Village Gamer

Summer 2011 will see two new titles on many platforms coming from the Ludia game studios. The first announcement comes from Ludia Inc. and FremantleMedia Enterprises, who announced today that Hole In The Wall will be available worldwide exclusively for Kinect™ on the Microsoft Xbox 360^® and will be available for purchase from Xbox LIVE Arcade. Based on the global television game show phenomenon, Hole In The Wall is one of the trickiest, fastest and funniest games on the planet where agility and a hearty sense of humor are essential tools to survive.

Players must contort their bodies to fit through bizarrely shaped holes in themed moving walls hurtling towards them. Competitors attempt to clear the walls in order to boost their scores, or risk being swept away into a pool of water. Hole In The Wall will also incorporate online play, single and multiplayer game modes, as well as image captures of the outlandish player movements performed within the game and hilarious bonus videos from the TV show.

“Ludia is thrilled to create an immersive, controller-free Hole In The Wall game play experience that is perfectly suited to leverage Microsoft Kinect technology,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “This first title is just the beginning of Ludia games for Kinect on Xbox 360, and serves to further reinforce our multiplatform game strategy.”

“The Hole In The Wall television show has been highly successful in dozens of countries worldwide, so we are very pleased to work with Ludia to extend the franchise to Microsoft’s Xbox 360, said Olivier Delfosse, Director, Interactive, FremantleMedia Enterprises, licensor for Hole In The Wall. “We are sure that fans of the show and wider audiences alike will enjoy partaking in a fresh and exciting new Hole In The Wall experience.”

The second development announcement came from Ludia and Mark Burnett’s One Three Television LLC. The development studio will publish games based on the multiple-award winning Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader?® TV game show. The North America-wide, multi-year will result in games for Facebook and mobile platforms including iPhone™, iPod touch™ and iPad™.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to create Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader? games for the millions of people that play games on Facebook and mobile devices,” said Alex Thabet, Founder and CEO of Ludia Inc. “This new license helps amplify the Ludia portfolio of game show games, which has been a highly successful category for us and one we believe has strong on-going potential across platforms.”

The Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader? games will feature the favorite game play elements of the television show as contestants vie to earn money by answering trivia questions from a set of ten grade school subjects in a quest to earn the top prize. The games will also incorporate real-time multiplayer competition as well as other unique social features that will result in high dynamic and entertaining game play experiences.

“We are pleased to add Ludia as a licensee to our Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader? licensing program. We look forward to working with them on 5^th Grader games for social media and mobile platforms,” said Mark Burnett. “We are thrilled to see the franchise thrive so that fans of the show and wider audiences alike can enjoy their very own Are You Smarter Than A 5^th Grader? game experiences.”

MEGA Brands Inc. has entered into a multi-year international licensing partnership with Blizzard Entertainment to develop construction toys based on Blizzard’s popular  Warcraft^® and StarCraft^® franchises, expanding on the remarkable success the company has achieved with translating gaming content into innovative and entertaining toys for kids and collectors alike. The first-ever construction toy sets from this partnership will be based on the iconic locations, characters, and vehicles from World of Warcraft^® and StarCraft^® II: Wings of Liberty™. The Mega Bloks licensed product offerings will make their retail debut worldwide in Summer 2012.

“We’re proud and thrilled to enter into a partnership with Blizzard Entertainment, the world leader in creating epic online game franchises,” said Vic Bertrand, Chief Innovation Officer of MEGA Brands. “The depth of content in World of Warcraft and StarCraft will fuel years of fun, collectible products for gamers and collectors.”

“We’re pleased to form this partnership with the experienced toy developers at MEGA Brands,” said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment. “Our players regularly amaze us with their creativity, and we’re confident that they’ll enjoy building and collecting the Warcraft- and StarCraft-themed construction sets that we’ll be bringing to market with MEGA next year.”

Going Loud Studios, creators of Zombie Accountant, has announced that “Lair of the Evildoer” has gone gold will be released on Xbox Live Indie Games this Friday, June 17th. Gamers will be able to download it from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for only 80 Microsoft Points.

