Gamersnewsbits.com

Limited Version of Metal Gear OnlineTM Demo Enables Gamers to Experience The Multiplayer Aspect of Metal Gear Solid®

Additionally, Purchasers of Retail Metal Gear Online^TM – MEME Expansion Will Be Eligible to Win One of 1,200 Limited Edition In-Game Metal Gear Online T-Shirts

Konami has released a free demo of the ultimate squad, tactical shooter based on the popular Metal Gear Solid® Universe. A limited version of the Metal Gear Online game is now available exclusively on the PlayStation® Network. This demo is only playable on PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems that do not have a previously installed and registered retail copy of Metal Gear Online. A must for anyone who wants to experience the Metal Gear Universe, this demo showcases the multiplayer aspect of the series including specialization skills, the new Sons of Patriot (SOP) system, online play and so much more.

Additionally, Metal Gear fans can now purchase Metal Gear Online – MEME Expansion and have the opportunity to win a limited edition, Metal Gear Online Happy New Year T-Shirt. MEME Expansion contains a vast amount of content including new maps, special characters, new skills, new customizable characters, funny avatar parts and more. 1,200 randomly selected players will win one of three different styled in-game shirts, which will be distributed on January 5th, 2009. Metal Gear Online is available for a SRP of $9.99 through MGOnline’s in-game shop. For more information please visit: http://www.konami.com.

New Partnership Provides Unified Login Access and a Unified Monetary System for Players of Wicked Interactive and G4BOX Games

Toronto, CANADA-December 19, 2008-Wicked Interactive
(www.wickedinteractiveltd.com),and G4BOX (www.g4box.com), both North American MMO Publishers, announced today that Wicked Interactive’s SUBA Games platform (www.subagames.com), will now host G4BOX MMORPG, Metin2, and its upcoming online FPS, Cross Fire.

The new partnership will result in numerous benefits for both SUBA Games and G4BOX players. A new unified login system will allow Cross Fire and Metin2 players to access all SUBA Games properties, including ACE Online, Priston Tale, and the upcoming Priston Tale 2: The Second Enigma, with their current G4BOX logins. Likewise, SUBA Games players will gain access to Metin2, and the exclusive closed beta of Cross Fire. Additionally, G4BOX games and SUBA Games properties now share a unified currency and community space. While the games have merged onto one platform, G4BOX and Wicked Interactive remain separate corporate entities.

“We are excited to welcome these two G4BOX properties into the SUBA Games library of titles,” said Stanley Yu, Chief Executive Officer of Wicked Interactive. “The SUBA Games platform maintains an impressive lineup of MMORPGs to which we feel Metin2 and Cross Fire are worthy additions,” added Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX.

To coincide with its entry into the SUBA Games platform, the Metin2 website (now located at http://metin2.subagames.com) will be re-designed and re-launched to better serve the ever-growing Metin2 community. Current Metin2 users should be able to continue playing during the platform switch and site re-launch, though they may experience some minimal downtime. Both the Metin2 and Cross Fire websites and forums will be down on Friday December 19, 2008 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM EST while the games are moved to the SUBA Games portal. The SUBA Games portal itself will experience similar downtime.

G4BOX’s Cross Fire (now located at http://crossfire.subagames.com) will continue its closed beta test throughout the holiday season with an open beta launch expected on SUBA Games in early 2009. SUBA Games players will gain access to the closed beta test following its move to the SUBA Games platform.

SUBA Games properties, ACE Online (http://ace.subagames.com) and Priston Tale (http://pt1.subagames.com), will continue their respective holiday events and festivities into the New Year and should not experience downtime during the migration of G4BOX games to the SUBA Games platform.

For more information about the above products or SUBA Games visit www.subagames.com.

Koch Media, a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products, and history specialist Slitherine, a UK-based independent developer and publisher, announced today that they have concluded an exclusive distribution agreement, according to which Koch Media will handle exclusive initial sales for six titles from the Slitherine catalog in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (including French and Italian versions), Scandinavia, Spain, the Benelux countries, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Titles for PC, Nintendo DS^TM, Wii^TM, Xbox 360®, the video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 and PSP^TM (PlayStation®Portable) include games from various Slitherine brands, such as HISTORY^TM and MILITARY HISTORY^TM, the Horrible Histories^TM and a game from Slitherine’s agreement with the BBC.

Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Koch Media, comments on this cooperation: “In Slitherine, we gained a valuable partner with reputed brands and licenses. We are happy that we get to distribute these attractive, entertaining games with historical contents exclusively in the designated countries.”

Marco Minoli, Marketing Director at Slitherine, said: “As a UK Developer we had already worked extensively with Koch over the years. Now that we have transitioned into publishing they were our distribution partner of choice and a natural fit. We are very pleased to be working with them on our 2009 line up.”

Details regarding individual titles will be released soon.

IGG has revealed an innovative new Deity System in GodsWar Online (http://gw.igg.com/main.php).

The Deity System is one of the characteristic systems of GodsWar Online, a game based on ancient Greek culture. In the game, worshiping different gods can bring players different ability bonuses, as well as important deity skills.

Deity System Introduction:
In Greece, Zeus, Athena, Apollo and other gods enjoyed broad appeal and worship throughout the land. In GodsWar Online, players can choose one of 14 Gods to worship and enjoy the sight of many large and magnificent temples erected in their honor.

