Gamersnewsbits.com

Is social gaming really the most powerful gaming revolution since the release of Pong?Online games are joining forces with social networks to make a play for mass audiences. After fundamentally changing the internet and the ways people communicate and interact, the entire games industry is getting ready to be socialized. This phenomenon will be explored in detail during the PICNIC Special ‘Games go Social’ on September 26 in Amsterdam. Is social gaming really the most powerful gaming revolution since the release of Pong?

Casual Games are already setting new records with one-third of people ages 6 to 44 having played them, according to market researcher The NPD Group. With Facebook and MySpace battling over the position of the most popular social network (and Facebook proclaiming itself as the winner du jour), game developers have discovered a new friend, flirting with the millions of users that MySpace, Facebook, Bebo, Hi5, Hyves and the likes have to offer. This is the theme of Games go Social on September 26 in Amsterdam, a full day event probing the synergies between games and communities, organized in collaboration with PICNIC, the undeniably most original, pioneering and unusual get-together for creatives.

The trend of ‘Games go Social’ is predicted to revolutionize the gaming and entertainment industry, fusing games, communities and networks by playing against your friends, family and people you know (or don’t). “Online social networks have become the aggregators of our digital life. With friends, we don’t just consume – we create, communicate and comment on stories, pictures, videoclips, music, applications – anything that has meaning to ourselves and others. And games are rapidly becoming the main catalyst for social interaction. A game played via a social network – or a game that embeds social features in its design – is something that can add value to a relationship long after you’ve run out of things to chat about. Games are an immensely powerful social lubricant and we’re very excited to see the games, media and social network industries joining forces to take this to the next level.” says Jeroen Elfferich, CEO of Ex Machina who together with PICNIC is organising the Games go Social event. And this is where it gets interesting. Because games fused with social communities turn the traditional console business on its head. Through viral distribution, these games can quickly reach out to anyone out there, creating overnight critical mass, as new consumers are being pulled into the game.

To explore this phenomenon, from its roots in multiplayer games and social networks to the latest cutting edge online games communities, Games go Social have invited a selected number of creatives, visionaries and industry leaders to share their visions, ideas, case-studies and strategies. With international luminaries from leading companies such as EA, Playfish, GoSupermodel.com, Spil Games, Social Gaming Network (SGN), MySpace and Hyves, Games go Social presents a jam-packed program of inspirational presentations and dynamic panel sessions.

Exclusive record of live concert by goth rock band Within Temptation

Berlin, 2008/09/08: News about Spellborn’s cooperation band Within Temptation. The world-famous gothic-rock band is publishing a monumental concert recording under the name “Black Symphony” on September 19th as double-CD and double-DVD. Prior to the publication, the Dutch metal rockers will release the single “Forgiven” on September 12th as outcoupling in a 5-track premium edition. The single-pack will contain the previously unreleased live bonus tracks “Hand Of Sorrow” and “The Heart Of Everything” as well as a live version of the Spellborn video song “The Howling” in addition to the title track.

Within Temptation recorded the Live-DVD on February 7th 2008 during their giant show with the Metropole Orchestra of 60 concert musicians and a classic choir of 20 singers in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam. The band around front woman Sharon den Adel celebrated the event with precision fireworks and a gigantic light show in front of 10,000 enthusiastic fans from all over the world. These and several high-profile duets with Keith Caputo of Life of Agony and Anneke van Griesbergen (ex. The Gathering) induced the British Kerrang! Magazine to call it “the best show on earth”. In addition to the concert recordings, the live DVD includes an abundance of bonus content such as detailed “Behind the Scenes” material and a 10-day countdown documentary of the preparatory phase.

Accompanying the launch of the fantasy online roleplaying game The Chronicles of Spellborn, the Dutch developer and publisher Frogster Interactive will revive their cooperation with Within Temptation. The partners have planned several online activities for fans, along with the launch of the new Spellborn website in September. Moreover, an information leaflet of the band will be integrated in the Spellborn box version at launch. The trailer for the current DVD “Black Symphony” was already shown on the Spellborn booth at the Games Convention two weeks ago. It is available as streaming video on www.within-temptation.com and on YouTube: http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=yCxb8FwhzK8. The joint Spellborn video “The Howling” is also still accessible after a short registration on www.the-howling.com.

