Archive for June 9th, 2008

Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ

Monday, June 9th, 2008
NEW MICROSITE AND SCREENSHOTS OFLITTLE RED RIDING HOOD’S ZOMBIE BBQ

Barcelona, June 9, 2008 - Gammick Entertainment and Enjoy Up present the new microsite of Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ, along with new screenshots.

After finishing with a ferocious wolf, the story ended and the nightmare began. Little “Ready to Rock” Riding Hood and her friend Momotaro face the greatest threat that has ever besieged folk tales.

Go to www.gammickentertainment.com/zombie/ and discover why Granny has become a horrible green monster, why Pinoccio is now a blood thirsty cyborg, or how Prince Charming woke up Sleeping Beauty… along with her thirst for blood!

Can you save fairy tale land or will you let its creatures live an unhappily-ever-after-life?

Ship Simulator “Sail the Open Sea” contest

Monday, June 9th, 2008
Haarlem, The Netherlands – June 9, 2008 – Today leading computer software publisher Lighthouse Interactive and game developer VSTEP announced the Ship Simulator ‘Sail the Open Sea’ Contest sponsored by Matrox Graphics. The contest starts on Monday, June 9, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. (GMT) and closes on Monday, June 23, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. (GMT). Enter for a chance to win over ten prize packages and one of two Matrox TripleHead2Go™ Digital Edition units. For contest details and to enter the ‘Sail the Open Sea’ Contest, visit www.shipsim.com/contest or click on ‘Contests’ at www.lighthouse-interactive.com.

The TripleHead2Go™ technology is the perfect compliment to the Ship Simulator franchise as it provides a panoramic view by expanding the game across three displays. This extended view fully engages your peripheral vision on the side displays with the main point of focus on the center display – experience totally immersive gaming like never before. Ship Simulator 2008 is the World’s best nautical simulator on the market today. This true-to-life naval simulation for Windows® includes all new features, such as: multiplayer (LAN and online), a highly customizable mission editor, 16 new ships, and world renowned ports like San Francisco, New York, Rotterdam, Marseille, Southampton (Solent) and many others to sail in. Ship Simulator is available in 20 countries and 7 languages, and has sold over 250,000 copies to date. For contest details and to enter the ‘Sail the Open Sea’ Contest, visit www.shipsim.com/contest or click on ‘Contests’ at www.lighthouse-interactive.com.

To find out more about Ship Simulator 2008 and to keep up with the latest news, visit:
www.lighthouse-interactive.com and www.shipsim.com.

For more information about Matrox TripleHead2Go™, visit:
www.matrox.com/graphics/surroundgaming/en/home/

EU news: Asterix Brain Trainer coming soon

Monday, June 9th, 2008

Atari Announces Forthcoming Release of Asterix Brain Training Game for Nintendo DSTM

LYON, FRANCE – 9 June 2008 – Atari today announced the forthcoming release of Asterix Brain Trainer for Nintendo DS™, scheduled for 27 June release throughout Europe except France and the Benelux region where the game will launch in October. Asterix Brain Trainer is packed with entertaining mini-games led by everyone’s favourite Gallic hero, Asterix, which make puzzles, memory games and problem solving more fun than ever.

Developed by Little Worlds Studio in close collaboration with Asterix licensor Les Editions Albert René, the game follows Justforkix’s journey to becoming a great warrior from Gaul. School may be out for summer, but there’s no rest for Justforkix who is sent to his Uncle Vitalstatistix’s village for extra-curricular training. Asterix, notorious throughout the Roman Empire for his wit and cunning, is put in charge of Justforkix’s apprenticeship and guides him through a host of activities in the little Gallic village we know so well. Exams are held in the village school to go over what has been learned, get graded and track progress as the player heads towards the final challenge to ultimately reach warrior status.

“With Asterix Brain Trainer, we are pleased to add the first brain training game to our extensive Asterix line up,” said Cyril Voiron, VP Brand Management, Worldwide Publishing, Atari. “ A summer release is perfect timing so that kids can keep their minds active and stay entertained with their favourite characters throughout the holidays and back to school period.”

Justforkix will join Asterix’s village companions for lessons in music and the arts with Cacofonix the tone-deaf musician, food and beverage with Unhygienix the smelly fishmonger, combat and women with Geriatrix the former Gergovian warrior and ageing lothario, and potions for common remedies with Getafix the respected druid (although the recipe for the magic potion shall forever remain secret!) As well as playing with Asterix and his cohorts, players can bring their own friends to the fun with up to four playing from a single cartridge in Wi-Fi multiplayer mode.

