Archive for November 13th, 2008

CSI: NY cast to star in Ubisoft’s CSI: NY game

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

GOLDEN GLOBE® WINNER GARY SINISE AND MELINA KANAKAREDES AMONG THE TALENT TO LEND VOICE AND LIKENESS

SAN FRANCISCO – November 13, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced that the leading actors from the television show “CSI: NY” will lend their voices and likenesses to the all-new video game CSI: NY – The Game. Golden Globe winner Gary Sinise, Melina Kanakaredes, Carmine Giovinazzo, Eddie Cahill, Hill Harper, Anna Belknap, Robert Joy and A.J. Buckley will all provide their voices and likenesses to the video game, adding to the authenticity of the interactive adaptation of CBS’s “CSI: NY” television series.

“In creating CSI: NY – The Game, it was vital for us to remain true to the television show as much as possible,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Ubisoft. “We are delighted to have all of the show’s leading actors in the video game to further solidify the game’s faithfulness to the television series.”

For the first time in the CSI video game series, CSI: NY – The Game will allow you to play as actual characters from the hit TV show. The video game features a brand-new graphic novel art style, interactive mini-games and interrogations, as well as original cases crafted by writers from the “CSI: NY” television series. The game will launch for the PC on November 18th, in time for the 2008 holiday season.

 

“CSI: NY” averages 11.8 million total viewers each week on CBS. Ubisoft’s CSI video game franchise has sold more than 3.5 million units worldwide since the first CSI title was released in 2003.

Tiltntwist announces for Windows Mobile games

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Titles include HyperHamster, Snowboarding TNT, DropZone, and DUI: The Long Drive Home

 

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 11, 2008 – Mobile games developer TiltnTwist announced today four motion-based games developed on the Windows Mobile platform using GestureTek Mobile’s world-leading gesture recognition software. Snowboarding TNT and DropZone are available today at Handango.com HyperHamster and DUI: The Long Drive Home will be available shortly.

The power of gesture-controlled games on mobile devices is two-fold: the technology precludes the need for players to bother with the inconvenience and hassle of controlling action via small buttons on handsets; and it greatly enhances the “fun factor” by adding hand movements into the dynamics of game play.

“TiltnTwist is greatly expanding the availability of gesture-controlled games from the iPhone to pretty much every type of mobile handset on the market,” said Robert Goodale, co-founder with Trev Huxley of TiltnTwist. “Every family member – regardless of age – can have fun with games controlled by hand and body movements rather than tiny buttons.”

Mr. Goodale also noted his team’s early recognition of the value of gesture technology in games, citing the release of their gesture-controlled Tilt-A-World game weeks before the Wii launch.

GestureTek Mobile is the inventor of the patented, multiple award-winning EyeMobile® Engine, the world’s first software-only solution that lets people interact with their mobile device using motion or gestures. Using the device’s existing camera to track the movement of the phone and the user, EyeMobile lets people play either pre-loaded or downloadable motion-driven games simply by tilting, shaking, rocking or rolling their phone, rather than pressing buttons.

“By using GestureTek Mobile’s optical tracking solution for their Windows Mobile games, TiltnTwist has positioned itself to unleash the power of gesture-driven interaction to mobile users worldwide,” said Francis MacDougall, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer for GestureTek.

TiltnTwist announced four new games which can be viewed in more detail at www.tiltntwist.com: HyperHamster, Snowboarding TNT, DropZone, and DUI: The Long Drive Home. All games will be priced under $15.00 and will play on over 80 handsets from LG, Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, and UT Starcom.

HyperHamster 
Join genius hamster Captain Weevil as he tests his free-roaming mobile lab inside a clear rolling ball. Utilizing the unique technology of GestureTek, players control the ball’s direction simply with the motion of their phone. Move the phone to maneuver the hamster as it floats and jumps to explore the world. Drift left and right as you hover airborne and roll along the ground to travel through each level. Speed up and slow down with a single motion and rock the phone for jumping power. Shake your phone to break free of spider webs and gobs of goo. HyperHamster was developed by OneNine Studios atwww.oneninestudios.com.

Snowboarding TNT
A popular winter sport is captured in Snowboarding TNT which has 3D graphics that exploit capabilities of Windows Mobile handsets. Camera- and gesture-controlled navigation steers players through gates, around obstacles, and over jumps. Players can perform 30 air tricks on 9 courses, with the ability to link tricks to create custom sequences, and can obtain power-ups to increase speed and score.

