Archive for the ‘News’ Tag
Slow going
Leave a CommentHopefully the move is going to be seamless, with the exception of the site theme, which is gonna be pretty plain vanilla for a few days. I’m furiously importing the posts so they are all accounted for on the new server before the switchover. If you subscribe to the RSS feed, sorry!
-e
Server moving
Leave a CommentThere may and will be some weirdness going on as we move servers tonight. We may lose posts, we may lose graphics, I will do my best to keep that from happening! So, no more updates today, watch for the improvements coming each day to the site!
-e
Korea Game Industry Agency Announces “Global Online Game Awards” Winners
- “Korea is the best place for holding the global online game awards”
Korea Game Industry Agency (president: Choi Kyu-nam) announced the winners of the 1st Global Online Game Awards, the best online games that captivated the world’s gamers in 2008 per genre. This event was held at Exhibition Hall No. 3 of SETEC at 5pm on the 16th.
For Role-playing games, Blizzard Entertainment’s “World of Warcraft” for the Racing/Casual genre, Nexon’s “Kartrider,” and First-Person Shooting Game Valve’s “Counterstrike Source” were the big winners. NC Soft’s “City of Heroes/Villains” was selected for the Adventure/Action game genre, EA Sports’ “FIFA 09,” as the top sports game, and CCP Games’ “EVE-Online,” for the Strategic Simulation game genre.
These award-winning games were selected by summing up the opinions of judges based on standards such as game scenario/planning, game graphics/character, game music/sound, game technology, and game creativity for the 5 candidate games of each genre as selected during the preliminary screening.
The host explained that fairness and credibility of the awards were enhanced through the participation of major game media of each nation in the world with regard to the judging and proceedings of the “Global Online Game Awards.” Simon Carless, publisher of the US’s Game Developer and Gamasutra.com, Michael Trier, chief editor of German PC Game magazine “Game Star,” Wang Wei Wen, chief reporter of Chinese Game portal “17173 dot com,” and Mo In, chief editor of Korea’s “The Games” participated in this event as judges.
Simon Carless, publisher of Game Developer and Gamasutra.com and one of the judges, noted how a variety of online games are popular all over the world, breaking down the cultural boundaries of the East and the West. “I think the 2008 Global Online Game Awards is more valuable as a venue where all major game developers worldwide gather,” he stated.
According to Michael Trier, chief editor of German PC Game magazine Game Star, Korea is a country that the world should benchmark in terms of promoting a healthy game culture. “Korea is the best place for holding the global online game awards held this year for the first time in the world,” he said.
Mo In, chief editor of “The Games” and one of the judges representing Korea, expressed hope that the awards event for global online games is established as “an international game awards similar to the Cannes Film Festival or Venice Film Festival.”
Wang Wei Wen, chief reporter of Chinese Game portal “17173 dot com” gave his two cents’ worth after participating in the judging. “Online games not only provide enjoyment to people but also play the role of narrowing the gap between nations. I hope to see more excellent online games next year and the year after,” he said.
“This event will serve as an important opportunity for Korea to contribute to the revitalization of the global online game industry. “I sincerely congratulate excellent games from every nation including Korea, North America, and Europe, they truly deserve the recognition,” said Choi Kyu-nam, president of the Korea Game Industry Agency as the organizer of the Global Online Game Awards.
DS-x2 is giving away free stuff for Christmas!
http://www.ds-x2.com/news/The%2BBiggest%2BChristmas%2BGiveaway%2BEver%2521,12302,12302
Thought I would share this with you guys. I am in no way involved with these guys, just wanted to spread the news.
Michael Phelps and 505 Games to collaborate on new videogame projects
Multiple Titles to be Developed by 505 Games’ New U.S. Operations for Distribution Worldwide
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Dec. 15, 2008) — Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, and global videogame publisher, 505 Games, announced today a new partnership to develop next generation console and iPhone videogames. The first title is scheduled to release in spring 2010 and will be developed by 505 Games’ newly formed U.S. operations in Los Angeles. 505 Games also has European offices in the UK, and distribution partners around the world.
“505 Games is proud to partner with Michael Phelps to create innovative new game play experiences that celebrate active lifestyles, the spirit of competition and the inspirational dream of becoming a champion,” said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. “Through swimming, Michael has become an international superstar and role model for people of all ages. With 505 Games’ global reach, we look forward to leveraging the powerful digital entertainment medium to bring Michael’s passion for sports and competition to new audiences around the world.”
