Archive for the ‘Award’ Tag
Gameloft’s “The Oregon Trail(R)” Wins “Best Casual Mobile Game” at Spike TV’s Video Game Awards
Leave a CommentIconic Game Braves the Journey Onto Handsets and Wins Big
NEW YORK, December 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of video games on mobile, phones and consoles, won “Best Casual Mobile Game of 2008″ for its hit mobile title, The Oregon Trail at Spike TV’s Video Game Awards (VGAs). The awards honor the best mobile, computer and video games of the year. Nominees and winners are chosen by a panel of judges comprised of journalists within the gaming industry. The winners were announced live today at the VGA awards ceremony in Culver City, California.
“We are honored to win this coveted award and pleased that The Oregon Trail game continues to excite new audiences on the mobile platform,” explains Gonzague de Vallois, senior vice president of publishing, Gameloft. “The Oregon Trail is one of our best selling titles and we are proud to see how players are engaged with its nostalgic, fun and casual game play.”
“We’re extremely pleased by this award. Gameloft has done a great job recreating the Oregon Trail experience on mobile platforms,” said David Bass, General Manager of The Learning Company, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing. “The immense popularity of this mobile game confirms our belief that The Oregon Trail continues to be a strong brand with universal appeal, more than 30 years after it was originally conceived.”
The mobile title remains true to the original version of The Oregon Trail, which is still published by The Learning Company(R), while also offering brand new features and gameplay innovations. The game allows players to serve as wagon leader and make strategic decisions to ensure the safety of their party along the perilous trail. The Oregon Trail is available across most US carriers. To check the game’s availability with your carrier, text “WAGON” to 82174 on your mobile phone.
To learn more about the awards visit: http://www.vga.spike.com
NCsoft’s ‘Discover Lineage II’ website scoops award at the 2008 Digital Media Awards: South
Discover Lineage II is designed to introduce new players into the epic Lineage II universe. Rather than focusing on mechanical game features, the site serves to present the unique selling points of the game within a familiar environment: an interactive storybook. In doing so, the site appeals to a broader gaming audience, and further reinforces NCsoft’s commitment to developing a more accessible game experience.
“I’m delighted that the Discover Lineage II site has received this recognition. It was a real challenge to condense a game world as rich and vast as this, into a fun and immersive 10 minute microsite experience” said Mirko Gozzo, Marketing Director, Europe for NCsoft West.
Discover Lineage II was developed in-house at NCsoft and was rolled out in 11 languages in April, 2008.
To find out more about the site, please visit www.DiscoverLineage2.com. To find out more about the DiMA:Ss, please visitwww.thedigitalmediaawards.co.uk.
Daedalic Entertainment wins twice at German Game Developers Awards
Filed under: PC - Windows | Tags: Award, Daedalic Entertainment, PC
Leave a Comment Daedalic Entertainment wins twice at German Game Developers Awards
Press Release for December 5, 2008
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout named Best Adventure and Best Youth Game
Hamburg/Germany: December 5, 2008. German games developer and publisher Daedalic Entertainment secured two awards at the 2008 German Game Developers Awards with adventure hit Edna & Harvey: The Breakout. The off-beat cartoon adventure game was able to convince both the jury, who awarded the price as Best Youth Game 2008, as well as the public, who voted Edna & Harvey Best Adventure Game 2008. With two additional nominations in the categories Best Game and Best Story / Game World, Edna & Harvey was one of the nights biggest winners, next to contenders Crysis, Drakensang and Sacred 2.
We are very thankful and proud to receive these awards. We feel that this confirms that our chosen direction and our focus on great storytelling and unique game worlds are right. At the same time, we feel a responsibility to continue to develop great games in the future, commented a jubilant Carsten Fichtelmann, Managing Director at Daedalic Entertainment.
The German Game Developers Awards are awarded every December in Essen, Germany, to outstanding computer and video games from German developers released in the last 12 months. The jury is made up of renowned experts from all parts of the industry: developers, publishers, service providers as well as press.
http://www.deutscher-entwicklerpreis.de
About Edna & Harvey: The Breakout
Edna & Harvey: The Breakout is a point & click adventure game in the vein of the genres classics. Backgrounds and characters are completely 2D and drawn by hand by a real person in the games unique cartoon style. The games characters range from odd to genuinely crazy twisted humor guaranteed! Thanks to challenging puzzles, extensive dialogues and more than 120 screens, gamers can look forward to an extraordinarily long gameplay experience. Edna & Harvey is the surprise adventure hit of the year, garnering rave reviews and an 84.5% average rating upon release in Germany.
