High school kids Carrie, Andy, Zack and Jennifer get together for a party while their parents are away, but before Zack can pledge his undying love for Carrie unexpected guests come knocking and they are hungry for brains! Monster Madness: Grave Danger is a fast-paced action adventure game coming to PS3 in Q3 thanks to SouthPeak Games. For more information go to: www.monster-madness.com.
One of the Most Influential Soundtracks in Videogame History Returns with Major Events, Tracks from Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park, Disturbed and The Offspring
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – July 8, 2008 Electronic Arts Inc (NASDAQ: ERTS) today unveiled the music track listing for Madden NFL 09, set to release August 12, 2008. The new soundtrack features 26 songs from a multi-genre roster of superstar acts and soon-to-breakthrough artists, including Franz Ferdinand, Good Charlotte, Airbourne, From First To Last, The All-American Rejects, Rev Theory, K’Naan, and Kidz In The Hall. Madden NFL, the biggest-selling sports franchise in videogame history, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a full slate of live music events, tributes and television appearances leading up the game’s street date.
“Madden NFL is the foundation of what we do and sets the standard for every soundtrack we create,” said Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing for EA. “Madden NFL revolutionized the industry by making music of multiple genres – from both established acts and brand-new artists – an essential emotional component of the videogame experience and the NFL season itself. This 20th Anniversary Edition soundtrack celebrates that legacy like never before, complete with marketing events that take the excitement to a whole new level. Not only have we changed the gaming culture forever, we continue to move the needle musically for millions of people around the world. Madden NFL will always be recognized as the game that made the music matter in videogames.”
The highlights of the Madden NFL 09 soundtrack include genre-bending collaborations by Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park and Young Dre, The Truth featuring Good Charlotte, as well as returning Madden NFL hit makers Franz Ferdinand, Gym Class Heroes (both with pre-album prerelease tracks), All American Rejects, Shinedown, Senses Fail, Disturbed, The Offspring and Airbourne. The soundtrack’s trend of introducing emerging artists continues with 12 new acts that include The Fashion, Kardinal Offishall featuring Lindo P, In Flames, Innerpartysystem, Hollywood Undead, Mindless Self Indulgence, Izza Kizza, Trivium, Kovas and Tyga.
Cross-promotional events leading up to the game’s release include a series of :60 viral videos for tracks featured in the game, a special Madden Music Anniversary tribute issue of Billboard on newsstands July 13th, as well as other marketing partnerships to be announced in the near future. Beginning the week of August 4th, a different Madden NFL 09 soundtrack artist will perform live each night on a popular late night show.
Over the past decade, the Madden NFL soundtrack has launched premier artists that include Good Charlotte, OK GO, Fallout Boy, Franz Ferdinand, Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet For My Valentine, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, Jet, Ozomatli and 30 Seconds To Mars, and featured such superstars as Green Day, Outkast, Foo Fighters, blink-182, Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, The Hives, Timbaland featuring Justin Timberlake and Sum 41.
The complete in-game soundtrack for Madden NFL 09 features the following 26 songs:
ARTIST - SONG
Airbourne - Stand Up For Rock ‘N Roll
Busta Rhymes feat. Linkin Park - We Made It
Disturbed - Inside The Fire
Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams
From First To Last - Worlds Away
Gym Class Heroes - I’m Home
Hollywood Undead - Undead
In Flames - The Mirror’s Truth
Innerpartysystem - Don’t Stop
Izza Kizza - Millionaire
K’NAAN - ABC’s
Kardinal Offishall feat. Lindo P - Burnt
Kidz In The Hall - Blackout
KOVAS - Wax On, Wax Off
Mindless Self Indulgence - Never Wanted To Dance
Rev Theory - Hey Yeah
Senses Fail - Wolves At The Door
Shinedown - Devour
The All-American Rejects - The Real World (Demo)
The Fashion - Like Knives
The Offspring - Hammerhead
Trivium - Into The Mouth Of…We March
Tyga - Diamond Life
Underoath - Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Wale feat. Southeast Slim - Breakdown
Young Dre The Truth feat. Good Charlotte - Workin’
Music from the Madden NFL 09 soundtrack is available on EA’s music website at www.ea.com/eatrax
Midnight Gaming Championship Kicks Off Its Third Annual Gaming Tournament
SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS (July 8, 2008) - Gamers across the nation will meet once again and go head-to-head with fierce competitors as they smash, tackle and rock their way to the title at the third-annual Midnight Gaming Championship. The annual event is excited to announce its 2008 summer tour dates as well as the new all-star lineup of featured games including Guitar Hero III, Madden NFL 08 and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
“We have high expectations for this year’s competition, as it will prove to provide the biggest venue for gamers to compete in the most popular games on the market today,” says Bryan Pettigrew of Affinity Sports Marketing. “The games featured in the challenge this year will diversify the competition and provide gamers with a variety of opportunities to showcase their skills.”