What lies hidden, must be found
In The Chronicles of Spellborn players enter an impressive online scenario with scenic landscapes, majestic cities and the remnants of an ancient civilization. Alone or with a party of allies, PC adventurers step into a huge fantasy realm consisting of varied shard worlds floating in the magic Deadspell Storm. Those who want to prevail in the grippingly staged combats of The Chronicles of Spellborn need to apply their mighty arsenal of spells, melee and ranged attacks skillfully. Battles with bloodthirsty creatures, hostile peoples and human opponents in PvP battles are waiting. An innovative and tactically challenging combat system with shooter-like controls and rotating skill deck provides a fresh breath of air for the dusty MMORPG genre. Thanks to the largely extended Unreal Engine 2.5, The Chronicles of Spellborn boasts stunning 3D graphics, spectacular effects and countless elaborate details. More information, images, videos and a form for the beta registration can be found on the official website: www.tcos.com.

September 11, 2008 – Washington, DC – In response to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Senator Orrin Hatch’s introduction of legislation strengthening trading partners’ resolve to crack down on game piracy and bolster the international market for video games, Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), released the following statement:

“This is smart legislation that goes to the heart of many of our international piracy problems. It provides a path forward for countries to work their way off of the Priority Watch List, while developing more effective ways to also protect products of their own artists’ and industries’ creation. High piracy in export markets adversely impacts sales and removes incentives for further market expansion. We are deeply appreciative of the efforts of USTR, the U.S. Administration and Congress in helping to protect our products internationally, and this legislation will make their actions even more effective.”

The Entertainment Software Association is the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of companies publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet. The ESA offers services to interactive entertainment software publishers including a global anti-piracy program, owning the E3 Media & Business Summit, business and consumer research, federal and state government relations, First Amendment and intellectual property protection efforts. For more information, please visit www.theESA.com.

COLUMBUS, Ohio – September 3, 2008 – BlackFoot Studios LLC today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Epic Games, Inc. to license Unreal Engine 3 for its upcoming premiere release Sky Gods, a military tactical action game for PC, Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3.

“Epic supports the smaller studios, and they work hard to make the right things happen for all involved.” said John Sonedecker, founder of BlackFoot Studios. “Epic is a great company to deal with, and we are proud to partner with them.”

Unreal Engine 3 is perfectly suited to BlackFoot Studios’ vision for their products, offering cutting edge technology, versatility and the ability to develop a multi-platform product.

“A nicely proven engine solution makes it feasible for us to release our first title, Sky Gods, on multiple platforms. Unreal Engine 3 is proven on PC, Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3 with an art pipeline that allows for easy cross-platform development and drastically reduces the effort and costs involved with releasing a title on both PC and consoles,” says Sonedecker.

“BlackFoot Studios has a rich history of working with Unreal Engine 3, and we are proud to support their efforts with technology and tools that help them ramp up quickly and minimize risk,” said Mark Rein, vice president of Epic Games. “It can be especially tough for smaller teams to tackle cross-platform challenges, so we feel great about getting behind these guys.”

Sky Gods will focus on a complete co-operative game experience centering on Special Forces operations, specifically HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) and helicopter insertion missions. BlackFoot Studios plans a worldwide release of Sky Gods via digital distribution in the first quarter of 2009.

San Francisco, CA, September 2, 2008, – Pearl Research forecasts the online games market in South Korea will exceed $1.7 billion by 2009, driven by new releases and a fervent gaming culture. These findings are contained in business intelligence and consulting firm Pearl Research’s new “Games Market in Korea” study. One of the fastest growing segments is casual games, that are free-to-play, easy-to-learn and can be played in “micro-slices” of time of ten minutes or less.

Pearl Research’s key findings:

+ South Korea has a sophisticated information technology (IT) infrastructure with 80% of households connected to the Internet.

+ South Korea has one of the highest adoption rates of purchasing virtual items and micro-transactions. Approximately 67% of those in the 20-30 age cohort purchased online paid content. Of those who have purchased digital content, 91% purchased music while 39% purchased community and avatar items from online services.

+ A common strategy in Korea is the operation of large game portals that provide a wide selection of games, including massively-multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), casual, and web board games all within one convenient site. Top game portals such as CJ Internet’s Netmarble, NHN’s Hangame, and Neowiz’s Pmang can attract 500,000 to 1 million unique visitors a day. More than 10 million Korean adults visit game portals every month, according to estimates by Pearl Research.
While South Korea has a robust games market, critical challenges include intense domestic competition; prevalence of “me-too” or derivative titles; challenges in expanding overseas to the US and China; and rising development costs.