Asterix Brain Trainer for Nintendo DS is scheduled for 27 June release throughout Europe except France and the Benelux region where the game will launch in October. For more information about Atari’s entire product line up, visit www.atari.com.

Russian developer 1C unveils 2 games for 2008

Monday, June 9th, 2008
Unveils First Two Titles for 2008 - 2009 Line Up

MOSCOW, Russia - June 9, 2008 - Leading Eastern and Central European publisher 1C Company today announced the development of two brand new console games to be released in 2008 - 2009. These titles mark the first cross-platform games from 1C to be developed and published worldwide - Captain Blood, a pirate adventure with combat on land and the high-seas, and IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey, a brand new console version of the critically acclaimed combat flight simulation.

“1C is using cutting-edge technology, including the amazing power of modern consoles, to bring superior games to every market,” said Nikolay Baryshnikov, International Sales Director, 1C Company. “Our aim is to bring our games to even more players and expand our vision with cross platform development. We are embracing any new gaming technology that will improve our products including digital downloads, consoles, handheld gaming, Epic’s Unreal 3 Engine, NVIDIA PhysX and DirectX 10.”

1C’s first internally developed console title is Captain Blood (Xbox 360 and PC), an action/adventure game inspired by novels by Rafael Sabatini which tells an alternative story of the famous captain’s adventures. The story unfolds in the world of noble robbers and the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean. Ship boardings and fort assaults, treasure hunts and fights against dishonorable villains - this is the story of Captain Blood.

The second title brings 1C’s best selling game of all time, IL2-Sturmovik, to a new audience with all new graphics, missions, physics and planes. IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (developed by Gaijin Entertainment for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, by DiP Interactive for Nintendo DS and by DYNAMICSYSTEMS for PSP) includes large-scale aerial combat and ground based military operations from World War II. Players will participate in some of the war’s most famous battles piloting fighters, battle planes and heavy bombers across a range of thrilling missions. There are five areas of war to engage in - The Battle of Britain, Stalingrad, Berlin, Sicily and Korsun’ representing the main airborne battles of World War II in Europe. As well as advanced environmental visuals enriching the game play, IL-2 also boasts an all new damage effects engine. Players can see real time damage to the aircraft such as holes in the wings and trail lines during dog fights. Hundreds of airplanes will take part in air battle in IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey and the unique environmental engine produces highly detailed, realistic landscapes that allow players to see breathtaking ground support actions. The difficulty levels will range from arcade to simulation.

Interzone Futebol to be a MMO Sports Game

Monday, June 9th, 2008
INTERZONE ENTERTAINMENT UNVEILS SECRET MMO PROJECT: SPORTS GAME INTERZONE FUTEBOL ANNOUNCED

Game first in Portuguese, language of millions of Brazilian soccer players and fans

CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 9, 2008 – Interzone Entertainment, parent company of Interzone Games and a BigWorld licensee, has announced its long-secret massively multiplayer online sports title, Interzone Futebol. The PC MMOG will first release in Portuguese for the Brazilian market, home to millions of avid futebol (soccer in the U.S.) fans and players, closely followed by international versions for worldwide release.

About Interzone Futebol

Interzone Futebol features team-based multiplayer matches, with every character on the pitch (playing field) controlled by a different player, including goalkeepers who, until now, have always been AI-controlled. During the match, players will improve their skills and unlock new skills and moves. Players will also improve their personal rankings and their team’s rankings, earn money through salary or sponsorship, and customize their character at creation, during game play, and by buying virtual items from Interzone’s online store.

Unlike other futebol games, Interzone Futebol will have a social space for players to explore and socialize in, and can find other people to play with. The game will also have an invitation system that allows players to invite their friends to try the game and, once friends are in-game, players will also be easily able to find them and invite them to join matches.

Interzone Entertainment president Marty Brickey explains why Interzone Futebol will debut first in Latin America. “Of 17 World Cup championships, 11 have been won by South American nations, with Brazil winning a record five World Cup titles. Soccer is a passion in Brazil, with perhaps 15 million players, a very high percentage of whom are in the 18-34 demographic, making it an ideal initial market for our game. We decided first to create Interzone Futebol in Portuguese so it will have the broadest appeal to this very large Portuguese speaking market in Brazil.”

The bulk of Interzone Games’ development is done by their staff of over 50 developers in their studio in Perth, Western Australia, and supported by their Live Team in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The company has recruited major game development talent from top studios including Microsoft, Interplay, Parallax, Lionhead, Cyberlore, and others.

