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Industry Professionals, Gaming Enthusiasts and Families Unite Through New-Found Rallying Point

Struggling on your own with a rare disease can be an isolating experience – just ask Jennifer Nelson, whose son suffers from hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2, an unusual neurological disorder that frequently necessitates limb amputation as the condition advances. She is one of the millions of Americans affected by orphan diseases and one of the hundreds of people worldwide who have been brought together by Donate Games.

Donate Games is a new charity dedicated to funding research and support for those affected by rare and neglected diseases through the collection and resale of new and used video game donations. Since its founding in February, Donate Games has already connected industry professionals, gaming enthusiasts and families like the Nelsons, forging a new support network and sense of global community.

“As the parent of a kid with a rare disorder, I need other parents’ support and that’s where Donate Games has the power to change lives, by connecting families of kids with rare disorders to one another to share our fears, our hopes and our dreams,” said Nelson. “I am grateful for the willingness of Donate Games to go where no other organization has to help people like me.”

The gaming charity has also played a role in rallying the worldwide community of players of the “City of Heroes” massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game. Joel and Karen Garcia, a gaming couple and two dedicated “City of Heroes” community leaders, are running an MMO-themed donation drive at www.RealWorldhero.com for gaming-oriented charities now through Jan. 1, 2010. Donate Games was selected as one of the benefiting organizations through co-founder Karen Garcia’s personal experience with a gaming friend, named Stephen, who died recently from two rare forms of cancer.

“Our launch date for RealWorldHero.com turned out to be the same day we buried Stephen, which was heartbreaking,” said Garcia. “But I know that he would have been excited about people getting involved. We are very proud to have Donate Games as one of our charities on RealWorldHero.com.”

Donate Games has also drawn the attention of Canadian interactive software publisher Meridian4, which recently contributed 750 pounds of its boxed titles for resale through Donate Games.

“The three directors at Meridian4 all have children and we know how devastating it would be if they were afflicted with a debilitating or fatal disease,” said Steve Milburn, director of marketing at Meridian4. “This is a terrific idea and we hope that other gaming companies and gamers will get involved.”

To join this rapidly-growing community committed to saving lives, one video game at a time, visit www.DonateGames.org.

To become a fan of DonateGames.org on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/DonateGamesorg/112805304252.

GamersGate today kicked off their holiday shopping season with a massive Cyber Monday sale with discounts up to 70% off.

Titles such as Hearts of Iron 3 (60% OFF), Dragon Age: Origins (20% OFF), Need for Speed Shift (20% OFF), Risen (25% OFF), Sims 3(20% OFF), Tropico 3 (25% OFF), and many more are on sale for today only.  For a complete list of Cyber Monday deals, please visit http://www.gamersgate.com/offers.

Please visit www.GamersGate.com and follow GamersGate on twitter at @gamersgate for more information.

Gamestop is offering their (slightly disappointing) Cyber Monday Deals:

a $25.00 gift card when you purchase Band Hero, DJ Hero, Tony Hawk RIDE or The Bourne Conspiracy. Note: with the exception of Bourne Conspiracy, the titles require a purchase of the full kit, not just the game.

$15.00 to $30.00 off select EA titles:

Spore (PC), Sims 3 (PC), EA Sports Active Bundle (Wii), Dead Space Extraction (Wii), MySims Agents (Wii), Spore Hero (Wii), Need for Speed Nitro (Wii), Ea Sports Active: More Workouts (Wii) and Simes 3: World Adventures Expansion (PC)

$20.00 off Little Big Planet GOTY Edition

50% off 50 Downloadable PC Games

$20.00 off Tekken 6

Again, these are good Cyber Monday only, November 30th

Target Guests Can Reserve Key Titles By Purchasing A Collectible Reservation Card For $1; Guests Receive $5 Target GiftCard Upon Purchase Of Title

Target announced today a new reservation program that offers guests a chance to reserve the biggest and most popular video game titles. Beginning April 19, Target guests can purchase a collectible reservation card, only in stores, for $1. When they bring the reservation card back within seven days of release to purchase their game, they will receive a $5 Target GiftCard to put toward a future purchase.

“We’ve created a reservation guarantee that ensures guests will get their hands on popular games the day they are released, and a $5 GiftCard upon purchase adds even more value,” said Mark Schindele, senior vice president, Target. “We are constantly striving to make sure our guests find everything they need to work, live and play all in one convenient and simplified shopping experience.” 

The program will kick-off with titles such as Punch Out!! from Nintendo,EA Sports Active from Electronic Arts, Ghostbusters from Atari,Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings from LucasArts, and UFC 2009 Undisputed from THQ.

Donate Games Launches, Now Accepting Your Used Video Games

Are you tired of trading in your used games at retail stores for pennies on the dollar? Are you looking for a new site to purchase used games at low prices? Do you want to help change the lives of people around the world? The new gaming charity Donate Games opened its doors today and if you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it needs your help.

An orphan disease is a rare disease affecting less than .05% of the world’s population, typically genetic in origin and either life-threatening or chronically debilitating. Because of their rarity, orphan diseases are often overlooked for funding and public support.

