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Gotta Collect ‘em All!

For all the collectors out there, the fine art team at Red Fly Studio put together some kick-ass trading cards, a poster, and hero statue that will be floating around out there.  The poster will be available with Rise of the Fungi (DS) pre-orders and the life-size statue with The Spore Wars (Wii) pre-orders. The first 3 trading cards are in the current issue of Nintendo Power (August issue, along with a contest where 2 families can win a trip to NYC for the 20^th Anniversary party at the Nintendo World Store in Sept). You’ll also be able to get them at PAX, the 20^th Anniversary Party mentioned above, LesClaypool.com, and more. The easiest way to make a complete set of 24 cards will be by pre-ordering the games at GameStop (get a pack of 11 for Rise of the Fungi and different 11 for The Spore Wars and  then 1 card will be included with each version of the game).

Mushroom Men Sail the Seas of Cheese…

Les Claypool will be headlining and Mushroom Men will be in full effect aboard Jam Cruise 7 (http://jamcruise.com/). Leaving out of Ft Lauderdale January 4, 2009, they’ll be tons of artists playing day and night as the ship ports in Belize City and Costa Maya.

For anyone interested in winning their way aboard, GameStop is running a special sweepstakes. Visit http://www.gamestop.com/mushroommen for more on that. And for those actually going, they’ll be more great contests to win Mushroom Men stuff while out on the open waters.

Tall Tales of Mushroom Men

There is also a custom Mushroom Men VW Bus in the works (details coming to www.MushroomMen.com soon). And the Space Squid writing contest has 1 week left for submissions (details: http://spacesquid.com/free_writing_contests.htm).

I have to say, this is one of the coolest contests this month and the extras that they are doing for this game are inventive. Go get a copy of Mushroom men for the DS or Wii, they are working hard to make sure to get your attention! I am going to go for the card set myself :)

-e

Leading Global Publisher Takes the World’s Finest Duo from Comic Book Pages to Mobile Phones

San Diego – July 24, 2008– Today at the 2008 Comic-Con International, Glu Mobile Inc. (Nasdaq: GLUU), a leading global publisher of mobile games, unveiled SUPERMAN/BATMAN, a new game coming to mobile phones around the world this winter. SUPERMAN/BATMAN, developed and published by Glu through its licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, is based on the BATMAN and SUPERMAN mythologies and is about the joining of the super heroes on a quest to fight evil. Glu’s launch will mark the first mobile game to feature the world’s two most beloved super heroes.

“SUPERMAN/BATMAN features key elements that make a great game — superhuman powers, adventure, and exciting characters taken right from DC Comics’ mythology,” said Jill Braff, senior vice president of global publishing, Glu. “This new title brings two of the world’s most recognized and beloved super heroes together for the first time on mobile, and we’re excited to offer this title to fans around the world.”

In addition to the mobile game, Glu will publish additional mobile content including wallpapers, ringtones, animated screensavers, voice tones and ringbacks.

“Together with Glu, we look forward to giving gamers the opportunity to experience action as SUPERMAN and BATMAN by making the game available to a broad audience of mobile consumers around the world,” said Maria Seidman, vice president, business development, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution.

The SUPERMAN/BATMAN mobile game will be released in December and will be available worldwide through Glu’s global network of wireless carriers and distributors.

For information visit www.glu.com

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Friday 25th July/… Eidos Interactive, creator of some of the world’s leading videogame properties, today announces that Summer Athletics, an all-new sports title featuring over 25 of the most popular summer sport disciplines, launches in the UK on 15th August on Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 2 and PC, as well as being the first realistic summer athletic sports simulation for the Nintendo Wii™.

Offering an abundance of sun-drenched athletic antics, armchair contenders can prove their skills in over 25 summer sporting disciplines including sprinting, hurdles, cycling, archery, javelin, hammer throwing, swimming and diving. To celebrate the forthcoming release of Summer Athletics, Eidos is excited to showcase the first trailer video.

