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Players skate to transform an ordinary city into their very own skating playground

Today Ubisoft announced new details for Shaun White Skateboarding, the latest offering in the award-winning action-sports franchise developed with world-renowned skateboarder and snowboarder, Shaun White. Scheduled for a fall 2010 release on the PlayStation 3, the Xbox 360, the Wii and Windows PC, Shaun White Skateboarding brings skateboarding to a wide audience, allowing players to transform a dull, lifeless city into their own extraordinary skating playground. Wii-specific details will be revealed at the E3 Expo in June, 2010.

“When we started making the game, we knew we wanted to give players a sense of how skaters see the world – everything is an opportunity,” said Nick Harper, Creative Director. “What looks like a handrail to us is really a grind. A park bench is a place to trick, an alley is a quarter pipe, etc. We’ve taken that idea and expanded it. We wanted to put our own twist on the genre and craft the type of game that allows players to be creative and still have a lot of fun.”

Players begin their journey in a dull and gray city that’s stretched over massive districts. As players skate and complete challenges, the city comes to life – new areas are revealed, better skate lines are created and buildings are transformed. Players can stretch and twist handrails to dizzying heights, empty fountains to create bowls, morph streets into ramps and much more. Creativity is rewarded with points, skateboarding gear and fresh, new skating opportunities. With 80+ skate tricks hand-picked by Shaun (including a Shaun creation called the “Armadillo”), players can pull off authentic skate moves from the get-go and jump online to challenge friends in co-operative or adversarial modes.

For more information on Shaun White Skateboarding please visit: www.shaunwhitegame.com

Fans to Create the Next Generation of NBA JAM One-Liners

Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS™ is giving its fans an opportunity to create their own one-liners for the upcoming EA SPORTS NBA JAM videogame*. Fans can submit and vote for their favorite lines to be read by the original voice of NBA JAM, Tim Kitzrow, who reprises his role as the legendary announcer.

Fans can submit their one-liners at http://www.facebook.com/NBAJAM, and 64 finalists, as chosen by the EA SPORTS NBA JAM team, will go head-to-head in a single elimination bracket with fan votes determining the winners. The four finalists will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their one-liners included in the game and heard by millions of people around the world.

Contest Schedule:

May 13th – Contest Submissions Open at http://www.facebook.com/NBAJAM

May 19th – Contest Submissions Close

May 24th – 64 Finalists Announced

May 25th – Fan voting begins

June 23rd –Winners Announced

“NBA JAM is one of the most popular and culturally influential arcade basketball games ever made, and is widely known for its one-liners like Boom-Shaka-Laka and He’s on Fire,” says Kitzrow, the original voice of NBA JAM. “I am really excited to be a part of the remake and for fans to create the expressions that could become culturally iconic in the years to come.”

EA SPORTS NBA JAM revives the classic franchise with vintage NBA JAM gameplay, and all-new features that deliver a fresh new take on the game. Featuring the sights and sounds that fans of the franchise will instantly recognize, EA SPORTS NBA JAM mixes the old school with the new, to deliver a one-of-a-kind sports presentation on the Wii™.

EA SPORTS NBA JAM is currently in development at EA Canada in Vancouver, BC and will be available Fall, 2010 for the Nintendo Wii videogame system. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

For more information and breaking news on EA SPORTS NBA JAM, visit: http://www.facebook.com/NBAJAM

EA SPORTS™ is one of the leading sports entertainment brands in the world, with top-selling videogame franchises, award-winning interactive technology, global videogame competitions and breakthrough digital experiences. EA SPORTS delivers personal access to the emotion of sports through industry-leading sports simulation videogames, including Madden NFL football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football and NCAA Basketball, Fight Night boxing and Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® golf, while EA SPORTS Active Personal Trainer for the Wii is the most critically acclaimed product available for interactive fitness.

For more information about EA SPORTS, including news, video, blogs, forums, fantasy leagues and game communities, please visit www.easports.com to connect, share and compete.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

Void where prohibited.