The “Games Market in Korea” report provides an in-depth analysis of the Korean online games market and contains an executive summary; 2007 to 2011 forecasts for the online games platforms; inhibitors and drivers to growth; deep marketplace analysis; discussion of key market players, and strategic conclusions. To purchase this report, please call (+1) 415-738-7660 or email research@pearlresearch.com.

Following in the footsteps of prospectors and frontiersman of years past, Gamecock Media Group is saddling up and heading west – to PAX of course! This year’s expo is poised to break last year’s attendance numbers and the Gamecock crew is going to be there in full effect! They’ll set up base camp at BOOTH 352 with hands-on gaming and special developer demos as far as the eye can see.

Just to give you a quick update on what they’re planning, be ready to get your hands-on four titles and see one kick-ass developer demo. 

Hands-On Play
Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (DS)
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars (Wii)
Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball (Xbox Live Arcade)
Legendary (Xbox 360)

Developer Demos
Developers from Red Fly Studio will be on hand to give detailed demos of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars at various times during the show hours.

Developers from Replay Studios will be present to demo Velvet Assassin for all anxious onlookers.

Not only will there be a plethora of gaming goodness, but also be sure to stop by and meet the one and only Melinda Cohen; the model and voice actress bringing Violette Summer to life in Velvet Assassin.

Here’s a full listing with descriptions of titles that Gamecock has to offer the faithful Penny Arcade Fans.

Mushroom Men: Rise of the Fungi (Nintendo DS) and
Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars (Nintendo Wii)
www.mushroommen.com

Developed by Red Fly Studio in Austin, Mushroom Men gives players the opportunity to jump into the fantastic microcosm that is the backyard battlefield. Join in the fight from a three inch perspective, creating devastating weapons from everyday items and teaming up with other sentient plant forms that’ll leave the enemy sliced and diced. Let the stylus be your rapier and the Wii Remote your crossbow as you cut down the multitude of household pests that threaten our very existence! Both titles will be available for hands-on access as well as special developer demonstrations of the Wii version at the booth.
Pirates vs Ninjas Dodgeball (Xbox Live Arcade)
www.piratesvsninjas.com

Developed by Blazing Lizard in Austin, Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball brings the ancient debate to the apex of competitive sports. Dodgeballs in hand, the nautical outlaws square off against stealthy martial artists in beautifully designed 3-D environments. In addition to pirates and ninjas, gamers will also be able to unlock special zombie and robot teams. Each team has its own unique style and every character has its own devastating special move. The title will include Exhibition & Story that include traditional and enhanced dodgeball modes with multiplayer support for 4 players Local / 8 players Online.
Legendary (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION3, PC)
www.legendarythegame.com

Developed by Spark Unlimited in Los Angeles, Legendary centers on the greatest creatures of myth and lore, locked away by ancient forces in Pandora’s Box in order to preserve humanity. There they have spent eons waiting to be freed in order to rule the world once more. When a thief named Deckard is hired to steal an ancient artifact, he unwittingly triggers a war between man and myth. Now he is the only one capable of preventing the destruction of civilization. Giant griffons rule the skies and werewolves tear at the flesh of the innocent as cities are held under siege by creatures we’d dismissed as the imaginings of our ancestors. As the only person able to seal Pandora’s Box and return the beasts to their prison, Deckard must work with a shadowy secret paramilitary society to save our civilization before it’s torn apart by tooth and claw.
Velvet Assassin (PC, Xbox 360)
www.velvetassassin.com 

Developed by Replay Studios in Hamburg, Germany – players assume the role of Violette Summer – a British secret agent during World War II as she heads deep behind enemy lines with no support or official backing from the British Government. Violette risks her life fighting to defeat the German war machine one stealth mission at a time. Velvet Assassin combines lush, surreal visuals and a ground-breaking stealth combat system to deliver a gaming experience which is truly the first of its kind.

Participating Centers to Receive Purchase Incentives, Free Product, the Opportunity to Participate in Special Creative-Sponsored Events

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, August 25, 2008—iGames, the leading LAN center organization, and Creative, a worldwide leader in digital entertainment products, today announced a LAN center affiliate program also involving iGames partner and computer product retailer TigerDirect to offer sales and marketing incentives to support the LAN center industry.

