Village Gamer

Vancouver’s Silicon Sisters Interactive has announced the second installment in their School 26 game series, School 26: Summer of Secrets. The upcoming iOS game combines unique social mastery gameplay with the musical stylings of popular indie band Hey Ocean! to provide girls ages 12 to 16 with a fresh and entertaining digital experience. School 26: Summer of Secrets will release for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad in July.

With school out for summer, School 26 protagonist Kate and her friends are teaming up to compete in their local music festival’s Battle of the Bands competition—and just like in real life, egos are rampant, divas are rising, and secrets are flying. Playing as Kate, convince your friends to dish. Then use your tact to share their secrets with the right people so that everyone benefits. Along the way you’ll become embroiled in true-to-life teen situations including band in-fighting, flirting, and emotional meltdowns. Hey Ocean’s music appears throughout Summer of Secrets as Kate’s band prepares for the big show.

“Like our first School 26 game, Summer of Secrets presents themes and dilemmas that are very real to today’s teens, so it makes sense that the music should come from a real band that teen girls can relate to,” said Brenda Bailey Gershkovitch, CEO of Silicon Sisters. “We believe that our game will appeal to Hey Ocean’s fans, and vice versa. Plus, it’s wonderful to be able to support a local Vancouver band.”

Released to critical acclaim in April, the original School 26 follows Kate as she navigates life at a new high school, using her emotional intelligence to make friends and solve social conflicts. To celebrate today’s announcement, Silicon Sisters is offering School 26 at the sale price of $0.99 for iPhone / iPod Touch and $1.99 for iPad. The game is also available for Android and is coming soon to PC and Mac.

Electronic Arts Inc. announced tonight at the 2011 NHL Awards™ hosted at the Pearl Concert Theater in the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas, that Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning® will be the new face of the EA Sports™ NHL® 12 videogame. Stamkos’ image will appear on packaging worldwide when NHL® 12 hits retail stores this September.

“I’ve grown up playing EA Sports NHL videogames so it’s an honor to be chosen for the cover this year,” said Stamkos. “I love how authentic the game is and thought it was great when I scored a one-knee, one-timer goal as myself in NHL12!”

At just 21 years old, Steven Stamkos is one of the fastest rising stars in the NHL®. He was drafted first overall in 2008 and on February 6 of this year, Stamkos became the first player in the NHL to reach the 40 goal mark in the current season. His skill on the ice earned him the Maurice Richard Trophy, awarded to the player with the most goals in the NHL®, which he shared with Sidney Crosby in 2010. This year, Stamkos was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually to the “Most Outstanding Player” in the NHL®, as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA. His performance in the 2011 Stanley Cup® Playoffs is another example of his perseverance and skill as he battled his way with the Tampa Bay Lightning to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins.

“The cover reveal is a highly anticipated annual tradition at EA Sports and a great way for us to highlight the most talented rising stars in the world of sports,” said Jordan Edelstein, Vice-President of Marketing for EA Sports. “Stamkos is a fan of the NHL series and a great ambassador for the sport; we’re excited to welcome him to the EA Sports family.”

NHL® 12 delivers the authentic action and energy of real life hockey with the all-new Full Contact Physics Engine – from players to the environment, everything is now live on the ice including dynamic goalie interaction, goalie fights and net battles. All-new gameplay presentation puts you in one of the biggest hockey events of the season, the 2011 NHL Winter Classic® at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, and the new EA Sports Action Tracker provides a shift-by-shift breakdown of stats and key moments leading up to your next shift to ensure you don’t miss a beat. When you’re ready to give it your all shoot for the chance to be the next great legend in the revamped Be a Pro mode as you play your way to superstardom and shatter records to cement yourself in NHL® history.

Starting June 23rd fans will have the chance to see what it’s like to grace the cover of an NHL® videogame on the EA Sports NHL Facebook page. Fans of the page will be able to pick their favorite team, upload their picture and create their very own personalized NHL®12 cover. EA Sports NHL 12 is rated E10+ by the ESRB.