505 Games and Phelps are currently in the development stages for the first-of-its-kind videogame that may also include some of his teammates. In addition, 505 Games will donate a portion of the videogame proceeds to the Michael Phelps Foundation.
“I am really excited to partner with 505 Games and work with them to develop a game that is reflective of my personality, lifestyle and competitive nature,” said Phelps. “I believe this will be a tremendous opportunity to help continue my quest to raise the profile for the sport of swimming.”
Phelps, who is represented by Octagon, was recently profiled by CBS News’ “60 Minutes”, named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year” and released his third book entitled NO LIMITS: The Will to Succeed.
X-Blades: new info and screens
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox360, PC - Windows, Sony PS3 | Tags: 360, PS3, PC, News, X-Blades
Leave a Comment New info about X-Blades. Two new spells, and 2 new elemental enemies. All with pretty pictures.
Fireball:
I always loved fire, even as a little girl. Then people noticed that I was able to command fire in some mysterious way. That’s why I have a special affinity for these skills – and I like learning them. A Fireball can be hurled against all kinds of enemies, even airborne opponents. On impact, it explodes and throws the opponent to the ground. This spell is really effective against Ice Elementals.
Fire Blades:
The power of Fire amazes me, because it truly is a skill that has aided me in many battles. I’ve learned to harness the power of fire and imbue it into my very own gunblades. This is quite a skill to master because the last thing an adventurer wants to do is melt her own weapons accidentally. This spell also allows me to shoot blazing projectiles at my enemies as well. Fire is a beautiful thing. (Requirement: Fireball)
Dark Elementals:
A particle of the Dark which has a slight awareness of its own existence. Little more than a parasitic vampire, Dark Elementali suck away their victim’s energy after melting it down with dark magic. Since they consume a lot of energy and spawn quickly, they’re often hungry and extremely aggressive.
Ice Elemantali:
Ice Elementali are the embodiment of Cold magic. The result of dangerous experiments conducted by ancient magicians, these creatures can stop the use of magic by binding their victim’s body with ice, thereby slowing them down. As are all Elemantalis, they’re vulnerable to magic opposed to their own.
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Catch Up time
Sorry folks, we were unable to get posts out to you from Friday-Sunday due to circumstances out of our control. We are doing a huge amount of updates today, including all of Friday and the weekend’s news, so please, enjoy this extra-large day of video game news!
GamersGate Holiday Gift Guide
New York, December 10, 2008 - GamersGate today announced its Holiday Gift Guide, with discounts for individual games as well as combinations of titles.
The Holiday gift guide presents more than 97 titles and a total of 39 offerings, including the 1C super pack with King’s Bounty and eight other premium titles for $99.99/€99.99 and discounts on individual games such as Supreme Ruler 2020 and Dark Horizon of up to 66%.
The Holiday sales start immediately on GamersGate and ends after the Holiday Season.
Follow the link below to go to the complete Holiday Gift Guide:
www.gamersgate.com/giftguide
About GamersGate
GamersGate is a leading digital distribution platform, providing ready gaming experiences for gamers worldwide – anytime, anywhere. Viewed as a strong contender in the digital download arena, GamersGate continues to redefine the download industry. Future strategies include the launch of several additional services, and the further aggressive expansion of its product portfolio, from a wide range of internationally recognized publishers.http://www.gamersgate.com
Christmas has come to Gardenparty
There are now many methods to communicate and interact online, and stats show that this means is ever on the increase amongst the younger generations. Online virtual worlds have been a new medium for these youngsters to stay connected with their friends across the country as well as with their grandparents and cousins. They have proved to be somewhat of a lifeline in bringing these people closer.
GardenParty, the safe and fun online world for kids aged 5-12 years old, is a world where they can not only take part in an array of collaborative and exciting activities, it has also bridged that gap to connect cousins, grandchildren, friends and many more together over the holiday season which can be an especially important time of year. GardenParty allows them to play, interact and work in teams together, along with the all important moderated chat feature.
To celebrate the holiday season, from the 9th of December 2008, GardenParty was transformed into a magical winter wonderland. Of course, the usual array of surprises and rewards (with a festive theme) will be in store for the children along with holiday themed activities. Gardeners can expect many exciting updates at various points in the lead up to Christmas… but when they can be expected is to remain a mystery!
