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Today's Press Releases PC Games: Empire of Sports Empire of Sports, the first massively connected multisport 3D game, has partnered up with the International Federation of Bobsleigh and Tobogganing (FIBT) to host the first ever Virtual World Skeleton Championships online. The World Skeleton Championships will be held in Empire of Sports until 28th March 2009. More than just a game, Empire of Sports is a sports platform designed to echo major real life sporting events from around the world; providing all sports fans with an extended space to live through and share their passion. Thanks to invaluable input from an ever-growing community, Empire of Sports just keeps getting better. Especially with the constant addition of new sports, clubs, sportsmen, competitions, events, and sports brands. The Virtual World Skeleton Championships are available for all Empire of Sports players to enter – up until Saturday, 28th March 2009. The Virtual World Skeleton Championships are part of the ‘special events’ in Empire of Sports: the qualification phase is open to everybody but only the qualified players holding a Premium account will be able to continue on to the final stages and compete to win one of many Championship prizes. - MLB Dugout Heroes MLB Dugout Heroes is the first fully licensed and online-based PC baseball game in North America, featuring all Major League Baseball players and stadiums from the past and present. GamesCampus, the publisher of the game for the North American market, drew great public attention when they announced that they had signed an online interactive licensing agreement with MLB Advanced Media, LP (MLBAM) in November 2008. Based on this agreement, GamesCampus holds the right to incorporate official Major League Baseball league and club marks and logos, MLB ballpark images and more in this micro-transaction based game. In addition to the MLB-licensed game features, the game has many unique gameplay attractions. It's unique and realistic leveling system allows players to grow stronger and better as they continue through the game. In addition, special points are given to players as they complete baseball missions (quests) given daily or weekly, and these points can be used to purchase new players, uniforms, items, and more! MLB Dugout Heroes is sure to be a smash hit for all baseball fans young and old. Product Features Draft and create your favorite players from any MLB year - Choose your favorite players from any MLB era and create the best team! Play Online or practice by yourself - Play against your friends online to see who's the best! Level up your team and players - By playing against people online, your players level up and become stronger and trained! Unique items - Users will be able to purchase new player draft cards, uniforms, bats, pitches, and much more! Features animated versions of real MLB players - See your favorite players as cartoon versions of themselves! Easy learning curve - Fun for both beginner and expert gamers alike! - GameRanger GameRanger, the PC multiplayer online gaming service, added improvements to give games a longer multiplayer life. Rather than waiting around for a multiplayer game, people are now immediately notified the moment anyone wants to play a game of theirs that interests them. GameRanger's new notifications mean that people can be always ready for a game even while occupied with other PC activities by simply having the GameRanger icon in the system tray. This increases the pool of available players for all games at all times. Once people have decided they want to play, GameRanger handles the rest so they have no need to worry about the usual headaches of network issues or connection problems. Most multiplayer games have a spike of activity just after release and then trail off, making it increasingly harder to find others to play against. Some games never even reach the levels needed for their built- in lobbies and auto-matching in the first place. Potential players end up quitting out of frustration or boredom before they find a match, perpetuating the problem, because they can't do anything else while they wait. "Although digital distribution has increased the shelf-life of PC games, little has been done to boost their multiplayer shelf-life and dwindling online-gaming communities," observed Scott Kevill, president of GameRanger Technologies. "Now with GameRanger, the Long Tail doesn't need to be a Lonely Tale." GameRanger runs on Windows XP or later, and is available as a free download from http://www.GameRanger.com Multi-Platform Games: Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli Racing simulation Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli – developed by Gateshead-based driving game specialist Eutechnyx - has been shortlisted in the 2008 North East Digital Awards in the Best Example of Game Development category. “We’re delighted to have been shortlisted for this award,” said Brian Jobling, Managing Director of Eutechnyx, “Ferrari Challenge was a labour of love for Eutechnyx and so you can imagine how pleased we were when it was so well-received by the audience and critics. To now be recognised in the North East Digital Awards is a great honour.” Published by System 3 in the UK and by Activision-Blizzard in the US, Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli was released in the Summer of 2008 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii. Offering players the chance to race some of the world’s most prestigious and desirable cars, the game uses Eutechnyx’ IAM – Intelligent Assist Mode – Technology to tailor the game to suit the player’s skill level and allows gamers to choose how real they want their racing experience to be. This gives players a unique gaming experience suited to their skill level to ensure a fun, exciting challenge. Hailed as “the best racing game yet on PS3” (C&VG) and praised for “the best graphics, most intuitive gameplay and advanced AI