Archive for May 12th, 2008|Daily archive page
Skate It announced for Wii and DS
“We knew it would be an exciting challenge to bring the soul and feel of skateboarding to the Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Scott Blackwood, Executive Producer – Skate franchise. “With fresh new designs and gameplay components built from scratch, we’ve been able to, once again, capture the true experience of skateboarding in a completely innovative way.”
Skate It unleashes the FlickIt revolution on to the Nintendo platforms, letting gamers use the Wii remote or the Nintendo DS stylus to string together their best tricks for the ultimate skate line. The Wii remote becomes a skateboard and reacts to gestures that mirror actual skate flips and moves. Players can also deepen this experience by planting their feet on the Wii Balance board. Skate It brings the hit Skate franchise to a new level of creative ingenuity and gameplay excellence.
Skate It will ship in 2008. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB.
Separately, Skate 2 is also currently in development for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system.
SubMerged released today for mobile platforms
Unique underwater puzzler from Namco Networks immerses mobile gamers in aquatic action
SAN JOSE, Calif. (May 12, 2008) – Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the availability of SubMerged™, a challenging and highly anticipated underwater puzzle game.
Starting at the bottom of sea, players must rise to the surface by destroying the anchored puzzle pieces that are descending from above. Inflate the floating and rising puzzle pieces and merge them with the anchored pieces above to form horizontal lines and cause an explosion. Air can be added to the top-left, top-middle, and top-right portion of the puzzle piece. As lines are cleared, the remaining pieces fall into place forming another line, causing a chain reaction of explosions and racking up the high score.
Adding to the game play experience, players are surrounded with underwater life including various species of fish that reflect the depth of the ocean to which the player has progressed.
“With addictive game play and advanced graphics, SubMerged is the perfect game for anyone looking for a challenging puzzler,” said Scott Rubin, vice president of sales and marketing, Namco Networks. “Casual games continue to rise in popularity across platforms. This trend is especially prevalent on mobile phones where consumer demand for fun, unique casual games like SubMerged continues to increase.”
The game features three modes—Easy, Medium and Hard—that span more than 30 levels. The game also features the Endless mode, where the players’ goal is to play the game for as long as possible without losing.
SubMerged is available today on select national carriers. For more information, please visit, www.NamcoGames.com/SubMerged. To learn about Namco Networks’ other mobile games, please visit www.NamcoGames.com.
Blizzcon 2008 announced
Blizzard Entertainment® gaming convention returns to Anaheim Convention Center 10-11October
MARLOW, UK – 12th May, 2008 – Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for its third BlizzCon™ gaming convention, to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California on 10 and 11 October. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®’s Warcraft®, StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises. In response to the demand to accommodate more attendees, this year’s event has expanded from two convention halls to three.
“Whenever we’ve been able to meet and interact with Blizzard gamers from around the world, it’s been a great experience for us,” stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We’re looking forward to seeing even more of our players at this year’s BlizzCon and delivering another entertaining and informative event for them.”
BlizzCon will offer a wide variety of activities to help all attendees get the most out of the two-day event. In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard Entertainment gaming communities, attendees will be able to enjoy:
• Hands-on play time with upcoming Blizzard Entertainment releases
• Discussion panels with Blizzard Entertainment developers
• Competitive and casual tournaments for players to showcase their talents
• Areas and activities devoted to licensed products such as the World of Warcraft® Trading Card Game
• Costume, machinima, and character sound-alike contests with great prizes
• Commemorative merchandise based on the Blizzard Entertainment franchises
• A silent auction
• More exciting activities to be announced
Tickets for BlizzCon will go on sale in the next few weeks at a price of $100 USD per person. As the event draws closer, further details will be announced on the official BlizzCon website: www.blizzcon.com.
Race Driver: GRID demo now available
PC gamers can get off the grid and race the world right now as Codemasters® announces that the Race Driver: GRID™ playable demo for Games For Windows® is now available to download from http://community.racedrivergrid.com/ [direct link http://community.racedrivergrid.com/news/?id=6251].
Delivering intense competition right from the off, the demo enables players to compete in single-player GRID World events and 12-player online races.
In the single-player GRID World showdowns, take to the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT-R on the streets of San Francisco in the eBay Motors Muscle Cup; in Japan, compete in a Nissan S15 Silvia in the Advan Drift Trophy at Yokohama Docks, while the sweeping curves and hairpins of the Jarama circuit in Spain plays host to the Euro Touring Cars championship featuring BMW 320si touring cars.