LEGO Batman wins Best Videogame Award at the Children’s BAFTA Awards
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE
LEGO Batman scoops Best Videogame at the UK’s Prestigious 2008 Children’s BAFTA Awards
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment today reveals that LEGO Batman: The Videogame won the prestigious Award for Best Videogame at the Children’s BAFTA Awards this week.
Produced by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s development studio, TT Games, Lego Batman: The Videogame beat off stiff competition from Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii, Professor Layton and the Curious Village, and its very own sister title, Guinness World Records: The Video Game to seal the BAFTA win.
“We’re absolutely thrilled with this win,” said Jonathan Smith, Head of Production, TT Games. “It crowns a brilliant year for us.”
TT Games was bought by Warner Bros. in 2007 and has since enjoyed a hugely successful 2008 with the releases of, among other titles, LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Batman: The Videogame.
The Elan Awards extends submission deadline due to unprecedented worldwide response
VANCOUVER December 3, 2008 – The 3rd Annual ELAN Awards announced the extension of their submission deadline today due to an unprecedented response from the industries they award. Top titles from Video Games, Animation and Visual Effects from all around the world are expected to enter the global award show.
“Given our expansion from what was mostly a Canadian show into a worldwide competition and then adding another entire sector, VFX, the overwhelming response both delighted and deluged us,” smiles Holly Carinci, Founder & Producer of the ELAN Awards. “In order to accommodate submissions coming in from every corner of the earth, we’re giving everyone an extra couple of weeks by extending both the early bird deadline as well as the material deadline to December 19th,” says Carinci.
The ELANS recently put out their call for Judges to the media and industry professionals in their three awarded digital sectors and that too has received phenomenal response. With over 60 Judges already onboard and more to come as the call remains open for a short time longer, the ELANS can deliver on their promise of “Best in the World” status to their winners.
All professionals from within Video Game, Animation and Visual Effects industries including the media who cover these ELAN-awarded industries who wish to preside over the selection of the final nominees and winners of the 3rd Annual ELANS – the awards show that’s become something of a phenom over the past two years with Hosts such as William Shatner and Seth MacFarlane – is invited to apply by going to the Adjudicative Process page on www.theelans.comand fill in the Application to Judge. Judges will be selected, contacted and later announced (not their categories).
“Once we have the submissions in our Judge’s hands, expect to hear some exciting news to come from us,” says Carinci. “We have a few surprises up our sleeves!”
Supporting the ELANS are the Seven Group who’s come onboard as an Event Partner and will oversee the technical setup of the surrounding Galas and After-Party (the ELAN’S after-party invite-only list is already a ‘must get’) as well as the Awards Ceremony itself. Founding Partners Radical Entertainment and Relic Entertainment as well as Associate Partners Blue Arc, Hitachi, sgi, SPINVFX and David Kaye Productions have all gotten behind the 3rd ELAN Awards already with enthusiasm to ensure the show’s growth and to be a part of its global success.
The 3rd Annual ELAN Awards will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at the Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts.
Jack Black To Host Spike TV’s 2008 ‘Video Game Awards’
6th Annual Celebration To Include Mind-Blowing World Premieres Of God Of War III, Brutal Legend, Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Uncharted 2, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, A Special Gears Of War 2 Announcement And Other Surprises
Premieres LIVE Sunday, December 14 At 9:00 PM ET
NEW YORK, Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ — On Sunday, December 14th, the future is in play when Jack Black, one of the entertainment industry’s most versatile and talented stars, takes viewers on a trip to gamer heaven as host of Spike TV’s 2008 “Video Game Awards.” Recognizing outstanding artistic and technical achievement in the gaming industry, plus premiering first-looks at the hottest games of 2009 and beyond, the 2008 “VGAs” debuts LIVE and in HIGH-DEFINITION on Sunday, December 14 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/tape delay on west coast) from Sony Picture Studios in Culver City, CA.
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081202/NY49317 )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060322/NYW096LOGO )
In emceeing the night’s festivities, Black will be capping a 2008 which saw him star in two Hollywood blockbusters, “Tropic Thunder” and “Kung Fu Panda” that grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. Also, he will star opposite Michael Cera in director Harold Ramis’ “The Year One.”
“Jack is a huge gamer and a former performer and winner on the ‘VGAs’ having taken home Best Performance By A Human – Male in 2005,” said Casey Patterson, Spike TV’s senior vice president, event production and talent development. “We’re thrilled to have him as our host. With a record 10 world premieres including Brutal Legend starring Jack, it will be a big night and wild ride!”
In addition to the world premiere of Brutal Legend gameplay from designer Tim Schafer (Grim Fandango and Psychonauts) and Double Fine Productions, the 2008 “VGAs” will be stacked with an unprecedented number of wall-to-wall world exclusives. Games scheduled to make their global debut include the first look at the gameplay of the PlayStation 3(TM) exclusive God of War III, Uncharted 2, EA’s Sports Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Watchmen: The End is Nigh, a special announcement regarding Gears of War 2 and more blockbuster surprises set to be revealed shortly.