“Having so many talented people relocate their families to our Perth, Western Australia studio shows their dedication to this project, and their level of commitment to creating a futebol franchise with global appeal,” said Interzone Entertainment executive vice president Greg Chadwell.

Exact release dates have not been announced, but Interzone Futebol is planned for launch in 4Q08.

For more information, visit www.interzoneentertainment.com and www.interzonefutebol.com.

X-Blades press release

Monday, June 9th, 2008
“X-Blades”: Powerful attacking techniques

Player is rewarded with special finishing moves

Karlsruhe, 9th June 2008 – When Ayumi isn’t using her effective combat spells, she faces up to the enemy hordes with naked blades and explosive projectiles. Since the unique Gunblades are a combination of sword and pistol, the heroine can change her combat style lightning-fast. Surrounded by countless opponents, Ayumi uses both blades with deadly accuracy in hand-to-hand combat. She’s well versed in various combat techniques - and she makes full use of them to cut her way through the ranks of the monsters. The player is rewarded with special finishing moves for carrying out particularly successful combos.

However, Ayumi must first learn powerful attacking techniques by collecting hidden coin fragments throughout the levels. One three-piece set of these silver, gold or ruby artifacts releases a long-range or close combat upgrade. The new section “Fight” at www.x-blades.com reveals more information.

Alone in the Dark (the reboot) has gone gold

Monday, June 9th, 2008
‘ALONE IN THE DARK’ XBOX 360, PC, Wii & PS2 GOES GOLD

Development Complete on Atari’s Action Survival Opus, Title Ships 20 June in Europe, 24 June in North America


LYON, FRANCE – 9 June 2008
– Atari today announced that development is complete on the highly anticipated action survival game Alone in the Dark, and the game is on track to ship 20 June in Europe and 24 June in North America for Xbox 360™ game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PC, Wii and PlayStation®2 . The PLAYSTATION®3 version is scheduled for autumn 2008.

Central Park is hiding a secret. Over the course of one apocalyptic night trapped in Manhattan’s vast parkland, hero Edward Carnby must fight the unimaginable to survive and uncover the earth-shattering truth. New York will never be the same again.

Developed by Eden Games, Alone in the Dark for Xbox 360 and PC aims to change what gamers expect from action games with a ground-breaking reinvention of the classic franchise which debuted in 1992 and created the survival horror genre. Continuing the legacy of innovation of that first game, the new Alone in the Dark re-imagines the genre with engrossing cinematic presentation, compelling gameplay challenges and a thrilling narrative story arc.

The richly-detailed, contemporary setting of New York’s Central Park is the host for a challenging mix of gameplay experiences, unprecedented environmental interaction and combat all based on real-world rules and physics. A seamless on-character inventory and health recovery system combine to maintain the immersion as the player drives the story through the free-roaming expanse of Central Park.

Inspired by the story-telling twists and turns of many blockbuster TV series, Alone in the Dark innovates once again with a DVD-style chapter select menu which lets players of all abilities reach the game’s dramatic, riveting climax and get the full value out of the game.

“With its genre-busting mix of gameplay, wide-screen presentation style and DVD chapter select feature putting the player in control, Alone in the Dark will thrill all gamers,” said Phil Harrison, President of Infogrames Entertainment. “It’s a game which will challenge the player but also reward them with a one-of-a-kind video game experience and a huge amount of fun.”

The Wii and PS2 versions of Alone in the Dark have been developed by Hydravision Entertainment in parallel with the Xbox 360 and PC games created by Eden Studios. The PS2 game pushes the hardware to maximise the gameplay experience, while the Wii game has been especially adapted to make use of the unique controllers in a variety of gameplay situations from driving to the real-time manipulation of objects.

In addition to the standard game, Xbox 360, PC and Wii Limited Editions will be available at launch from selected European retailers featuring exclusive items including hero figurine, art book and ‘making of’ documentary DVD.
For more information on Alone in the Dark visit www.centraldark.com.

UK news: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates Moogle Paint Contest

Monday, June 9th, 2008
FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates MOOGLE PAINT CONTEST

 

London (9th June 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that the FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: Ring of Fates™ Moogle Paint Contest 2008 will be held until the end of July.

The Moogle Paint Contest 2008 has been running since 4th April, during this time players of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates are invited to customise the popular Moogle character and register their Moogle creation via the Nintendo® Wi-Fi connection and the official FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates website. There are great prizes on offer and the winners’ Moogle will be displayed in public, for more details about the contest please visit the official website at finalfantasycrystalchronicles.co.uk

Please note that this competition is open to all residents of UK, the Republic of Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia & New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Portugal, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Greece, Poland, Czech Republic and Malta.