For players who want to compete online, the demo delivers 12-player online competitions at the European and U.S. locations.
Race Driver: GRID is coming May 30th (Europe/PAL) for Games For Windows®, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. A Nintendo DS™ edition will follow.
The Race Driver: GRID playable demo is also available for the Xbox 360 from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace and for the PLAYSTATION 3 system from the PLAYSTATION®Network. For all driver briefings and the latest videos, be sure to visit www.racedrivergrid.com
Bioshock: The Movie
Universal Pictures to develop movie based on hit video game from 2K Games
Gore Verbinski, Director of Pirates of the Caribbean, to Direct/Produce
New York, NY – May 9, 2008 – 2K Games announced today that it has reached an agreement for BioShock®, the universally acclaimed smash-hit video game, to be developed as a feature film by Universal Pictures. 2K Games, whose 2K Boston and 2K Australia studios developed BioShock, is a video game publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO).
The prospect of bringing this blockbuster game to life has attracted not only a major studio, but top Hollywood talent. Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, is slated to direct and produce the BioShock movie. John Logan, Academy Award-nominated writer of Gladiator, The Aviator and Sweeney Todd, is in talks to do the screenplay.
The expected release date and terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
An original property developed by 2K Games, BioShock is one of the most successful new interactive entertainment franchises to launch in recent years. A critical and consumer hit, BioShock has sold more than 2 million units worldwide since its release in August 2007. A sequel to the game, BioShock 2, is planned for a release in 2009.
“We are excited that 2K Games’ vision for BioShock will be carried forward in a new medium,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. “BioShock has been hailed as one of the most highly cinematic and richly plotted titles in interactive entertainment, making it extremely well-suited to film. In partnering with Universal and Gore Verbinski, we have assembled a team that respects the uniqueness of BioShock and will translate it into a powerful movie experience.”
Mr. Zelnick added, “Our ability to attract a major studio and unparalleled creative team speaks volumes about the strength of our BioShock franchise. It also demonstrates how Take-Two is delivering value based on our strategy of creating and owning our industry’s most powerful intellectual property.”
Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K Games, noted, “BioShock fans appreciate the depth and complexity of the game, and our partnership with Gore Verbinski will introduce the world of Rapture to an even wider audience. In addition to his impressive body of work, Gore is an avid video gamer and true fan of BioShock. That was extremely important to us in deciding to move forward with this project.”
BioShock: Triumph of the Imagination
Considered to be one the finest games in the history of interactive entertainment, BioShock unfolds as a deep and exciting adventure. Barely surviving a plane crash, the player lands in icy uncharted waters and discovers an undersea city called Rapture, a failed utopia whose citizens had embraced genetic engineering before the city descended into pure anarchy. Power and greed have run amok and the city has succumbed to civil war. It is a gripping game that forces the player to make complex moral choices. Fans have embraced BioShock’s mysterious world filled with powerful technology and fascinating characters. BioShock is also renowned for its rich visual detail depicting a gorgeous Art Deco world set deep beneath the sea.
BioShock has earned some of the highest ratings and strongest accolades in video game history. It is one of the best-rated titles for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, with a MetaCritic rating of 96. Numerous organizations bestowed “Game of the Year” status on BioShock in 2007, including The Associated Press, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), Game Informer, Spike TV’s Video Game Awards, G4’s X-Play, Amazon.com, The Houston Chronicle and Paste Magazine. Additionally, BioShock ranked among the top 10 titles on many other “Best of 2007″ award lists, including The New York Times, Time Magazine and Maxim. BioShock was internally developed by 2K Boston and 2K Australia and is owned by the 2K Games label of Take-Two Interactive Software.
MyAerodome.com social network for flightsim fans now open
I would like to announce the opening of MyAerodrome.com, a social networking site like Facebook or MySpace but set up specfically for flightsimmers, pilots and anyone interested in aviation. MyAerodrome.com is completely free to use and it’s easy to sign up.
Social networking has become a major phenomenon on the Internet, but it’s too easy to get lost on the big general interest sites. That’s why MyAerodrome.com was started, to cater specfically to the needs of flightsimmers who want to meet other flightsimmers. At MyAerodrome.com you can meet other flightsimmers and share photos, view videos, create a blog, check the news and more. The site of course is brand new and will only grow bigger and better as more people join.