DropZone
TiltNTwist’s DropZone is an exhilarating Windows Mobile skydiving game that uses 3D graphics and EyeMobile control for a compelling 10-skydive adventure. GestureTek’s EyeMobile application uses the device’s existing camera to power motion-based mobile games and mobile applications. Camera-controlled action gives a realistic first person point of view as players test their aerial prowess dropping through balloon rings, and hitting ground targets for maximum points.

DUI: The Long Drive Home
Windows Mobile players follow Humphrey through his night of debauchery as he parties around town, has maybe a little too much to drink, and tries to get himself home – all the while trying to avoid being discovered by his wife. Players are faced with 10 mini-game challenges including getting the keys in the car ignition, driving home safely without smashing into obstacles, and the ultimate test – passing the dreaded field sobriety test. Five levels of difficulty make DUI: The Long Drive Home increasingly more difficult and fun, and local leader boards let players return again and again to improve their scores.

Snowboarding TNT, DropZone, and DUI: The Long Drive Home were development by Super Happy Fun Fun at www.shff.com.

For more information, visit www.tiltntwist.com.

Myth War Ⅱ Online: Prison System Overview

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
In Myth War II Online (http://mw2.igg.com/main.php), player killing (i.e. PK) is an essential part of the game. It means players above a certain level can join in PVP combat, find unsuspecting players and kill them. But harsh penalties will be enforced for merciless griefing. PK griefers will not be able to avoid harsh jail time for too many successive kills in a row.

Prison System:
Game designers have taken steps to crack down on unnecessary griefing. PK grievers will be sent to jail for kills of more than 5 players in non-PVP realms. In Desert City and Demon Square, prisons have become places that time forgets. Prisoners will spend a long time in jail and serve their sentence based on the number of successive kills they pull off before leaving their cells. All prisons are guarded and fear-up approaches are designed to frighten prisoners.

Players will be released after completing a term of imprisonment. The total kills they conduct will be reduced by the number of kills that sent them to prison.

Prison Raid:

Players jailed will have a chance to escape from jail if someone outplays the prison security guard NPCs. But they will land on the most wanted list and a manhunt will be started to find them. At the entrance of every jail, an NPC is standing there as a prison guard. After one player’s ID input is entered by the prison raiders, the system will tell the prison raiders if the player they want to rescue is in the jail. Prison raiders must combat prison security guards and beat them to successfully spring their companion from jail. Prison raiders and players being rescued will each lose 25 Evil Index, and land on the most wanted list as well as being teleported to an open area.

Most Wanted List: 
Prison raiders and escaped players will be wanted criminals. Other players can take the manhunt quest in Blython to become bounty hunters and go after them. They will be given a Wanted Scroll that will help them locate the wanted criminals. If players team up to arrest the wanted criminals, all teammates must have the Wanted Scroll to be rewarded with gold and EXP after a successful capture.

Jail terms are designed to punish PK griefers. This game has a sound PVP combat system and offers PVP advocates low risk duels and fair PVP fights. We will walk you through them next time.

For more info, check out the official website:
http://mw2.igg.com/guide/guide.php?acid=81

King Arthur: The Role-Playing Wargame

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
“Welcome to the lost age of chivalry, where magic and myth is alive, and you are destined to be one of the living legends: Arthur, the son of Uther Pendragon, the Once and Future King of the prophecy.”

Fulfil your destiny and claim your rightful place on the throne of Britannia. Recruit fabled knights to your Round Table: send them to adventures or battles, let them gather knowledge and artifacts, see how they become the most powerful heroes of the realm.

Build the majestic Camelot, but beware: there will be enemies, both mortal and otherworldly that will try to destroy you. Send your heroes and followers to battle with legendary warriors and monsters and see how the folk of the faeries and the saints set against wizards and evil knights.

Kalypso Media make their titles available via Gamersgate

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

Kalypso Media make their titles available via Gamersgate

 

Bracknell, UK (November 13th, 2008) – Kalypso Media UK have today announced that they will partner with Gamersgate AB to make their back catalogue, current titles and future titles available for download.
 