At the show, legendary game designer Will Wright will receive the first-ever Gamer God award for his achievements in the gaming industry. Other industry luminaries set to attend include Game of the Year-nominees Hideo Kojima (designer, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots), Cliff Bleszinski (designer director, Gears of War 2), Todd Howard (Executive Producer, Fallout 3), Alex Evans (co-founder, Media Molecule, creators of LittleBigPlanet), Rockstar Games and more names soon to be announced.
The official sponsors of Spike TV’s 2008 “Video Game Awards” are Burger King(R), GameStop(TM), Gillette(R), Energizer(R), Mountain Dew, Stride(R) Gum, U.S. Army and Verizon Wireless.
Nominees and winners for Spike TV’s 2008 “Video Game Awards” were determined by the VGA Advisory Council, made up of a group of the top journalists in the industry. Games released between December 2, 2007 and December 1, 2008 were eligible for nomination. The Best Independent Game Fueled by Dew winner will be selected by fans who vote on VGA.Spike.com.
Albie Hecht, Oscar(R)-nominated producer and co-creator of the “Kids’ Choice” and “Video Game Awards,” and Casey Patterson, senior vice president, event production & talent development for Spike TV will serve as executive producers of Spike TV’s 2008 “Video Game Awards.” Greg Sills is supervising producer and Alicia Portugal is executive in charge of production.
Spike TV is available in 97.7 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks. A unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), MTV Networks is one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV’s Internet address is www.spike.com
WARNER BROS. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCE LEGO Batman wins Best Videogame at the 2008 Children’s BAFTA’s
Developer TT Games was snapped up by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2007 and has since had a hugely successful 2008 seeing the release of LEGO Indiana Jones and LEGO Batman: The Videogame.
TT Games beat stiff competition from Nintendo’s Mario Kart Wii and Professor Layton and the Curious Village to scoop the top prize at the Children’s BAFTA Awards. Only four titles were short-listed for the award two of which were titles developed by TT Games – LEGO Batman: The Videogame and Guinness World Records: The Videogame.
“We’re absolutely delighted; it’s a very special accolade for the whole team” said TT Games head of production Jonathan Smith.
“To get this acknowledgment, here in our home country of the UK, to be acknowledged by the British Academy for the work that everyone’s done on LEGO Batman, was really thrilling.”
Spencer Crossley, head of videogames UK at Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment said, “We extremely happy for everyone at TT Games. They have brought to life two great brands through fantastic game play and lots of humour which works perfectly for children.”
About LEGO Batman: The Videogame
LEGO Batman: The Videogame is the latest game from the award-winning team behind the LEGO Star Wars series of games. With trademark LEGO fun and charm, the game takes you into the world of the ultimate crime-fighting hero. LEGO Batman: The Videogame brings the one-and-only Caped Crusader to life in a completely original storyline. Players will take control of the Dynamic Duo, Batman and Robin, to fight Gotham City’s most notorious criminals including The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman, Scarecrow, Killer Croc and many more. The criminals have broken out of Arkham Asylum and are set to wreak havoc on the city.
Blockdot wins seven Davey Awards
November 12, 2008 (Dallas, TX) – Dallas-based Blockdot won three gold awards and four silver awards at the 2008 Davey Awards competition. The awards recognize Blockdot’s outstanding projects for Taco Bell, Doritos, General Motors, and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®.
Receiving over 4,000 entries, the Davey Awards honors the outstanding creative work from the best interactive agencies, ad agencies, production firms, in-house creative professionals, graphic designers, design firms, and public relations firms. Blockdot went a perfect 7-for-7 at the Davey Awards, as every Blockdot project nominated won either gold or silver honors.
The award-winning Blockdot projects are:
Taco Fu (Gold and Silver Award)
With a push-the-fun/push-the-excitement theme that combines the Wild West and non-stop martial arts action, Taco Fu challenges game players to win battles and advance to higher rounds, where they can score prizes such as an instant message icon or desktop wallpaper. The game is available on Blockdot’s gaming portal www.kewlbox.com andwww.tacobell.com.
Chevycobaltlabs.com (Gold and Silver Award)
Chevycobaltabs.com, which aims to attract first-time auto buyers looking for a hip ride with great gas mileage, has raised the bar for automotive sites. With its fuel-injected fun and street cred image, the site entices users to participate in the Cobalt community for extended periods of time. Take Chevy Cobalt Labs for a spin by visitingwww.chevycobaltlabs.com.