MyAerodrome.com is not meant to replace any of the flightsim sites you use now, but to complement them, offering you a different way to interact with your fellow flightsimmers.
Please visit MyAerodrome.com today and sign up and join the fun!
http://www.MyAerodrome.com
Bill Greenberg
Founder
Battlefield: Bad Company announced
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft Xbox360, Sony PS3, Sony Playstation Network | Tags: 360, Live Marketplace, Playstation Store, PS3
Comments (1) GOLD FEVER HITS AN ALL TIME HIGH WITH THE UPCOMING BATTLEFIELD: BAD COMPANY SINGLE-PLAYER AND MULTI-PLAYER DEMO
Guildford, UK. – May 9, 2008 – You’ve been drafted to ‘B’ Company! DICE, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that a demo for its highly anticipated summer release, Battlefield: Bad Company™ will be available on Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace* and PLAYSTATION® Store* on June 5. Players will land on the battlefield as part of the ‘B’ or Bad Company, a wayward band of soldiers more interested in the pursuit of gold and personal financial gain than following the rules. Gamers will get a sneak peek at how tactical destruction changes the way shooters are played, both offline and online in the single player and multiplayer demo.
Players can also gain early access to the demo by pre-ordering the game through participating retailers in North America and Europe. More details on this special pre-order campaign can be found at www.battlefield.com/badcompany .
Players who missed their opportunity to participate in the closed beta get a second chance to experience the intense multiplayer Gold Rush mode on the Oasis map while the single player portion starts gamers at the beginning of their ‘B’ company career. The single player portion of the demo sets the stage for players as they’re introduced to the humorous and sometimes irreverent set of characters that make up the ‘B’ company. As gamers embark on their quest for gold, they’ll experience the same classic Battlefield gameplay including access to numerous vehicles, weapons and open maps as well as the new tactical destruction that only Battlefield: Bad Company can deliver.
In stores on June 25 in North America and June 27 in Europe, Battlefield: Bad Company is developed by Sweden-based developer DICE (Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment, www.dice.se). The game will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and is rated “T” by the ESRB and “16+” by PEGI. For more information about the game, please visit www.battlefield.com
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Wonderland Online in open beta!
Filed under: Free to Play, MMO Game, PC - Windows | Tags: Free to Play, PC
Leave a Comment Wonderland Online Team (http://wl.igg.com/ ) will start open beta at 9:00pm (GMT-5) on 11th May. Its closed beta will come to an end at 3:00am (GMT-5) on 11th May. All participating players’ information will be saved. Players can apply for a new account to take part in open beta.
A new server called Taurus will be launched at that time. Both servers of Aries and Taurus are totally independent from each other. Characters information in them will not be shared. Players play the game in Taurus with a brand-new character. Besides daily regular events（http://wl.igg.com/guide/guide.php?acid=58 ）, Wonderland Online tam will hold many interesting events.
For more information visit our official website http://wl.igg.com/
Codemasters secures Formula One license
Codemasters Studios to drive new generation of FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games across multiple formats.
Codemasters®, developer and publisher of award-winning racing video games, has secured the exclusive video game rights to FORMULA 1 it was announced today. In a worldwide licensing agreement with Formula One Administration Limited, Codemasters will develop a new generation of the multi-million selling FORMULA 1 game franchise across multiple platforms.
Codemasters Studios, creators of genre-leading racing titles Colin McRae: DiRT™ and Race Driver: GRID™, will lead the design and development of official FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games for home console, handheld and PC gaming formats.
“FORMULA 1 is ambitious in expanding its reach with more circuits planned beyond recent additions in the Middle East and China. It is also ambitious in expanding its reach via technology. The digital communities that computer and video gaming creates will play a key role in further growing the FORMULA 1 audience and connecting them globally,” said Rod Cousens, chief executive officer, Codemasters.
“As a world-leading creator of driving games, this alliance with FORMULA 1 is the jewel in Codemasters’ racing crown and creates an undisputed segment champion. FORMULA 1 has gone with the best, the segment leader. It has gone to the home of the EGO Engine for quality; it has gone to the company that can host FORMULA 1 Online, to the company that is streaking away from the pack.”
“Codemasters’ success and recent innovations in the racing game space makes the company more than appropriately tuned for the challenge,” said Chris Deering, chairman, Codemasters. “The combination of FORMULA 1’s new momentum of expansion and Codemasters’ contemporary technology and past experience is the breaking of a new dawn for the sport, on the track and on the HD game screen.”