“We’re using the latest in cutting-edge set-your-release-date technology,” said Ben Kane, founder of Going Loud Studios. “It gives us an unprecedented level of control over when the game comes out.”

“Oh and the game’s pretty good too,” he continued, when asked to say something relevant.

In “Lair of the Evildoer”, players will attempt to escape the lair of mad scientist and all-around evildoer Dr. Odious. They’ll fight over 30 types of monsters as they explore the procedurally generated levels hunting for the best loot. Their only allies are the 25 varieties of weapons, each with dozens of variations. Fortunately, players will gain experience and spend stat points to improve their character and better their odds of making it out alive. They’ll need all the help they can get.

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Paradox Interactive and Vancouver’s Kerberos Studios unravel more mysteries of the universe in a new gameplay trailer for Sword of the Stars II: The Lords of Winter, sequel to Kerberos’ hit 4X science fiction strategy game. Bigger, better, stronger, faster. Sword of the Stars II comes to your corner of the galaxy this autumn.

Features:

– Lead one of six playable factions, including a mysterious new race with an influence that was felt throughout Sword of the Stars I, as you strive for galactic dominance
– Discover highly detailed star systems featuring planetary orbits, moons, asteroid belts and different space terrain
– Experience 4X space strategy in stunning new ways with the powerful MARS 2 graphics engine
– Design and build your own ships – including the formidable new Leviathan class – with new levels of detail, including specific sub systems, allowing for more fleet strategies and tactics
– Research advanced technology, from the Fusion era to the Anti-Matter era and beyond…
– Engage in fierce multiplayer battles with up to 8 players

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvpada4dWM4]

Sword of the Stars II: Lords of Winter offers an evolved version of the original six races from Sword of the Stars and its expansions. The game will reveal the deep, dark secret of the Suul’ka. Boasting an all new graphics engine and incorporating new ship details that allow for new fleet strategies and tactics, Sword of the Stars II is poised to revive the 4X space genre and is scheduled for release in September, 2011.

Gogii Games is proud to announce that an agreement of collaboration has been signed with actress and reality star, Shannon Tweed in the development of a mobile game titled Shannon Tweed: Attack of the Groupies, which is scheduled for an August 2011 release.

Appearing in over sixty films, Tweed has also had roles or made appearances in a long list of television shows including The United States of Tara, SpongeBob SquarePants, Married with Children, and Frasier. Most recently, Tweed has been a regular fixture in the home of millions, sharing the screen with members of her family in A&E’s hit reality television series Gene Simmons: Family Jewels.

George Donovan, CEO and founder of Gogii Games, decided to approach Tweed with the idea for a potential partnership only two minutes after their initial introduction. “Meeting Shannon was completely random, and she was so interesting to speak to, her personality is so vibrant. I knew her life story tied into the type of game we were already building, so I asked her if she’d ever considered being in a video game.”

Tweed was intrigued, and agreed to the idea almost immediately. The legal negotiations have just been completed, and the integration of Shannon, her daughter Sophie Tweed Simmons and her sister Tracy Tweed as focal characters in Shannon Tweed: Attack of the Groupies has begun.

A creative force, Shannon Tweed has invested herself in the process of designing the game, brainstorming potential story ideas and determining just what mechanic suits her best. Tweed says, “It’s really exciting, seeing how a game is developed. I’m new to video games, and George has very kindly given a crash course on the game and industry.”

The most interesting part for Tweed has been watching her family come to life as virtual characters. “It’s incredible, to see the sketches come in, and to be involved in determining the style and the attitude of the characters. Gogii has been very collaborative on that, which is one of the things I’ve really enjoyed about working with them.”

Donovan adds, “Shannon and her family have been fantastic. Her life story is so interesting and it’s a great partnership. We’re hoping to leverage her humor into the game, and create something that is as fun and interactive as she is, as well as allowing our customers to learn even more about her lifestyle and family.”