Summer Athletics is an action-packed multi-player sporting adventure for the whole family, featuring a character editor, lifelike 3D graphics, realistic athlete animations and an impressive ‘life-like’ stadium atmosphere.

Providing a variety of difficulty levels across two gaming modes, arcade and career, Summer Athletics will prove to be addictive fun for both experienced and casual gamers alike.

“We’re really excited about the release of Summer Athletics, especially as it is the first realistic summer sports simulation for the Nintendo Wii and will tie in with the major sporting events occurring this summer.” Jon Brooke, Head of UK Marketing for Eidos. “It will provide hours of fun gaming for a wide audience and should really capture the mood of the summer.”

Bring the sporting action to your home this summer, with Summer Athletics available on Nintendo Wii™, Xbox 360®, PlayStation® 2 and PC - on sale from 15th August 2008.

Runes of Magic and Spellborn playable in the convention hall, full portfolio presented in the Business Center

Berlin, 07/25/2008: With its two big MMORPG flagships as baggage, Frogster Interactive sets course for Leipzig. On their two-part stand A10 in hall 5, the Berlin based publisher presents The Chronicles of Spellborn and Runes of Magic. Sixteen branded state-ofthe- art test terminals with mega-screens from Frogster’s hardware partners Ultraforce and Iiyama will be waiting for extensive play sessions for each of the two fantasy online roleplaying games. On the side of Spellborn visitors can try out the formerly unpublished PvE zone Cairnkegg located on the shard realm Ringfell or jump into PvP arena combat. Runes of Magic opens the gates to wander and explore the first localized regions of its fantasyrealm Taborea. Embedded in a regular stage show, game designer Sven Ehrentraut will present the key features of Spellborn and the Taiwanese lead producers John & Tony Tang of Runewaker give an overview of Runes of Magic. Every day visitors can win lots of merchandise and memorabilia at the Frogster stand. Precious prizes like a Spellborn branded PC, two Spellborn cases from Ultraforce as well as an Iiyama 22’’ flat-screen monitor can be won in PvP competitions on stage.

Full portfolio in the Business Center

At their booth F79 in the business center’s hall 2, Frogster is inviting all media representatives to a first hands-on preview of The Chronicles of Spellborn. Pierre-Yves Deslandes and Matthew Florianz from the Dutch developer will guide them to experience first-hand the unique manual targeting combat system of Spellborn, through an actionoriented midlevel quest chain. Moreover, the exhibition team will present an ancestral quest as a feature never before seen, where players will travel back through time and explore events in the prehistory of the game. John and Tony Tang will show the first zones of Runes of Magic. Editors can get their own impression from a first hands-on check in this case either. Afterwards the two lead producer of Runewaker are available for interviews. Besides the two fantasy MMORPG, Frogster will also showcase the original manga style MMOG StoneAge 2 and Kickster, the new fun soccer community for the PC. Gaming- Computer specialist Ultraforce and monitor partner Iiyama are providing branded high quality presentation hardware for the Business Center, too.

The team is looking forward to arranging appointments.

EXPERIENCE CYCLING’S BIGGEST TOURNAMENT IN NEW PC DEMO

Pro Cycling Manager – Tour De France 2008 is the latest version of the popular racing management game for PC and PSP. For cycling fans currently following the Tour de France, the race doesn’t have to end this weekend as the free demo is now available to download.

The demo will allow players to manage the Spanish Euskaltel team as they race through the Alps in the important Cuneo to Jausiers 16th stage of the Tour de France 2008. The team is preparing for the last week of the race before the grand final at the Champs-Élysées. However, no stages have been won yet and sponsors are beginning to pile on the pressure to see their colours on the podium. This 157.4 km testing route requires a talented Director of Sports to lead the team to victory.

Surrounded by the highest paved roads in Europe, the 16th stage takes place in mountainous terrain with breath-taking downhill sections to ensure a spectacular end to the race. Implement the best strategy to make the most of the mountain racer’s skills, preventing breakaway riders that could ruin your chances of victory.

