Provides Likeness and Voice Acting for Lead Character in Highly Anticipated Video Game

SAN FRANCISCO-Today Ubisoft announces that Hollywood actress Kristen Bell will appear in Ubisoft’s highly anticipated video game, Assassin’s Creed™. Kristen Bell will play a key character in Assassin’s Creed, whose mysterious role is an important part of the game’s intricate storyline.

“It was crucial to find an actress who could convey the emotional range and talent needed to play this key character in the Assassin’s universe,” said Jade Raymond, producer for Assassin’s Creed. “Kristen Bell is a remarkable actress who was able to bring her character to life in a dynamic way that I don’t think anyone else could have done properly. Her professionalism and dynamic personality were a perfect fit for this project.”

“I was a big video gamer growing up, so working on Assassin’s Creed is my chance to be a part of video game history,” said Kristen Bell. “It’s something completely different than what I’ve done before, so it’s cool I get to branch out and try another entertainment medium. I was attracted to this project because of the intelligent storyline and the character I play. Plus I admire the artistry of the graphics of video games. I look forward to seeing what my character will look like and I can’t wait to play the game and see if I can beat it!”

Assassin’s Creed will be available in North America in November for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, with an MSRP of $59.99 and the Limited Edition priced at $69.99 – Assassin’s Creed is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB. For more information, please visit http://www.assassinscreed.com.

About Kristen Bell

One of the hottest and most sought-after young actresses in Hollywood, Kristen Bell rocketed to stardom as the title character on the series “Veronica Mars.” She recently joined the cast of “Heroes” to great fanfare and gives voice to the narrator on the popular new CW series, “Gossip Girl.” Kristen’s upcoming projects include the title role in the Judd Apatow-produced feature film “Forgetting Sarah Marshal,” “Fanboys” and the animated feature “Sheepish.”

Microsoft today announced Xtival ’07, a four day festival of gaming, competitions and exclusive downloads, bringing the wonders of Xbox LIVE® Gold membership, free to everyone for one weekend. The invitation for Xbox 360™ owners to tune up and log in to the amazing line up of gaming and music themed fun was today thrown open to the millions of Xbox 360 owners across Europe from Friday 23rd until Monday 26th November.

Organisers promise a celebration of the comfort of your own living room in which everyone can get the most out of Xbox LIVE. Xtival ‘O7 will give everyone the chance to play and chat with their friends online and then beat them into the ground on the latest next generation, high definition Xbox 360 titles.

In addition to the chance to log on and play your friends online for free there is also an amazing line up of events to take part in with three days of themed gaming activities and the chance to take on stars from the world of music and video games.
Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President Entertainment and Devices Division, Microsoft said “It’s great to be able to offer Xbox 360 owners across the region the chance to take part in Xtival ’07 for free, sampling all the great features of the Xbox LIVE Gold service and play against friends new and old alike from the comfort of their living room.”

For more information please visit the official Xtival ‘O7 site at www.xbox.com/xtival07 to find out the latest line up information.

While gamers can play any game they like on Xbox LIVE during the Xtival weekend, organizers have come up with three days of themed activities:

Friday 23rd November - OLD SKOOL V NEW SKOOL

As the gates open for this unique weekend, Friday is gamers’ chance to play the newest versions of games everyone’s talking about and show their mates how it’s done. Or, show the world their genius on something they really know their way around. These games will include FIFA ’08, Halo® 3, Lost Planet, Gears of War along with all the latest titles from the Xbox LIVE Arcade.

There is also the chance to take part in a ‘Developer Jam Session’ Competition taking on the brains behind Project Gotham Racing 4, the blockbuster title from Bizarre.

Saturday 24th November - HEADLINERS

On the second day, gamers will get to prove themselves as Guitar Heroes in waiting, as they are invited to take part in a unique ‘Game with Fame’ session with a top name talent. More details to be revealed later this month.