System Usage:
In the game, players can worship Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Hades, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Ares, Demeter, Hestia, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes and Dionysus, each god bestowing different ability bonuses and deity skills on his or her worshipers.

Deity skills accumulated through worship is an important system in the game. Although each gift has different attributes and benefits, the effects are powerful enough to even reverse the outcomes of a war.

If players team up, one player using a deity skill can help all members of the team to obtain extra bonuses; this is called the chained Deity System.

More information can be found at http://gw.igg.com/main.php.

The Angels Online team is very happy to announce that they will release a new server called Zeus after the weekly maintenance, so that they can relieve the populations stress on the other servers.

What’s more, a Double Exp event will be held on this new server to celebrate its release. The event will begin on December 19th and last until 11:59pm EDT(GMT-5) December 25th. By then, all players from the new server can enjoy Double Exp as well as Double Skill Exp at the same time.

For more information please visit: http://ao.igg.com/news/news.php?aid=1667

Ubisoft signs deal to publish the Director’s Cut of Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars

Genre-defining Adventure Game that Introduced Gamers to the Mysteries of the Knights Templars Makes its Debut on Wii(TM) and Nintendo DS(TM) Systems with a Special Edition

 Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announced a publishing agreement to release the special edition of Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars on Wii(TM) and Nintendo DS(TM) systems.

“Ubisoft works with the very best development talent in the world,” said Alain Corre, Ubisoft EMEA Executive Director. “We jumped at the opportunity to work with Charles Cecil and Revolution to publish a game of the highest pedigree so perfectly suited for the Nintendo audience.”

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – The Director’s Cut builds on the original, boasting a new and explosive narrative interwoven with the first story. New puzzles have been added for Nintendo DS and Wii that specifically utilize Nintendo’s unique control methods. The game also features stunning animated facial expressions drawn by Dave Gibbons, the artistic genius behind the comic book and upcoming movie, Watchmen.

“These new platforms and their innovative controls enabled us to translate and enrich the point-and-click gaming experience in a way that no other console allowed before,” said Charles Cecil, founder of Revolution Software and designer of the Broken Sword series. “Through Dave’s animated faces, the game’s characters are portrayed as empathetic and emotional – driving the narrative in a way that has never been done before in an adventure game. The Director’s Cut has allowed me to deliver my true vision for the series.”

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – The Director’s Cut starts with the player in control of charming Parisian photo-journalist Nicole Collard, who witnesses the brutal and horrifying murder of one of Paris’s richest and most influential statesmen. During her investigations, which feature exclusive new locations, Nico meets amiable American George Stobbart, who has been unwittingly caught up in the sinister and bloody theft of an ancient manuscript. Together, they are drawn into a terrifying conspiracy rooted in a long-forgotten medieval legend.

Expanding on the original classic storyline, The Director’s Cut features tight scripting and an intense atmosphere from the explosive opening sequence to the gripping finale, where the full threat of the conspiracy is revealed.

Adds Charles Cecil, “The Director’s Cut features elements that enhance the original puzzles and storyline, which helps explain what happened prior to the start of the original game, and how it ties to later games in the series.”

Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars – The Director’s Cut is scheduled for release on Wii and Nintendo DS in March 2009.

Unemployed? There’s a Job For Everyone With Fifty Unique Occupations!

REDWOOD CITY, CA – Friday, December 19, 2008 – Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm for HUDSON SOFT, today released a new batch of screenshots for Help Wanted™, a fun, slap-stick new life simulation game for Wii™ slated for Summer 2009. In Help Wanted™, players are sent on a mission to save the world from impending extinction by completing fifty different jobs. Help Wanted™ is developed by Hudson Soft and published by Hudson Entertainment for North and South America.

Help Wanted™ allows players to choose from completing over fifty odd jobs. The jobs included in this new batch of screens include Security Guard, Sushi Chef, Plane Cleaner, Haunted House Monster, Bodybuilder, and Sumo Referee, to name just a few. The game includes multiple difficulty levels that change up the gameplay elements and a multiplayer feature that allows for head-to-head play on up to fifteen different jobs.

After completing each job, players can then shop for fun and unique items using the money they’ve earned from their daily grind. In addition, gamers can also buy special defensive goods that will help to save the planet or delay it’s extinction from a meteor. After making purchases, players can also add keepsakes to their displayable collections in the collector’s room.

For more information about Help Wanted™ or Hudson Entertainment visit www.Hudsonentertainment.com orwww.hudsonent.com.

Atlus U.S.A., Inc. today summons all fans of classic, western-style first-person role playing games to experience The Dark Spire for Nintendo DS, an RPG of exploration and character development in the purest sense. Parties will be assembled, stats will be rolled, items, weapons and armor shall be equipped, and monsters will be slain. Some adventurers will choose to play using the “modern” interface, its bold, stylized textures and palettes delivering a fresh, up-to-date adventure. Others may opt for the “classic” mode, guaranteed to evoke overwhelming sensations of nostalgia as it perfectly recreates the style and simplicity of the fathers of the genre. Two different presentation modes, two different ways to experience The Dark Spire!

The powerful Archmage Tyrhung resides in a tower of mist and shadow. He holds in his possession a jewel of great worth and power. A group of adventurers assemble. Will they be able to conquer Tyrhung and his nefarious tower? The party sets out, its fate yet to be determined… 

The Dark Spire is scheduled for release on March 10, 2009 with an MSRP of $29.99, it is written.

For more information about The Dark Spire, visit the official website.