The worldwide deal provides Codemasters with rights to feature all Grand Prix circuits, FORMULA 1 teams, cars, and driver likenesses.
The FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP games will be developed using the evolution of the award-winning EGO™ Game Technology Engine, Codemasters’ highly versatile cross-platform middleware technology. Its advanced graphics and physics technology brings an unmatched cinematic quality and realism to interactive entertainment.
The EGO Engine is currently being deployed in the creation of Race Driver: GRID™, the latest in Codemasters Studio’s international circuit-based racing series. Set to be a landmark release when it launches on May 30th, Race Driver: GRID was recently hailed as “The driving game of the summer” by BBC Top Gear magazine.
Codemasters expects the first game based on the FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP to launch in 2009.
My Monster Pet coming to a phone near you
Forget about raising cats and dogs – It’s time to take care of some Monsters!
Los Angeles, California—May 8, 2008—GAMEVIL USA, the LA-based mobile games publisher, announced today the launch of My Monster Pet, a new pet simulation game where you raise your very own virtual monster and watch it grow into 12 unique forms depending on how you take care of it.
My Monster Pet puts the player in various caretaking scenarios, such as feeding the monster the food it wants and even taking it to the hospital when it becomes sick. The user can also play 5 addicting mini-games such as Karaoke, Dancing, and a challenging Battle Maze to keep the monster entertained. One of the unique features of My Monster Pet is that the game continues even when the game or phone is turned off, requiring the user to periodically check up on the pet monster. Meanwhile, the monster goes through 3 growth phases and the user finds out at the end the final form the monster will evolve into depending on how it was raised. Each kind of evolved monster will have its own set of personality traits, and descriptions and pictures of them will appear in the game’s gallery as the player collects all 12 monsters. Players can also send eggs to other people through their mobile phones so that others have their own monster pets to raise.
“We wanted the player to be able to share the fun of My Monster Pet, so we included a feature that allows users to send monster eggs to their friends and family,” said Stephanie Huang, Marketing Manager of GAMEVIL USA, Inc. “What’s really interesting is that when the giver sends a secret message with the egg, the receiver will not be able to view that message until the monster pet grows up and evolves.”
Strategic Command 2: Patton Drives East expansion available now
The second expansion in the acclaimed Strategic Command 2 grand strategy series, Patton Drives East has just been released for sale! It is only available from http://www.battlefront.com/, starting at $25, and not sold in stores.
Available in three delivery formats (Download, Mail Delivery and joint Download+Mail Delivery), Patton Drives East explores the “what ifs” of a post WWII conflict between the Allies and USSR as well as including various hypothetical revisions of classic WWII campaigns.
• What if the Western Allies and the Soviet Union went to war after defeating the Axis?
• Could America liberate a Europe subjugated by the Axis?
• What if the Western Allies had accepted a su rrender from Germany and together they would fight against the USSR?
Order the Download or Download+Mail version and you can download the game today and be playing within minutes! The Mail Delivery version should begin shipping out from our warehouse in about 1-2 weeks.
If you would to check out the game before purchasing, the official demo is also available at:
http://www.battlefront-store.com:8080//index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=177&Itemid=229
SC2: Patton Drives East is an expansion to the original Strategic Command 2 Blitzkrieg grand strategy wargame and requires the Battlefront.com version of the game to be installed and licensed in order to play.
MLB Power Pros 2008 announced
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2 | Tags: DS, PS2, Wii
Leave a Comment Critically acclaimed baseball franchise gets ready for another season of great family fun
New York, NY, and El Segundo, CA – May 8, 2008 – 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced the next iteration of the wildly popular baseball franchise, MLB® Power Pros 2008, scheduled to be available for Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system this July, as well as Nintendo DS™ later this fall. As the highest-rated and top-selling baseball title in Japan, MLB Power Pros was available in North America for the first time last year. Its comedic visual appeal of miniature Major League Baseball player models has attracted a dedicated following through its easy-to-use controls and addictively fun gameplay experience.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Konami again, and with the Baseball™ season now in full swing, we’re proud to offer our fans a refreshingly smart and exciting baseball game that is easily accessible for all ages,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “Baseball enthusiasts will appreciate the variety of newly added features, intuitive game modes and improved overall feel, and we look forward to hitting one out of the park this season with MLB Power Pros 2008.”
