In THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2&3 RETURN, players will be able to play both versions of the game, battling the relentless attack of bloodthirsty zombies with steady aim and a quick trigger finger. Utilising the innovative new Wii Zapper™ or the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, players will experience branching storylines with over six game modes including Arcade Mode and Time Attack modes that will test their shooting skills.

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2&3 RETURN features an engaging single-player campaign, plus a co-op multiplayer mode for up to two players for countless hours of zombie shooting action.

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“THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD franchise has been revamped for today’s gamer looking for fast-paced shooting action on the Wii” commented Gary Knight, Marketing Director of SEGA Europe. “Utilising the new Wii Zapper, the player can get the renowned light gun experience in their own home.”

THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD is famous for its heart-pounding pace and the great visual detail of the vast armies of unique enemies. Blasting through legions of grotesque zombies and mutated monsters, players eventually face-off against colossal boss creatures that will test the accuracy and skill of every Wii gamer.

Liberate the souls of THE RISING DEAD as the hunt for dracula is on

Ascaron Entertainment, Focus Home Interactive and Frogwares are pleased to announce the launch of the official website for Dracula: Origin.

The new website can be found at http://www.dracula-origin.com/.  Five new images of the terrifying adventure game from Frogwares studio, the team that developed the famous Sherlock Holmes series for PC are also now available for download.

Having successfully tackled the myth of Cthulhu in the award-winning Sherlock Holmes - The Awakened, Frogwares is venturing into the disturbing and fantastic world of the Prince of Darkness, in an adventure which combines romance, mystery and horror.
Young, charming and devout, Dracula was once an ardent defender of Christianity, but lost his faith in God when abandoned by his one true love. Dracula makes a pact with the Prince of Darkness, becoming a vampire with an insatiable thirst for blood and vengeance, doomed to eternal damnation.Dracula: Origin

In the game, you play the role of Professor Van Helsing, the celebrated vampire hunter, on the hunt for Dracula, who himself is on a quest for a mysterious manuscript that will give him the power to raise the dead. Your goal is to prevent Dracula from finding and using this manuscript, and killing him in order to liberate the souls of all those who have had the misfortune to cross his path.

Using conventional Point & Click gameplay, Dracula: Origin is a superb adventure supported by impeccable graphics and a rich storyline taking you to London, Egypt, Austria and, of course, to Transylvania; the famous home of the great vampire.

The world, inspired by the celebrated author Bram Stoker, is reproduced through 2D environments and animated 3D characters. All of the elements essential to the Dracula story, including horror, love, blood, crucifixes, stakes and garlic, are included in a disturbing and absorbing Gothic atmosphere.

The official Web site of Dracula: Originhttp://www.dracula-origin.com/

CREATE AND MANAGE SPECTACULAR CITIES WITH REAL SATELLITE MAPS AND FAMOUS LANDMARKS

City Life 2008 Edition, to be released in February 2008 by Ascaron, is the latest version of the popular City Life series. The game puts players in the role of an urban planner and real estate developer, designing, building and maintaining every aspect of their creation. The latest version contains an additional 23 maps as well as the possibility to import satellite maps. There are also 60 new buildings including London landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Royal Opera House.

A successful city is built on a thriving economy with happy and well-rounded citizens. To achieve this, all six sociocultural groups must be attracted to the city, from the wealthy ‘Elite’ to the impoverished ‘Have-Nots’. Each has a part to play, from the work they provide to the products they consume. Be careful not to place opposing groups in similar residential areas – the progressive ideals of the ‘Radical Chic’ will strongly clash with the traditional values of the ‘Blue Collars’.

All citizens need to be provided with essential local services to remain loyal and stay in the city. Build enough schools for everyone to get an education and make sure no one is without healthcare services. Provide industries where people can work and recreational areas for leisure time and hobbies. The ‘Radical Chic’ want access to modern art galleries, whilst the ‘Elite’ prefer to attend the Opera.

Watch cities grow and develop as citizens accumulate wealth. Affluent residential areas will contain magnificent villas and large Neo-Gothic structures. The ‘Suits’ enjoy a fairly high income and build modern angular homes, whilst the ‘Fringe’ are proud of their graffiti and mural-clad dwellings. A growing city will also play host to the television media, intent on reporting any divides and clashes on the streets.

The game has a high level of detail and animation with total freedom of construction. Moving away from the traditional right-angled grid, City Life 2008 Edition allows for much more complex installations. Watch each city in beautiful detail with highly realistic settings including reflection mapping and dynamic shadowing. Zoom in to ground level and walk the streets of the city to get a better look at the action.

