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“We knew it would be an exciting challenge to bring the soul and feel of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Scott Blackwood, Executive Producer – Skate franchise. “With fresh new designs and gameplay components built from scratch, we’ve been able to, once again, capture the true experience of skateboarding in a completely innovative way.”

Skate It unleashes the FlickIt revolution on to the Nintendo platforms, letting gamers use the Wii remote or the Nintendo DS stylus to string together their best tricks for the ultimate skate line. The Wii remote becomes a skateboard and reacts to gestures that mirror actual skate flips and moves. Players can also deepen this experience by planting their feet on the Wii Balance board. Skate It brings the hit Skate franchise to a new level of creative ingenuity and gameplay excellence.

Skate It will ship in 2008. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.

Separately, Skate 2 is also currently in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.

Unique underwater puzzler from Namco Networks immerses mobile gamers in aquatic action

SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 12, 2008) – Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the availability of SubMerged™, a challenging and highly anticipated underwater puzzle game.

Starting at the bottom of sea, players must rise to the surface by destroying the anchored puzzle pieces that are descending from above. Inflate the floating and rising puzzle pieces and merge them with the anchored pieces above to form horizontal lines and cause an explosion. Air can be added to the top-left, top-middle, and top-right portion of the puzzle piece. As lines are cleared, the remaining pieces fall into place forming another line, causing a chain reaction of explosions and racking up the high score.

Adding to the game play experience, players are surrounded with underwater life including various species of fish that reflect the depth of the ocean to which the player has progressed.

“With addictive game play and advanced graphics, SubMerged is the perfect game for anyone looking for a challenging puzzler,” said Scott Rubin, vice president of sales and marketing, Namco Networks. “Casual games continue to rise in popularity across platforms. This trend is especially prevalent on mobile phones where consumer demand for fun, unique casual games like SubMerged continues to increase.”

The game features three modes—Easy, Medium and Hard—that span more than 30 levels. The game also features the Endless mode, where the players’ goal is to play the game for as long as possible without losing.

SubMerged is available today on select national carriers. For more information, please visit, www.NamcoGames.com/SubMerged. To learn about Namco Networks’ other mobile games, please visit www.NamcoGames.com.

Blizzard Entertainment^® gaming convention returns to Anaheim Convention Center 10-11October

MARLOW, UK – 12th May, 2008 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its third BlizzCon™ gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on 10 and 11 October. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®’s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises. In response to the demand to accommodate more attendees, this year’s event has expanded from two convention halls to three.

“Whenever we’ve been able to meet and interact with Blizzard gamers from around the world, it’s been a great experience for us,” stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to seeing even more of our players at this year’s BlizzCon and delivering another entertaining and informative event for them.”

BlizzCon will offer a wide variety of activities to help all attendees get the most out of the two-day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy:

• Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment releases
• Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
• Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
• Areas and activities devoted to licensed products such as the World of Warcraft® Trading Card Game
• Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes
• Commemorative merchandise based on the Blizzard Entertainment franchises
• A silent auction
• More exciting activities to be announced

Tickets for BlizzCon will go on sale in the next few weeks at a price of $100 USD per person. As the event draws closer, further details will be announced on the official BlizzCon website: www.blizzcon.com.

PC gamers can get off the grid and race the world right now as Codemasters® announces that the Race Driver: GRID™ playable demo for Games For Windows® is now available to download from http://community.racedrivergrid.com/ [direct link http://community.racedrivergrid.com/news/?id=6251].

Delivering intense competition right from the off, the demo enables players to compete in single-player GRID World events and 12-player online races.

In the single-player GRID World showdowns, take to the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT-R on the streets of San Francisco in the eBay Motors Muscle Cup; in Japan, compete in a Nissan S15 Silvia in the Advan Drift Trophy at Yokohama Docks, while the sweeping curves and hairpins of the Jarama circuit in Spain plays host to the Euro Touring Cars championship featuring BMW 320si touring cars.

For players who want to compete online, the demo delivers 12-player online competitions at the European and U.S. locations.

Race Driver: GRID is coming May 30th (Europe/PAL) for Games For Windows®, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. A Nintendo DS™ edition will follow.

The Race Driver: GRID playable demo is also available for the Xbox 360 from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace and for the PLAYSTATION 3 system from the PLAYSTATION®Network. For all driver briefings and the latest videos, be sure to visit www.racedrivergrid.com

Universal Pictures to develop movie based on hit video game from 2K Games

Gore Verbinski, Director of Pirates of the Caribbean, to Direct/Produce

New York, NY – May 9, 2008 – 2K Games announced today that it has reached an agreement for BioShock®, the universally acclaimed smash-hit video game, to be developed as a feature film by Universal Pictures. 2K Games, whose 2K Boston and 2K Australia studios developed BioShock, is a video game publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).