Children can sign up for free and join in the holiday fun of GardenParty at: www.gardenpartyworld.com
Havok Celebrates 10 Years of Physics in Games and Film
Started in 1998 when 3D graphics accelerators were rising in popularity and computing power was approximately 1/10th of what it is now, this Dublin-based company set out to change the way computer and video games looked and felt. Launching first with their physics simulation software tools SDK for games at the 2000 Game Developers Conference, Havok now offers a complete modular suite of products that help visual and interactive content developers create more realistic games and special effects for film.
“Havok was born from the idea that the emergence of realistic real-time 3D graphics created the need for realistic physical simulation,” said David O’Meara, Managing Director of Havok. Back then we were motivated by such a difficult challenge and each other’s energy. I’m happy to say the majority of the original Havok team is still with us 10 years later, still sharing the drive to provide solutions to the biggest challenging facing developers, and empowering them to create realistic and visually stunning entertainment.”
Over the last decade, Havok has partnered with more than 70 of today’s top game developers, and their industry-leading technology has been included in an excess of 200 game titles by the end of 2008 including the award-winning “Age of Empires III”, “Halo 2”, and this year’s smash hit “Fallout3”. Additionally, Havok products have been used to drive the special effects in such films as “The Matrix”, “10,000 B.C.”, and “Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix”.
“Technology has progressed a great deal since we first conceived of dynamical simulation in games,’ commented O’Meara. Computing power and the adoption of graphics cards has reached the point where many of the things we imagined back then are not only feasible, but high definition 3D visuals and real-time physics are now mainstream and expected across games, film and the Web.”
Havok’s technologies are multi-platform, enabling development across today’s leading game consoles and computers. It’s this agnostic approach that has lead to the adoption of Havok products by the majority of today’s leading publishers and developers including Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, UbiSoft, Eidos, LucasArts, Sierra, Blizzard, Bethesda, Bungie, Valve, Neversoft, Relic, Lionhead and Pandemic Studios.
Some of the highly-anticipated games currently under development or slated for release in 2009 are Microsoft’s “Fable 2”, Namco Bandi’s classic remake “Splatterhouse”, Pandemic’s “Saboteur”, “HaloWars” from Ensemble Studios, and the new “Indiana Jones” game from LucasArts.
Havok recently expanded its software lineup with the release of Havok 6.0. As the company’s most broad suite of games middleware components to date, Havok 6.0 marks the addition of Havok Cloth™ and Havok Destruction™ to the award winning Havok Physics™, Havok Behavior™ and Havok Animation™ products. Each product forms part of an integrated suite of runtime SDKs and tools, representing the most comprehensive set of cross-platform modular tools available today, enabling game studios to deliver more compelling gameplay, character interaction and physical effects in less time.
With more than 100 games utilizing Havok’s technology slated for release over the coming year, details on Havok’s current lineup follow:
Havok Animation™
Havok Animation is a fast, flexible animation SDK that provides a rich set of general purpose animation capabilities, tight integration with Havok’s award-winning Physics SDK, and incorporates easily into existing game engines.
Havok Behavior™
Havok Behavior is a system of software tools for developing event-driven character behaviors in a game. The Havok Behavior product is comprised of an intuitive composition tool for artists and designers, and a run-time SDK for game programmers, resulting in “what you see is what you get” results.
Havok Cloth™
Havok Cloth is a new platform-optimized runtime SDK and toolset that significantly increases the realism of game characters and environments by enabling character designers to add realistic, physically-based drape and motion to garments, environmental objects and other deformable items like hair, bellies or tails.
Havok Destruction™
Havok Destruction is the cross-platform tool for the simulation of rigid body destruction. In addition to drastically reducing the production time and cost of creating large numbers of realistic destructible game objects, Havok Destruction provides more realism to structural mechanics, graphical effects and level design for a new game play experience
Havok Physics™
Based upon the award winning Havok Physics 2 SDK, the recently released Continuous Physics™ is an innovative technology that adds an extra level of integrity to games, and frees up production time by eliminating design limitations that stem from high-velocity game objects. Havok Physics also incorporates robust memory optimizations crucial for simulating physics in complex game environments on next-generation platforms.
About Havok
Havok, an Intel company, was founded in Dublin, Ireland in 1998, and is the premier provider of interactive software and services for digital media creators in the games and movie industries.
Havok works in partnership with the world’s best known game developers, including: Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, 2K Games and Pandemic Studios. Havok’s cross-platform, professionally supported technology is available for the Xbox360™, PLAYSTATION®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™, Wii™, and the PC. Havok’s combination of superior technology and dedication to delivering for its customers has led to the company’s technology being used in more than 200 of the world’s best known game titles, including: “BioShock”, “Halo 3”, “MotorStorm”, “Stranglehold”, “Crackdown” and “Age of Empires III”.