“Kalypso Media are delighted that our consumers will have access to our games titles via Gamersgate. Electronic Software Download is a rapidly growing sector of the market and Kalypso Media are keen to be fully involved.” said Charlie Barrett, Business Development Director, Kalypso Media.
 

“Kalypso Media have a really strong lineup of published and upcoming games titles and we are really pleased that we will be able to offer them to our customers. This will include top quality titles such as the city builder Imperium Romanum and the adventure classic Agon the Lost Sword of Toledo. In the future we will also be able to offer Kalypso Media’s forthcoming titles such as Ceville and Imperium Romanum II.” added Theodore Bergquist, CEO/Chairman, Gamersgate AB.
 

The first titles that will be released will be: Imperium Romanum, Imperium Romanum : Emperor Expansion, Imperium Romanum : Gold Edition, Imperium Romanum 2, Hollywood Pictures, AGON Lost Sword of Toledo, Star Assault, Ceville, Winter Challenge, Campus and Theatre of War.

Magna Carta Developer Softmax makes inroads into Nintendo DS Platform

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
- With the new platform of the Softmax console game (family video game) business division posing a challenge, the company is set to enter the market through the localized release of a title for Nintendo DS.

- 2 types of Nintendo DS titles released in Korea this year (“Monster Farm DS,” “Hi! Hamtaro DS”)

Softmax (CEO: Jeong Yeong-won;www.softmax.co.kr) is making inroads into the game development business for Nintendo DS.

As a representative video game developer of Korea, Softmax is currently engaged in development projects on various platforms (online, console, mobile); it has developed major titles such as “Magna Carta: Tears of Blood” (PS2 & PSP; 2004, 2006 release) and “Magna Carta 2″ (Xbox 360, under development). Softmax announced that it would develop a game that can be enjoyed by a broader audience as well as various social classes by entering the Nintendo platform this time.

Since it engages in the business for Nintendo DS, Softmax is set to release 2 titles for Nintendo DS (“Monster Farm DS”, “Hi! Hamtaro DS”) in Korea this year. It is also planning to develop an edutainment contents title and an original game title later using representative characters at home and abroad.

Starting with the Korean release of 2 Japanese titles in 2008 as mentioned earlier, Softmax intends to operate the Nintendo DS business for the domestic as well as overseas markets through various styles of games targeting a broad range of users such as titles using popular Korean characters or contents and original orthodox RPG.

Even the development platform is not limited to a certain device like Nintendo Ds. Business on other platforms is currently under review.
“When we look at the game contents business strategy that Softmax had carried out until now, ‘family/children-oriented contents development’ can serve as a new challenge to Softmax. In the Nintendo platform in particular, which has various ranges of users, this will serve as an opportunity for Softmax to take a step further in developing global contents as its mid to long-term business strategy,” Softmax CTO Jo Yeong-gi said.

NaturalMotion Sets Sail for Australian Technology Tour to Show morpheme 2.0 Animation System

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
Leading Animation Technology Company to Participate in GCAP Conference and Present Latest Version of morpheme to Game Developers and Publishers

 

NaturalMotion, the animation technology company behind the revolutionary euphoria engine, is touching down in Australia for a two week technology tour from November 13 – 28, surrounding the Game Connect Asia Pacific conference in Brisbane, Australia. While in the region, the company is seeking appointments with interested game developers and publishers to discuss the upcoming release of morpheme 2.0.

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. Since its launch in 2007, morpheme has seen rapid adoption in the games industry, including customers such as Bioware, Eidos and Disney.

Rappelz, a Popular MMORPG from gPotato, Celebrates its 2nd Anniversary

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
Sunnyvale, California – November 11th, 2008- In celebration of Rappelz’s 2nd anniversary, Gala-Net Inc. has announced a series of in-game events to take place starting from November 12th. Gala-Net’s acclaimed MMORPG, Rappelz, has captivated millions of users since its launch back in 2006, and continues on this journey with its latest release, Epic V.

For this notable milestone, not only will all players receive a FREE “7 Day Hidden Village Pass,” but the “Raining Pets” event is finally here! Pets are the unique feature to Rappelz, and they are arguably one of the most important aspects in the game. Pets can help players do everything from healing to helping destroy opponents.