The prospect of bringing this blockbuster game to life has attracted not only a major studio, but top Hollywood talent. Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, is slated to direct and produce the BioShock movie. John Logan, Academy Award-nominated writer of Gladiator, The Aviator and Sweeney Todd, is in talks to do the screenplay.

The expected release date and terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

An original property developed by 2K Games, BioShock is one of the most successful new interactive entertainment franchises to launch in recent years. A critical and consumer hit, BioShock has sold more than 2 million units worldwide since its release in August 2007. A sequel to the game, BioShock 2, is planned for a release in 2009.

“We are excited that 2K Games’ vision for BioShock will be carried forward in a new medium,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. “BioShock has been hailed as one of the most highly cinematic and richly plotted titles in interactive entertainment, making it extremely well-suited to film. In partnering with Universal and Gore Verbinski, we have assembled a team that respects the uniqueness of BioShock and will translate it into a powerful movie experience.”

Mr. Zelnick added, “Our ability to attract a major studio and unparalleled creative team speaks volumes about the strength of our BioShock franchise. It also demonstrates how Take-Two is delivering value based on our strategy of creating and owning our industry’s most powerful intellectual property.”

Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K Games, noted, “BioShock fans appreciate the depth and complexity of the game, and our partnership with Gore Verbinski will introduce the world of Rapture to an even wider audience. In addition to his impressive body of work, Gore is an avid video gamer and true fan of BioShock. That was extremely important to us in deciding to move forward with this project.”

BioShock: Triumph of the Imagination

Considered to be one the finest games in the history of interactive entertainment, BioShock unfolds as a deep and exciting adventure. Barely surviving a plane crash, the player lands in icy uncharted waters and discovers an undersea city called Rapture, a failed utopia whose citizens had embraced genetic engineering before the city descended into pure anarchy. Power and greed have run amok and the city has succumbed to civil war. It is a gripping game that forces the player to make complex moral choices. Fans have embraced BioShock’s mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. BioShock is also renowned for its rich visual detail depicting a gorgeous Art Deco world set deep beneath the sea.

BioShock has earned some of the highest ratings and strongest accolades in video game history. It is one of the best-rated titles for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, with a MetaCritic rating of 96. Numerous organizations bestowed “Game of the Year” status on BioShock in 2007, including The Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV’s Video Game Awards, G4’s X-Play, Amazon.com, The Houston Chronicle and Paste Magazine. Additionally, BioShock ranked among the top 10 titles on many other “Best of 2007″ award lists, including The New York Times, Time Magazine and Maxim. BioShock was internally developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia and is owned by the 2K Games label of Take-Two Interactive Software.

I would like to announce the opening of MyAerodrome.com, a social networking site like Facebook or MySpace but set up specfically for flightsimmers, pilots and anyone interested in aviation. MyAerodrome.com is completely free to use and it’s easy to sign up.

Social networking has become a major phenomenon on the Internet, but it’s too easy to get lost on the big general interest sites. That’s why MyAerodrome.com was started, to cater specfically to the needs of flightsimmers who want to meet other flightsimmers. At MyAerodrome.com you can meet other flightsimmers and share photos, view videos, create a blog, check the news and more. The site of course is brand new and will only grow bigger and better as more people join.

MyAerodrome.com is not meant to replace any of the flightsim sites you use now, but to complement them, offering you a different way to interact with your fellow flightsimmers.

Please visit MyAerodrome.com today and sign up and join the fun!

http://www.MyAerodrome.com
Bill Greenberg
Founder

GOLD FEVER HITS AN ALL TIME HIGH WITH THE UPCOMING BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY SINGLE-PLAYER AND MULTI-PLAYER DEMO
Guildford, UK. – May 9, 2008 – You’ve been drafted to ‘B’ Company! DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that a demo for its highly anticipated summer release, Battlefield: Bad Company™ will be available on Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace* and PLAYSTATION® Store* on June 5. Players will land on the battlefield as part of the ‘B’ or Bad Company, a wayward band of soldiers more interested in the pursuit of gold and personal financial gain than following the rules. Gamers will get a sneak peek at how tactical destruction changes the way shooters are played, both offline and online in the single player and multiplayer demo.