They will also get to take on the developers of the amazing music title along with playing friends old and new alike on Viva Piñata Party Animals, Naruto, Call of Duty 4 and Rainbow 6 Vegas

Sunday 25th November – SPORTS DAY

Closing out Xtival ’07, the organisers will be showcasing the best sport on the planet, inviting visitors to show off their skills on the top Xbox 360 games titles including Tiger Woods, Table Tennis, Virtua Tennis, Forza® 2 Motorsport, and Pro Evolution Soccer 2008.

Halo Art Competition

All weekend gamers will also have the chance to show their mates how good they really are and it is as easy as taking a shot at yourself using one of the unique features of Halo 3 to record the moments you’re most proud of, video or still, and then share them with your mates on Xbox LIVE.

The Xtival ’07 organisers are looking for the 10 best still shots taken on Xbox LIVE in each participating country, as judged by the local Halo Art Team. The lucky 10 will get a still print to hang on their wall to remind them of their proudest moment. To enter, gamers have to capture their best screenshot and save it to www.bungie.net during game play, with the subject line as “Xtival ‘07 Halo Art UK The team will judge the winners and get in contact with winners directly.

Mystery Gamer

All weekend there will also be Xtival ‘07 Mystery Gamers playing on Xbox LIVE, ready to award Microsoft Points to gamers they enjoy playing against. Gamers will only be eligible for selection if they are playing over this weekend. Organisers won’t be revealing when the Mystery Gamers will be playing. Visitors will have to keep checking back and playing their favourite games to be in with a chance of becoming a lucky winner.

There will be free exclusive Xtival theme packs and gamer pics available from Xbox LIVE Marketplace, for the festival weekend only, and loads of other great stuff to take part in and explore, all for free.

KIRA KIRA POP PRINCESS BRINGS MUSIC, DANCE, FASHION, RHYTHM AND MUCH MORE TO THE DS

505 Games today announced that it will publish the music and rhythm game, Kira Kira Pop Princess, across Europe exclusively on Nintendo DS in February 2008.

Kira Kira Pop Princess is a music rhythm game that immerses the player in the world of Gaby as she learns the moods, styles and rhythms of Rainbow City, the city of fashion and music. Players guide Gaby through the many districts of Rainbow City as she dances her way ever closer to her dream of becoming as popular as Anna, the Rainbow City ‘Dance Queen’.

Rainbow City is built from many different districts, each with its own style and musical influences. In each, Gaby will meet a local girl who shares her dance passion and has a distinct fashion style and musical taste and by challenging and beating these locals in dance competitions, Gaby can unlock their fashion styles for her own wardrobe and dance on to new districts.

The gameplay in Kira Kira Pop Princess couldn’t be simpler. Once Gaby hits the dance floor players turn the DS vertically and use the touch screen and stylus to touch three coloured buttons in time with the beat. There are four moves to master with the stylus, including Single Touch, Single Slide left or right, Single Slide up or down and Continuous Slide left and right. Players will need to hit these moves on the coloured buttons, in time with the music, to keep Gaby dancing and build up their ‘Rainbow’ combos to beat their dance floor opponents.

Kira Kira Pop Princess allows players to customise their character with a huge range of new tops, skirts, shoes, hairstyles and accessories, all of which can be unlocked throughout the game by winning dance competitions across Rainbow City. Players will also be able to dress Gaby in their favourite fashion styles by collecting all parts of a particular look, whether it be hip-hop, gothic, school uniform or rock, to name but a few.

“Kira Kira Pop Princess is another quality handheld release from 505 Games for 2008,” commented Ian Howe, Managing Director, 505 Games. “The game perfectly captures all the elements of music, dance and fashion that young girls love and presents them in an accessible, entertaining and family friendly format.”

Kira Kira Pop Princess, developed by Dimple, will be published for the Nintendo DS by 505 Games in February 2008.

We Will bring you more on this as it comes in!

New Character Descriptors

Uncle Iroh - Uncle Iroh, kindhearted Firebender, looks after his nephew Zuko and trains him in both fighting and compassion. The player playing him can use Iroh’s powerful lightning bending move to battle adversaries.