The dev team over at TransGaming Studios, the creative group who brought you Garage Inc., have been tormenting me for weeks now with hints and images from their upcoming title Kula Blox. I have yet to figure out just exactly how this game is played, but I think it involves some type of match play – or maybe it involves tilt play (which means I’m pretty well toast before I begin), and I know it involves several characters from the animal kingdom. These are the details I have so far – some are from the game’s sell-sheet and others are pure conjecture.

While free-falling through exotic locales, you have to fight your way to the top of the Food Chain. In a total oxymoron, your game avatar becomes faster while growing bigger as you consume more and more enemies. Apparently your avatar – and I’m presuming that you will take on the appearance of one of the animals in the game – must consume enough enemies who are lower on the food chain than you are, in order to become big enough to defeat enemies who are higher up on the food chain than you. The developers have also provided special powers for each character and pick-ups to assist you with this task. Those who reach the top of the food chain will be recognized for their world supremacy on the Leaderboard as well as player achievements.

Kula Blox will launch directly to iOS devices, GameTree TV, Mac and PC with three geographical map areas, each with several levels to play through. The Jungle, The Savannah and The Forest will each feature its own set of unique characters, with more maps, levels, predators and prey coming in future updates. This game is rated E for everyone and will be available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

There will also be the option to make in-game purchases of items such as the previously-mentioned power-ups, and possibly other types of upgrades, but I don’t know what they will be, because they won’t tell me. Not a nice thing to do to a Gemini. I’ll get my revenge at Casual Connect in Seattle, though. I have more than a month to plot and ponder, which is only slightly different from pillage and plunder. However, now that the studio knows I’m plotting, maybe they will defeat my evil plans and release the game before Casual Connect Seattle, although the game is slated for a Summer 2011 launch, and summer doesn’t technically begin until the final day of Casual Connect.

In the meantime though, TransGaming’s Managing Director Wojtek Kawczynski is currently wandering the floor at E3. If you see him, feel free to accost him for me and pry some game details out of him – or ask to borrow his iPad, because he’s carrying the game around with him, and TransGaming did announce on Twitter that they were putting the finishing touches on Kula Blox prior to E3. Once you have completed your mission, send the details to me and I will reward you with a very big cookie.

At the E³ Expo, Nintendo introduced a new paradigm for video games and home entertainment: Wii U^™, a new console that includes a controller with a 6.2-inch screen. Adding a second screen to the living room creates a multitude of new video game experiences while offering families a variety of options to customize their entertainment.

Previously, video games played on a home console have been confined to the TV and offered identical viewpoints to each player in a multiplayer environment. Furthermore, watching TV and playing console games have been completely separate experiences. The new controller removes these boundaries, creating a more dynamic and fluid gaming and entertainment experience. Visitors to the E³ Expo will see firsthand the type of gaming experiences made possible by Wii U and the new controller such as:

• In single-player games:
  • The new controller can display information on its screen that does not appear on the TV.
  • The information and viewpoint can also change in the new controller based on the orientation of its gyroscope.
• In multiplayer games:
  • The player using the new controller can have a different experience than those looking at the TV. This will offer a wide variety of competitive and cooperative opportunities.

In addition to the 6.2-inch screen, the new controller also features an accelerometer and a gyroscope, a rumble feature, an inward-facing camera, a microphone and speakers. Adding these features to the Classic Controller^™ button scheme – two analog Circle Pads, +Control Pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, L/R buttons and ZL/ZR buttons – will enable a breadth of game-play experiences while appealing to both casual and dedicated video game players.

Wii U combines motion-sensing game play with the ability to support full HD graphics. Each Wii U console will be partnered with a new controller and can also use up to four additional Wii Remote^™ or Wii Remote Plus controllers. The system is also backward compatible and can play all Wii games and use all Wii accessories. The Wii console has sold more than 86 million units globally and greatly expanded the overall audience for video games. Wii U aims to expand that audience even further. Developers worldwide are already working on new games and experiences for the console.