Havok products have been used to drive special effects in movies such as “Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix”, “10,000 BC”, “Poseidon”, “The Matrix”, “Troy”, “Kingdom of Heaven” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”.
Havok has offices in Dublin, San Francisco, San Antonio, Calcutta, Munich, and Tokyo. For more information on Havok, visit www.havok.com.
A computer game developed at Abertay University as part of the Beijing Olympics has won special recognition for digital excellence.
The game, entitled ‘Bear Go Olympics’, was developed by a team of Chinese and Scottish students and competed alongside thousands of other entries from around the world during the Olympics Fine Arts 2008 exhibition. It is one of only a handful of the entries to be singled out for a Digital Animation Excellence Award.
The success story began when the Chinese Olympic Fine Arts Organising Committee invited Abertay earlier this year to take part in the official Olympics arts exhibition in Beijing.
Members of two of the winning teams from last year’s Dare to be Digital competition, hosted by Abertay, joined forces to create the Abertay entry. The teams involved were Voodoo Boogy, comprising five Abertay students, and Phoenix Seed, comprising four students from Beijing University and one from Abertay.
Voodoo Boogy’s ‘Ragnarawk’ game not only won the Commercial Potential Award in Dare 2007 but also went on to win the first-ever BAFTA ‘Ones to Watch’ award. Phoenix Seed’s ‘Bear Go Home’ game won the Innovation and Creativity Award at Dare and was nominated for the BAFTA. It was ‘Bear Go Home’ that the combined team decided to develop for the Olympics exhibition.
In the new version of ‘Bear Go Home’, the Olympic rings have been lost, and the player has to guide ‘Bear’ on a quest to retrieve them, overcoming challenges and obstacles along the way.
Using the latest digital technology, the Olympics arts exhibition took place simultaneously in the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou, and was also displayed online via the internet.
In addition to the official judging panel, members of the public all over the world were able to vote for their favourite exhibit online.
Abertay graduate Chris Isaacs was the sole Scottish member of the Phoenix Seed team and as well as working for Dundee based games developer Realtime Worlds he is also managing director of the Scottish-based company set up by the Phoenix Seed team after winning Dare to be Digital.
Commenting on the winning of the Beijing award, Chris said: “Creating great games is my absolute passion and being involved in creating a game which was on show during this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing was really special.
“It has been a truly amazing experience to get to work on this project with Abertay University, and with my former team mates and friends from Dare to be Digital 2007. The entire team worked incredibly hard during the four weeks in which we had to make the new game and we are all really over the moon at our success in the Beijing exhibition.
“Taking part in the exhibition was a great experience, and to have won an Excellence Award in the face of strong international competition is fantastic. We look forward to the challenge of turning the recent success of our game into commercial success in the future.”
Game People’s Rebecca Mayes’ Christmas Song
Game People’s Christmas present to gamers. No, not a celebrity Wii controller, not a Strategy JRPG Adventure mash up, not even a Chiropodist simulator for the DS. Today, we are excited to bring you Rebecca Mayes’ first video game inspired song.
What better way to bring our beloved video gaming pastime to the masses than in song. Rebecca may be a novice gamer but she understands what thrills, confuses and frustrates those wanting to join in the fun. As Rebecca says…
“I am inspired by that edge where two distant and separate things meet. What I am interested in is the collision of my own creative world with the creativity of the gaming world.”
Vocalising the woes and wonders of many gaming girlfriends, every other week she’ll be singing her way through the good and the great of her gaming experiences with a new song.
“My ‘reviews’ are naive, ridiculous observations that only someone totally inexperienced could make.”
She’s kicking things of with ‘Press A’ [http://www.gamepeople.co.uk/audio_wii_wiisports.htm], her Christmas ditty about the Wii that echoes the refrain heard in households across the nation at this time of year.
The exclusive song can be heard first hand on her Audio Gamer [http://www.gamepeople.co.uk/rebeccamayes.htm] writers pages on the site, and will no doubt be ringing out through various podcasts and promotions in the coming weeks. Have a read of her biog [http://www.gamepeople.co.uk/rebeccamayes_about.htm] to hear how all this started (read: she got roped in).
Notes about Game People
Game People [http://www.gamepeople.co.uk] started in 2007 to provide space for niche video game writers. Since then we have accrued a rag-tag bunch of interesting hacks (read: writers). We cover games for families, teens, fitness, sport, racing, for returning and even for eclectic gamers.