Unlock the Xbox (Gold Award)
Blockdot’s Unlock the Xbox contest for Doritos was the first promotion ever to produce a user-generated console game. Thousands of entries were received; from those entries, five finalists were selected. Over a four week period, Blockdot designed the finalists’ games, loading them with amazing visuals and edge-of-your-seat action. The finalists’ games can be played onwww.unlockxbox.com.
Now You Know Better! $1,000,000 Game Show (Two Silver Awards)
Created for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!®, the Now You Know Better! $1,000,000 Game Show matches contestants in a fast-paced multiplayer trivia battle. Each round of action has multiple-choice questions based on fun facts from six different decades. The game features avatars, real-time chat, in-between round messaging, and a sweepstakes component. Players also had the chance to compete against three different celebrities and communicate with them during the game. To become a contestant, visit http://www.nowyouknowbetter.com/Game-Show.aspx.
Deca Sports takes gold at 2008 National Parenting Publications (NAPPA)
Hudson Entertainment’s Unique 10-Sport Game, Exclusive to Nintendo’s Wii, Declared Winner of Prestigious Award
REDWOOD CITY, CA – November 3, 2008 – Hudson Entertainment, the North American publishing arm of Hudson Soft, today announced that its popular title, DECA SPORTS™ for Wii, has officially been named a Gold Award winner at the 2008 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) Children’s Products competition.
Now in its 18th year, NAPPA is the most comprehensive awards program for Children’s Products and Parenting Resources. More than a seal of approval, NAPPA is a juried competition that helps parents make the best buying choices for their families. Their independent panel of judges are experts in their fields with extensive professional experience working with children and parents. They evaluate hundreds of products to select the most fun, appealing, safe, educational, age-appropriate and enduring products so that parents can make the best purchasing choices for their families.
“It is a tremendous honor for Hudson Entertainment and DECA SPORTS™ to be named Gold Award winners by NAPPA,” said Sabine Duvall, Vice President of Product Development at Hudson Entertainment. “This award signifies that DECA SPORTS™ not only provides great entertainment value for both children and adults, but that is also a family-friendly, nonviolent and enjoyable interactive fitness experience.”
Combining ten sporting events into one game, DECA SPORTS™ players can compete in beach volleyball, snowboard cross, badminton, basketball, curling, figure skating, archery, supercross, soccer and kart racing. DECA SPORTS™ offers an immersive experience for players of any age, motivating them to get off of the couch and up on their feet for hours of entertainment. The game offers a wide variety of sporting events and activities, some rarely seen in a video game. Designed with pick-up-and-play intuitive controls for the Wii Remote™ and in three sports, the Nunchuk™, DECA SPORTS™ also includes advanced controls for power spikes, curls, and mid air tricks for the gamer!
All ten sports support both single and multiplayer modes. Up to 4 players can compete on one system and in several events, co-op on the same team. Single player modes include Open Match, Tournament (one sport competition between eight teams), Deca League (ten sport decathlon between eight teams) and Deca Challenge (time/point based challenge mode). Team and player management is an important aspect of the game as certain players are better at certain sports. In the Deca League mode gamers must maneuver their players through ten sports as well as manage their fatigue levels through the competition. Awards are also a big part of the game, as the Locker Room feature allows players to keep track of their medals and trophies.
DECA SPORTS™ is rated E (Everyone) by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB).
For more information please visit
http://www.hudsonentertainment.com/
For more information about NAPPA, visit www.NAPPA.Parenthood.com.
About NAPPA
The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) competition was created in 1990 to review children’s media. It has since expanded into two divisions:
• Children’s Products—including toys; music; software/video games and Web sites; books and magazines; DVDs; and storytelling/spoken-word recordings.
• Parenting Resources—including books, CDs, DVDs, maternity and baby gear, safety products, Web sites and a wide range of innovative products that make parenting easier.
When parents see the NAPPA seal, they know they can expect a high-quality, safe, useful and expert-approved product. NAPPA is administered by Dominion Parenting Media, a division of Dominion Enterprises. For more information, www.NAPPA.Parenthood.com.
ESA Foundation Awards Scholarships to 15 Future Game Developers
$45,000 Distributed to Women and Minorities from Schools Across the Country
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The ESA Foundation has selected 15 promising video game developers to receive $45,000 in scholarships, the charitable organization announced today. The students, from academic institutions across the country, are currently studying industry subjects ranging from electronic game design to digital audio technology.
“I commend these men and women on their selection and wish them continued success in their studies,” said Michael Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “Their academic pursuits will help give rise to innovative technologies and ideas that will fuel our industry’s growth in the coming years.”
The ESA Foundation Scholarship Program assists women and minority students who plan to continue their education in fields supporting video game development, including graphic design, computer science, animation, programming, digital entertainment or software engineering. Scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at accredited four-year colleges and universities.