of any racing title” (Game Informer), the game was a worldwide smash-hit and developed a large online following. The game’s success comes as no surprise considering its pedigree. Developed by driving game specialists Eutechnyx, the game was produced by industry veteran Mark Cale of System 3, a former Trofeo Pirelli driver himself and passionate Ferrari fan. With a driving engine designed in conjunction with professional driver Bruno Senna and vehicles modelled with input from the Ferrari team, it’s no wonder the game received such praise. Established in 2007, The North East Digital Awards celebrate the excellence of the growing digital industry in the North East of England showcasing the best of the region's digital talent. The winning entries will be announced on March 25th. You can find out more about the awards and view the entrants by visiting their website at http://www.northeastdigitalawards08.co.uk/. - Pepsi Music Challenge After the successful release of the Pepsi Music Challenge game, it has now grown to include an additional character and level. Though developed for the Swedish market, the game web site has drawn visitors from all over the world. Building on this popularity, the Swedish advergame developer Muskedunder Interactive (http://www.muskedunder.com/) has been chosen to expand the user experience. “We are thrilled that Pepsi both prolongs the campaign time and invests in more content for the users,” says Magnus Alm, CEO of Muskedunder Interactive. The game now features the brand-new R&B level, along with the Dance, Rock and 80’s pop levels. There are also more prizes, awarded each day to the best player. The competition runs at www.pepsi.se until the 19th of April. - Champions Online The Bronze King Once, he was King. He ruled over Lemuria with more wisdom than any one man could ever boast. He was wise, just, and in possession of the vast arcane secrets of his underwater kingdom. That was before he went mad. But the seeds of his madness were sown long ago. For the Bronze King was no mortal king, was no single consciousness. He was the result of sorcery, science, and human sacrifice. He was never born of mortal woman, but was born, instead, of Civil War. Tens of thousands of years ago, in Lemuria’s last Civil War, a sorcerous cabal captured and dethroned the last of the Priest-Kings. After centuries of strife, they had learned that the gods of the Priest-King were completely false. In anger, they gathered all the false priests and sacrificed each one by slowly lowering him into a magical construct full of viscous green liquid. That liquid disintegrated flesh and bone, freeing the souls of the sacrificed to be gathered and devoured by the Bleak Ones, but capturing all the memories of the dead priests. Last to be sacrificed was the Priest-King, with all of his knowledge of Lemurian history and magic. And that was the birth of the Bronze King. Standing sixty feet tall, he wore three faces: the falcon, for matters of magic, the lion, for matters of war, and the man, for matters of ruling his people. For thousands of years, the Bronze King ruled well and justly. He carried all the knowledge of the sacrificed priests, but none of their mortal flaws and foibles. However, as magic in the world began to fade, the spell that allowed him to contain the minds of so many people began to weaken. He still retains all his knowledge, but he is completely mad. The Bronze King no longer rules Lemuria. Two hundred years ago King Arvad took over Lemuria and used his psychic powers to subjugate the Bronze King. It is only Arvad’s power that controls the Bronze King, and at that, not perfectly. For so long as Arvad finds him useful, the Bronze King serves as historian and advisor. Arvad has not yet used him as a weapon, but that day will come. About the Bronze King The Bronze King is an immense magical construct, driven mad by the many minds he contains. He feels no emotions and will not listen to anyone other than King Arvad. Thanks to Arvad’s psychic powers, the Bronze King will obey him, but without Arvad’s guidance, the Bronze King could wreak havoc on the world. He is a weapon in his own right, but what makes him a truly terrifying threat is his knowledge of ancient Lemurian weapons. He may well be the only one left on the face of the earth today able to use the Mandragalore. And, should King Arvad lose control of him, there is no way of predicting whether he will chose to do so. The Bleak Ones They wait in the darkness, as they have for longer than mortal minds can imagine. In that darkness, they plan. They dream of freedom. They dream of fire and blood and broken worlds. They ache for the screams of the dying, for the tears of defeat, for the last broken hope of the fallen. They are not kind gods, but they are gods. They are the gods who created the Lemurians, from mortal clay and cold fire. They are the gods who gave the Lemurians overweening pride, endless ambition, and terror to goad them. They gave the Lemurians the ability to change shape, skill at magic, and a promise. And what a promise it was! To the Lemurians they said, You will struggle all your days. You will fight for your glory, your place in the world. And when you die, we will bring you home. We will gather you to us. We will devour your souls in the ever after. You shall be our sustenance. They howled in rage when the Lemurians turned from them to worship false gods. They exacted revenge and publically tortured the soul of the false prophet upon his death. They laughed to see their Lemurian children lose the ability to change shape. They delighted to watch Lemuria sink into the sea amidst fire and chaos. They have waited, and hungered for thousands of years, as the Lemurians strove for immortality. They are done waiting. They are calling their children back and offering, in trade, the power of a reptilian form that can live freely under water. They are watching in delight as Lemuria collapses in civil war. Their promise remains the same because