Our writers now contribute to the Game Pro network, the Wired Blog, Gamasutra and a smattering of local newspapers.
For more information about this or other press releases, contact our Editor in Chief [editor@gamepeople.co.uk]. He is more than happy to provide interviews, discuss advertising, or in fact any other ideas you have for us.
Notes about Rebecca Mayes
Rebecca Mayes [http://www.gamepeople.co.uk/rebeccamayes.htm] is the first of a series of new creative contributors who are engaging with video games in new ways. We believe that for such an unusual and engaging medium we need to discover inventive and interesting ways to talk about it. Coming up in 2009 is our Origami Gamer, Haiku Gamer and Vignette Gamer.
All the writers on Game People want to interact directly with readers. Why not catch Rebecca’s twitter updates, friend her on Facebook, or just email to see how she is getting on.
In her own words…
Gaming is a mysterious world to me and I stand on the edge and look into it like Alice at the entrance to wonderland.
Recently I jumped into that black hole and found myself lost in a place I don’t understand. It is a place full of spectacle and phenomena which feeds my imagination. In many ways I represent all the people who know nothing about games, who are uninspired and uninterested in games. As such, I’m not sure whether I’m particularly welcome here. The way I look at computer games is nothing like an ordinary gamer would look at them. My ‘reviews’ are naive, ridiculous observations that only someone totally inexperienced could make.
I am inspired by that edge where two distant and separate things meet. What I am interested in is the collision of my own creative world with the creativity of the gaming world. There is something about the gaming wonderland which challenges my understanding of what constitutes beautiful art. It’s tempting to be something of a purist when it comes to art, and particularly my own art of creating music, but recently notions of possibility and process have been more important to me than clear-cut, polished beauty.
What I have created here I created at home in my spare room, with whatever I could find lying around the house. These songs come from a place of immediacy – like the first word that comes into your head.
UK’s Denki publishes their “Top 100″ games
With our usual disdain for limitations, constraints and notions of propriety, we have not limited the list to those games released over the last twelve calendar months, but instead features ALL of our games which are still being played by gamers around the world…
The judging criteria were based on a complex formula, created by Denki’s in-house games legend Gary ‘Gaztop’ Penn. “It’s very simple. First you take the popularity of each game with players, multiply this by the revenue it’s generated, ADD on the longevity of the game and then apply our own very strict internal scoring system. We then sorted the overall winners using a system of trial by ordeal. Whittling the original list of nearly 200 games down to 10 seemed particularly arduous, what with Christmas coming up, so we went up to 100, just for fun.”
1.Word Crunch Deluxe [like Word Crunch, only Deluxe-r]
2.Who Wants To Be A Millionaire
3.Crackdown [yes, THAT Crackdown]
4.InQuizitor [Game + Education – oh yes!]
5.SpongeBob SquarePants; Episode 6 – “Forest Of Fear”
6.Denki Blocks! [The one, the only, the original...]
7.Tomb Raider; The Reckoning [we reckon you liked it]
8.Jumble Fever; Beehive Bedlam Edition
9.Shrek; Episode 5 – “Imperial Peril”
10.Wall-E
11.Tetris [did you know we even did a multiplayer version?]
12.Barbie; World Fashion Tour
13.Pac-Man [Blinky on the TV, instead of vice versa...]
14.Tom and Jerry; Episode 1 – “Mouse Party”
15.Bips! [one button magic from the brain of Penn]
16.Sundae Scoop
17.21s [NOT played in 21 seconds, actually a card game...]
18.Ben 10; Episode 3 – “Upchuck Unveiled”
19.Kingpin Bowling [Contains more pageantry than normal bowling]
20.Polly Wheels 2 [Nothing to do with parrots]
21.Bust-A-Move
22.Go! Go! Beckham [yes, THAT Beckham...]
23.Word Crunch 2 [Like Word Crunch only twice as crunchy]
24.Scooby-Doo Mysteries; Episode 2 – “The Case of the Frosty Snowman”
25.Pat Sajak’s Code Letter Crossword Connections
26.Dexter’s Laboratory; Episode 3 – “Return of the Dorkster”
27.Mad Libs [Really very, very crazy Libs indeed]
28.Lego Castle; The Sword of Virtue
29.Robotboy; Episode 4 – “Tag Team Trouble”
30.Tumbler [need we say more? I think not...]
31.Tom and Jerry; Episode 2 – “Merry Christmouse!”