Eligibility restrictions apply.

Contest starts May 13, 2010 and ends June 23, 2010.

Complete Contest rules can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/NBAJAM

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is scheduled to ship May 18, 2010. For more information on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands please visit: www.princeofpersiagame.com

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands is the next chapter in the fan-favorite Sands of Time universe. Visiting his brother’s kingdom following his adventure in Azad, the Prince finds the royal palace under siege from a mighty army bent on its destruction. When the decision is made to use the ancient power of the Sand in a desperate gamble to save the kingdom from total annihilation, the Prince will embark on an epic adventure in which he will learn to bear the mantle of true leadership, and discover that great power often comes with a great cost.

With more than 400 artists, including Jimi Hendrix, The Who, AC/DC and Green Day, who are exclusive to Rock Band, as well as more than 1,100 songs available through the Rock Band platform and 65 million songs sold through its download store alone, Rock Band is the undisputed sales and content leader in the interactive music space, providing the deepest and best selection of artists, songs and albums.

British Steel was originally released in April 1980 and was the band’s first platinum Top 40 album in the United States and their first Top 10 studio album in the United Kingdom. Columbia/Legacy will rerelease this seminal album May 11, day-and-date with the Rock Band tracks. There will be a British Steel 30th Anniversary Standard Edition available, as well as a British Steel 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition box set, available only through www.judaspriest.com. The standard edition features a CD of the original nine-song album, plus 2 bonus tracks, as well as a DVD featuring a “Making of British Steel” interview, as well as full concert footage of the 16-song set from the 2009 British Steel tour, filmed live at the Seminole Hard Rock Arena, Hollywood, Florida. The deluxe edition features all this, plus a CD of the live recording from the Seminole Hard Rock Arena concert.

Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (May 11):

·         “Breaking the Law (Live)” +

·         “Rapid Fire (Live)” +

·         “Metal Gods (Live)”

·         “Grinder (Live)” +

·         “United (Live)” +

·         “Living After Midnight (Live)”

·         “You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise (Live)”

·         “The Rage (Live)” +

·         “Steeler (Live)” +

(All tracks are original master recordings)

(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 May 12)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “British Steel 30th Anniversary,”as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii. Tracks marked with “+” are also available for download in the family-friendly LEGO® Rock Band Music Store.

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Website Links:

For more information, please visit:

Rock Band Website

Judas Priest Website

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content. 

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Storeusing Wii Points™ purchased through the Wii™ Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage.  The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play. 

With these additions, there are now 1,183 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 65 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007.  The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

For more information on Rock Band 2 and Harmonix Music Systems please visit www.rockband.com  and www.harmonixmusic.com.

First look and pre-order for inaugural Puzzle Agent pilot now online at http://www.puzzleagent.com

Telltale Games, the leading independent digital publisher and developer of episodic interactive entertainment, announced today the creation of their new Pilot Program. With this program, Telltale can bring creative and innovative ideas to market more quickly through game “pilots,” similar to the entertainment industry’s television pilots. Through this program Telltale’s internal studios will explore new video game concepts, content and play patterns to complement the publisher’s current episodic projects. Successful pilots will be considered for migration to the company’s highly successful episodic gaming model.

“The Pilot Program is an excellent way to expand the boundaries of interactive entertainment and gaming by bringing audiences unique and interesting content they might not see otherwise,” said Telltale CEO, Dan Connors. “Our internal teams are filled with incredibly talented and creative people, and the Pilot Program will foster the exploration of ideas that will help us evolve Telltale’s product offerings.”

The first title in Telltale’s Pilot Program is Puzzle Agent. The title combines accessible Professor Layton-inspired puzzling with generous doses of Nordic folklore, enigmatic gnomes, and dark David Lynch and Coen brothers sensibilities. Puzzle Agent releases in June on PC, Apple Macintosh, iPhone/iPod touch, iPad and Nintendo Wii.