they will never change. They are the Bleak Ones, and they are hungry. Lemuria There are secrets under the Ocean. You’ve heard whispers – children’s stories of underwater people, mermaids and naiads. Or myths of ancient civilizations, lost in the depths of the ocean floor. And you’ve ignored those stories. You’ve laughed them off as idle fancies. But you’d be wrong. There are people in the sea, but they are nothing so gentle nor so tame as mere mermaids. They are the Lemurians, the last of an ancient race of cold blooded lizard-men. Once, they worshipped the Bleak Ones, vengeful gods who devoured the souls of their followers upon death. The Lemurians turned from their gods in fear, forsaking also the ability to change shape and trapping themselves forever in human forms. Their own pride sank them into the depths of the Indian Ocean. Once, they ruled half the earth. Once, you would have bowed in fealty to them. Once, you would have cowered in fear when they went to war. And they went to war often. Their dream was not merely world domination, no. Their dream was immortality, and if they had to conquer all the world to unearth the secret of eternal life, then so be it. Listen very closely and you will hear whispers. You will hear of a civil war in the ocean trenches, of a king deposed and desperately trying to retake his Kingdom. You will hear of the Mandragalore, a weapon so deadly, so vast, that it destroyed an entire continent. You may even hear that the Bleak Ones have returned. If you are very lucky – or very, very unlucky – you may be able to convince the captain of the Aegir to take you there aboard his submarine. Welcome to Lemuria... - FIFA 09 Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that a new downloadable game mode called FIFA 09 Ultimate Team is available now to download to the award-winning EA SPORTS™ FIFA 09 on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system. FIFA 09 Ultimate Team challenges gamers to collect the most talented players in the world, develop them into a dream team and then compete online. Feel the exhilaration as you take your carefully assembled squad into matches and tournaments online against the most formidably talented teams ever assembled—and out play them. Here is the ultimate test of your skills as a player and manager. Collect bronze, silver and gold virtual cards, including Player, Staff, Contract, Formations, and Tactics, to create a fantasy team. Strategically collect and manage players and different types of cards, and then set the match strategy to win. Carefully select or trade for the right Manager, then choose the best Tactics and Formations that forge the team chemistry necessary to take your club to the top. Write your own legend with FIFA 09 Ultimate Team. Create yourself in game, line up alongside your heroes and captain your squad to glory. Customize everything from players and stadiums to the kits and badges, creating the world’s next great football club. Compete offline and online to earn more valuable cards or trawl the market for the ones needed to complete a winning team. Climb the league table or compete in knockout tournaments for the most coveted trophies. FIFA 09 Ultimate Team is available now as a download to FIFA 09 for 800 Microsoft points or £7.99. Fans are able to experience the new game mode by creating a team with a starter package of players and virtual cards and play a five game trial before deciding to purchase the FIFA 09 Ultimate Team mode. FIFA 09 is required. - Halo Wars Microsoft today announced that sales of “Halo Wars” have reached more than one million units worldwide, making the exclusive Xbox 360 title the best selling real-time strategy game on any current generation console. With a revolutionary control scheme designed expressly for the Xbox 360 controller and a riveting story that takes “Halo” fans deeper into the “Halo” universe, “Halo Wars” is breaking new ground for the strategy genre by introducing a new wave of fans to strategy games and reminding existing fans why it’s so fun. Set in the year 2525, “Halo Wars” takes players on a perilous journey through the famed “Halo” universe. As players take the command seat in the early, epic battles between the UNSC and Covenant, they will begin to unravel events 20 years before “Halo: Combat Evolved” that shaped the franchise into what it is today. Since the game’s release throughout Asia on February 26 and subsequent launches in Europe and the Americas, fans around the world have been taking full advantage of “Halo Wars’” rich Xbox LIVE gameplay. To date: • There have been more than 2.6 million multiplayer matches played • More than 118 years of time has been spent in multiplayer matches on Xbox LIVE • On average, more than 200,000 “Halo Wars” fans have taken up arms in battles between the UNSC and Covenant each day • For more statistics and game information, fans can visit the official stats page. (http://www.halowars.com/stats/globalstats.aspx) But these initial explosive battles in “Halo Wars” are just beginning. Microsoft is working closely with partner and newly formed studio Robot Entertainment, which is comprised of “Halo Wars” and “Age of Empires” veterans from Ensemble Studios. More Halo Wars content is being prepared, so stay tuned. Games Related News: Deep Silver 2009 Preview GDC 2009 Event DATE: Tuesday, March 24 TIME: 6.00 - 10.00 p.m. LOCATION: Mezzanine, 444 Jessie St., San Francisco Preview the 2009 lineup! Duke Nukem: Critical Mass (PSP, DS) Cursed Mountain (Wii) Risen (Xbox 360, PC) ...and a special performance by The HipHopGamer - Groundbreaking Strategy game signed and added to Paradox line-up at GDC Paradox Interactive has today confirmed they have just signed a brand new, and exciting Strategy game to add to their already stellar line-up of games for 2009, and that it will receive its public unveiling at GDC in San Francisco with the development team on hand to talk about the game in more depth.
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