Village Gamer

Vancouver – Big Fish Games™, the world’s leading online destination for games and interactive entertainment, announced today the release of Unwell Mel, an addictive puzzle game and the first title to come out of Big Fish Games’ recently opened Vancouver, B.C. studio. The Vancouver team – including artists and developers – allows Big Fish Games to more effectively expand its genre expertise without sacrificing the depth, quality and creativity that is the hallmark of Big Fish Games.

“Like all the games that we concept, develop and release, Unwell Mel is an original in its genre. It’s a creative twist on match-three games,” said Pat Wylie, vice president of Big Fish Games Studios. “I’m excited about our Vancouver team; their talent strengthens Studios, and as we grow the team we can ensure the continued production of great games.”

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Montreal – Interactive entertainment company Ludia today announced the launch of its Hell’s Kitchen game for iPhone and iPod touch on the Apple App Store. Based on the Granada America television phenomenon, iPhone and iPod touch owners can now feel the show’s pressure-cooker atmosphere anytime, anyplace along with the acerbic commentary of Gordon Ramsay who judges and rates player performance at each stage of the game. Players can also unlock recipes from the show as a reward for progress in the game.

“Hell’s Kitchen viewership has grown each season and fans of both the show, and of Gordon Ramsay, have become increasingly dedicated,” said Katrina Moran, executive vice president for Digital Media, Granada America. “We are pleased that new and existing fans can now enjoy a Hell’s Kitchen experience on-the-go via the revolutionary iPhone and iPod touch.”

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Vancouver – Electronic Arts Inc. and Black Box announced today that gamers will be able to extend their Skate 2 experience with the download of Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Plaza, starting today in the PLAYSTATION® Store for $5.00 in North America and on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 400 points. The downloadable content features Rob Dyrdek’s new skate plaza, the centerpiece of his MTV show, Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory, as well as the surrounding downtown Los Angeles area.

“I’ve been involved with the Skate franchise since the very beginning and each game has been able to perfectly capture the culture and feel of skateboarding,” said skateboarder entrepreneur, Rob Dyrdek. “I can’t wait to give players a taste of the Fantasy Plaza, my dream skateboarding space. The team at Black Box has recreated the plaza in Skate 2, complete with all the ledges, gaps and rails. On top of all that, there’s still a lot more surprises outside the park that both gamers and skaters will enjoy.”

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THQ and Relic Entertainment’s Highly Anticipated Sequel Redefines Real Time Strategy (RTS) Genre with Intimate, Tactical Gameplay and Stunning Cinematic Visuals

Vancouver – THQ Inc. today announced that Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War® II, sequel to Relic Entertainment’s critically acclaimed Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War®, has shipped for Windows PC. Set in the 41st Millennium amidst the chaos of relentless warfare, Dawn of War II offers innovative, tactical gameplay, stunning visuals and destructible environments throughout a non-linear single-player experience and features a fully cooperative multiplayer campaign via Microsoft’s free Games for Windows® – LIVE service. Based on the popular Warhammer 40,000 Games Workshop table-top war game, Dawn of War II is now available at retail and online outlets in the US for the suggested retail price of $49.99.

“Relic Entertainment is a premiere RTS developer and a driving force for innovation in the genre,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “With Dawn of War II, the studio has once again redefined the core foundations of the genre, replacing base building and massive armies with intimate, tactical gameplay and a customization-driven single-player experience.”

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Toronto – G4BOX Inc and Wicked Interactive Ltd., North American publishers and distributors of interactive entertainment media, together announced today the tremendous success and popularity of the open beta for their military first-person shooter, Cross Fire. The beta, which began on Friday, January 30, 2009, has since gathered more than 25 000 registered players and made a major splash in the online first-person shooter scene. Cross Fire will continue in Open Beta through February.

“We knew there was an audience out there that was really anticipating Cross Fire, so we expected a good result,” said Garvin Yeung, Chief Executive Officer of Wicked Interactive. “But even we are amazed by the overwhelming response that Cross Fire has garnered thus far,” added Howard He, Chief Executive Officer of G4BOX.”
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Montreal – amBX today further strengthened its partnership with Ubisoft via an agreement to amBX-enable Tom Clancy’s EndWar on PC.