The 2008 Championship kicks off in Houston and Oklahoma City on July 12, followed by tournaments in Salt Lake City and Dallas in August and Lubbock in September. Competitions will take place at various McDonald’s locations in participating cities where competitors will compete in a gaming battle to win cash and prizes, not to mention bragging rights for the title of “best gamer in their city.”
“With the cooperation of popular games and the support of our sponsors, Midnight Gaming Championship will continue to grow and provide gamers with the unique opportunity to compete face to face each year with other gamers across the nation,” says Pettigrew.
UBISOFT® ACQUIRES HYBRIDE TECHNOLOGIES, CREATOR OF VISUAL EFFECTS FOR THE FILMS 300 AND SIN CITY
Fusion between creator of best-selling video game brands and renowned special effects studio a groundbreaking event for digital entertainment
London, UK - July 8, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced the acquisition of Hybride Technologies, a Montreal-based studio renowned for its expertise in the creation of visual effects for cinema, television and advertising.
Created over 15 years ago, Hybride employs 80 team members. The studio’s many projects include such innovative films as 300, Frank Miller’s Sin City and the Spy Kids series.
Ubisoft will work closely with Hybride to share technology and to develop tools in order to optimize the creation of both video games and visual effects and to offer gamers visual experiences that rival those of the cinema. At the same time, Hybride will continue to work with its film partners while also bringing its expertise to leverage Ubisoft’s intellectual properties for the movie industry.
“The future of our industry depends on our ability to create brands that captivate audiences and to extend those brands to other forms of entertainment,” said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer at Ubisoft. “The acquisition of Hybride falls directly into the strategy that has already led us to open a digital creation studio in Montreal and to acquire the Tom Clancy brand for video games and ancillary products. The exceptional quality of the team at Hybride and the expertise of our Ubisoft teams will allow us to create one of the best 3D animation studios in the entertainment industry.”
“This alliance is a true first for the industry,” continued Yannis Mallat, chief executive officer of Ubisoft Montreal. “Ubisoft and Hybride share the same vision of entertainment convergence and a common passion for innovation and creativity.”
“It is the quality and innovation of our artists that made Hybride into one of the most successful studios in cinema and the most important visual effects producer on the North American East Coast,” stated Pierre Raymond, founder and chief executive officer at Hybride Technologies. “The sharing of technological and creative expertise between Ubisoft and Hybride will position the two companies at the head of the pack in an entertainment industry in rapid evolution.”
In addition to bringing its technological knowledge and its collaboration to Ubisoft’s brands, Hybride will continue to work with its external partners. The forecast for this visual effects creation activity for cinema, television and advertising will initially generate sales of approximately 6 to 7 M€ and a current operating income of about 10 % of sales.
A video montage of both Hybride and Ubisoft projects can be seen at http://uplay.us.ubi.com/
Sequel to Million Unit Selling Football Video Game Expected This Fall
CHICAGO - July 8, 2008 – Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY), a leading interactive entertainment software publisher and developer, announced today the development of Blitz: The League® II. Back for another season of heart-pumping, bone-crushing, no-holds-barred football action, Blitz: The League II strips the rules and regulations from traditional football to enhance the fun by bringing the pain. Complete with an all-new story mode penned by former ESPN “Playmakers” writer, Peter Egan, and the return of football legend, Lawrence Taylor, Blitz: The League II builds on the success of the previous release with new features and enhanced gameplay. Blitz: The League II is scheduled for release this fall for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION® 3 computer entertainment system.
“Professional football has long sought to gloss over the often brutal realities that surround the game and its players,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing, Midway Home Entertainment. “Blitz: The League II embraces the most compelling storylines behind America’s favorite sport and allows fans to experience them in a bold, interactive way.”