More than 200 U.S. colleges, universities and trade schools now offer video game courses or degrees. This vast range of educational options comes at an ideal time for students, academia and the video game industry. Over the next several years, computer and video game companies expect to triple their total direct and indirect employment, which currently stands at 80,000 people.
Beginning in January, students interested in the 2009 scholarship program may complete an application at https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/esaf.
The ESA Foundation was created by the American interactive entertainment software industry to support and provide opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of America’s youth. The Foundation is fully supported by proceeds from its limited edition charity game pack’s sales and “A Nite to Unite – for Kids,” its annual fundraiser, which has raised more than $11 million in the last 10 years. For more information about the ESA Foundation, please visit www.theESA.com/foundation.
Editor’s note: please see below for full list of scholarship winners.
| 2008 ESA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS | |||
| Name | Hometown | Institution | Major |
| Amber Dunn | Decatur, GA | Devry University | Game and Simulation Program |
| Monica Harrion | Marina Del Ray, CA | Otis College of Art and Design | Digital Media – Animation |
| Kevin James | Monticello, IA | University of Dubuque | Computer Graphics |
| Ysaac Keith | El Paso, TX | DeVry University – Phoenix | Programming |
| Kasey Kimberly | Baxley, GA | Art Institute of Atlanta | Game Art and Design |
| Emily Mask | Fayetteville, GA | Georgia Institute of Technology | Computational Media |
| Roy McLeod | Columbia, SC | Westwood College of Technology | Game Art and Design |
| Cynthia Miller | Canton, MI | Columbia College of Chicago | Video Game Design |
| Jessica Monteiro | North Arlington, NJ | School of Visual Arts | Computer Art |
| Laurie Morgan | Mesa, AZ | Westwood College Online | Game Art and Design |
| Lauren Nishikawa | Wilmot, NH | Champlain College | Electronic Game Design |
| Joseph Reyna | Lansing, MI | Ferris State University of Grand Rapids | Game Design |
| Emilie Rodgers | Ipswich, MA | Champlain College | Game Design – Animation |
| Eda Staples | Ogden, UT | Westwood College | Animation |
| Cynthia Waller | Pensacola, FL | Ringling College of Art and Design | Computer Animation |
ESA Foundation Selects Nine Worthy Organizations as 2008 Grant Recipients
ESA Foundation Selects Nine Worthy Organizations as 2008 Grant Recipients
Groups Will Receive One Million Dollars to Address Issues Facing Young Americans
September 25, 2008 – WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nine diverse organizations will be the recipients of $1 million in grants from the ESA Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association’s charitable arm. These donations will enable the chosen groups to develop unique and innovative programs that will improve the health, education, and safety of America’s youth.
“We are pleased to help these organizations address such critical social issues,” said Michael Gallagher, president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “The creativity and commitment of these recipients gives us a glimpse into the countless ways technology, including video games, can be used to improve the quality of life of our young people.”
The ESA Foundation will distribute its 2008 grant money among the following worthy organizations:
Animation Project, Inc. will use technology-based art therapy and 3D computer animation to promote mental health among at-risk adolescents. For more information, please visit http://www.theanimationproject.org/.
HopeLab Foundation will continue to distribute Re-Mission, a video game that builds confidence in cancer patients to manage the disease. For more information, please visit http://www.hopelab.org/.
PAX will provide resources that enable youths to prevent weapon-related violence in their schools and communities. For more information, please visit http://paxusa.org.
ThanksUSA will distribute an online classroom game that celebrates and teaches America’s history and values and receive scholarships. For more information, please visit http://www.thanksusa.org.
WGBH will develop a video game that teaches children how to deal with environmental challenges and live sustainable lifestyles. For more information, please visit http://www.wgbh.org/.
Web Wise Kids will expand the reach of its youth Internet safety program, which features three customized video games that teach students how to be safe online. For more information, please visit http://www.webwisekids.org/.
Federation of American Scientists will develop a video game for high school biology classes, particularly in underserved areas, that teaches basic immunology concepts. For more information, please visit http://www.fas.org/.
One Economy Corporation will enroll 5,000 youths in a program that seeks to connect low-income families and communities with the 21st-century economy. For more information, please visit http://www.one-economy.com/.
National Institute on Media and the Family will develop an on-line e-learning zone for using the latest interactive technologies to help kids and adults understand the issues and potential areas of concern with the Internet. For more information, please visit http://www.mediafamily.org/.
The ESA Foundation was created by the American interactive entertainment software industry to support and provide opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of America’s youth. The Foundation is fully supported by proceeds from its limited edition charity game pack’s sales and “A Nite to Unite – for Kids,” its annual fundraiser, which has raised more than $11 million in the last 10 years. For more information about the ESA Foundation, please visit www.theESA.com/foundation.