The Pro Cycling Manager – Tour de France 2008 demo also offers players the opportunity to participate in track cycling events such as Keirin style racing. Compete against six skilled riders racing at 50 kph for three laps of intense competition. A tutorial mode will also help you get the best out of your team during a race.

Download the playable demo (760 MB):
http://www.focus-files.com/demos/pcm2008/pcm08demo_int2.exe

Visit http://www.cycling-manager.com for more information.

Sales Information for Pro Cycling Manager – Tour De France 2008
Available from: www.Amazon.co.uk ,GAME and all good retailers
Distributed by: Ascaron Entertainment

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment / 93GAMES
Web: www.ascaron.com / www.cycling-manager.com
Developer: Cyanide
Release date: 27th June 2008
PEGI: 3+
Format: PC / PSP
Genre: Management / Racing

LEIPZIG, Germany - July 25th, 2008 - Games Convention Developers Conference (GCDC) today announced that world renowned German game developer, Crytek, will be the official sponsor of GCDC Night on August 19th. The company behind the hugely successful First-Person Shooter (FPS) games, Far Cry and Crysis will co-host the most important networking event at the conference. GCDC takes place prior to the GC - Games Convention in Leipzig from August 18th-20th, 2008.

On the second night of the conference, the most important representatives of the gaming industry will gather for GCDC Night in a cozy atmosphere of barbecued food and cocktails.

“Having the most famous German development company as the main sponsor of the coveted GCDC Night supports our common goal to grow awareness of our key gaming brands internationally,” said Frank Sliwka, project director of GCDC. “Everyone from the keynote speakers and lecturers to the attendees of the conference will find GCDC Night to be one of the best networking events for the games industry worldwide.”

“After the busy hours of the conference, most of the attendees are happy to unwind at the GCDC Night,” said Cevat Yerli, CEO & President of Crytek GmbH. “We want to capitalize on the cozy atmosphere to introduce our company and our visions to the renowned speakers and attendees.”

Further information can be found on the GCDC website at: 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.

Live Televised Competition Will Broadcast to More Than 450 Million Viewers Worldwide

LOS ANGELES – July 24, 2008 – Following Semifinal matches earlier this week where San Francisco Optx defeated Berlin Allianz, 24-17, and Birmingham Salvo prevailed over Carolina Core by a single point in overtime, 21-20, the two finalists compete Monday in a live World Championship match that will award one team with the title of Championship Gaming Series 2008 World Champion, the coveted Mountain Dew trophy and the US$500,000 grand prize.

San Francisco Optx and Birmingham Salvo will face off at 7 p.m. PDT/10 p.m. EDT, Monday, July 28 during a televised match, which will be broadcast to more than 450 million viewers worldwide, and air live in the U.S. on DIRECTV’s The 101 Network. Birmingham Salvo holds a uniquely historic position in this second annual World Championship match as the first international team ever to reach the championship match in the CGS World Final.

The match will air live and in HD in the U.S. on DIRECTV’s The 101 Network and on Saturday, August 2 at 10 p.m. PDT on U.S. cable network G4. Additionally, the match will air in early August on BSkyB in the UK, Eurosport in mainland Europe, ESPN-STAR and STAR in Asia, STAR in Australia, SKY in Mexico and Brazil, and DIRECTV throughout the remainder of Latin America.

“The title of CGS World Champion is the most coveted honor in gaming and July 28 will mark an historic moment for the sport,” said CGS Commissioner and CEO Andy Reif. “2008 has featured amazing competition all season long, but it all comes down to this one night, and Monday’s final will pit our European Champion against San Francisco, who had to battle their way just to get the Wild Card spot in our World Finals. I know that gaming fans everywhere are going to see an unbelievable Championship Match.”

At the 2007 CGS World Championship, the Chicago Chimera crushed Carolina Core, 27-15, to capture the league’s inaugural World Champion title. Now in its second season, CGS has garnered increased viewership thanks to its rapidly-growing popularity and expanded television and online distribution.