Fast facts:
Publisher: Ascaron Entertainment
Web: www.Ascaron.com
Developer: Monte Cristo
Release date: 15th February 2008
RRP: £19.99
PEGI: 7+
Format: PC
Genre: Simulation

Throw, Grab, and Blast Your Way Through the Ultimate Wii Game

Chertsey, UK, February 6, 2008 – EA has announced that BOOM BLOX™, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer Steven Spielberg, is set for a May 2008 release for Nintendo Wii™. This high-energy game features more than 300 levels, a cast of more than thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity.

“I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids,” said Steven Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together.”

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii’s interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted. Additionally, players can remix any level of the game in Create Mode using props, blocks, or characters that have been unlocked during the game. Players can also virtually build anything they can dream up. Plus, their designs can then be shared with friends or used to challenge others to solve their newly created puzzle via WiiConnect24™.

“We developed BOOM BLOX with endless combinations of gameplay in mind,” explains Louis Castle, executive producer. “With over three hundred levels, built upon a full real-time physics model, your experience can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be - there really is something for everyone to enjoy.”

“My inspiration for this game came while I was playing the Wii for the first time,” added Spielberg. “From the initial concept to what the game is today, it’s always been built around the innovations the Wii brings to playing games. BOOM BLOX plays on the enjoyment of building and knocking down blocks, something that can appeal innately to kids and adults of all ages.”

Developed at EA Los Angeles, BOOM BLOX has not yet been rated by the ESRB and PEGI. For more information or to download artwork, visit http://www.BOOMBLOX.ea.com.

Help Your Sim Survive and Thrive on a Tropical Island in this Casual Laptop Game
REDWOOD CITY, CA. – February 6, 2008 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today that The Sims™ Castaway Stories for the PC is on store shelves across Europe. Featuring engaging characters and accessible storylines, The Sims Castaway Stories is sure to entertain both new and experienced players of The Sims. For the first time ever on the PC, your Sim can leave the urban jungle for an uncharted island filled with sandy beaches, green lagoons, explosive volcanic mountains and more!

The Sims Castaway Stories is the third game from The Sims Stories, a series of pick-up and play laptop games from EA’s The Sims franchise. The Sims Stories allows fans to get creative and stay connected by keeping in touch with friends by using IM and email – even while playing the game in its own window. Following the theme of the wildly-entertaining The Sims 2 Castaway, which became available on consoles and handhelds last year, The Sims Castaway Stories features an easy-to-play, directed Story Mode that allows fans to help their Sim survive and thrive on a tropical island.

As The Sims Castaway Stories begins, players will meet Jessica, a Sim who washes ashore with only a steamer trunk and a hatchet to her name. With nothing more than orangutans, lagoons and fish in sight, Jessica embarks on her tropical journey and must choose to either survive or escape. While on the island, Jessica will meet natives and castaways in hopes of creating a flourishing community. To do this she must accomplish various tasks – from spear fishing and scavenger hunting to fire starting and more!

“We’re very excited to bring the rich, beautifully tropical environments to players with The Sims Castaway Stories. Whether you’re roaming around the lush green jungles in search of the perfect coconut, or taking an ocean dip in search of your next meal, The Sims Castaway Stories is the perfect way to experience island life on your laptop,” said Rod Humble, Head of The Sims Studio. “Available for the first time on the PC, The Sims Castaway Stories also comes with the traditional open-ended The Sims gameplay, so you can continue following the life your Sim has created!”

The Sims Stories line of products – all of which carry a 12+ PEGI rating – are standalone entertainment experiences that do not require companion games from The Sims library – just load onto your laptop or desktop and play. The Sims Castaway Stories washes ashore

Konami unveils the future of the football genre as PES 2008 heads to Nintendo Wii in its most innovative form to date

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has outlined its innovative user interface for the forthcoming Wii™ version of PES 2008.

Due for release March 28th, PES 2008 has been redesigned to make incredible use of the motion-sensitive nature of the Wii’s control system. The player has more control over the on-screen action than ever before, and in line with such advances, Konami has also unveiled an all-new pack design that conveys the unique in-game visuals and ease of use while maximising its use of cover stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen.

Crucial to PES 2008 for Wii is an all-new control system that truly elevates the level of control available to the player while retaining the depth and intuitive moves of the series. Making use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, the player must also consider the movements of their teammates around them. The Nunchuck is used to move the current player, while the Wii Remote is used to pick out players to send them on runs or to receive passes via simple click and drag system which uses arrows to show the path of the run, and a press of the ‘B’ button to complete the move.

The level of control offered by the bespoke Wii system elevates PES 2008 far beyond any other football game. Dribbling is effected by clicking on the player and using an arrow and the ‘A’ button to guide the ball. The speed of the run can then be altered by extending or reducing the length of the guiding arrow, allowing stunning quick turns and bursts of speed to catch defenders off-guard.