Square Enix, Inc. and Eidos–Montreal have launched the  Deus Ex®: Human Revolution™ (DXHR) QR Missions App for fans of  Deus Ex: Human Revolution, wherein participants will have the opportunity to win exclusive real world prizes as well as in–game rewards. In order to join the  DXHR QR Missions Scavenger Hunt, fans should visit the App store on their iOS device. The first code is already available in the exclusive content section of the game’s official Facebook page. New codes will be released every week for the next seven weeks.

Fans should visit the App store to download the App (Deus Ex: Human Revolution QR Missions) for their iOS device and register for the Deus Ex: Human Revolution QR Missions. Participants must be 17–years–old or older, have an iOS device with a camera and be able to register using Facebook Connect. Participants will also have to choose their preferred gaming platform.

Once the App is installed, users can begin looking for QR Codes — both online and in the real world — in a variety of locations including marketing and public relations materials, in–store advertising, the official website and Facebook page, and more. Hints for code locations will appear on the Official Eidos–Montreal Twitter feed as well as the game’s official Facebook page.

When a code is found, participants will use their iOS device equipped with a camera to scan it, thereby capturing that code and earning themselves (and all participants) 10 points.

The  DXHR QR Missions Scavenger Hunt delivers elite rewards for the fastest and most thorough code collectors as well as an amazing prize for all participants through a larger, unified goal. These prizes include:

• For each code scanned, users receive an item immediately including special game footage, secret codes to unlock in–game doors, “Augment Yourself” codes and other assets and info from the game.
• The first 1,000 participants to find 10 codes will receive an exclusive theme for their preferred platform (either the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft or the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system). These themes will be available for sale at a later date.
• If the collective score for all participants reaches 1,000,000 points before August 23 (the North American release date), all registered participants in the  DXHR QR Missions Scavenger Hunt will receive an exclusive item for their Xbox LIVE Avatar or for PlayStation®Home. This item will be a toy version of the in–game “B–EE Chopper” that will appear as an Avatar prop item for their Xbox LIVE Avatar and will be available as a companion that follows the user within PlayStation®Home.
• The first 10 participants to collect ALL 21 QR codes will receive the following prize package:
  1. One (1) copy of  Deus Ex: Human Revolution Augmented Edition (system based upon original console selection)
  2. One (1) pair of Custom  Deus Ex: Human Revolution headphones
  3. One (1) Square Enix Products Play Arts – Kai – Adam Jensen Action Figure
  4. One (1)  Deus Ex: Human Revolution Limited Edition Compression Sleeve

Users can find the first code in the  DXHR QR Missions Scavenger Hunt on the game’s official Facebook Page on the “Exclusive Content” tab. Participants must “Like” the page in order to see the code. Additional codes will be unleashed immediately.

PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. has begun work on the enhanced book/app for the New York Times bestseller Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Versions of the book/app for iOS and Android will be released in Fall 2011.

Set in a zombie-infested version of Regency-era England, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies follows Jane Austen’s beloved story of the Bennet family’s life and loves, but sets it against a brain-eating zombie apocalypse.   The original book, adapted in 2009 by Seth Grahame-Smith from Austen’s original text, remains a critical and commercial hit and reached number three on the New York Times bestseller list.  Lionsgate Films is currently in production on the feature film version, due out in 2012.

“We’ve been very fortunate to work on some extremely cool projects,” said Jeffery Alan Schechter, Creative Director and President of PadWorx Digital Media, Inc. “But it doesn’t get any cooler than working with Quirk Books on such an iconic title.”

PadWorx Digital Media’s premiere releases, Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition and A Christmas Carol, were both crowned “App of the Week” by Apple and nominated in the fiction category for Digital Book World’s annual Publishing Innovation Award this past January, with Dracula going on to win the top honor.  It was the intensity and fun of Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition that brought PadWorx to the attention of David Borgenicht, President and Publisher of Quirk Books.

“We were looking for a company that shared our creative vision to tackle our first highly interactive e-book,” said Borgenicht, “and it was clear from Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition that PadWorx could be our creative equals.  In the world of interactive book developers, PadWorx is definitely at the top of the game.”