“Wii U redefines the structure of home entertainment by fundamentally changing how the TV, the game console and the Internet function and interact together,” said Nintendo President Satoru Iwata. “The experience enabled by Wii U and the new controller takes players deeper into their games, while reaching out wider than ever before to be inviting to all kinds of gamers.”

Nintendo 3DS^™, which lets users see 3D images without the need for special glasses, launched in the North America on March 27 and continues to evolve. Owners will find that their Nintendo 3DS experience is different every time they pick up the system, thanks to new content and updates delivered by Nintendo, by third parties and exchanged between users.

A new system update is now available for the Nintendo 3DS system. Users who connect to a wireless broadband Internet connection and install the system update will instantly gain access to the Nintendo eShop, which contains a variety of games and applications for download using a cash-based system.

Users can browse original 3D software, 3D Classics (select classic video games re-mastered in 3D), classic Game Boy^™ and Game Boy Color games, and more than 350 games and applications currently offered for the Nintendo DSiWare^™ service. Visitors can also see videos and screen shots for games, plus see how other players rank games.

The system update also provides Nintendo 3DS owners access to free items, including an Internet browser that can show 3D images on sites specifically designed to show 3D images, a download of a re-mastered 3D version of the NES^™ classic Excitebike^™ game (free until July 7) and Pokédex^™ 3D, which lets users discover and view more than 150 Pokémon^™ from the Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version games in visually engaging 3D.

Nintendo also announced a huge lineup of upcoming new and fan-favorite franchise games:

• Nintendo 3DS: Super Mario^™, Luigi’s Mansion^™ 2, Mario Kart^™, Kid Icarus^™: Uprising, The Legend of Zelda^™: Ocarina of Time^™ 3D, Star Fox 64^™ 3D, Animal Crossing^™, Paper Mario^™, Picture Lives!, The Rolling Western^™.
• Wii: The Legend of Zelda^™: Skyward Sword, Kirby^™ Wii, Wii Play^™: Motion, Mystery Case Files^™: The Malgrave Incident^™, Mario Party^™ 9, Rhythm Heaven^™ and Fortune Street^™.
• Nintendo DS^™: Kirby^™ Mass Attack, Professor Layton and the Last Specter^™, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker^™ 2 and Super Fossil Fighters^™.

Nintendo kicked off its E³ Expo Presentation by announcing a number of initiatives to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda. A re-mastered 3D version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time launches for Nintendo 3DS on June 19, while Wii owners will see the arrival of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword in the 2011 holiday season. Additionally, Nintendo announced a tour of orchestral concerts featuring music from the beloved franchise. Additional commemorative activities will be announced at a later date.

For the duration of the E³ Expo, Nintendo will provide fans with exclusive videos and Nintendo content on the Nintendo Network. People can visit http://e3.nintendo.com to watch developer interviews, get all the information about new games and see coverage coming directly from the show floor. The same exclusive content also will be streamed through the Nintendo^® Channel to Wii owners who have a broadband Internet connection.

A dash of kitchen simulation, a smattering social elements and a heaping spoonful of Zombies is on the Fall 2011 menu over at Beeline Interactive Canada (formerly Capcom Mobile Canada). Play as a Zombie Chef and cook Zombie Food, prepare ingredients and put them in the stove or oven for just the right amount of time. A brand extension of Zombie Cafe, players of both games will be able to unlock unique content across both titles.

While Zombie Cookin’ is free to play, players can accelerate gameplay or acquire unique items by purchasing “Bones,” the game’s in app premium currency.

• Master more than 50 recipes
• Send your zombie hoard out to discover macabre, unusual and downright disgusting ingredients.
• 18 finger cleaving, brain scooping mini games.
• Decorate and increase the efficiency of your kitchen with better stoves, windows, floor coverings and more.

“Not everyone will survive,” warned EA BioWare as they announced that the epic action RPG Mass Effect™ 3, will arrive at retailers worldwide beginning March 6, 2012. In Mass Effect 3, an ancient alien race known only as “Reapers”, has launched an all-out invasion of the galaxy, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in their wake. Earth has been taken, the galaxy is on the verge of total annihilation, and you are the only one who can stop them. The price of failure is extinction.