Shooting also benefits from more control over the players, with the Nunchuck used to shoot or head simply by shaking it. As with the real sport, however, timing is everything in front of goal, and the speed of the pass or cross, the ability of the player, the angle of trajectory and the timing of the shot or header will all have differing effects on the resultant shot.

To ease the player into the stunning level of control PES 2008 offers, the Wii game features a wide-ranging Tutorial mode wherein a series of instructional videos and tests detail how the Wii Remote and Nunchuck can be used to man-mark players, pass into space, clear dangerous crosses and perform slide tackles. Every aspect of the modern game is brought to vivid life, and the advances in control ensure that PES 2008 is a game that develops and surprises as the user’s skill grows.

PES 2008 challenges the player further across six game modes, including Match, League and Cup games, the aforementioned Training system and a Player Trade option. By the far the greatest challenge, however, awaits in the all-new ‘Champions Road’ competition.

Champions Road is a global, rewards-based challenge, where players are invited to guide and develop the team of their choice through a series of league games all over the world. By systematically winning each competition, the user is given Experience points which can be used to bolster the attributes of their team. Likewise, as team after team is defeated, the player can cherry-pick the best players of the teams they have beaten to their starting XI. In turn, extra skills can also be unlocked, allowing users to piece together a ‘Dream Team’ that constantly grows and evolves as they become more successful. Additional mini-tasks are also randomly set during the course of a Champions Road match, too, such as scoring a hat-trick or stringing together a succession of passes, and doing so allows the player to add higher-rated players to their team.

PES 2008 is also the first Konami Wii title to make use of Nintendo’s highly personal Mii characters. Used as in-game avatars by the Wii user, players can integrate up to 16 pre-defined Miis into a team, while the resultant teams can be stored on to the Wii Remote and switched between two linked Remotes. PES 2008 also enjoys a strong online element, allowing users to play ‘Free Matches’ against unknown opponents, or ‘Friend Matches’ against people on the Wii’s Friends list, while team data can also be sent to friends via the console’s WiiConnect24 system.

Platform: Nintendo DS
Release Date: March 4, 2008
Publisher: Conspiracy Entertainment
Developer: Otaboo
Product URL: http://www.conspiracygames.com/
products/ds_best_of_the_tests.html
MSRP: $19.99 USD
ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Logic, observation, memory, speed of perception and analysis: these are the qualities that define the famous Intelligence Quotient Test and these same skills will be challenged in Best
of Tests for the Nintendo DS™. Not only will the game challenge the skills of the player, it also aims to help the player improve them.

By taking advantage of the unique features of the DS to challenge players, Best of Tests DS will calculate the player’s IQ and adapt itself to offer a personalized challenge that is always fresh and fun.

Key features of Best of Tests include:

• An excellent way to maintain and improve your intelligence, while having fun

• All the classic challenges of IQ tests come to the Nintendo DS

• Several hundred different questions to challenge the player in a variety of skills and areas

• Varied rules, incrementally challenging gameplay and adaptive challenges mean plenty of replay value

• A humorous and enjoyable presentation of challenges and results

Merscom’s second top-10 title in less than 4 weeks

CHAPEL HILL, NC ~ February 5, 2008 ~ Merscom announced today it is the online publisher of Ghost in the Sheet, the popular adventure game developed by CBE and published at retail by Tri-Synergy. Released over the weekend on a major casual game portal, Ghost in the Sheet has already risen to number 7; this follows on Merscom~s success with Blood Ties, which reached number one on multiple portals and remains in the top-5 on many major casual game sites.

Ghost in the Sheet is a comedy adventure game of supernatural proportions. Players become a ghost and master their new paranormal skills to unravel the secrets of their life-after-death adventure. Mystery, intrigue, comedy and adventure await, with humorous and entertaining minigames integrated into the gameplay.

Unique features include:
~ High-resolution graphics with detailed animations to immerse players
~ A RPG-like skill learning system: as players progress through the game, they learn new paranormal skills that are vital for future adventures
~ Skills range from the conventional paranormal Telekinesis to obscure skills like Scary Sound
~ Nonlinear gameplay that allows players to freely roam the factor while solving a variety of puzzles in any order
~ Music and sound design are seamlessly integrated into the game
~ No dying, mazes, slider puzzles, or timed sequences that can needlessly frustrate
~ NPCs who reveal hints and provide intriguing back-story
~ Comic style cutscenes to supplement the plot

Ghost in the Sheet can currently be downloaded at http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/2732/ghost-in-the-sheet/index.html

~Building on the momentum of Blood Ties, Ghost in the Sheet is another example of giving the casual game market what it is craving,~ explained Lloyd Melnick, Chief Customer Officer at Merscom, ~we have spoken very intimately with the major casual game portals and they have told us clearly these are the top of games our customers crave. Casual gamers are looking beyond Match-3 puzzle games and Ghost in the Sheet is a fantastic adventure game that gives casual players the depth of gameplay long expected by traditional gamers.~

SAN MATEO, Calif. — February 5, 2008 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that the highly anticipated Devil May Cry® 4 for Sony Computer Entertainment’s PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft has begun shipping to retail. Devil May Cry 4 is rated M for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and is available as both standard edition ($59.99 MSRP) and a special Collector’s Edition package ($79.99 MSRP).