Set on the battlefields of World War III, Tom Clancy’s EndWar is a pioneering real time strategy game that pushes the envelope of technology with its revolutionary voice-command system. The addition of amBX enhances this innovative game with real-world sensory experiences – using light, colour, rumble and even air flow – through licensed amBX peripherals, including LED lights, variable speed desktop fans and rumblers.

The agreement to amBX-enable EndWar will see a huge range of lighting effects add realism to the theatre of war, including colours that reflect the changing landscape, environment, weather formations and time of day, as well as creating a real sense of movement and immersion. Of course, dynamic weapon fire will flash fiercely whenever large weapons are discharged.

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Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. announced today the highly anticipated details of all six Origin Stories featured in the upcoming dark, heroic fantasy Dragon Age™: Origins. Each Origin Story starts the player off with a unique series of locations, characters and events that establish their motivations and lay the groundwork for the adventure to come.

With each Origin Story boasting several hours of unique game play, as well as challenging strategic combat and exploration, these 6 distinct preludes make Dragon Age: Origins the first BioWare game to offer not only multiple endings, but also multiple beginnings. Players will start their adventure in one of the following roles:

Dalish Elf

As one of the last “true elves”, you were content to spend your life wandering with your clan…until a chance encounter with a relic of your people’s past threatens to tear you away from everything you’ve known.
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FIFA 09 Ultimate Team Enables Gamers to Create and Collect Their Fantasy Soccer Team to Compete Online

Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. today announced the development of a unique, downloadable game mode called FIFA 09 Ultimate Team that will deliver a strategic new online experience to the award-winning EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 09 on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system. FIFA 09 Ultimate Team challenges gamers to collect or create the most talented soccer players in the world, develop them into a fantasy team and then compete online against a legion of challengers to be crowned the ultimate team.

Winner of 25 international game quality awards, FIFA Soccer 09 is the most popular EA SPORTS game played online*. Over 141 million games of FIFA Soccer 09 have been played on the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360 by gamers connected online since the game’s European launch on Sept. 25, 2008. An average of 1.25 million games are played online daily, which is a 321 percent increase over FIFA Soccer 08. FIFA 09 Ultimate Team expands the FIFA Soccer 09 online experience by delivering the ultimate fantasy in club soccer to the record number of individuals playing while connected online.

“Online is the next great frontier in sports gaming. We are seeing a record number of individuals globally playing FIFA Soccer 09 online so we are focused on developing games that maximize the online experience,” said Andrew Wilson, Vice President & Executive Producer for the franchise. “A dedicated team developed FIFA 09 Ultimate Team and they have created a game within the game, delivering a strategic new way to play FIFA Soccer 09 that will create hundreds of additional hours of playing time.”

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Quebec – The fate of the earth and the survival of the human race hang in the balance in the Transformers™: Revenge of the Fallen video game from Activision Publishing, Inc. Based on Hasbro’s legendary TRANSFORMERS property and the most anticipated blockbuster film of 2009 from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures in association with Hasbro, the game propels players straight into an adrenaline-pumping battle for supremacy across the globe where every second and every choice makes the difference between mankind’s salvation and annihilation.

“The Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen video game will give fans the chance to experience their favorite AUTOBOTS and DECEPTICONS in an all-new, movie inspired adventure packed with the thrilling and explosive action that only the TRANSFORMERS universe can deliver,” said Rob Kostich, vice president of global brand management, Activision, Inc. “We are thrilled to announce that after experiencing the rush of commanding colossal robots on their own, players can challenge their friends for the first time ever in full-featured, blistering multiplayer action as their favorite characters.”
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First Phase of Technical Testing for Popular Racing Franchise to Begin in Taiwan and Hong Kong

Vancouver – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that EA Asia will publish Need for Speed World Online in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Jointly created by EA Black Box, the developer of the Need for Speed™ franchise, and EA’s online studio in Singapore, EA’s blockbuster racing franchise comes to Asia with a free to play, multiplayer PC-only online game The first phase of technical testing is scheduled to start in March 2009.

The game offers numerous race tracks and game modes where players are able to form teams to take on the competition and the police. Players can collect and customize racing characters alongside authentic real-world licensed cars and will be able to track their progress via online leaderboards, all in the largest free roaming environment in Need for Speed history. Need for Speed World Online is a new entertainment experience that delivers excellent gameplay, stunning graphics and sophisticated online matchmaking features that emphasize social interaction between players.
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