With over ten different exciting game modes including the traditional Practice, Exhibition, League and Home Run Challenge modes, MLB Power Pros 2008 will bring fans closer to the action than ever before. Gamers also get the opportunity to act as general manager and control the destiny of their own franchise in Season mode, or engage in entertaining role-playing story modes such as Success and MLB® Life modes. As general manager, gamers can trade, sign free agents, coordinate practice schedules, purchase new equipment, call up and send down players from the Minor Leagues™, along with other management options to bring in fans, win playoff games and eventually, earn the title of World Series™ champion.
In Success mode, fans can participate in a story-based career of rising players in the Double-A Minor League system trying to improve their baseball skills and make an impression on baseball scouts while also having to balance various situations in their personal lives. Through a variety of amusing training and game challenges, players who complete Success mode will also be able to take their created player files into MLB Life as well, or also play as either an existing Major League Baseball® player in Dream Mode, or start as a rookie in Major League Career mode. As a new feature in MLB Power Pros 2008, MLB Life is another story-based mode that will allow fans the possibility to simulate the exciting life and experience of being a Major League Baseball player over the course of a 20-year career. While continuing to play in games through the regular baseball season, players will also participate in a number of realistic situations such as signing contracts, purchasing houses and cars, making charitable donations, building up relationships with friends and teammates, picking up hobbies and much more.
With easy, pick-up-and-play hitting and pitching controls, along with intuitive Wii functionality, other new features in MLB Power Pros 2008 include support of 40-man rosters, change of ball speed, adjustment of defensive shifts, along with a real-time bullpen check functionality for substituting pitchers. MLB Power Pros 2008 will also support the option for players to import their Wii-based characters, Miis™, from their Wii or Wii Remote™ to become part of the exciting action!
MLB Power Pros 2008, developed by Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., is not yet rated by the ESRB, and will be available for Wii and the PlayStation 2 system this July, as well as Nintendo DS later this fall.
Torque game engine will power Ubisoft’s first WiiWare title
Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Nintendo WiiWare | Tags: Wii, WiiWare
Leave a Comment Eugene, OR, May 8, 2008 – Torque for Wii, GarageGames’ game engine for the Wii, has been selected by Sabarasa and Ubisoft for their exclusive WiiWare launch title. Protöthea is a 3D top-down vertical scrolling shooter game that puts players in complete control of a last-generation spaceship via the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. The easy-to-play game offers a new take on a classic game style while mixing genres and utilizing the full capabilities of the Wii system, from graphics to controls.
“With Torque for Wii we were able to transfer our experience with a solid and reliable engine we already worked with to a totally new platform with ease, ” said Xavier Amado, Lead Programmer on Protöthea. “Torque’s engine features and toolset really sped up our development and allowed us to focus on and tune Protöthea’s gameplay.”
Protöthea is the first Torque for Wii game to go gold on WiiWare. First unveiled at the Nintendo Developer Conference in June 2007, Torque for Wii features extensible Wii Remote support, Wii optimized skinned mesh rendering, compressed texture, interior support, and hardware blending for terrain textures. Developers will also find a powerful WYSIWYG tool chain for designers, scripting language support, a comprehensive Lot Check compliance component, and Wii graphics and audio abstraction layers.
“Working with Sabarasa from a very early stage to further optimize Torque for Wii has been a huge benefit for the engine technology.” said Brett Seyler, VP Business Development at GarageGames. “Protöthea represents the kind of game we want to empower developers to make with Torque. Getting the game in that WiiWare launch window is a big achievement for Sabarasa and Ubisoft.”
GarageGames provides Torque for Wii licensing for developers with no term limits on development and a zero-royalty, flat-fee structure. Heavily discounted license pricing is available for games targeting the WiiWare downloadable service, versus those aiming for disc-based retail delivery. GarageGames claims more than a dozen titles in development for the Wii using Torque.
For more information regarding the Torque for Wii license, please contact GarageGames at 541-345-3040 or licensing@garagegames.com.
Cafe.com press release
Inflation Blues Got You Down?
How About a Free Social Cup Of Casual Gaming?
NY, NY, May 8, 2008 – Cafe.com, the social gaming site that offers casual gamers a place to Play, Win, Meet and have fun, is proving itself to be recession-proof in these challenging times with an always free-to-play strategy that continues to defy the U.S. economy. While the cost for real-world goods, like gasoline, bread, pasta, milk and other essentials continue to rise, Cafe’s single- and multi-player casual games, provide hours of free family-friendly entertainment.
