London (19th May 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories, today announces that FINAL FANTASY TACTICS® A2: Grimoire of the Rift™ will be released across PAL territories on 27th June 2008 exclusively on the Nintendo DS™ handheld system.

Lead your party to victory across the famous world of Ivalice! FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift turns your Nintendo DS into a tactical battlefield where you can take control of a clan of fighters, mages and more. Summon mighty Scions and Espers to overcome the challenges that await, fulfil your destiny and return home victorious!

With victory comes fame. Earn a reputation for your clan as you win battles and a whole new level of party customisation will open for you to enjoy. The stunning visuals, special effects, and orchestral soundtrack in FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift immerse you in the world, while the soundtrack narrates the famous adventures and triumphs of your clan.

John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix Ltd. comments, “To our fans’ delight, fun strategy gameplay and an engaging story come together in FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift. Nintendo DS users will be able to enjoy a tactical and epic adventure while exploring the world of Ivalice. This is a deep and absorbing title that I hope everyone will find time to enjoy this summer.”
 

About FINAL FANTASY TACTICS A2: Grimoire of the Rift

Story
Our tale begins as Luso, an energetic young boy, discovers a mysterious book whilst tidying the library as a punishment for his latest episode of light-hearted mischief. He opens the book and is transported to another world called Ivalice. Before he can catch his breath, he finds himself joining a clan led by a friendly, if gruff, man named Cid. With his new clan at his side, he sets out to find a way home…

Features

• Enjoy turn-based, tactical battles on isometric 2D maps set in the hugely popular FINAL FANTASY® universe
• Lead a clan of fighters, mages and more as you explore the world of Ivalice, the setting of FINAL FANTASY XII
• Battle enemies with steel, magick and summoned monsters
• Amazing graphics with special effects that push the limits of the Nintendo DS
• Immersive soundtrack from the composer of FINAL FANTASY XII
• Endless variety and customization with over 50 available jobs – more than any other FINAL FANTASY game
• More than 300 quests provide hours upon hours of gameplay
• Enhanced Law System that rewards players for upholding the law with bonuses during and after battle
• Compete with rival clans to claim territory in the unique Auction mini-game
• Includes touch screen functionality, a feature not included in the original Japanese version
 

New Work in Progress Trailer now available

Euro Truck Simulator is a European first - a truck simulation game in a European setting, with European long haul trucks! Drive cargoes from Rome to Berlin to Madrid to Prague, and many more cities, in highly realistic vehicles. Euro Truck Simulator is a true to life reproduction of driving on the European roads, with the network being based on authentic roads, and cities.

As the game is set in Europe, European truck designs feature exclusively – all trucks use highly realistic, meticulously detailed models based on real trucks. The truck interiors of Euro Truck Simulator are equally as impressive as the exteriors. With actual working instruments such as flashing indicators, temperature and low fuel warning lights, wipers, and naturally a full set of gauges including speedometer all built into the interior 3D model.

Euro Truck Simulator offers a truly immersive simulation environment. The player can pan around the cabin, just as if they were actually sitting at the wheel.

Format: PC CD Rom
Publisher: Excalibur Publishing Ltd
SRP: £29.99
Expected release date: August 2008.

New trailer available:
Click Here for the Trailer (opens in Windows media player)

- Historical pre-order and ship-in numbers for 2008’s most anticipated MMO - - Early access offer oversubscribed – First review of game gives a 9 out of 10 -

^{Funcom press contacts:}

Jørgen Tharaldsen,
Product Director, Funcom
+47 41 33 41 47 (Global press)

Erling Ellingsen,
Product Manager, Funcom
+47 48 86 71 07 (European press)

Durham, USA – May 19, 2008 – Funcom is proud to announce that the Collector’s Edition of Age of Conan is now completely sold out in all markets. The exclusive edition was announced in January, and has since topped retail charts at numerous retailers. In some markets, the Collector’s Edition has been sold out for weeks, and as a result additional boxes were made. These are also sold out, and the total print run stands at 111.000 units. Lucky customers may still find some copies on retail shelves, but no re-orders are available.

