Let’s take a quick personality test. Are you the type of person who likes to solve problems by analyzing clues, collecting information and methodically reaching your goal? Or are you more the type to thrust a double-footed kick into someone’s face and follow it with a few body blows? Your answers to those questions should help you decide which popular game to choose this week.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii™ Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

ADVENTURES OF LOLO 2 (NES®, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 500 Wii Points): Lolo and Lala are back in this sequel to the popular puzzle game THE ADVENTURES OF LOLO. On their return from the Haunted Castle, the Great Devil kidnaps Lala and challenges Lolo to rescue her again. Now he must take on the challenge of the Great Devil’s Tower and Castle mazes. Fortunately, Lala was able to analyze each of the mazes as she was taken to the tower and left clues in the Jewel Boxes in each room. Each Jewel that Lolo collects contains information that will help him in the next room. In order to succeed, he’ll also have to push tiles, pick up Heart Framers, temporarily turn enemies into Eggs with his Magic Shots and ward off enemy attacks by moving Emerald Framers. With your help, Lolo and Lala will work together to escape the Great Devil’s clutches and defeat him.

SUPER STREET FIGHTER™ II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS (Super NES®, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen - Violence, 800 Wii Points): When SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: THE NEW CHALLENGERS debuted, the fighting-game genre was forever changed. Along with a revolutionary combo system, the game introduced a new set of challengers to fight alongside the original Street Fighter II cast. In addition to the classic characters of Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Blanka, E. Honda, Zangief, Dhalsim, Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M. Bison, take control of four brand-new characters in exciting head-to-head fighting game play. Choose T. Hawk and his unmatched strength to crush your opponents, use Deejay’s unrivaled kickboxing ability to defeat your opponents, unleash your inner dragon with the furious kung fu of Fei Long and drill your rivals with the deadly beauty of Cammy. Get ready for the Street Fighter tournament and the fight of your life.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com

 Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) today announced that the Guitar Hero^® franchise has set an industry record, surpassing $1 billion in North American retail sales in just 26 months, according to The NPD Group.

Additionally, Guitar Hero^® III: Legends of Rock^TM was the #1 title in units and dollars for calendar year 2007, making it the #1 best-selling video game of all time in a single calendar year.

Since its initial release in fall 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has sold in excess of 14 million units in North America alone, according to The NPD Group. In 10 weeks since the game’s launch, consumers have already downloaded more than five million songs.

“Guitar Hero is one of the biggest brands and one of the most powerful distribution platforms in all of entertainment today,” said Michael Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer, Activision Publishing, Inc. “Guitar Hero’s popularity with broad audiences is a confirmation that video games have become a true mass medium.”

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.

SEGA Bass Fishing is back and better than ever, returning with all-new intuitive controls which utilise both the Wii Remote™ and Nunchuk™.  This time round when players hook a big one, they can use the motion sensor as they wrestle to reel it in.  With over 20 different types of lures to choose from, budding anglers can cast off using the Wii Remote to try and land one of four different types of freshwater bass.  SEGA Bass Fishing also offers players the freedom to select time-of-day and season during play which impacts the activity of the fish, their appetite, and their depth.  Featuring 15 beautifully designed lake environments, SEGA Bass Fishing also has four fun-filled game modes including Arcade, Tournament, Practice and Nature Trip.

“The original SEGA Bass Fishing was fresh, innovative and forward thinking because of the unique SEGA controller that helped convey a realistic sense of fishing,” said Gary Knight, European Marketing Director, SEGA Europe.  “With the Nintendo Wii and its amazing motion sensing Wii Remote and Nunchuck, we’ve been able to realistically recreate that fun experience to great effect in the new SEGA Bass Fishing”.

NiK NaK, the new Guildford-based studio from Kuju Entertainment that specialises in the creation of games for young players, today announced that its first titles to be developed for Wii™ will be Dragonology™ and Wizardology™ for publisher Codemasters®.

The action games are based on the ‘Ology series of books from Templar Publishing, which have sold over 15 million copies worldwide. Dragonology explores the study and conservation of dragons, while Wizardology is a manual of spells and magical information, purported to be written by the legendary magician Merlin. The NiK NaK games will tap into children’s insatiable appetite for all things magical and mythical.

Studio Head Kevin Holloway commented:
“We are delighted to be working with Codemasters on the Dragonology and Wizardology games for Wii. The readers of the Templar books are exactly the target audience that NiK NaK’s games set out to entertain. In developing the games, we have designed ways that will make the Wii Remote an intuitive control device for the younger player, whilst allowing more experienced players the challenge of perfecting their performance.”
 
Andrew Wensley, Executive Producer, Family Entertainment and Lifestyle Games, Codemasters, commented:
“NiK NaK shares our passion for extending the ‘Ology series to gamers and creating a playing experience that reflects the immersive nature of the books. With such inspirational subject matter as a base, we’re thoroughly excited to be bringing the magical worlds of the ‘Ologies to life.”

Dragonology will be the first title in the series and is expected to launch in the second half of 2008.

London (22nd January 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that the official website for the eagerly awaited FINAL FANTASY® XII: REVENANT WINGS™ is now open. Visitors can explore the site to learn more about the ongoing adventures of Vaan, Penelo, Balthier and Fran, access exclusive downloads and win special prizes. The site is located at ff12revenantwings.co.uk

Set one year after the events of the best-selling FINAL FANTASY XII, FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS answers all your questions about what happens next to your favourite heroes. Return to the land of Ivalice, meet new characters, visit unexplored locations and embark upon a breathtaking new adventure.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS sees the evolution of the innovative Gambit system that allows automated commands to be issued during real-time combat. Smart Touch Screen controls provide complete power over your actions and allow you to play solely using the Nintendo DS™ stylus.

FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS will be released on 15th February 2008, exclusively on the Nintendo DS handheld system.

About FINAL FANTASY XII: REVENANT WINGS

Story

AN AGE WHEN MAGICK WAS COMMONPLACE AND AIRSHIPS PLIED THE SKIES…

“Purvama, the floating lands. In the border-skies they wait. Untrodden, unknown.”

So the legend went. And the children who heard it turned their eyes to the skies, and dreamed. The Cache of Glabados is the key, throwing wide the doors of fading memory.
There, above, an all but forgotten land – demesne of the winged ones.

Features

• Experience a tale that takes you beyond the amazing events of the PlayStation®2 smash FINAL FANTASY XII
• Stunning 3D graphics, music and video bring the land of Ivalice to life and push the capabilities of the Nintendo DS
• Take control of your favourite characters using the intuitive stylus and Nintendo DS Touch Screen
• Experience real-time battles using the innovative Gambit system
• Collect and synthesise items and treasures to create new rare items
• More summons than in any other FINAL FANTASY game
• Epic soundtrack from the composer of FINAL FANTASY XII
• Fully localised for Europe with French, Italian, German and Spanish translations and adjusted difficulty levels

Ignition Entertainment, a worldwide developer and publisher of interactive software, announced today an agreement with Yuke’s Co. Ltd., to bring the popular puzzle game, NEVES for the Nintendo DS™ to Europe in early 2008. The deal marks the first time that Ignition Entertainment, and Yuke’s, best known for its popular D1 Grand Prix, have worked together.

“The feedback we have already received pertaining to NEVES has been fantastic and we are

pleased to be working with Yuke’s. NEVES is one of those puzzle games that once you start to play it is difficult to put down,” said Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment’s US Operations. “So few new games within the genre hit the mark, but NEVES is the perfect choice for any puzzle fan and will capture the imagination and quickly become a favourite.”

Yukinori Taniguchi, President & CEO, Yuke’s Co., Ltd “We are delighted to be working with Ignition Entertainment, who has a great deal of experience and success with the puzzle game category. Yuke’s and Ignition Entertainment believe we have an exceptional game in NEVES and looking forward to presenting the gaming community with this very special title!

NEVES for the Nintendo DS is based upon the Tangram puzzle which is said to have originated as far back as the Song Dynasty (960-1279AD). NEVES offers originality, challenge and fun and like many great games its simplistic approach offers a contest that ‘puzzlers’ and casual gamers alike will find hard to put down once they have picked it up.

In NEVES the player is presented with 7 shapes that must be fit together to form a pre-determined shape. All 7 pieces, also know as ‘Tans’, must be used, without any overlap. These shapes can range from simple items, like an athlete, to the more challenging. Understanding what the task presented is may be easy; mastering it is a challenge.

Making full use of the Nintendo DS™ touch screen, NEVES’ control method is easy to pick up and simple to use, as the shapes can be flipped, rotated and placed into the correct position with a simple movement of the stylus.

Over 500 devious and highly creative puzzles are presented; some of which could take minutes to complete, whilst tackling others will depend on the players approach, dexterity and skill. As each puzzle concludes players will be eager for the next challenge!

Distributed by Atari in UK, and the Nordic countries, NEVES for the Nintendo DS™ is scheduled for release in Q1 ‘08.

Microsoft Announces First Ever Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards Plus Limited Time Free Download of “Undertow”

LONDON 22nd January, 2007 - As a way to recognise the teams of talented developers who have together created over 112 games for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360™, Microsoft will announce awards for the top XBLA games of 2007 later this year, with several categories decided by the community. Fans of Xbox LIVE Arcade are invited to cast their votes for the first ever Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards by voting at http://www.xbox.com/xblaawards. Voting begins Tuesday, 22nd January at 10:00 a.m. and runs until Wednesday, 30th January at 07:59 a.m.

The finalists in each category were selected by a panel of consumer and video game industry journalists and the winners will be determined by popular vote. Microsoft will announce the winners at the Game Developer Conference in February.

Below is the list of award categories that will be open for public voting:
· Best Overall Arcade Game
· Best Classic Game
· Best Original Game
· Best Family Friendly Game
· Best Competitive Multiplayer Game
· Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game

Other award categories include the following:
· Best selling game
· Most played game
· Highest rated game
· Staff choice

“Undertow” Free of Charge Download on XBLA this Week

This Xbox LIVE Arcade Wednesday, Xbox LIVE members around the world will be able to download the award-winning “Undertow” free of charge for a limited time. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, 23rd January and continuing until 07:59 a.m. on Monday, 28th January, “Undertow” will be available free of charge on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Developed by Chair Entertainment Group, Undertow redefines aquatic based shooters through a mix of high-definition graphics, intuitive controls and multiple modes of game play action. The game features a full story driven-single player campaign, on and offline co-op, and multiplayer for 2-16 players over Xbox LIVE for Gold subscribers. Players battle for control of the oceans as one of three selectable races, each with four unique, upgradeable units.

In support of the giveaway, Chair Entertainment Group is offering gamers the opportunity to play alongside the Undertow development team on Friday, 25th January at 03:00 a.m. The team will host player matches, provide game play tips and the opportunity for gamers to pick-up Undertow achievements.

Where can I get “Undertow” from?

Undertow: available for free from 10:00 a.m., Wednesday 23rd January 2008 until 07:59 a.m. on Monday, 28th January

It is rated 12+

Finally, don’t forget to check out this week’s new downloadable content for “Mutant Storm Empire.” For more details, please visit www.xbox.com/livearcade.