Even if you don’t win the contest, there is still lots of fun to be had with Moogle Paint, players can customise their Moogle’s anytime they want and exchange them among friends via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

About FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: Ring of Fates

Story

The Great Crystal protects the land from the malefic glow of the blood red moon.
Twins are born to this land, endowed with a shared, mystical power.
Their peaceful life is suddenly changed with the rise of the blood red moon.
All fates are etched into the crystal.

Features

• Unique action-based gameplay – with 3D levels, exploration and puzzle solving.
• Action-based control system lets you experience the adventure your way.
• Experience exhilarating real-time battles with intuitive controls.
• Gorgeous 3D graphics and an emotional audio score create a beautiful world to explore.
• Up to four players can co-operate via DS Wireless Play!
• Realise the tale of two heroic yet innocent twins in a unique story of fate, adventure and fraternal love.
• Hundreds of different item and costume combinations add to the fun. Changes to costume/equipment are directly visible on your character in the game.
• Trade with friends using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection functions.
• Additional content over the original Japanese version, with four new quests.
• Can be played in four different languages – English, French, German and Spanish. The multiplayer mode, which allows up to four players to play together, can be played seamlessly even when each player selects a different language.

Windows Vista Ultimate Showcase opens at iGames Game Centers

Monday, June 9th, 2008
Windows Vista® Ultimate Showcase Opens at iGames Game Centers Nationwide Through July 1

Member Centers to Offer Gamers Exclusive Opportunity to Play Favorite Games Like Call of Duty 4®: Modern WarfareTM on Dream System

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, June 9, 2008—Leading game center organization iGames today announced the details of the Windows Vista Ultimate Showcase, which will allow tens of thousands of gamers around North America to enjoy the supreme PC gaming experience with 200 lucky gamers winning a free one-day pass.

WHERE & WHEN:

Every Monday in June (June 9, 16, 23, 30), there will be a weekly drawing of the free passes, which gamers can use at their convenience at their local participating game center throughout the month to find out first-hand what Windows Vista-powered gaming is all about.

More than 45 centers will be hosting the showcase. For the complete list, visit: http://www.igames.org/Events.asp?Event=8024

WHY YOU SHOULD GO:

In addition to featuring Windows Vista Ultimate, Microsoft’s premier operating system, each showcase PC will offer superior processing, memory and graphics specifications including dual core processors at minimum speed of 2 GHz each, 2 GB of memory, and NVIDIA GeForce 7800 or Radeon X1900 XT (or better) graphics cards, ensuring the ultimate gaming experience for all gamers.

To sign up for the Free Gaming Day Pass drawing, visit www.igames.org/windowsvistacontest

Identfiction.com to revolutionize “episodic” games

Monday, June 9th, 2008

France – Wednesday 4 June 2008

The episodic videogame distribution channel www.identifiction.com will be launched on October 15. Heading the program: videogames that take the form of weekly episodes in streaming mode. This is a revolutionary new borderline concept between videogames and TV series.

Videogames that you can follow just like a TV series

The website www.identifiction.com will diffuse its videogames at a weekly rhythm. They are intended for adults seeking content that’s original, irreverent, short (30/45 minutes) and easy to access from any operating system and a wide range of computers (pc, mac, windows, linux, etc.).

“Videogames must be capable of rethinking their narration, formats and genres. They have to be capable of offering alternatives to established genres in the same way as American TV series have done by asserting themselves as an efficient counterweight to the movie industry. By taking the economic model of the series with short formats and attractive subjects available at definite dates and times, we are aiming at all those who have turned their backs on playing videogames due to lack of time or boredom,” analyses Olivier Masclef, Creative Director of Identifictions.

An original catalogue

The “Aosphere” series (Science fiction/adventure) will be available immediately the platform is onlined. The channel’s catalogue will be enhanced by two more original series, due from the end of the 3rd quarter of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. The series will be diffused in French, English, German and Spanish and subtitled in a large number of European languages.

The series and the people

Each series will be based on an innovative concept in which the players successively take on the identities of virtual characters, keeping to their underlying psychological traits while making irreversible decisions. “Contrary to traditional games, the aim is not to reward performance but the capacity to personify a fictional character,” concludes Olivier Masclef.

About identifiction:
Identifiction develops, produces and distributes entertaining video series. Officially launched in October 2008, Identifiction is a brand name owned by Widescreen Prod., a company specialized in creating and developing videogames. The team has 50 employees (scenarists, game/level designers, programmers, animators, etc.).