Village Gamer

Toronto – Dreamcatcher, a leading publisher of interactive entertainment software and Microïds, one of the leading adventure games producers and publishers, owner of the Syberia franchise, has announced that Syberia for Nintendo DS™ has shipped to retail stores in North America.

A visual masterpiece created by Benoit Sokal, Syberia has captured the hearts and the imagination of PC gamers worldwide. The charming characters, stimulating puzzles and fascinating storyline of Syberia come to life on DS bringing with it the full musical score and breathtaking cut scenes which helped to make this title PC Adventure Game of the Year.

“Syberia has been a favorite among the adventure gaming community since its release in 2002,” said Brian Gladman, Global Product Manager at The Adventure Company. “We wanted to remain true to the quality of this title in the DS version, players will find the adapted soundtrack and stunning visuals of Syberia translate extremely well into the DS platform.”

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Vancouver – Black Box, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio announced today that Skate 2, the sequel to the genre-defining original game will hit retailers in North America on January 21st, 2009 and worldwide on January 23rd, 2009 – making it one of the first must-have games of 2009. Players that can’t wait until January can indulge their irrepressible Skate craving even sooner, with the Graphics Creator, a web-based customization tool launching next month on www.skate.ea.com. For those in North America anxious to shred the streets in blaring style can pre-order now for an exclusive code to unlock the Throwback Pack, a special upgrade pack that includes retro clothing, accessories and gestures.

The Graphics Creator is a web-based application that ups the ante in self-expression. With this tool, gamers have the freedom to create custom graphics for their in-game hats, decks and shirts, infusing their skateboarding experience with an unrivaled level of individuality. The Throwback Pack features a variety of retro stylings including, tie-dye t-shirts, Skate or Die apparel, Robot and ‘Window Shade’ sunglasses, gestures circa the hippie-age and much more!

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Toronto – JoWooD Productions and DreamCatcher Games, leading publishers of interactive entertainment software around the world, today announced Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods for Windows® has shipped to retail stores in North America. Also releasing today is the Gothic 3 Collector’s Edition, the complete Gothic 3 experience in a special collector’s tin case containing the most up-to-date version of Gothic 3, the complete version of Forsaken Gods Add On, a ‘Making of Gothic’ DVD, Official Soundtrack CD and a full-color map.

The official Gothic 3 Add On, Forsaken Gods takes you a step further into the fantastical world of this epic RPG series. This exciting new chapter of the Gothic series introduces intoxicating new quests, monsters, armour and weapons while the gaming experience offers a sense of intense realism, provides 15-20 hours of non-stop gameplay and introduces an improved combat system.
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Street Fighter® Branded Destination Experience to be featured in the New Xbox Experience!

Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, is proud to announce that the much anticipated Super Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix for Xbox LIVE® Arcade will be one of the first games to be featured in the New Xbox® Experience with a Branded Destination Experience.

Launching tomorrow, the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix destination experience will provide a central place for Xbox LIVE Arcade gamers to learn about new content, view the latest trailers, and access downloadable content, including picture packs, and both Basic and Premium Themes. The new Street Fighter® Premium Theme features extensive high-definition graphical layers that take over your Dashboard, presenting a fully dynamic and encompassing package for the ultimate social entertainment experience on Xbox LIVE.

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Toronto – The Adventure Company and JoWooD Productions, leading publishers of adventure games worldwide, are pleased to announce Agatha Christie: Evil Under the Sun for Wii™ has shipped to retail stores in North America.

This is the third game in the successful series adapted from the popular Agatha Christie novels and the second release on the wildly popular Wii platform. Based on the novel Evil Under the Sun by the world’s best-known mystery author, this title seamlessly channels the stunning environments, unique puzzles and exceptionally rendered characters into this adventure game friendly platform.
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Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), announced that Need for Speed™ Undercover is available at retailers today in North America and on November 21 in Europe. Need for Speed Undercover is an action-packed game whose story of pursuit and betrayal takes players back to the series’ roots with break-neck cop chases, spectacular highway battles and an expansive open-world.