Donate Games is a new charity dedicated to funding research for orphan diseases and supporting those affected by them through the donation and resale of used video games. In addition to raising funds for research on these rare disorders, Donate Games will promote awareness and provide advisory services to the general public.

Donate Games was conceived by IT industry veteran Jim Carol and his wife Cynthia after their son’s diagnosis with a rare form of leukemia, called Philadelphia Chromosome, in 2006, now in remission. “We were lucky,” said Carol. “Treatments and community support really made a difference for him. But, we met others at the treatment centers that had little hope, suffering from even rarer life-threatening conditions, without research funding, effective treatments or support networks. By launching Donate Games and connecting with the vibrant gaming community so near and dear to my own professional background, now we can help them, too.”

“Gamers already have an amazing capacity to give,” adds Josh Sommer, a spokesman for Donate Games and founder of the Chordoma Foundation, one of the benefiting organizations of the new charity. “All we’re really doing is making it as easy as possible for gamers to support others and get funding to those who so desperately need it. Donate games, buy games, save lives – it’s that simple.”

For more information about Donate Games, volunteer opportunities or to donate used games, visit www.DonateGames.org.

100% FREE USED GAME, CONSOLE AND ACCESSORY TRADING

Beta Launch Makes Game Trading Easier, Safer, Faster

SwitchGames.com, the social marketplace for gamers, announced today the launch of a site for free trading in used videogames, consoles, and accessories. Gamers’ trading and selling options are no longer pinched by unfair, in-store trade-in values. Members have total control over their transactions and decide the value of what they own – no point systems, no hidden fees, no credit cards required. SwitchGames is the perfect solution for gamers who want to play more of the latest titles in a bad economy.

“Our mission is to empower and protect the gamer,” said founder and CEO Jason Crawford. “SwitchGames is an open marketplace created by gamers for gamers where members easily connect and trade with each other. As we roll out this initial version we welcome feedback from the gamer community to help us shape a marketplace where they can stretch their budgets.”

SwitchGames members have their own Gamer Page where they develop a profile, show off stuff they own and items they want. Members can raise their community standing by earning achievement badges for receiving positive ratings, completing trades and other things. SwitchGames’ interface makes it easy to learn about other members and interact with them all over the site. It’s effortless to make friends and quickly grow a network of traders. SwitchGames also includes smart features like SwitchBot, which in a single click indentifies perfect trade matches with other members of the community.

Jason Crawford, founder of developer Brooklyn Games, put up an initial version of SwitchGames in 2005 to feed his gaming appetite. SwitchGames quickly grew into an active niche community. In 2008, based on years of member feedback, Jason began creating the new SwitchGames interface, the first practical, online used-games alternative to brick-and-mortar retail. Jason built a development team and brought on COO Kai Bond, gamer and former Director of Strategy at InterActiveCorp (IAC), to oversee finance, operations, and business development.

Please contact us for more information on SwitchGames’ upcoming features and services.

www.switchgames.com

Enlight Software Drops Seven Kingdoms, Capitalism Plus and More on DRM-free Classic Games Site

Today GOG.com (http://www.gog.com), the delicious low-fat meal replacement for fans of DRM-free PC classics, announced an agreement with Enlight Software, famed publisher and developer from Hong Kong. Today’s press release announcing said deal is conveniently accompanied by the release of a game mentioned within the much-discussed agreement: Capitalism Plus (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/capitalism_plus) is now available at GOG.com for $5.99, while Capitalism 2 (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/capitalism_2), Seven Kingdoms Ancient Adversaries (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/seven_kingdoms_ancient_adversaries), Seven Kingdoms 2 The Fryhtan Wars (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/seven_kingdoms_2) and Warlords: Battlecry 3 (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/warlords_battlecry_3) are planned to be added to the GOG.com catalogue in the near future. All games are available DRM-free, guaranteed to work on Vista and XP and so cheap that the global economic crisis would have been averted if we’d only paid executives in Good Old Games instead of millions of dollars.

Capitalism was hailed as “the most realistic, detailed business sim on the market” by PC Gamer and is still considered one of the best economic games of all time. The player takes the role of CEO of a corporation and has to decide how to create the most powerful company around and crush the competition. If you think you could be better than your boss at managing the company, try your luck in Capitalism Plus before you go to him and tell him about it. Seven Kingdoms series takes a more big-picture-oriented approach to world domination as you choose one of seven civilizations and create the ultimate empire. In this real-time strategy game, military force just won’t cut it; you have to use your diplomacy and trade skills to conquer the six other civilizations. So whether you’re a white-collared workaholic or a much taller and handsomer Napoleon, GOG.com and Enlight have something to scratch that world-conquering itch.

“Trevor Chan is one of the greatest visionaries in the industry, and it’s very exciting to add his great classics to our catalogue,” said Adam Oldakowski, Managing Director of GOG.com. “We believe that the outstanding games from Enlight Software will find even more fans thanks to GOG.com.”

Capitalism Plus (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/capitalism_plus) is now available at GOG.com, with more games from Enlight Software planned for release in the near future. Stay tuned for more news concerning new deals, more new releases and new service features in the upcoming weeks.