The Raining Pets event will bring a surge of pet items for all users! Simply play the game, defeat the monsters and collect your prize! Monsters may drop a Rain Drop, carrying a huge variety of pet items- anything from a Creature Name Change to a Decorative Pet Box. Items from the drop include (but are not limited to):

• Creature Name Changes
• Creature Resurrection Scrolls
• Pet Re-Specialization Potioons
• Taming Cards
• Pet Boxes
• Decorative Pets

This event is the most anticipated event of the year for Rappelz players, as it celebrates one of the most defining features of game play in Rappelz.

“Pets have always been a distinctive component in Rappelz, and with the recent release of Epic V, they only prove to be more valuable to players,” says Senior Producer Michael Powers. “We wanted to reward our users with this landmark and hope that Rappelz continues its epic to reach out to the many other MMORPG players out there. Happy Anniversary Rappelz!”

Evasive Space Begins the Countdown for Launch on WiiWare

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

New Space Adventure Announced by YUKE’S Company of America

The fate of the heavens is in your hands in Evasive Space, YUKE’S Company of America and High Voltage Software’s latest space action title for Nintendo’s WiiWare™ service announced today, set to launch this coming January. Capturing the casual pick up and play nature of past WiiWare favorites combined with the creative use of the Wii Remote™’s infrared pointer, pilot your rocket ship on a wildly dangerous interplanetary mission to save the stars.

You’ll be guiding Konki on timed and collection-based missions through 20 stages of mazes and obstacles in five different environments spanning treacherous terrain including asteroid belts, planetary rings, astro-caves, and large space stations. Hazards surround your ship at every move – enemy fire, asteroids, black holes, tight corridors – while ship upgrades tempt you at every turn. Compete with up to three of your friends in local multiplayer matches that will determine which pilot has the quickest and most skilled navigation abilities…

Backstory 
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder WHERE you are … The universe is going dark and it’s up to you Konki, Stellar Guardian, to put things right. Dr. Dark Matter and his roving band of space thieves have stolen many of the Constellation Stones that make up the heavens. Some stones have been sold to unscrupulous space types while others were lost during the getaway. Whatever the situation, you must come through. Suit-up, power-up, and live up to the task at hand. Recover the lost Constellation Stones and once again bring light to the night sky.

“We’re seeing some great digital distribution methods that allow us the opportunity to deliver fun games to consumers at an affordable price,” said Nate Fitt, Marketing Manager of YUKE’S Company of America. “Evasive Space is our debut on the wonderful WiiWare platform for the world’s most popular game console, the Nintendo Wii™ system. The game will stay true to the nature of the platform by offering an engaging and addictive space adventure that both casual players and hardcore gamers will appreciate.”

“This is our first game published by YUKE’S Company of America, and we’re looking forward to kicking off our relationship with the success of Evasive Space,” states Kerry J. Ganofsky, CEO of High Voltage Software. “We’ve had great experiences developing and distributing games through WiiWare, and we hope that our newfound cooperation with YUKE’S will deliver some great new games and generate positive results for both of our companies as we take advantage of new digital distribution opportunities.”

Assets for Evasive Space will be coming soon, so stay tuned for the countdown to liftoff!

Evasive Space has been rated “E” for “Everyone” with Mild Fantasy Violence by the ESRB and will be downloadable for 1,000 Wii Points.

Age of Booty now available on PSN

Thursday, November 13th, 2008

One of Capcom’s Hottest Downloadable Games is Available Today on PLAYSTATION®Network.

SAN MATEO , Calif. — November 13, 2008 — Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, launched Age of Booty™ for PLAYSTATION®Network today. Developed by Certain Affinity™, known for their previous work on the Halo® series , Age of Booty is a downloadable real-time multiplayer strategy game that puts players in command of a pirate ship with the goal of destroying your enemies and capturing towns for your pirate faction.

In Age of Booty, players team up with friends online or AI-controlled pirate ships to raid, pillage, sink, and destroy their way to dominance on the high seas. Spoils of war and booty are used to upgrade and customize pirate ships to make them even more deadly as players take on 21 unique challenges and seven of the most devious Pirate Alliances on the high seas. Gain notoriety and fame by climbing the online leader boards. Create and share custom maps using the intuitive map creation system. Players can expect free content updates for Age of Booty though-out the lifespan of the game. There will be 25 + maps including downloadable ones available on Launch Day!

Age of Booty is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and is available for $9.99 PLAYSTATION®Network .