As Commander Shepard, players must lead the counter assault to take it back. Only Shepard can determine how events will play out, which planets will be saved from annihilation and which alliances will take form or be abandoned as the forces of the galaxy are rallied together to eliminate the Reaper threat once and for all.

“With Mass Effect 3, we are delivering blockbuster action and heart-wrenching emotion on a scale that far exceeds anything we’ve ever done before,” said Casey Hudson, Executive Producer of the Mass Effect series. “This is an all-out galactic war and how you choose to lead and play will ultimately determine how – and if – you can save the galaxy.”

BioWare also unveiled the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition, a special edition of the game featuring exclusive bonus content and unlockable items (conditions and restrictions apply), including in-game appearance packs, a Dark Horse Comic Book, a hardcover art book, an exclusive extended soundtrack, exclusive lithograph and an exclusive N7 patch. Designed to delight both new and seasoned fans, the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition also gives instant access to the N7 Arsenal Pack which features four tactical guns exclusive to this special edition. The Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition is available for pre-order now at participating retailers for $79.99 in limited quantities.

Mass Effect 3 and the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition will be available for the Xbox 360®, PlayStation®3 and PC, with the Xbox 360 version Kinect™-enabled, allowing players to immerse themselves into the Mass Effect universe even further through new voice recognition technology. The Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition will be available in a digital format on the PC exclusively via Origin, EA’s new digital store destination.

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Gamers who purchase the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition on the PC via Origin will receive exclusive bonus content and unlockable items in digital format. This includes in-game appearance packs, a digital version of the Dark Horse Comic Book, a digital version of the art book, an exclusive extended soundtrack, a digital version of the exclusive lithograph and the N7 Arsenal Pack. The digital version of the Mass Effect 3 N7 Collector’s Edition will not include the N7 patch.

Electronic Arts Inc. has announced its latest live service for FIFA Soccer 12 players with an internet connection. (You must accept EA’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service in order to play). called EA Sports™ Football Club that will bring the world’s most passionate sports fans together and engage them within the massive FIFA online community. EA Sports Football Club—the heartbeat of FIFA Soccer 12 —connects players to the real-world game with fresh, new content all the time, enabling them to support their favorite club in new ways connected to real-world events, and connect and compete with friends, rivals and millions of other players around the world.

“The millions of fans playing FIFA online have shown us there is a constant appetite for a deep connected experience, driven by a love of the sport,” said Matt Bilbey, Vice President and General Manager of Soccer for the FIFA Soccer franchise. “EA Sports Football Club is a new social experience that brings the world’s soccer fans together, engaging and entertaining them in new ways that have never been done before in a sports game.”

EA Sports Football Club creates a new social experience where fans can connect and compete with their friends and millions of other fans playing FIFA Soccer 12, where status, bragging rights and progression are all measured and ever-changing. For the first time ever, everything that happens within EA Sports FIFA Soccer 12—and against friends—is measured in a meaningful way. Every match matters, all season long. Earn experience points and level up to build your status. Track friends, challenges and status through the web. Share and compare accomplishments and spread the news on social channels like Facebook.

EA Sports Football Club also ignites the passion of sports fans and deepens their connection to their favourite team through Support Your Club, a central experience in EA Sports Football Club that enables fans to represent their club and compete against rival clubs in everything they do in FIFA Soccer 12. Earn club points and lift your club higher in the Support Your Club League Tables or help them avoid relegation. Virtual league tables are reset each week to create new challenges, renewed rivalries, and fresh story lines.

Fans will be more closely connected to the sport than ever before. Real-world story lines will drive content in EA Sports Football Club, making the game feel fresh and new all the time. Gamers will relive crucial real-world soccer events through regular challenges. EA Sports Football Club will have a dedicated team deliver new content and challenges so that FIFA Soccer 12 will look, feel and play like the real-world season.

There will be no additional charge for EA Sports Football Club as the service kicks off with FIFA Soccer 12 on the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360® and PC when the game launches this fall.