Bloody Good FPS Joins Panzer Elite Special Edition and Other Titles on DRM-Free Classic Games Site

GOG.com (http://www.gog.com)announced an agreement with JoWood Productions to bring a number of acclaimed titles to the GOG.com games catalogue, starting with Painkiller Black Edition (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/painkiller) and Panzer Elite Special Edition (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/panzer_elite_se). Both games are available today for $9.99 each – as always, DRM-free and guaranteed to work on Vista and XP. Other JoWood games destined for GOG.com include Gothic 2 Gold, Spellforce Platinum, The Guild Gold and Alien Nation.

Painkiller Black Edition is a perfect fit for GOG.com with its old-school action-heavy gameplay and top-notch visuals. The critically acclaimed game pits players against hordes of hellacious beasts, with little more than weapons of incredible destructive power at their disposal. Panzer Elite Special Edition is perfect for armchair generals and generally anyone who’s always wanted to drive a tank but couldn’t stomach the idea of sitting with a couple of other men in the tank’s steamy, tight and uncomfortable confines. The game allows players to command a platoon of US or German tanks as they relive some of the most intense tank battles of World War II.

“Adding JoWood Productions’ games is another exciting step toward becoming the ultimate place for fans of classic PC games,” said Adam Oldakowski, Managing Director of GOG.com. “All of these games have found large fanbases around the world, and we hope that we can show off these great titles to even more people.”

“Promoting our games over the GOG.com network is a great opportunity for JoWooD not just to increase sales, but even more to distribute our classic titles to gamers who love to play those “good old games”. As JoWooD has to offer an extensive product line, we are confident that the gog.com community is a perfect target for our titles”, said Georg Klotzberg, Head of Sales of JoWooD Productions.

Painkiller Black Edition (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/painkiller) and Panzer Elite Special Edition (http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/panzer_elite_se) are now available at GOG.com, with the release of other games from JoWood’s catalogue planned in the near future. Stay tuned for more news concerning new deals, more new releases and new service features in the upcoming weeks.

Running from tonight (01-16-09) at 5PM PST until Monday (01-19-09) at 5PM PST. Helping you with your aching wallet, games as low as $1.00. All for the PC….give your PC some love! You can either search for each title, or you can get the full list with links by signing up for their mailer under the “48 Hour Madness” section on the right side of the page (it’s purple!).
GoGamer.com Homepage

Included in the sale (I’ve included ESRB ratings for each title to help you decide quicker):

$1 Games

Atlantis Evolution for PC (Rated T)
The Crystal Key 2: Unlock the next secret (JC) for PC  (Rated E)
Garfield – A Tale of Two Kitties for PC  (Rated E)
Horizons: Empire of Istaria for PC  (Rated T)
Pariah for PC (Rated M)
Scarface: The World is Yours for PC  (Rated M)
Thrillville: Off the Rails for PC  (Rated E10)
Hitman: Contracts for PC  (Rated M)
Gunship! for PC  (Rated T)
Unreal Mission Pack for PC  (Rated M)
Music Games for Kids for PC  (Rated E)

$2 Games
Inferrnal for PC (Rated M)
Silverfall for PC (Rated T)
Advent Rising DVD Edition for PC (Rated T)
Hearts of Iron Platinum for PC (Rated E)
Curse: The Eye Of Isis for PC (Rated M)
Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord for PC (Rated T)
SpiderMan: Friend Or Foe for PC (Rated E10)
Tribes Vengeance for PC (Rated T)
Blitzkrieg (I) for PC (Rated T)
Operation Air Assault 2 (I) for PC (Rated T)
Ultimate Suduko for PC (Rated E)

$3 Games
The Movies for PC (Rated T)
Prey for PC (Rated M)
The Sims: Pet Stories for PC (Rated T)
Dungeon Siege + Legends Of Aranna for PC (Rated T)
RACE: The WTCC Game + Caterham Expansion (I) for PC (Rated T)
ParaWorld (I) for PC  (Rated T)
Breed (I) for PC (Rated M)
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes for PC (Rated T)
Descent Freespace with Bonus Silent Threat for PC (Rated T)
Shadowrun for PC (Rated M)
Battlestations: Midway for PC (Rated T)

$4 Games
Archlord: The Legend of Chantra for PC (Rated T)
Heritage of Kings: The Settlers for PC (Rated T)
Loki (I) for PC (Rated T)
Giants: Citizen Kabuto and Evolva Bundle for PC (Rated M)
Civil War: A Nation Divided for PC (Rated T)
Virtua Tennis and Virtua Fighter 2 Bundle for PC (Rated T)
SimCity Societies for PC (Rated E10)
SAITEK – ORANGE – NOTEBOOK OPTICAL MOUSE
Diplomacy (I) for PC (Rated E)
Gates of Troy (I) for PC (Rated T)

Good Old Games (http://www.gog.com) is having a sale on their RPG titles, 15% off, using the promo code PROMO1. Alternately, you can use this link to take you directly there. Pick up Gothic, Arx Fatalix, Stonekeep, Fallout 1 and 2 and more at the reduced price!