Additional retail figures for the standard edition of Age of Conan are also highly impressive. In total, Funcom is shipping around 700.000 copies of Age of Conan on day one. This impressive figure for a PC game is powered by equally impressive pre-order numbers. As a result of the tremendous interest and recent order increase, Funcom has not been able to fulfill all orders of Age of Conan in several markets due to current server capacity limitations. Extra orders of servers are now in place to facilitate for handling of more customers.

“Everyone in Funcom is delighted and humbled with the historical pre-order numbers for Age of Conan. If the information we have is correct, they represent the highest pre-order number for any global launch of an original PC game, ever, including the original World of Warcraft launch,” said Morten Larssen, Funcom’s VP of Sales & Marketing.

More than one million unique visitors visited the Age of Conan websites last week, and as a result of the great interest in the game, Funcom’s early access offer was swiftly oversubscribed. The three day early access program was a limited offer reserved for pre-order customers. While Funcom scaled the servers above anticipation, player demand surpassed expectations. As the Early Access servers launched last night, the servers and game held up exceptionally well. As the game launches properly later this week, Funcom expects additional large numbers of customers to enter the game.

All the positive signals are naturally not equal to eventual success, but early indications from the press points out that the game boasts unique qualities. The very first review for the game gives it a 9 out of 10 score from Game Reactor, the Nordic regions largest gaming magazine.

While Funcom is thrilled with the early success of Age of Conan, and proud of the game launching this week, the company regrets to inform gamers that the DirectX 10 version of the game will not ship with the initial launch. As Microsoft’s DirectX 10 is undoubtedly the future of PC gaming, Funcom has decided to ship only the DirectX 9 version at launch, giving the team more time to focus on building a DirectX 10 version worthy of Microsoft’s great vision for the future of PC gaming. This postponement will let Funcom include even more features in the DirectX 10 version of Age of Conan than originally planned.

The DirectX 10 version will be premiered at the German Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany, August 20 – 24, 2008. A special preview showing off the advanced graphics made possible by DirectX 10 technology will be unveiled this summer at nVidia’s NVISION event in San Jose, California, August 25 – 27, 2008.

Age of Conan launches 20th of May in North America / Oceania and 23rd of May in Europe. More information about the game can be found on www.ageofconan.com
 

Bring Your B-Boy Skills to the Red Bull Breakdance Championship One Tournament, Coming Exclusively to Nintendo DS^TM

Marina Del Rey, Calif. - May 16, 2008 - Get ready to pop, lock and battle your way to the top! Ignition Entertainment announced today it has partnered with Playlogic Entertainment to bring Red Bull BC One to North America, exclusively for Nintendo DS™.

Red Bull BC One lets players transform into a champion B-boy! Using your stylus, you’ll control the action of your very own customized B-boy by solving puzzles and creating combo multipliers under increasingly tough time limits. Set a high score that’s worth bragging about and advance your player to the next round. Coupled with stylized graphics, 35 original musical tracks and a variety of mini-games, a quick, steady hand and some creativity will throw you right into the Red Bull BC One arena.

"The B-boying scene has been growing and going strong for over 30 years," says Ajay Chadha, President of Ignition Entertainment. "Ignition is thrilled to partner with Playlogic to bring the Red Bull BC One event into the hands of North American DS gamers."

"Red Bull BC One for DS boasts a never-seen before gameplay that will please gamers and non-gamers alike. We are delighted with this worldwide partnership with Red Bull BC One and have found in Ignition an excellent partner to help bring this unique gaming experience to the North American shores." says Pierre Thiercelin, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Playlogic International N.V.

The ever-growing worldwide impact and influence of B-boying, commonly referred to as breakdancing, is delivered in its purest, true to its roots form at the annual Red Bull BC One competition. The top B-boys from all over the world compete in the largest tournament to determine who’s got the skills to serve it up and be crowned B-Boy champion. Beginning with the first competition held in Biel, Switzerland in 2004, the Red Bull BC One has grown to become the definitive B-boy event worldwide.

For more information aboutthe Red Bull BC One please visit www.redbullbcone.com