Montreal publisher Meridian4 today announced they’ve expanded their publishing partnership with German developer Headup Games to include the new strategy role-playing game, Grotesque Tactics 2: Dungeons & Donuts. Arriving this fall with a host of new content exclusively for digital download to the PC, Grotesque Tactics 2: Dungeons & Donuts revisits protagonist Drake and his rag-tag bunch of unlikely heroes with a completely reworked optical style, new character creations and an original storyline.

“The Grotesque series’ unique ability to parody the genre while simultaneously advancing it through smart gameplay and unique features, results in a lighthearted entertainment experience that can be enjoyed by both hardcore and casual fans alike,” said Steve Milburn, Marketing Director of Meridian4.  “The enhancements and new storyline will keep players laughing, engaged and challenged from start to finish.”

The story of Grotesque Tactics 2: Dungeons & Donuts begins as the citizens of the Kingdom of Glory celebrate their victory over the Dark Church.  While in the catacombs of their former enemies, their revelry is disturbed by a sudden all-encompassing fog.  Those that remain alive after the strange attack, barricade themselves in the depths of the catacombs.  As time passes, food becomes scarce and the people of the Kingdom of Glory begin to realize that they might all meet their demise.  The ‘heroic’ Knights of Glory, shady mercenaries and the arrogant high elves band together into guilds in order to survive and escape the dank catacombs.   Unfortunately, the guilds are far too concerned with their distaste for each other, thus allowing for an awakening of dark forces in the dungeons below.

The rich mystery and puzzle-solving fun of Big Fish Games’ Mystery Case Files™ game series soon will be available on the Wii™ console for the first time. With the June 27 launch of the Mystery Case Files™: The Malgrave Incident™ game – available exclusively for Wii – players can enjoy a mysterious adventure in their own living rooms, as well as test their sleuthing skills together with up to three friends in new multiplayer modes. Solo or as a group, players of any experience level can solve their way through a series of fun hidden-object puzzles as they uncover the secret behind the peculiar purple substance scattered across the enigmatic Malgrave Island.

Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident follows a wealthy recluse named Winston Malgrave who claims to have made an extraordinary discovery. His private island is home to a strange dust that may have the power to cure many of the world’s ailments. When he requests the aid of the master detective of the Mystery Case Files detective agency to help him save his beloved wife, Sarah, he opens the door into a world of shadowy intrigue and closely guarded family secrets. Is there more to this eccentric client’s case than meets the eye?

Using the Wii Remote™ controller, players must explore Malgrave Island and solve multi-layered hidden-object puzzles to advance the story. They can play the main adventure on their own or cooperatively with up to three friends. For another layer of fun, players can choose from three competitive multiplayer modes: in Swift Pick, players must find certain hidden objects before their opponents do; in Tick Tick Pick, they must find a hidden object and pass the ticking time bomb to an opponent before it explodes; in Classic Pick, whoever finds the most hidden objects is the winner. Additional controllers are required for multiplayer modes and are sold separately.

“Anyone who loves puzzle games or great detective stories will savor Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident from start to finish,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “The ability to play with or against others makes it easy for friends and family to throw a mystery party anytime they want.”

Each hidden-object scene in Mystery Case Files: The Malgrave Incident comes with a list of objects that players must locate. For the first time in the Mystery Case Files series, scenes have three visual layers, inviting players to scroll and zoom with the Wii Remote as they search for objects. Each scene also contains a special inventory item that allows players to access new areas of Malgrave Island and solve additional puzzles. An on-screen hint button can also be used to highlight the area around hard-to-find objects.

Best Buy Canada has announced the pre-sale of the new HP TouchPad tablet at Best Buy stores across Canada. This is HP’s first webOS tablet, available with the option of 16GB or 32GB of internal storage – user-available storage subject to change based on system software and application usage. It will be available to purchase in-store at Best Buy on July 15th, and customers who pre-order the HP TouchPad through Best Buy will receive 6X Reward Zone points.

HP TouchPad is part of a growing family of webOS devices designed to keep people better connected. With webOS, HP TouchPad users have a next-level multitasking experience, integrated access to their information with HP Synergy, the ability to find information on the device or the web using the Just Type feature, and unobtrusive notifications. TouchPad is a productivity powerhouse that also offers access to the cloud and entertainment, including movies, TV shows, games, photos, books, magazines and premium audio playback with stereo speakers and Beats Audio™ technology.