Valve’s Counter-Strike®: Source® and EA’s FIFA 2008 are the official PC games for CGS. On the Xbox 360, CGS features Tecmo’s Dead or Alive® 4 (DOA4) and Forza Motorsport® 2 from Microsoft Game Studios.
Each CGS team features a total of ten athletes, each specializing in an official league game. Five of the ten players comprise a Counter-Strike: Source (CS:S) squad which competes in five-on-five matches. FIFA 08 is played one-on-one. Each CGS team also has one male and one female DOA4 player, who play against other teams in one-on-one matches on Xbox 360. The racing game Forza 2 is played by two players on each team in a two-versus-two format.

For more information, visit thecgs.com.

ELANS Build Their Cats & Crits with Video Game, Animation & VFX Professionals

VANCOUVER July 24, 2008 – The new categories for the 3rd ELANs – an awards show that recently announced its expansion to global competition and which has for the last two years honored video games and animation with big-name hosts such as William Shatner (1st year) and Seth MacFarlane (2nd year) – were announced today after three days of consultation with the industries themselves including Visual Effects which have been added to the next show taking place in Vancouver on Saturday, February 28, 2009.

“We hold Industry Roundtables in Vancouver and ask each group to determine their own Award Categories and Criteria,” explains Holly Carinci, Founder and Producer of the ELAN Awards. “We then send them out to their peers around the world for their input and that is how our official categories are decided each year. We do this so that we are on top of what each of these fast-paced industries are doing today, acknowledging new areas of importance to each of them such as Mobile Games and MMOs are this year to the Video Game Industry. We could never do this without the industry’s help and they have given it to us very generously.”

Tarnie Williams, GM of THQ Canada Inc. (Relic Entertainment) sits on the Board of Advisors for the 3rd Annual ELAN Awards: “Relic is honored to have collected statues at the ELANS in both of the past two years,” says Williams. “The ELANS are great since the awards are independent, their entire focus is on the digital media industries of video games, animation and visual effects, and they are voted on by a panel of industry professionals, so it really means something to win. It’s not just a popularity contest.”

Doug Campbell, President of Spin West VFX, also a member of the ELAN’s Board of Advisors says, “The ELANS give all visual effects, animation and video games professionals an opportunity to showcase the best they have to offer and be complemented with what will arguably be the most coveted award in Digital Media!”

The following award categories are open to global industry competition. The Qualifying Year is January 1, 2008 – December 31, 2008. Submissions open September 15, 2008 and close December 5, 2008. Final Nominees are announced February 2, 2009. The 3rd Annual ELAN Awards 2009 Ceremony is on Saturday, February 28, 2009. For view criteria for the categories go to www.theelans.com Submission Forms and Rules & Regulations will be available on the ELAN’s Official Website on Monday, September 15, 2008.

The Official Award Categories for the 3rd Annual ELAN Awards 2009 are:

VIDEO GAME CATEGORIES

1. GAME OF THE YEAR
The game released during the qualifying year that the adjudicators have decided was “ahead of the pack”.

2. BEST CONSOLE GAME
The best game operated on a videogame consoles which include: Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, Wii

3. BEST PC GAME
The best game operated on Windows, Macintosh OS or Linux based multipurpose computing system. Includes MMOs.

4. BEST CASUAL/ARCADE GAME
Awarded to the best casual game which may be pay-for-play OR free game played on any platform.

5. BEST HANDHELD GAME (psp, ds, ipod or other similar devices)
The best game developed for a portable gaming device. This device may NOT be one that’s primary function is voice communication like iPhone or NGage.

6. BEST MOBILE GAME
Awarded to the best mobile game for devices whose primary function IS voice communication.

7. BEST AUDIO DIRECTION
Awarded to an individuals or team for their creative excellence and collaboration in sound design and music for a video game.

8. BEST ART DIRECTION
Recognizes direction and implementation of cutting-edge visuals in relation to hardware/platform specs and limitations, or most innovative application of graphics techniques.