32.Jumble Quest; The Lost Pyramids
33.SpongeBob SquarePants; Episode 5 – “Snow Woes”
34.Sky Sports Darts [darts was invented in 1409 by the 8th Earl of Darts]
35.Codename: Kids Next Door; Episode 4 – “Operation G.U.M.D.R.O.P.”
36.Fetch! What A State!
37.Barbie; LuvMe3 – “Pup’s New Tricks”
38.HULK [Dr David Banner liked this. “Hulk, SMASH!” he told us...]
39.Golden Balls
40.Polly Pocket; SPLASH!
41.Looney Tunes; Back In Action; Episode 3 – “Rabbit Rescue”
42.Letter Box [a 4% increase in literafullness followed this game's release]
43.Hot Wheels; Monster Truck Smashdown
44.Boggle [We're told this is Prince Phillip's favourite dice-based word game]
45.Pat Sajak’s Code Letter Lost & Found Words
46.Bugz [Like Bugs, only sleepier]
47.Genie’s Cave [High scorers were granted three faux wishes]
48.Ben 10; Episode 2 – “Call of the Wildmutt”
49.Nicktoons; Ready Orb Not
50.Robotboy; Episode 2 – “Something in the Darkness Drools!”
51.Wallace & Gromit in Curse of the Were-Rabbit
52.Shrek the Third [Son of, son of Shrek]
53.Codename: Kids Next Door – Episode 3 “Operation R.E.V.E.N.G.E.”
54.Reversi
55.Tom and Jerry; Episode 5 – “Rickety House Mouse”
56.Carol Vorderman’s Mind Aerobics; Summer Shape Up
57.Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends; Episode 2 – “Brotherly Love”
58.Number Crunch [Like Word Crunch, only Numberier]
59.Scooby-Doo Where Are You?; Episode 1 – “The Mystery of Eerie Isle”
60.All Grown Up! [Unlike our previous title, 'Fartastic']
61.Shrek; Episode 1 – “Fiona’s Rescue”
62.Weekly Spin To Win [You have to be spin it to...oh you get the idea]
63.Dexter’s Laboratory; Episode 2 – “Mandark Strikes Back”
64.Super Breakout [SIX times more Super than non-super Breakout]
65.The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy
66.Shrek; Episode 3 – “Godmother’s Revenge”
67.The Muppets in Backstage Rampage
68.Quick Wit [Perfect for after-dinner speakers and classroom wags]
69.Codename: Kids Next Door – Episode 1 “Operation B.I.T.T.E.R.S.W.E.E.T.”
70.Jumble Fever; Tropical Edition
71.Courage the Cowardly Dog; Episode 3 – “Le Quack Attack!”
72.Denki Blocks! Brain Teasers; Volume 2
73.SpongeBob SquarePants; Episode 3 – “The Flying Dutchman”
74.Tom and Jerry in Dynamice 2
75.Star Trek: The Next Generation – “Stranded”
76.Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses
77.Scooby-Doo Mysteries; Episode 1 – “The Case of the Creepy Cowboy”
78.Thunderbirds [F.A.B. Oh come on, you were expecting that, surely!]
79.Ed, Edd n Eddy; Episode 1 – “Night of the Living Ed”
80.Ben 10; Episode 1 – “Vilgax Venom”
81.Caterpillar Crunch [Almost five times crunchier than regular caterpillars]
82.Jumble Fever; Avatar Edition
83.Courage the Cowardly Dog; Episode 1 – “Katz Kidnap”
84.Duopolis [Sadly NOT the adventures of two policemen in Glasgow]
85.Tom and Jerry; Episode 4 – “Duck and Cover”
86.Word Crunch [Like Caterpillar Crunch, but wordier]
87.Codename: Kids Next Door – Episode 1 “Operation T.E.E.N.A.G.E.R.”
88.Jumble Fever: Halloween Edition [Featured Witches and Pumpkins]
89.SpongeBob SquarePants; Episode 1 – “Bikini Bottom Bother”
90.The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy in Hell’s Hamsters
91.Robotboy; Episode 3 – “Repair or Despair”
92.Shrek Jumble Rumble
93.Codename: Kids Next Door – Episode 2 “Operation S.H.I.P.W.R.E.C.K.E.D.”
