Village Gamer

Burnaby BC – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that tennis stars John McEnroe, Roger Federer and Serena Williams will be the North American* cover athletes for its new tennis franchise, EA SPORTS™ Grand Slam® Tennis. Eight different regional player partnerships will be announced soon. McEnroe, one of the sport’s most recognizable figures, was recently confirmed as exclusive to the game. Federer and Williams are among the biggest names in tennis and the most accomplished; having won 23 Grand Slam singles titles between them. Williams becomes the first woman to grace the cover of an EA SPORTS simulation product.

“It’s very exciting to be on the cover of EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis. This game not only shows EA’s enthusiasm for tennis but for also women’s tennis,” said Williams. “I know from experience how tough and gratifying it is to win all four Grand Slams so I hope people will enjoy the Grand Slam experience that is offered in this game.” Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver – THQ Inc. today announced Company of Heroes®: Tales of Valor™, the next standalone chapter in Relic Entertainment’s critically-acclaimed Company of Heroes franchise, has shipped for Windows PC. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor immerses players in some of the most historic, tide-turning battles of World War II, offering three intense single-player campaigns, three new multiplayer modes and a new “direct-fire” feature that brings advanced tactical control to the battlefield. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor is available now at retail and online outlets for Windows PC.

“Relic Entertainment is an industry leader in the Real-Time Strategy genre and continues to craft genre-defining experiences,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “With new gameplay modes and innovative features, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor brings the most intense battles of World War II to gamers like never before.”

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Edmonton – BioWare, makers of the highly anticipated video game Dragon Age: Origins, has created a powerful toolset that will allow gamers to easily create their own Dragon Age: Origins levels and adventure modules to share online with the world. Applications are now being accepted for this rare opportunity to test the Dragon Age toolset and help BioWare fine tune it before its release later this year.

To select beta testers, BioWare is seeking a wide range of computer systems, testing experience and technical expertise. It doesn’t matter if a gamer has never used a toolset before – BioWare is looking for testers with different levels of experience, as well as fans who are simply curious about building their own adventures for the first time.

Fans can register with the BioWare Community and apply for the Dragon Age Toolset Beta test online.

Background

The Dragon Age toolset follows the Neverwinter Nights Aurora Toolset that created one of the biggest and most successful communities in the gaming world with an enormous amount of stunning fan-created work. This next generation toolset takes user-created content to the next level by featuring more depth, more functionality and more ways to make the adventure you want to make.

BioWare has big plans for game, website and toolset integration to bring the talented Builders in the community together to plan, organize and team-up to create new worlds.

Vancouver – Ion Branding + Design, a Vancouver-based multidisciplinary graphic design studio, today announced the launch of their third annual One Good Idea™ contest. Doing good for the world is any organization’s badge of honour. Through their third annual One Good Idea™ contest, Ion Branding + Design is looking for a project that positively contributes to the well-being of our world. An organization’s project could be environmentally, socially or economically focused. The submission with the most merit will receive $25,000 worth of Ion’s creative services.

At its core, sustainability is an expression of the desire to find balance and harmony among the competing social, economic and environmental drivers of culture. It’s about trying to fashion a better society. While most would agree that we all want to make a difference, we would probably also agree that we feel overwhelmed about how to make it real. Our One Good Idea™ contest endeavors to remind people that even small steps can contribute to massive change. One Good Idea™ is all it takes.
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Montreal – I received a mysterious digital transmission today. It contained very little intel, but all the same, its message is very intriguing. It’s the first teaser trailer for Ubisoft Montreal’s upcoming Assassin’s Creed 2, the sequel to, naturally, Assassin’s Creed. I am seriously looking forward to the continuation of this franchise, and will have to revisit the original to prepare for Part Two – I believe there may even be one or two achievements I have not yet achieved, and that simply cannot be permitted. Needless to say, I am awaiting a firm release date and of course more information. I am very curious as to how far the storyline will venture, and what, if any, new elements will be introduced to the gameplay.

Toronto – The Adventure Company and JoWooD Productions, leading publishers of adventure games worldwide, are pleased to announce The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft is under development for Wii™ set to be released September 2009.

The Adventure Company and JoWooD have a partnership with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing to develop a series of interactive games based on the works of the popular boy detectives.  The company released The Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft for Windows® in 2008.

The Hardy Boys for Wii is an excellent choice in games suitable for the whole family.  It incorporates an enjoyable story, likable characters and challenging puzzles,” said Dan Dawang, Product Manager at The Adventure Company.  “It’s a non-violent video game option that players of all ages and fans of The Hardy Boys book series can become a part of with the immersive gameplay style of Wii.”

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Vancouver – IUGO has announced the upcoming release of two new titles which have been originally designed “from the ground up” specifically for the iPhone. Due out this spring, these two games will be available in the Apps Store for purchase and download.

Starhogs

Rig up your hogs, strap yourself in, and head out into orbit for the fiercest battles this side of Uranus. Obliterate the competition with a Cruise Missile or close in for some potshots from your Vulcan gun with this turn-based strategy experience. Not your style? Don’t worry, you’ve got more than 20 ways to kill someone. Nuke some asteroids for an extra payday, but remember, they’re the only thing protecting you from a re-entry hangover you won’t wake up from.

Take out some chumps and unlock heaps of new gear in 32 campaign levels, or ride into the online arena to face curly tails from all over the universe. But remember, in space no one can hear you squeal. Starhogs is due for release in April 2009.

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Toronto – DreamCatcher Games and JoWooD Productions, leading publishers of interactive entertainment software worldwide, are pleased to announce that Yoga for Wii™ is under development and set to be released October 2009.  Fans of yoga and those interested in improving their overall fitness and well-being will be able to practice Yoga from the comfort of their own home.

Utilizing the Wii Balance Board™ and following step-by-step instructions from a variety of in game Yoga Gurus, players will be guided through a variety of popular Yoga exercises. Players will be able to monitor their progress with a dynamic tracking system and set up a schedule to follow.  The yoga guru, acting as your own personal trainer, will make suggestions to you based on your progress and computations taken from the Balance Board.  The Wii Remote™ and Balance Board will be used for many poses to determine the player’s balance and any movements or shifts in weight by the player will be detected and recorded once the pose is complete.

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Montreal – Interactive entertainment company Ludia Inc., and CBS Consumer Products announced today that Ludia will create video games based on the seven-time Emmy® award-winning “The Amazing Race” television series. The North America-wide deal will see the reality TV sensation launch games across multiple platforms in tandem with the show’s 14th season.

“The heart-pounding adventure, around-the-world competition and postcard worthy settings of ‘The Amazing Race’ are perfectly suited for video game adaptation,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia. “We are thrilled to add such a high-energy, suspenseful franchise to our slate, and we will infuse those key elements into a highly social, team-based multiplayer game that unites duos in cooperative game play to compete against rivals.”
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Developer – Big Fish Games
Publisher – Big Fish Games
Released – November 26 2008
Rating: E – T
Game Score: 10/10
Official Website

In this sequel to Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst, players again take on the role of a Master Detective trying to unravel the evil mysteries which inhabit the old Ravenhearst Manor. Picking up where Ravenhearst left off, the story revolves around the fate of yet more ghosts who are still trapped in the eerie mansion.

The tone for Return to Ravenhearst is set right from the opening frames of the game. A moody and haunting soundtrack, complete with timely sound effects lets the gamer know that this chapter in the franchise is not going to be a pleasant jaunt through the park. The game’s environmental artists have developed an atmosphere that exudes creepiness – everything from the artfully created lighting to triggered animations immerses the player into the mood of the story.

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