9. BEST GAME DESIGN
Recognizes best overall new game design. This category is adjudicated based on the implementation and coordination of design concepts in any type of electronic game.

10. OUTSTANDING INNOVATION in PLAY
Recognizes technical or creative innovation that will have a significant impact on future game development.

11. VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME
Awarded to the individual who in the course of pursuing their art, has excelled in their medium. The recipient will have achieved creative excellence throughout their career.

ANIMATION CATEGORIES

1. BEST FEATURE LENGTH ANIMATED PRODUCTION
Awarded to a feature length animated production that exhibits overall excellence. (At least 44 minutes in length)

2. BEST ANIMATED TELEVISION PRODUCTION
Awarded to a television animated production that exhibits overall excellence. Includes Educational, Television Series & Specials. (Broadcast time of 1hr or less)

3. BEST ANIMATED SHORT SUBJECT
Awarded to the short subject animated production that exhibits overall excellence. This category must not exceed 20mins. If a series of shorts has been produced, only one short per entry will be considered.

4. BEST DIRECTOR FOR an ANIMATED PRODUCTION
Awarded to the Director or team of Directors who exhibits outstanding individual achievement and creative excellence in directing. This category is open to all genres; feature length, short, series, specials, etc.

5. BEST VOICE OVER IN AN ANIMATED PRODUCTION (All genres)
Awarded for the performance by a voice actor in an animated production.

6. BEST SOUND in an ANIMATED PRODUCTION
Awarded to individuals or teams for creative excellence and collaborative accomplishment for musical scoring and sound design in the field of animation.

7. BEST STORYBOARDING
Awarded to the Storyboard Artist or Team of Artists who exhibit outstanding achievement and creative excellence. Copies of the storyboard and a copy of the developed project will need to be submitted.

8. BEST ANIMATION
Awarded to the Animation Director (can include team) that produces the best overall animation in a production (all genres)

9. BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN OR ART DIRECTION
Awarded to the Production Designer or Art Director who exhibits outstanding individual achievement and creative excellence.

10. BEST WRITING IN AN ANIMATED PRODUCTION
Awarded to the writer or team who exhibited outstanding achievement and creative excellence in an animated production.

11. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Awarded to the individual who in the course of pursuing their art, has excelled in their medium. The recipient will have achieved creative excellence throughout their career.

VISUAL EFFECTS CATEGORIES

1. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS in a FEATURE FILM
The Feature Film released during the qualifying year that the adjudicators have decided was “ahead of the pack”.

2. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS in a BROADCAST SERIES, MINISERIES or MOW
The TV show aired during the qualifying year that the adjudicators have decided was “ahead of the pack”.

3. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS in a INDEPENDENT/SHORT FILM
The Independent/Short Film released during the qualifying year that the adjudicators have decided was “ahead of the pack”.

4. BEST VISUAL EFFECTS SHOT
The Best shot of a Film or TV show release/aired during the qualifying year.

5. BEST DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT
Awarded to the best matte painting or virtual environment.

6. BEST REALISTIC EFFECT
The best effect or sequence that shows a high skill in realistic or invisible effects.

7. BEST DIGITAL AUGMENTATION
Awarded to the best effect used to correct, enhance, or change a human actor’s appearance/performance.

8. BEST ANIMATED CHARACTER
Awarded for best digital actor or creature.

9. BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Recognizes advancements in software, hardware, techniques, or other innovations in creating visual effects for film or tv.

10. BEST GROUND-BREAKING EFFECT
Recognizes best design for a new style or technique not seen before.

11. VISIONARY AWARD
Awarded to the individual who in the course of pursuing their art, has excelled in their medium. The recipient will have achieved creative excellence throughout their career.

ELANS CONVERGENCE AWARD
A single production using all three genres…video game, animation and visual effects

STUDENT CATEGORIES
1. BEST STUDENT ANIMATION
2. BEST STUDENT VIDEO GAME

PEOPLES’ AWARDS
Categories to be announced for public vote on Elan website