94.Jumble Football Fever
95.Tom and Jerry; Episode 3 – “Mansion House Mouse”
96.Dexter’s Laboratory; Episode 1 – “Dexter Versus Mandark”
97.Shrek; Episode 2 – “Disarming Charming”
98.Berenstain Bears; Rainy Day Puzzles
99.SpongeBob SquarePants; Episode 2 – “Krabby Patty Kidnap”
100.Shrek; Episode 4 – “Double Trouble”
Colin Anderson, the Managing Director of Denki said, “Two days! I left the office for two days and this is what Gaz gets the teams to do with their time! That said, I doubt there’s many other games companies in the world who could whip up a Top 100 list of their own games, based on some dubious quasi-scientific criteria, while at the same time having fun and avoiding actual paid work in the run up to the holidays? Of course, I’d have preferred if they actually got on with what they were meant to be doing ¬ building Denki’s new games for Xbox Live Arcade and Wii.”
“Some people say it’s impossible to quantify something like joy,” added Penn. “But they’re simply not trying hard enough. This list, this scientific, accurate and extensive list draws a clear line in the sand. It shows that as Denki gears up for new projects and a new future, it builds upon a glorious legacy of triumph, ability and innovation. I’ve already put out a call to creators of all stripes to take some time out to visit www.denkiornot.com to see if they are well, Denki or Not. If they are, then I want to hear from them.”
IGG Raises over $ 10 Million in Series B Financing
December 8, 2008 – IGG Inc. (www.igg.com), the leading online game publisher/operator, today announced that the company has closed a Series B round of financing from two prominent venture capital firms and an existing investor.
The privately owned online game company did not disclose specific figures of the financing, but COO Kevin Xu said the funding was “in excess of $10 million” and was led by Vertex Group and joined by Hearst Interactive Media and IDGVC.
“The global experience of Vertex will greatly bolster our international capabilities, and Hearst’s vast connection in the media world is the perfect support that we need to expand our business globally. It’s great to have our original funding partner IDG on board again as well.” said Kevin Xu. He added that the new funds will be used to expand sales and marketing into Asia and Europe, to establish strategic partnerships with developers and publishers worldwide, and to further the development of more innovative and entertaining games in house. Furthermore, the funds will be used to explore more regions and reach out to players of different languages.
Dedicated to serve worldwide players with the best multiplayer online games, IGG Inc. launched its first MMORPG in May 2006. Since then, IGG has successfully released and operated 8 MMORPGs through www.igg.com. With over 8 million registered users as of Q4 2008, IGG has established its reputation as a world-class publisher rising to meet the demand of players of different ages, culture and favors.
“IGG has a unique differentiated business model and a very strong and experienced team.” said Mr Chua Kee Lock, Group President & CEO of Vertex Group. “We are very excited with the investment in IGG and we look forward to working closely with the company and bring it to a greater growth as it expands its business and geographic presence,” added Mr Chua Kee Lock.
About Vertex Group
Vertex Group, based in Singapore but with offices in China, US and Israel, is a leading global venture capital firm with over 20 years of experience in the business. It has invested in many successful companies including China Finance Online, Paypal, Creative Technology, NewPort/Broadcomm, Transmedia/Cisco, Gemalto, MediaRing, Spreadtrum Communications, MindTree Consulting and others.
About Hearst Interactive Media
Hearst Interactive Media, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), manages a portfolio of strategic investments in development-stage companies focused primarily on emerging media and interactive technologies. Throughout the Corporation, Hearst Interactive Media provides strategic guidance and advocacy for a wide range of technology-driven operational and development activities. Hearst Corporation is one of the nation’s largest diversified media companies. Its major interests include ownership of 16 daily and 49 weekly newspapers, nearly 200 magazines around the world, including Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan and O, The Oprah Magazine; 29 television stations through Hearst-Argyle Television (NYSE:HTV), which reach a combined 18% of U.S. viewers; ownership in leading cable networks, including Lifetime, A&E, History and ESPN; as well as business publishing, including a minority joint venture interest in Fitch Ratings; Internet businesses, television production, newspaper features distribution and real estate.
About IDGVC
IDG Technology Venture Investment (IDGVC Partners) was founded in 1992 with offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Boston, and the Silicon Valley. As one of the earliest American venture capital firms to enter the Chinese market, IDGVC Partners has established a leading role in the industry with an aggregate of US$2.0 billion capital under management.
IDGVC Partners invests in early-to-growth-stage companies with focus on hi-tech related sectors such as the Internet, telecommunications, wireless communications, digital media, IC, and life science. It has an investment portfolio of 100 start-up companies, including CTrip, Sohu, Baidu, China Finance Online, Tencent, and Kingdee, 30 of which have completed public offerings or successful mergers.