Players can also gain early access to the demo by pre-ordering the game through participating retailers in North America and Europe. More details on this special pre-order campaign can be found at www.battlefield.com/badcompany .

Players who missed their opportunity to participate in the closed beta get a second chance to experience the intense multiplayer Gold Rush mode on the Oasis map while the single player portion starts gamers at the beginning of their ‘B’ company career. The single player portion of the demo sets the stage for players as they’re introduced to the humorous and sometimes irreverent set of characters that make up the ‘B’ company. As gamers embark on their quest for gold, they’ll experience the same classic Battlefield gameplay including access to numerous vehicles, weapons and open maps as well as the new tactical destruction that only Battlefield: Bad Company can deliver.

In stores on June 25 in North America and June 27 in Europe, Battlefield: Bad Company is developed by Sweden-based developer DICE (Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment, www.dice.se). The game will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and is rated “T” by the ESRB and “16+” by PEGI. For more information about the game, please visit www.battlefield.com
INTERNET CONNECTION REQUIRED

Wonderland Online Team (http://wl.igg.com/ ) will start open beta at 9:00pm (GMT-5) on 11th May. Its closed beta will come to an end at 3:00am (GMT-5) on 11th May. All participating players’ information will be saved. Players can apply for a new account to take part in open beta.

A new server called Taurus will be launched at that time. Both servers of Aries and Taurus are totally independent from each other. Characters information in them will not be shared. Players play the game in Taurus with a brand-new character. Besides daily regular events（http://wl.igg.com/guide/guide.php?acid=58 ）, Wonderland Online tam will hold many interesting events.
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Codemasters Studios to drive new generation of FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games across multiple formats.
Codemasters®, developer and publisher of award-winning racing video games, has secured the exclusive video game rights to FORMULA 1 it was announced today. In a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Limited, Codemasters will develop a new generation of the multi-million selling FORMULA 1 game franchise across multiple platforms.

Codemasters Studios, creators of genre-leading racing titles Colin McRae: DiRT™ and Race Driver: GRID™, will lead the design and development of official FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games for home console, handheld and PC gaming formats.

“FORMULA 1 is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the FORMULA 1 audience and connecting them globally,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters.
“As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with FORMULA 1 is the jewel in Codemasters’ racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. FORMULA 1 has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host FORMULA 1 Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack.”

“Codemasters’ success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge,” said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters. “The combination of FORMULA 1’s new momentum of expansion and Codemasters’ contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen.” 

The worldwide deal provides Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, FORMULA 1 teams, cars, and driver likenesses.

The FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games will be developed using the evolution of the award-winning EGO™ Game Technology Engine, Codemasters’ highly versatile cross-platform middleware technology. Its advanced graphics and physics technology brings an unmatched cinematic quality and realism to interactive entertainment.

The EGO Engine is currently being deployed in the creation of Race Driver: GRID™, the latest in Codemasters Studio’s international circuit-based racing series. Set to be a landmark release when it launches on May 30th, Race Driver: GRID was recently hailed as “The driving game of the summer” by BBC Top Gear magazine.

Codemasters expects the first game based on the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP to launch in 2009.

Forget about raising cats and dogs – It’s time to take care of some Monsters!

Los Angeles, California—May 8, 2008—GAMEVIL USA, the LA-based mobile games publisher, announced today the launch of My Monster Pet, a new pet simulation game where you raise your very own virtual monster and watch it grow into 12 unique forms depending on how you take care of it.

My Monster Pet puts the player in various caretaking scenarios, such as feeding the monster the food it wants and even taking it to the hospital when it becomes sick. The user can also play 5 addicting mini-games such as Karaoke, Dancing, and a challenging Battle Maze to keep the monster entertained. One of the unique features of My Monster Pet is that the game continues even when the game or phone is turned off, requiring the user to periodically check up on the pet monster. Meanwhile, the monster goes through 3 growth phases and the user finds out at the end the final form the monster will evolve into depending on how it was raised. Each kind of evolved monster will have its own set of personality traits, and descriptions and pictures of them will appear in the game’s gallery as the player collects all 12 monsters. Players can also send eggs to other people through their mobile phones so that others have their own monster pets to raise.

“We wanted the player to be able to share the fun of My Monster Pet, so we included a feature that allows users to send monster eggs to their friends and family,” said Stephanie Huang, Marketing Manager of GAMEVIL USA, Inc. “What’s really interesting is that when the giver sends a secret message with the egg, the receiver will not be able to view that message until the monster pet grows up and evolves.”