reader are now possible for all PS3 models, allowing consumers to enjoy the full capabilities of their multimedia system no matter which model they choose.”

Nyko’s Media Hub for PS3 is expected to hit store shelves by August 2008 for the suggested retail price of $19.99. Please visit www.nyko.com for more information.

YoYo Games Developer Competition Closes

YoYoGames.com has announced the results of its second Independent Developers’ Casual Gaming Competition. Developers were asked to produce games with an Ancient Civilisation theme, the only other restrictions being that the developers were given less than two months to come up with the goods, and all games had to be written using the popular Game Maker development toolkit (available to download, for free, from YoYoGames.com).

The winning game - the last game standing after fending off the 250 other entrants - was the snappily titled Ancient Ants Adventure. Produced by Russian development troupe RedSystem, AAA is an isometric 3rd person shooter that sees you controlling a shamanic ant and his obliging followers on a crusade against the forces of phylum Arthropoda. Combining a highly polished finish with witty gameplay and the need for tactical foresight, YoYo Game’s latest winner pushes the boundaries of casual gaming one step further. (As well as securing the developers a much appreciated $1000).

Running close behind to collect the $500 second prize was the world’s greatest (and probably first) caveman simulator. Caveman Craig is man-management in a world better suited to dinosaurs. Build up your camp to withstand the ravages of Velociraptors and prey you don’t see T-Rex.

Collecting the final cash prize Tut’s Test represents classic casual gaming at its best: move the blocks, become infuriated by the impossibility of the level design, suddenly succeed, then repeat, frantically trying to beat your own score.

Games this individual couldn’t have come from any of the major publishing houses, they represent the true value of independent development and further proof of concept for YoYoGames.com – now the world’s largest user-generated games portal with over 19,000 games, and fastest growing, averaging a thousand new games every 3 weeks.

About YoYoGames.com

YoYo Games Ltd is a UK Based Game Start up founded by Game industry veterans, Sandy Duncan and Michel Cassius. YoYo Games launched its beta site in May 2007 and has grown to be the world’s largest user generated game site hosting over 19,000 games. Employing a web 2.0 community model YoYo Games encourages users to “Play, Make, and Share games” for free.

You can visit YYG at www.YoYoGames.com

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Futuremark Taps NaturalMotion's morpheme Animation System for its Expansion into Game Development

NaturalMotion, Ltd., developers of the highly acclaimed euphoria motion synthesis technology, today announced that Futuremark Games Studio, the game development spin-off of benchmarking software developer Futuremark, has licensed morpheme, the company’s animation engine and graphical authoring tool.

“We have progressed in the past year from creating visually stunning machinima-style benchmarks into full game development,” said Dr. Jukka Mäkinen, executive producer at Futuremark Games Studio. “Gameplay has become our number one goal, with character animation in a low-gravity environment as a critical part of the gameplay experience for our game – morpheme is a uniquely flexible and powerful time saving solution that will help us achieve that goal.”

morpheme is robust animation middleware designed to give developers and animators unprecedented creative control over the look of their final in-game animation by allowing them to author and preview blends, blend trees and transition graphs in real time.

“NaturalMotion and Futuremark are both steadfastly dedicated to advancing the technology that powers gaming,” said Andy Payne, NaturalMotion’s vice president of sales for Europe and Asia. “morpheme offers tremendous benefit to developers like Futuremark who are aiming for new levels of realism in their games.”

A Peek at Sho Online's New Expansion

Lizard Interactive announced today that they will soon release the first expansion for their popular Free to Play Oriental Fantasy MMORPG Sho Online. Details of the first expansion for Sho Online, titled Two Emperors, will be revealed bi-weekly through the official website in the form of a Developer's Diary.

First feature revealed is the new Pet System. Four pets which players can raise to aid them in battle or ride them as a transport. These pets grow and mature together with their owner. Players can ride their pets when it reaches level 4. These pets can be gained by completing quests available for each type of pets. Pets are dear companion aiding you in battlefield and mountable for faster transportation within the game.

Sho Online has successfully launched their commercial service and the fun never stops. Strong-bond community awaits new comers to join. You can be a strategist instructing other players or you can be at the front line taking charge as a war hero to experience head-on combat. Storyline of Sho Online is written by players. It is you who contribute to lead its direction and it is also you who decide the final ending of Sho Online.

For more information visit www.shoonline.net