Prince Zuko - Prince Zuko, scorned and scorched by his father, is determined to capture the Avatar to redeem himself. However, Zuko wrestling with his beliefs has started to question his side in the war. The player can play as him to perform explosive Firebending moves.

Toph - Toph, a blind Earth-bender, joins the team at Gaoling, teaching Aang Earthbending. Toph is an exceptional fighter and Bender, and a vital asset to the group.

Appa - Appa is Aang’s flying bison and a fellow Airbender himself. Players can play as Appa to fly through dangerous obstacles and experience exciting airborne adventures.

Jet - Jet was the teenage leader of “The Freedom Fighters”, a band of Earth Kingdom children left orphaned by the Fire Nation raids. In the game, players can use his hook-swords to swing on branches, bars, and other objects to cross impassable ground.

Avatar: The Burning Earth continues the epic adventure of Aang and his courageous fight against the evil Fire Nation in order to restore balance in his war-torn world. Based on the second season of the Avatar animated series, players will join Aang and his friends as they master their skills and fight their way to defend the greatest Earth Kingdom city against a deadly Fire Nation invasion.

Features:

• Multi Player Action – Play alone or with a friend as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and for the first time Toph or Jet, as you battle enemies, solve puzzles or go on adventures to defeat the evil Fire Nation.
• Firebending – Experience the brand-new firebending moves while playing as Prince Zuko and Uncle Iroh.
• Flying Levels – Control Momo and Appa in dramatic air battles
• All-New Arena Combat – Play as a variety of characters for intense fighting action.

Soon “Blind Guardian” fans can admire their heroes as computer game characters! As part of a unique cooperation with ASCARON Entertainment, one of the leading German developers of entertainment software, the fantasy metal rockers will have a guest appearance in the long-awaited PC and Xbox 360 title SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel. To provide a fitting soundtrack for this virtual event, “Blind Guardian” will record a special song for the game, which will be released as a separate single next year. In addition, the video clip to be produced for the new song will feature sequences taken straight from SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel.

And the Sacred world of Ancaria will also tremble with the band’s rocking tunes. By solving a quest in the game, players can unlock a bonus event, in which the motion-captured Blind Guardians perform their new song “live”.

SACRED 2 - Fallen Angel is the long-awaited sequel to the internationally most successful German action RPG of all time. Game fans can look forward to an all-new epic game with many new features and expansions of the popular concept. In SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel players discover and explore a vast, highly detailed world with breathtaking graphics – for the first time in full 3D. SACRED 2 - Fallen Angel captivates players with its gripping story, which they can experience in two entirely different ways (light and shadow campaign).

For more than 20 years, “Blind Guardian” have been a force to be reckoned with in the German rock scene. Many fans consider the critically acclaimed new album “A twist in the Myth” the Krefeld-based band’s best to date.

“We are very proud of the cooperation with ‘Blind Guardian’ and look forward to providing the band with a virtual stage in our game. For many years I’ve been a big fan of the band, and I’m sure the new SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel-themed single will be a hit with fans too”, says Holger Flöttmann of ASCARON.

“To us, SACRED 2 - Fallen Angel is a dream come true, because, like all the other fantasy computer game maniacs, we had to wait a very long time for the sequel to the legendary SACRED. Thanks to its complex fantasy world and detailed characters, SACRED has become one of our absolute favorites, and we also loved both its storyboard and the tie-in novels. It’s just awesome to become part of that SACRED world now. Music, story and images will merge to a perfect whole”, adds “Blind Guardian” singer Hansi Kürsch.

Nuclear Blast’s York Eysel also enthuses about “this one of a kind cooperation between our band “Blind Guardian”, symphonic fantasy metal’s biggest band, and the extraordinary action RPG SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel. We can’t think of a better way to combine the worlds of music and computer games.”

This cooperation marks another important step towards joining two worlds, which without a doubt belong together!

More infos on the game, the band and Nuclear Blast:
www.sacred2.com
www.blind-guardian.com
www.nuclearblast.de

Product information at a glance:

Title: SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Ascaron Studio 2
Genre: Action RPG
System: PC, Xbox 360
Release: 2008