Telltale is creating Puzzle Agent in partnership with Graham Annable, the company’s first art director at the time of its founding. Players take on the role of Nelson Tethers, the lead (and only) agent in the US Department of Puzzle Investigation, sent on a rare field assignment to Scoggins, Minnesota to investigate why output at the town’s eraser factory has come to a screeching halt. The title combines brainteasers that include mazes, puzzles, logic and riddles, intertwined with an engrossing, twisted mystery story – all presented with Graham’s unique narrative and visual sensibilities and the distinctive Telltale style.

“It’s been great re-uniting with Telltale,” comments Annable. “It’s amazing to see how they’ve faithfully captured my art style and mood in the game. Working with the team to bring Nelson Tethers and Puzzle Agent to life has been amazing. Combining the original story and characters with one of my favorite gameplay styles is like a dream come true.”

Puzzle Agent pre-orders for PC and Mac are now available at http://www.puzzleagent.com for $9.95. All who pre-order will receive a coupon for 50% off any products in the Telltale Games store, including merchandise like Graham Annable’s new Book of Grickle from Dark Horse Comics, the full season of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, and more. Full pre-order details are available on the Puzzle Agent website. Purchase options for additional platforms will be available in the near future.

LITTLE ORBIT (www.littleorbit.com), the worldwide publisher and developer of entertainment products for the casual video game marketplace, has released seven new screenshots of Busy Scissors today. The screenshots provide a first look at Busy Scissors on the Nintendo DS platform.

The world’s first and only industry-backed hairstyling simulation game, Busy Scissors offers players the opportunity to have fun playing mini-games based on real-life professional styling techniques. Using DS controls to shampoo, cut, color and style hair, players acquire eccentric clientele as they progress through six career levels.

Busy Scissors is scheduled for release in North America and Europe this September on Nintendo DS and Wii.

About Little Orbit:

Little Orbit is a publisher and developer of casual video game entertainment products. Based in Orange County, California, and London, England, Little Orbit brings high quality life simulations to the mass market. Little Orbit was founded by marketing and video game industry veterans with a record of successfully building entrepreneurial ventures and holding top positions in the interactive game industry. The team has a unique history with entertainment companies like Disney, Dreamworks Animation, Warner Bros, Taco Bell, and Mattel that demonstrates an ability to leverage highly visible brands to help grow and engage consumers in emerging game channels. For more information visit www.littleorbit.com.

Zallag has unveiled the WiiWare game, Racers’ Islands: Crazy Racers. The game will feature 6 heroes, each with his/her own vehicle and favorite weapon.

It will be a hybrid cart-style racer/shooter.

A brand new gameplay perfectly adapted to the accessibility of the Wii. Aim and shoot with your Wii Remote, drive with your Nunchuk. It’s up to you to climb a genuine learning curve! It might sound hard to handle both at the same time, but don’t panic! You can share the load with friends: one has the wheel while the other pulls the trigger.

Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced the latest in downloadable content for GTI Club Supermini Festa! available on Nintendo Wii, PSP and PSPgo, GTI Club Supermini Festa! is the all-new high-paced racing game stemming from the hugely popular, internationally renowned arcade franchise.

To keep fans of the franchise clamoring for more replayability, GTI Club Supermini Festa! will have downloadable content available for FREE via Nintendo Wi-Fi and via WLAN for the PSP system. Available on April 22nd, players can download the following custom car customizations:

1) Morris Mini Cooper S 1275cc

2) FIAT Abarth 695 ss

3) AUTOBIANCHI A112 Abarth

4) RENAULT 5 Alpine Turbo

Each month Konami will bring all new FREE content for players to enjoy. Players can access this exclusive DLC via the game’s online capabilities. Users simply join the ‘Ranking’ option and the data will be downloaded for free. It will be available for the cars listed above, currently unlocked and stored in the game’s Garage location.

More designs are to follow in the coming weeks.