The program, intended for both longstanding LAN center owners and those who are just opening a center, rewards owners who have purchased a certain number of select Creative headsets and soundcards at TigerDirect, the exclusive program retailer. Participating centers will receive exclusive product offers, free promotional items and other materials for display from Creative, along with the opportunity to participate in special Creative-sponsored events.

The Creative LAN Center Affiliate Program is the first of its kind between Creative and iGames. Although the companies have collaborated in the past on a variety of sponsorship and marketing initiatives, this program represents a new phase of their relationship.

“Creative and iGames are joining forces to raise the bar for LAN center audio by helping iGames member centers outfit their gaming rigs with Sound Blaster sound cards and Creative gaming headsets – the same gear that the pros use,” said Ryan Richards, product marketing specialist for audio at Creative. “We’re setting a standard for LAN center game audio where we can provide the best and most realistic gaming audio experience, while enabling gamers to have the highest level of competition and the most fun at their favorite LAN center.

“We are proud to be working with Creative again, particularly on such an important effort,” commented Mark Nielsen, Executive Director, iGames. “Having the best equipment is a cornerstone of the iGames LAN center experience, which is why Creative’s offers in collaboration with TigerDirect will have such a positive impact on participating centers’ business.”

The Creative LAN Center Affiliate Program officially launches today, August 25. To find out more about the program, visit: www.igames.org or contact the iGames team at marketing@igames.org.
About iGames
iGames, Inc. offers a wide range of services to help independent and franchised LAN centers, also known as game centers. iGames’ mission is to promote and develop the growth of the LAN center industry. Its services unite LAN centers with the goal of establishing them as the driving force enabling the interactive entertainment industry to become the number one form of entertainment around the world. iGames has established strong relationships with industry leaders to provide a wide variety of products, services and programs to member LAN centers and gamers including software licensing, hardware discounts, exclusive game launches, tournaments, and ladders. Today the company counts well over 600 member centers and 1.2 million gamers, initiating and co-organizing more than 200 events a year. To learn more about iGames, go to www.igames.org.

LEIPZIG, Germany – August 19, 2008
The PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) today unveiled the key findings from its first “Horizons” Report, an exclusive research study of the PC gaming industry worldwide. Speaking at the Games Convention Developer’s Conference in Leipzig, PCGA president Randy Stude announced that PC gaming was a $10.7 billion industry during the year of 2007, with retail sales accounting for just 30 percent of total revenues. According to the report, growth was largely driven by online revenues from Asia, the world’s largest market, which is approaching half of total worldwide sales.

Online PC gaming revenue led the way in 2007 with $4.8 billion, nearly double the worldwide retail sales numbers for PC games. Digital distribution sales approached $2 billion, while advertising revenues from websites, portals, and in-game ads accounted for $800 million. Both are expected to grow substantially as major developers and publishers begin to adopt formal strategies to take advantage of new online opportunities.

“Our analysis clearly shows incredible growth in online PC gaming, proof that this industry is far stronger than anyone has reported,” said Stude. “Today’s consumers shop where they live – online.”

According to DFC Intelligence, there is even more room for growth as the broadband market matures.

“By pioneering new business models, the PC has quietly remained the single leading platform for games, not only in terms of consumer usage, but revenue generation,” said David Cole, an analyst with DFC Intelligence. “The most fascinating thing about PC gaming is its ability to attract such a diverse audience, both demographically and geographically. The real key has been the rapid growth in penetration of broadband-connected PCs in all markets around the world. Broadband-connected PCs are the key driver of growth for PC gaming. DFC Intelligence estimated that by the end of 2007 less than one-third of households in the top 20 markets for games had a high-speed Internet connection. That clearly indicates that there is still plenty of growth to come. The initiatives of the PCGA will be a key enabler of growth as they will help the industry identify key trends and opportunities in this rapidly emerging market.”

Updated bi-annually, the full Horizons Report is available to all PCGA members. It encompasses sales from every region around the world, and from every part of the PC gaming industry compiled by the PCGA from internal resources through a third party. This includes retail, online gaming, digital distribution, and online advertising. Those interested in joining can find membership details and additional information about the PCGA and its role as the voice of the PC gaming industry at www.pcgamingalliance.org.

Anyone interested in the state of the PC gaming industry will also be able to see Randy Stude present the key findings of the Horizons report during NVISION 08 in San Jose, Calif. on August 25 in the San Jose Hilton adjacent to the convention center at 3:30 p.m. in San Carlos rooms 1 & 2. More NVISION details can be found at www.nvision2008.com.