PlaySpan Selected by AlwaysOn as an AO Global 250 Top Private Company Award Winner
PlaySpan, the game industry’s first publisher sponsored in-game commerce network, today announced that it has been chosen by AlwaysOn as one of the AO Global 250 list of private companies. PlaySpan was recognized in the Consumer and Community category by the AlwaysOn editorial team and other industry experts spanning the globe, based on a set of five criteria: innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and media buzz.
PlaySpan and the AlwaysOn Global 250 Top Private Companies were honored last month at the AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford on July 22-24, 2008 at Stanford University. This two-and-a-half day executive event highlighted the significant economic, political and commercial trends disrupting global technology industries and featured the most innovative companies, eminent technologists, influential investors and journalists in keynote presentations, panel debates and private company CEO showcases.
“The AO Global 250 winners have excelled in key strategic areas in the global technology markets,” said Tony Perkins, founder and CEO of AlwaysOn. “We congratulate them for their success in introducing new tools, services, and platforms that are driving the next phase of innovation and creating real value at an economically uncertain time.”
The gaming industry’s first publisher sponsored in game commerce network, PlaySpan helps online game publishers leverage the burgeoning market of microtransactions of virtual goods. PlaySpan’s ease of use and seamless integration with gaming interfaces makes it the simplest management tool for virtual economies, as well as the best defense against gold farming, fraud, and other exploitative user behavior. PlaySpan earned this prestigious award from AlwaysOn because of its business solutions and superior end user product.
“Our success has been the result of our integrated digital goods monetization platform that is empowering content publishers to support the microtransaciton based model and further enhance the user experience.” said Karl Mehta, CEO of PlaySpan Inc.
A full list of all the Always-On Global 250 companies can be found on the AlwaysOn website.
Best of GC 2008 announcement
For the sixth time, the Leipziger Messe has awarded the title of “Best of GC” to the most innovative new products at the GC – Games Convention. This year’s winners in nine categories were announced yesterday evening. A total of 29 exhibitors at the GC – Games Convention had submitted 122 hardware items and software titles (2006: 85) for the award.
The happy winners were:
In the category Best PC Game:
SPORE – Electronic Arts
In “Spore”, Will Wright lets players create their own species and send them off on a journey through five billion years of evolutionary history. In the process, he succeeds in combining elements from casual, strategy, role-play and action simulations into a single game – and opens the door to a games galaxy in which all living elements are designed by the players themselves. “Spore” is at the same time both complex and comprehensible and will have an inspirational effect on video game development for many years to come.
In the category Best Xbox 360 Game:
MIRROR’S EDGE – Electronic Arts
“Mirror’s Edge” sends its title heroine “Faith” off into a modern police state full of contrasting colours and vertiginous architecture. The special achievement of the action adventure is to cloak the player particularly closely in the skin of his or her avatar. Acrobatic leaps, fierce close combat and the character’s increasing exhaustion are almost physically perceptible.
In the category Best PSP Game:
RESISTANCE: RETRIBUTION -
Sony Computer Entertainment Deutschland
This makes it official at last: shooters for out and about can be fun. With outstanding visuals, in “Resistance: Retribution” neither the small console nor the gamer can take a breather till Europe has been liberated from an extraterrestrial fleet of invaders. It also includes a multiplayer setting for up to eight players.
In the category Best PS3 Game:
LITTLE BIG PLANET -
Sony Computer Entertainment Deutschland
Sony brings new life to an old genre, the laterally scrolling platformer. It also adds both a social and a creative element to the console world: the gamer community becomes the developer community. “Little Big Planet” comes with a convincingly vivid backdrop and almost unlimited possibilities with entertaining level structure.
In the category Best Wii Game:
SKATE IT – Electronic Arts
The Wii Fit Balance Board can do much more than just aerobics and yoga: by shifting weight and skilful use of the Nunchuk, the player carries out the most amazing tricks in (four) virtual roles. A genuine skater feel is created on the run through half-pipes and over ramps. “Skate it” gives an authentic and original recreation of the trend sport and benefits from the special features of the Nintendo console.
In the category Best NDS Game:
SONIC CHRONICLES: Die Dunkle Bruderschaft – SEGA
What looks at first like a colourful jump’n'run, turns out after only a few minutes to be an atmospheric RPG. Thanks to the exciting story, the amusing dialogue and the tactical fight system, older Sonic fans will also find this very entertaining. BioWare has given the DS an epic adventure all about the blue hedgehog.