From the producer of the original Devil May Cry® and Resident Evil® 4 comes the next installment in the hugely successful stylized action series that has so far achieved global sales of nearly seven million units. Devil May Cry 4 immerses gamers in a gothic supernatural world, where a new protagonist, Nero, clashes with Dante, the featured character in the previous Devil May Cry games. As Nero, players will unleash incredible attacks and non-stop combos using a unique new gameplay mechanic, his powerful “Devil Bringer” arm. Fans of Dante won’t be disappointed as he too will be playable during the course of the game.

With the advanced graphical capabilities of the next-gen systems, high definition visuals and intricate detail come to life as players explore new and exotic locales. Dynamic action and undeniable style combine with unprecedented fighting options and a gripping story to produce the incomparable experience that only a Devil May Cry game can deliver.

A special 2 hour Devil May Cry: The Animated Series anime disc will be packed into the Collector’s Edition of the game, included in the metal Steelbook case, and will include the first four episodes of the 12 episode anime series. Inside the case will be a second bonus DVD alongside the game that users can slip into their computers, Xbox 360 or PLAYSTATION 3. The bonus DVD will contain a “making of” feature on the game, music from the Devil May Cry 4 soundtrack, a digital art book with images and sketches from the development team, wallpapers, icons and screen savers.

Devil May Cry 4 includes the following features:
• From the producer of the original Devil May Cry® and Resident Evil® 4
• 2 playable characters – take control of both Nero & Dante
• High-definition 720p visuals moving at 60 frames per second
• Blend of familiar and new: newcomer Nero clashes with veteran Dante plus appearances from Trish, Lady and others from the DMC series
• Exceed System allows Nero to easily charge up his sword with a throttle effect, revving up to three levels with powerful and varied attack options
• Deep combo system rewards stylish dispatching of enemies
• Unique “Devil Bringer” arm opens up a range of never seen before combo options
• Distinct set of weaponry and moves for Nero and Dante
• New active style change system for Dante allows him to switch styles and weapons on the fly, producing crazy combo possibilities
• Numerous new characters and environments
• Signature blend of guns and swordplay

Devil May Cry 4 Collector’s Edition contains the following extras:
• Volume 1 of ADV Film’s Devil May Cry: The Animated Series on DVD, including four complete episodes of the anime (a retail value of $29.99)
• Unique Steelbook™ metal case
• Bonus DVD
o Making of Devil May Cry 4
o Music from the soundtrack
o Digital artbook
o PC content (screen savers, wallpapers, icons)

- Massive interest for Funcom’s massively multiplayer online game -

Durham, USA – February 6th, 2008 – Funcom and Eidos are excited to announce that over 500,000 gamers from all over the world have signed up to become a member of the Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures community by either signing up for the ongoing beta test or by joining the ‘Clan of Conan’ official fan club. Funcom is responding to the growing numbers by introducing websites and forums for the English, German, French and Spanish market to support the launch in all of these territories.

“The massive attention Age of Conan is generating throughout the international gaming community is simply amazing,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The game seems to be already striking a chord with gamers across the world and we are thrilled and motivated by all the positive feedback we have been getting from both the press and the community.”

Not only are the growing numbers a very strong indication on Age of Conan’s popularity pre-launch, the entire development process is also reaping the rewards from the constantly increasing numbers of gamers signing up to join the beta test. This allows Funcom to thoroughly test numerous aspects of the game, contributing to a smoother launch and a more enjoyable gaming experience from day one.

Age of Conan is consistently mentioned as one of the most anticipated PC games in development. It has received more than twenty covers on high-profile gaming magazines across the globe and more than fifteen major awards, including numerous “Best MMO of E3″ awards and the official “Best Online Game” award at the Games Convention 2007. Age of Conan is a key title in Microsoft’s Games for Windows line-up, and a showcase title for nVidia. The game is set to launch in several territories on May 20th, 2008.

For more information on Age of Conan – either in English, German, French or Spanish – visit the official website at www.ageofconan.com where you also can access the respective community websites