CEO Roman Nouzareth points to the viral nature of Cafe.com’s social networking platform that has helped fuel its rapid growth since its launch last month. The site offers close to 50 quality free online games with easy ways for members to invite their friends, importing contacts from email and social networks. New members in turn, invite their friends, and so on. And, according to Mr. Nouzareth, they’re not attracting the typical male-dominated action shoot-em-up youth market. “Our demographics mirror the larger casual gaming sector, with a highly-educated, decidedly female skew and an average median age of 35,” explained Nouzareth.
”Our formula is quality online games + social networking + free = success,” continued Nouzareth. “It’s like opening a bagel store, serving free bagels and coffee, and encouraging the patrons to socialize with one another. A true win-win for everyone,” he added.
With its new games web site, Cafe.com hopes to make micro-transactions and rich-media advertising the standard business model for online gaming moving forward. And the company is putting it’s money where it’s mouth is, literally, by giving away 10,000 CafeCoins to each new member as our way to combat the economic blues.
In fact, Cafe.com’s internal economy, based on its CafeCoins, is thriving within the social gaming community, as members are spending their virtual coins on everything from special powers within games, called “game boosts,” to new clothing and accessories for their 3D MiniMe personas. Who says you can’t buy a personality? In Cafe.com, you can even spend your coins on emotive expressions, athletic movements and other virtual personality enhancements for your MiniMe to really stand out in a crowd.
“Micro-transactions have become mainstream in Asia, where S. Korean multi-player games like Kart Rider and Chinese gaming portal QQ have reaped tremendous returns. With CafeCoins, members can purchase special powers and other in- and around-game virtual items that make Cafe.com one of the first social gaming sites in the U.S. to adopt a micro-transactional business model and it’s catching on in a big way with gamers of all skill levels,” Nouzareth noted.
Lord of the Rings: Conquest announced
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox360, Nintendo DS, PC - Windows, Sony PS3 | Tags: 360, DS, PC, PS3
Leave a Comment ‘Conquest’ Grants Players Freedom to Fight Epic ‘Rings’ Battles Any Way Desired
LOS ANGELES, Calif., May 8, 2008 – Pandemic™ Studios, an award-winning developer of blockbuster video games, is proud to announce the development of The Lord of the Rings: Conquest™ for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, PC and Nintendo DS™ platforms. Pandemic Studios is a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS).
In a partnership with New Line Cinema, The Lord of the Rings: Conquest is an action-packed game created by the same Pandemic Studios team behind the best-selling Star Wars Battlefront™ and Star Wars Battlefront™ II titles. Set in “The Lord of the Rings” universe of J.R.R. Tolkien as depicted by the Academy Award®-winning films, players will finally fight the entirety of these epic battles any way they want. In addition to crusading as the heroic forces of good, for the first time ever in a ‘The Lord of the Rings’ action title they’ll conquer Middle-earth while playing as the legions of Sauron’s evil army, including Cave-trolls, Oliphaunts, the Balrog and Sauron himself. The game is set for a global release in fall 2008.
“Our Pandemic Studios creative teams have years of expertise bringing giant battlefields to life,” says Andrew Goldman, Pandemic Studios co-founder and general manager. “We’ve always wanted to harness our experience in a fantasy universe with warriors, archers, mages and castle sieges. Of course, there is truly no better fantasy world to recreate than the enormity of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ realm.”
“We’ll freely admit that we’re rabid fans of The Lord of the Rings fantasy,” says Josh Resnick, co-founder and general manager at Pandemic Studios. “Our experience creating massive, rich, action-packed games means that The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will give fans exactly what they want: full control of the blade, bow and magic to fight its epic battles any way they want – even if they choose to play from the evil side.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Pandemic Studios on this game,” commented David Imhoff, Senior EVP of Worldwide Licensing & Merchandising for New Line Cinema. “They bring not only their incredible technical and creative abilities but also a great passion for The Lord of the Rings.”
The world premiere of game footage and the first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Conquest will premiere exclusively on Spike TV’s GameTrailers TV with Geoff Keighley on Friday, June 20.
This announcement reveals the third blockbuster video game project in the works at Pandemic Studios’ Los Angeles-based headquarters alongside the upcoming Mercenaries 2: World in Flames™ and Saboteur™, both in development for the Xbox 360™, PLAYSTATION®3 and PC platforms. For more information on The Lord of the Rings: Conquest, please visit: http://www.pandemicstudios.com/conquest.