Key Features of the HP TouchPad:

• HP’s first webOS tablet – facilitates easy multi-tasking and organizing
• 16GB for $519.99; 32GB for $619.99
• Just Type feature – start an email, message or status update without launching an app – just start typing
• HP Synergy – Sync contacts, calendars, email and photos with sources like Facebook and Google. (Within wireless coverage area only. Microsoft Exchange email, contacts, and calendars available for ActiveSync only; requires Microsoft Outlook using Exchange Server 2003 with SP2, Exchange Server 2007, or Exchange Server 2010.)
• HP exclusive Touch to Share capability (Touch to Share capabilities require TouchPad with webOS 3.0 and Pre3 (pending availability) or Veer (requires future over the air update) with webOS 2.2 or higher. Viewing URL web page content requires data connection via Wi-Fi or cellular connection.)
• Supports Adobe® Flash Player® and HTML 5

Other information about TouchPad use:

• Internet access within wireless coverage area only. Wi-Fi within range of 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi network. Some Wi-Fi hotspots may require fee for usage. Not all web content may be available. Email and related information required for setup and activation.
• Third-party software available separately. Within wireless coverage area only. Requires data services at additional cost. Not all apps available on all devices.

Dragons vs Spaceships is a new project from Game Production Studios for Microsoft’s Dream Build Play competition. According to the game’s web page, Dragons vs Spaceships uses the XNA platform, with all engines developed by Game Production Studios excluding the Easy Storage engine for data management, developed at CodePlex and used under their license.

Dragons Vs Spaceships seeks to capture the essence of the genre, while putting a new spin on old conventions. Travel across many worlds destroying the enemy, using three weapon types that combine for a total of six special weapons. Fun and challenging, players will quickly master the controls, but will have a more difficult time downing the legion of Spaceships that stand in their way on the path to victory. There’s no telling who will lose the war, but Game Production Studios says the winner will be the player.

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf7zp5e4EkQ]

The game’s premise, again from the official web page, is as follows:

Other Ocean Interactive is proud to reveal that Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaimed TV and film star, will be lending his voice talents to The War of the Worlds, its upcoming cinematic side-scrolling platformer, coming to Xbox LIVE®Arcade and PlayStation®Network later this year. Based on the classic novel by H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds showcases Stewart’s distinct voice as the narration for the game, which follows one man’s experience in 1950s London during a decimating alien invasion.

Known to millions for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the popular TV show Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as his performance as Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men film franchise, Stewart has enjoyed tremendous success over his decades-long film career including several Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.  However, providing narration for The War of the Worlds is an experience that hearkens back to Stewart’s childhood.

“As a young boy, I remember watching the The War of the Worlds so many times I was quoting the lines,” said Stewart. “The alien invasion both terrified and fascinated me and the movie has stuck with me since then. Now, being part of this project will provide a new way for gamers around the world to experience a fresh new take on a classic.”

The War of the Worlds is a dark and breathtaking new vision inspired by the classic H.G. Wells novel, retold as a single player, 2D action-adventure. The gameplay narrative parallels the timeline and events from the 1953 movie adaptation, but introduces a new story arc, characters, locations, and sub-plots.  With gameplay paying homage to classic cinematic platformers such as Flashback and Out of This World, players follow the exploits of an unknown everyman struggling to escape the Martian invasion of London and rescue his family. Forced to think through insurmountable odds, players will outsmart an army of alien tripods, spiders and drones as they make their way through a landscape of total devastation.

The first of today’s Wild Games Studio video releases features the five minute E3 trailer for Dhaila’s Adventures, which focuses on the games’ three open worlds and the dungeons.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph_jhLS8n18]

The second trailer, also from E3, introduces the studio’s new IP World Circus, an innovative and original game that allows players to build and manage their own circus. World Circus is scheduled for release in 2013 and offers 3 game modes – career, simulation and multi-player.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZxoU3-un1I]

The third and final E3 video presents Wild Games’ new iPhone game Kung Fu Lobster, a colourful undersea world where you control a well-armed lobster and take on other denizens of the deep to prove that only the strong survive.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spg71sOkYDM]