In the category BEST MOBILE Game:
PES 2009 – Konami
Smoothly animated mini-players, a passing game and runs into the centre – it’s all possible, even on a small mobile phone screen. Depending on the type of phone and with a certain amount of practice, the one-button control makes even complex game moves possible. “PES 2009″ for mobile phones even allows for multiplayer games by Bluetooth and is much more than just a stopgap to pass the time.
In the category Best Online Game:
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning – GOA GOA (developed by Mythic Entertainment)
The creators of the online RPG legend “Dark Age of Camelot”, still so successful today, are back with “Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning”. GOA squares up to the alpha male “World of Warcraft” with spectacular visuals, innovative play modi, neat control and an enormous, appealing fantasy world.
In the category Best Hardware:
PlayTV – Sony Computer Entertainment Deutschland
The PlayTV enables users to record, play back and pause for playback of TV programmes received in DVB-T format. This is the first time that a game console serves as a hard drive recorder. The remote function is particularly impressive, making it possible to watch recorded TV shows or live TV programmes on the Playstation Portable (PSP).
In the category Best PS2 Game:
As there were too few entrants, no award was made in this category.
With the “Best of GC” title, the GC – Games Convention awards the computer and video game industry’s most outstanding product achievements every year. Exhibitors at the GC – Games Convention had until 1 August 2008 to make submissions in the category hardware accessories as well as in the categories Best Game PC, Xbox 360, PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, NDS, mobile and online. All companies exhibiting at the GC were eligible, if their products could be played in the public area and had not been published before the fair.
Space Squid and Gamecock Announce Mushroom Men Fan Fiction Winner
Filed under: Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii | Tags: Award, Contest, DS, Music, Wii
Leave a Comment Space Squid and Gamecock Announce Mushroom Men Fan Fiction Contest Champions
Cockpit, Austin, TX – August 20, 2008 - A long time ago, in a room far, far away Gamecock Media and Space Squid, a fine purveyor of hand-scrubbed sci-fi and hijinx, had a private meeting to discuss the fate of the Mushroom world. The plan they hatched was so outrageous, that only the greatest minds in the fan fiction world could ever hope to win the grand prize. Hundreds wrote in, but only one would come out as top ‘shroom.
Space Squid asked their readers and contributors to craft outlandish tales from the three inch perspective of Mushroom Men! When the writing had ceased and the dust settled; they collected, read and evaluated these tall tales of mushroom mischief. They spent hours whittling down the list until six contenders were left afloat on a sea of hopes and dreams. With a renewed sense of vigor, the Space Squid team took to picking the grand prize winner and the 5 runner-ups. Now without further ado, we present winning titles in order:
Grand Prize
“The Legend of Shiitake” by Christopher J. Oatis
Runner-Ups
“The Reply of Margarita Amanita” by Aaron DaMommio
“Roger Works, Man” by Andrew Godsey
“The Fleet Bolete” by F.W. Choi
“Tales From the Suburbs” by Justin Gordon
“Fun Guy” by Derek J. Goodman
Check out the full stories here: http://www.spacesquid.com/contest/
With his vivid and insane imagination, Christopher J. Oatis from Roosevelt, NJ has taken the top prize with his story “The Legend of Shiitake.” By completely delving into the world of Mushroom Men, Christopher crafted a tale of danger (tobacco), intrigue (Compost Heap Canyon) and action (Amanitas riders on spiders) all the while conveying an important message of responsibility and honor (lone wolf mushroom kicks ass). As the Grand Prize winner, Christopher receives a brand spankin’ new Wii, a copy of Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars and a guest post on Destructoid.com; his reaction, “I’m the Mushroom Man now, dawg!”
Runners up Aaron DaMommio, Andrew Godsey, F.W. Choi, Justin Gordon, and Derek J. Goodman receive a bag of swag that includes clothing, games and limited edition Mushroom Men autographed posters. These works of art are signed by none other than Les Claypool (of Primus fame); the musical mastermind behind Mushroom Men’s out of this world soundtrack.
PAX attendees will be able to pick up an exclusive limited-edition Mushroom Men book with art and these stories at the Gamecock booth.
About Mushroom Men
Mushroom Men gives players the opportunity to jump into the fantastic microcosm that is the backyard battlefield. Take control of the crusade, 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 bazooka as you cut down the multitude of household pests that threaten our very existence!
Mushroom Men – Rise of the Fungi for Nintendo DS is shipping October 14, Mushroom Men – The Spore Wars for Wii is shipping November 14.