Need for Speed Undercover features stunning Hollywood-style live-action in-game movies in which the player is recruited by Federal Agent Chase Linh, played by Maggie Q (Mission Impossible III and Live Free or Die Hard), to go deep undercover in order to infiltrate and takedown a ruthless international crime syndicate. Posing as a wheelman, the player will be required to prove themselves by completing jobs, racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals.
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Arcade Boxing Title Emphasizes Social Play

Vancouver – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that FaceBreaker™ K.O. Party, developed at EA Canada in Vancouver, has shipped to retailers worldwide on the Wii™. An all-new intellectual property under the EA SPORTS Freestyle™ brand, FaceBreaker K.O. Party brings back the experience of old-school arcade boxing with the new-school controls of the Wii.

FaceBreaker K.O. Party drops you into a world filled with eye-popping stylized graphics and ego wielding characters that will have you raring to get your pummel on. With pick-up-and-punch controls, gamers of all skill levels can jump right into the action. From jabs to charged punches, every motion has been built to be both intuitive and responsive. Throw a flurry of punches with the Wii Remote™, or Nunchuk™, and watch as your character does the same.

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Ontario – G4Box Inc. and SilverBirch Inc. have launched the closed beta of the highly-anticipated free to play online game Cross Fire, the companies announced today. The closed beta of Cross Fire, is an award-winning, free-to-play, online military first-person shooter game for PCs. The 10,000 closed beta keys available were oversubscribed and gone in less than 10 hours.

The closed beta, which went live on November 7th, will run for approximately one month. During this time, Cross Fire will offer gamers an opportunity to play one of four high adrenaline game modes prior to the open beta planned for December 2008. The commercial launch is scheduled for January, 2009. Gamers can to continue to download the game for free at: www.crossfire-en.com

“The response to the English version of Cross Fire has far exceeded our expectations,” said Kevin Astle, Interim President and CEO of SilverBirch. “Cross Fire’s fast-paced action, superb graphics and compelling features have already made it a hotly anticipated game among English-language gamers.”

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Quebec City – Beenox Studios, an Activision Publishing, Inc. property today announced that the Quantum of Solace™ video game, based on the eagerly anticipated “Quantum of Solace” and prior “Casino Royale” James Bond films, is now available. Developed under license from EON Productions Ltd and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM), the Quantum of Solace video game equips players with the weapons, espionage and hand-to-hand combat skills and overall charm needed to survive the covert lifestyle of legendary 007 secret agent James Bond. Beenox Studios developed the Games for Windows and Wii versions of the game.

“Activision’s Quantum of Solace video game marks the first time players can become the newly re-imagined, dangerous and cunningly efficient James Bond as portrayed by Daniel Craig,” said Rob Kostich, Head of Marketing for Licensed Properties, Activision Publishing. “We’re extremely pleased to release the game day and date with the new movie, so for those of us waiting for the new era in Bond gaming, Quantum of Solace has arrived.”
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Toronto – NCsoft®, the world’s premier publisher and developer of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs), today announced a partnership with TransGaming, Inc. to bring their award-winning City of Heroes ® franchise to the Apple® Macintosh®. The game has been enabled for the Mac by TransGaming, a leading developer of portability technologies for the electronic entertainment industry. City of Heroes for Mac will be available for public beta testing with the release of the game’s thirteenth expansion, Issue 13: Power and Responsibility later this fall. The official launch will occur pre-holiday this year with a special digital-only Mac edition of City of Heroes, available across all NCsoft West consumer territories.

“Players will soon be able to join the battle of good versus evil in the most popular comic book MMO on both the PC and Mac platforms…and in the same game world,” commented Brian Clayton, executive producer of City of Heroes for NCsoft West. “Given Mac’s fame as a platform for creative people and City of Heroes’ unprecedented character customization options, I think City of Heroes is a perfect fit for the Mac gaming community.”

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