For additional information about Blitz: The League II visit www.blitzleague.com.
About Blitz: The League II
As the sequel to the more than one million unit selling and award-winning football experience, BLITZ: THE LEAGUE II, continues the franchise legacy as the ultimate alternative to the watered-down, licensed competition. In addition to an all-new story mode penned by Peter Egan (ESPN’s Playmakers), BLITZ: THE LEAGUE II features include: Precision-Aim Tackles, player-controlled touchdown celebrations, an enhanced on-the-field Clash Mode, online multiplayer capabilities, expanded rosters with all-new personalities, and the return of a cornerstone of the Blitz franchise…Late Hits! Football legend Lawrence Taylor returns as the game’s cover-athlete and star linebacker for the New York Nightmare, Quentin Sands, along with a star-studded supporting cast.
UK based independent developer Stainless Games said today that it now supports the Apple iPhone as one of many platforms supported by its in-house cross-platform development environment, Beelzebub.
With extensive experience on download platforms – the company already has 12 XBLA games completed or in development – extending its range to include Apple iPhone was an irresistible choice for Stainless, according to CEO Patrick Buckland.
“I personally go back a long way with Apple; having started out writing for Apple machines in 1979 – and have had a lot of success on Apple platforms over the years – particularly with Carmageddon 1 and 2, and my own Crystal Quest IP. Given recent trends, the iPhone is doubly interesting – since it’s both a truly next-gen machine with an ‘always-on’ connection and a format with a great direct sales route to the consumer.”
Continued COO Matt Edmunds, “We already support all download platforms; XBLA, PS3, PSP, PC and Wii under the umbrella of our custom development environment. Thus it was a logical step to include iPhone, so we can now offer our customers a complete range of download platform options.”
Although currently under NDA, Stainless expect to have their first authored games available for sale in the launch window of the iPhone games shop. More details will be announced in the coming weeks.
July 8th 2008 – Rising Star Games is pleased to announce the launch of Cradle of Rome on Nintendo DS. One of the most successful casual games on the PC in 2007, the original AWEM-developed title makes its first appearance on Nintendo DS developed by cerasus.media from Berlin. Distinctly marrying the Match-3 puzzle mechanic with an enticing resource management system, Cradle of Rome offers players a satisfyingly addictive gameplay experience. Rising Star Games will be bringing the game to Europe, with the exception of Germany and Benelux, on October 10th 2008.
About the Game:
Welcome to the birth of the Roman Empire where players re-create the legendary city of old using a unique variation of the much-loved Match-3 puzzle mechanic. Players still swap two adjacent squares around to create a row of three or more, but instead of completing the board as quickly as possible, the goal is to gather as many resources as you can before the timer runs out. The more resources you gather, the faster you can build Rome. Start with a lowly saw mill and progress to gain access to historical monuments such as the Arch of Titus, the Temples of Venus and Saturn and eventually the mighty Coliseum.
A vast array of bonus tools adds even more incentive to continue the game for as long as possible. Unlocking these tools not only makes clearing the board easier, but also increases the opportunity to gather more resources, gold and treasure!
“We are absolutely delighted to have signed a deal with Rising Star Games to bring Cradle of Rome to the rest of Europe,” enthused Stefan Juelke, managing director of cerasus.media. “The new features added to an already well-loved puzzle mechanic makes this even more fun and addictive to play. Cradle of Rome was a phenomenal success on the PC last year and converting it for Nintendo DS opens up new opportunities for everyone to experience its unique gameplay.”
Key Features:
• 100 fantastic levels
• 20 historical sites from five eras to build
• Combine secret bonus tools to achieve your goals faster
• Simple entry level and various degrees of difficulty
• Highly addictive gameplay
Overheat your plane’s machine guns in the Battle of Britain! Fight on the side of the Royal Air Force against the German Aces Of The Luftwaffe!
You’re participating in World War II. The Germans invade Britain and try to conquer your homeland! You ascend to the airs, together with your team-mates, to defend your country by all means! Each manoeuvre you’ve learned in the training camp, will help you to defy your dangerous enemies! Don’t get distracted by death and explosions around you, because your final challenge is awaiting you! Once the Aces of the Luftwaffe arrive, you’ll need all your courage and skills to survive and win! Fight for England! Fight for the Royal Air Force! Fight for your mates MacMoney, Rat, Freshman and Poison! Fight and win… and become a Fighter Ace yourself!