Learn more about Mushroom Men here: http://www.mushroommen.com
About Space Squid
Space Squid is a hybrid publication of speculative fiction and humor. Surely you’ve seen the ‘zine at your local ‘zine superstore? Of course you were amazed at our snarky, outrageous stories, comix, and art. We’ve published work from Bruce Sterling (father of cyberpunk), Chris Roberson (Clockwork Storybook), Jay Lake (Campbell Award winner), Jennifer Pelland (Nebula nominee), and a lot of other cool people. Now visit www.spacesquid.com
Dare to be Digital winners announced at awards ceremony
Dare to be Digital, praised by BAFTA as the ‘perfect pathway’ for young talent in the games industry, held its 2008 Awards Ceremony at the Edinburgh International Exhibition Centre at the culmination of the Edinburgh Interactive Festival.
The three prizes went to: Blue Skies (Abertay University Dundee) for their game ‘Origamee’, Ctrl_D (Peking University) for ‘VegeMe’ and Dark Matter Design (Wolverhampton University) for ‘Boro-Toro’.
Each team takes home £2,500 and a BAFTA nomination for the BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ award which will be awarded in March next year.
Origamee is set in a 3D pop-up story book themed world incorporating traditional adventure style puzzle solving. Environmental issues such as recycling and pollution are raised subtlety throughout the game.
Boro-Toro is a side scrolling platform puzzle game which uses an innovative control system using Wii technology.
VegeMe allows the player to grow and style their own world in a race against their opponent
Organised and promoted by the University of Abertay Dundee in association with Channel 4, Dare to be Digital this year saw 17 five-strong teams of students haling from Birmingham to Beijing spending the last 10 weeks in host centres across the United Kingdom.
Six teams were based at Abertay University (including teams from India and China), four were based at Brighton, three at London, two in Birmingham, and two in Dublin. In conditions as close to real commercial games production as possible, they have been working around the clock to develop fully-functioning prototypes of their game ideas.
Earlier this week, the teams went head to head in a unique public showcase, Dare ProtoPlay, staged as part of the Edinburgh Interactive Festival. Over three days around 3000 visitors attended the event, trying out the new games and voting for their favourite.
In addition to the public vote, the teams were also put under the unforgiving scrutiny of a panel of junior judges – aged 6-13 years old.
Contrived (Edinburgh University) were the team to receive the most public votes, for their game Grav, they won the Audience Award sponsored by Microsoft and a prize of £1500. Grav is set in a ‘retro-futuristic’ environment where robots are your enemies and your surroundings are your best friend.
A panel of seventeen judges, made up of representatives from fifteen different companies including Sony, Babel Media, Channel 4 and Sport Interactive, then had the task of picking the three winners based on creativity and innovation, use of technology and market potential.
This is the ninth year of Dare to be Digital, which originated at Abertay University.
Professor Bernard King CBE, Principal of Abertay said: “As the originators and organisers of Dare to be Digital, Abertay University is extremely proud to be working with all the sponsors and supporters of Dare in promoting the talents, skills and creativity that contribute directly to the success of the computer games sector both in Scotland and across the UK and Ireland. This includes the other universities who joined with Abertay this year to run hosting centres across the UK and Ireland. They are: Birmingham City University, Brighton University, Goldsmiths, University of London and Trinity College Dublin.
“It’s success is demonstrated by the very high proportion of previous contestants who have been hired by a whole range of companies such as Electronic Arts, Rare, Denki, Realtime Worlds and Lionhead; others have even set up their own games development companies, and during this year’s contest we were delighted to note the first commercial launch of a game developed in Dare to be Digital.”
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture Linda Fabiani said: “The Scottish Government is delighted to provide support of £56,800 to Dare to be Digital which brings the world’s leading games design competition to Scotland showcasing our top class academic institutions and successful games industry. Through Fresh Talent we are committed to attracting and retaining talented international students and Dare provides a great opportunity for these cutting edge experts to see the benefits of studying and living in Scotland”.
Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning Fiona Hyslop said: “I’m delighted to see young Scots competing at an international level and collaborating with students from around the world. Dare to be Digital demonstrates the excellent learning environment that Scotland offers to the growing number of international students choosing to come and study in Dundee and throughout Scotland.”
Richard Leinfellner CEO of BabelMedia who chaired the judging panel said: “As chairman of the judging panel it is my pleasure to relay that the panel of game industry experts felt the overall standard of this year’s entries exceeded all their expectation both in terms of breadth of subject matter and overall game quality.
“In a climate of spiralling costs and product slippages Dare consistently manages to highlight what is achievable by the best new talent looking to enter the games business in just 10 weeks.”
Ray Maguire, UK Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment and judging panel member said: “Once again, Dare has revealed some true talent. The quality is the best we have ever seen and it is possible to see some of these prototypes becoming commercial. We are delighted to be involved again this year and look forward to revealing the winner of the BAFTA Ones to Watch Award at the British Academy Video Games Awards on in March 2009″