Video Games the Biggest Winner of 3D Customer Demand
Meant to be Seen Announces Preliminary Results of U-DECIDE Initiative at the 3D Entertainment Summit
Los Angeles, California – December 4, 2008 – Meant to be Seen, the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) gaming and home entertainment, has announced the preliminary results of the U-DECIDE Initiative, an ongoing study of what customers think of 3D entertainment technologies and why.
Stereoscopic 3D refers to the ability to display true volumetric 3D content through 2D media. Examples include explosions that pop out of the screen, and a sense of depth that makes viewers think they can reach inside the screen.
Made possible with the assistance of AMD, iZ3D, Blitz Games Studios, The Game Creators and Guild Software, U-DECIDE has become the most credible determination of what customers think of 3D entertainment with hopes of dispelling the leading myths and assumptions about the technology.
The U-DECIDE Initiative was designed to capture customer opinions in two separate online surveys. One was for traditional gamers who don’t yet own 3D equipment, and the other was for experienced stereoscopic 3D gamers and consumers. Each respondent was required to answer 26 multipart questions.
“3D is often judged before being seen. We wanted to learn how far apart the opinions were of traditional 2D and experienced 3D customers so our industry can have a reasonable measure of where we are, and how far we can go. Currently, the number of completed surveys is nearly equal between the customer types, and this makes the data invaluable,” said Neil Schneider, President & CEO of Meant to be Seen.
Information learned from 2D and 3D customers include 3D hardware quality expectations, perceived deterrents to 3D technology, motivators or messages that connect with customers at a marketing level, brand awareness for leading products and companies, gaming performance expectations depending on game type, and much more.
The first finding is that only a minority of 2D customers think that 3D is tacky or uncomfortable. Nearly 26% of respondents think 3D is a “must have” technology, and over 65% find it “intriguing”. Less than 4% think 3D is “tacky”, and just over 5% think 3D “sounds uncomfortable.”
For inexperienced 2D and existing 3D customers, wearing comfortable 3D glasses is an insignificant barrier to the technology for some types of content. Only 12% of 2D customers object to 3D glasses for video games, while this climbs to almost 30% for 3D broadcast television. Experienced 3D customers are more forgiving with a 3% objection level for video games, and 12% for broadcast television. Blu-ray movies fall in-between with 16% glasses objection for 2D, and 4% for experienced 3D customers.
All respondents are nearly unanimous about one market. Stereoscopic 3D is most suitable for video games with an 87% suitability rating by 2D, and nearly 97% rating by experienced 3D gamers. Without yet owning the technology for themselves, 93% of 2D customers want game developers to officially support true 3D in their games, and this climbs to 99% amongst 3D gamers.
“The customers have spoken, and it is clear that game developers have a real consumer need that requires answering. These findings will help them get it right the first time,” said Schneider.
Suitability ratings varied widely for Blu-ray, sporting events, and broadcast television. In-depth analysis will be announced in the formal U-DECIDE Initiative report.
“Success in the at-home 3D cinema and content markets is going to be more selective, and this new data will help ensure that 3D efforts tie in with customer demand for the best sales results,” Schneider explained.
The findings are still considered preliminary, and the surveys will remain open until January 1st, 2009. Participating respondents will qualify for a draw to win one of nearly 60 prizes including iZ3D 3D monitors, ATI GPUs, and a wide selection of video games by Blitz Games Studios, The Game Creators, and Guild Software. Gamers of all experience levels are encouraged to participate athttp://www.mtbs3d.com/udecide.shtml.
Preliminary graphics charts are available for download from mtbs3D.com in the U-DECIDE sub-menu, and the complete report is expected to be available for purchase in January 2009. Committed MTBS partners and qualified game developers who accept complementary MTBS Certification can get the report for free.
To date, leading game developers on record for MTBS certification include Epic Games for Unreal Tournament 3, The Game Creators for DarkBasic Professional, and Unigine for their game engine by the same name – the first modern game engine to natively support S-3D hardware solutions without a driver. More announcements are pending.
Meant to be Seen is made possible by unrestricted education grants from iZ3D LLC and TDVision Corp. Non-proprietary in nature, MTBS welcomes additional industry involvement to help grow the popularity and effective use of consumer stereoscopic 3D technologies.
About Meant to be Seen (MTBS)
Meant to be Seen is the foremost authority group on stereoscopic 3D gaming and consumer technologies. Featuring news, active forums, educational guides, reviews & certification of games and more, MTBS is the first stop for stereoscopic 3D excitement. For more information, visit http://www.mtbs3D.com.