The action hit 2008 Aces Of The Luftwaffe is available for your mobile phone on July 15th!
Features:
- Action-loaded air battle shooter set in WWII
- Dramatic story told in exciting movie cut-scenes
- Thousands of action effects burst the enemies as well as your screen
- Up to 30 thrilling levels - defend your mates or buildings, rescue pilots or win dogfights
- 5 different flight manoeuvres to use against the masses of enemies you will encounter
- Up to 8 characterized boss enemies with individual planes and skills
- Collectible power-ups to upgrade your plane temporarily
- Gain air victories and get rewards like new weapons and better manoeuvrability
- Up to 3 game modes (Campaign, Air Battle, Dog Fight)
- Randomly spawning enemies for varying level experiences
- Cartoon graphics with individually designed planes and characters
- Theatrical score music and ear-shattering sound effects (depending on device)
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - July 8, 2008 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC today announced that Julia Brasil of San Francisco has won the 2008 G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition. The competition was the first of its kind and was promoted in conjunction with The Art Institutes system of schools, to encourage students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, ultimately resulting in the development of games that are more interesting for women to play.
Brasil, a student in the Game Art & Design program, was awarded a $10,000 tuition scholarship toward her education at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco and a paid internship of up to 10 weeks at the Sony Online Entertainment studios of her choice in Austin, Denver, San Diego or Seattle.
“I am shocked and overjoyed to be the first G.I.R.L. Scholarship recipient,” said Brasil. “I’m really looking forward to my internship with SOE, and getting some hands-on experience at such a well-known company. It’s such a great opportunity.”
Brasil was one of nearly 100 applicants vying for the winning title of the 2008 SOE G.I.R.L. Game Design Competition. In order to become the winner, Brasil had to submit an in-game design, original concept art and two essays.
“We believe our groundbreaking G.I.R.L. scholarship can give Julia the foundation she needs to pursue a successful career in the video games business. SOE is thrilled to jumpstart the first step in pursuing her goals,” said Torrie Dorrell, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. “We anticipate G.I.R.L. continuing to evolve and snowball, creating even more opportunities for women to get behind these games.”
Due to the popularity of the initiative, SOE will make official G.I.R.L — Gamers In Real Life — T-shirts available for purchase sometime this summer. For more information about G.I.R.L., go to girl.soe.com.
Hamburg, July 8th 2008 – Leading European MMOG publisher gamigo AG is proud to announce the commercial launch of the English version of Smash Online, its “free to play” Tennis MMOG. Packed with new features and numerous improvements based on player feedback, the easy to pick up, action-packed multiplayer sports game with the ongoing character development of MMORPGs is set to bread European Tennis champions.
The best of console sports games and MMOGs
Smash Online combines the accessibility and spontaneous fun of console sports games with the long-term character development and community focus of Massively Multiplayer Online Games. Players create their avatar with individualized looks and playing style to compete against thousands of players from around the world. Through winning matches and special tournaments, players sharpen their skills such as speed, strength and accuracy as well as earn points to spend in the integrated item shop on new clothing and equipment.
Since the start of the English Beta Test in February, the Korean developers have improved the game in numerous ways, responding to player feedback. Much increased network performance and stability are complemented by features such as a global lobby chat, missions that offer additional rewards and new game modes. A European ranking has been added to the game’s website and through national flags players can now instantly spot from which country their competitors are coming from. The just added club system allows players to found and manage individual clubs – who with the fall update will compete for control over their own tennis courts.
Ready for the European Championship
gamigo publishes Smash Online exclusively in Europe. Following the German and English versions, French, Spanish and other languages are currently scheduled for a summer launch, enabling EU-wide championships. Player-created tournaments as well as new game modes, maps and skills are also scheduled for the next update.
„During its beta period, Smash Online has already drawn interest by over 50,000 players“, explains Sven Ossenbrüggen, CEO gamigo AG. „We have received valuable feedback, turning some community requests already into reality – and others will soon follow, making Smash Online the ultimate Online Tennis experience!”
After the successful Beta Test, the English Commercial Version is launching today. Interested players can sign up for free on http://tennis.gamigo.com.
