WHO: Legacy Interactive
WHAT: Igor the Game Now Available for PC Download
WHEN: September 25, 2008
WHERE: http://www.legacygames.com
RATING: Igor the Game is rated E for Everyone
LOS ANGELES – September 25, 2008 – Legacy Interactive, announced today that Igor The Game, based on the animated feature film from Exodus Film Group and MGM Studios, is available for PC download at www.legacygames.com
Igor The Game, developed by Legacy Interactive, is a platform adventure game where you quest through the world of Malaria to battle Evil Scientists and other enemies. Many of the challenges, locations and enemies in the game will be instantly recognizable for fans of the motion picture.
A hilarious twist on the classic monster movie, ³Igor² tells the story of one Igor who¹s sick of being a lowly lab assistant with a Yes Masters¹ degree and dreams of becoming a scientist. When his cruel master kicks the bucket a week before the annual Evil Science Fair, Igor finally gets his chance.
Featuring the voice talents of John Cusack, Steve Buscemi, John Cleese, Jennifer Coolidge, Arsenio Hall, Sean Hayes, Eddie Izzard, Jay Leno, James Lipton, Molly Shannon and Christian Slater, ³Igor² is the must-see family comedy of the fall.
³Igor is a wonderful film that has translated into a fun game for the whole family,² said Ariella Lehrer, President of Legacy Interactive. ³The game is a great interactive experience that captures spirit of the film.²
Igor The Game is available now for download at www.legacygames.com. For more information, please visit www.IgorGame.com.
About Legacy Interactive
Legacy Interactive (www.legacyinteractive.com) is a leading developer and publisher of casual games for people of all ages. Entertaining customers since 1998, the company has built a reputation for developing intelligent, realistic and engaging games for a broad audience. Located in Los Angeles, Legacy is known for its licensed games, such as Law & Order and The Apprentice, as well as for its popular simulation games Pet Pals: Animal Doctor, Emergency Room and Zoo Vet. Through Legacy’s online casual game portal at www.legacygames.com, customers can download and try more than 500 casual games, read and write reviews, share play lists and send messages to friends.
About Exodus Film Group
Exodus Film Group is an independent production company based in Venice Beach, California, with satellite offices in New York and Paris. The company develops a wide range of projects for all media outlets in both live action and animation. Exodus has taken pioneering steps in the animation field by creating one of the first private equity animation film funds. The company has entered into a long-term strategic alliance with The Weinstein Company to jointly develop, produce, finance, and distribute a multi-picture slate of CG-animated feature films, DVDs, and television series.
August 19, 2008 – Redwood City, CA – Perfect World Entertainment Inc. (“PWE” or the “Company”), a wholly owned US subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd., today announced the closed beta for its highly anticipated online game “Perfect World International” has now officially launched. Beginning today, registered gamers will have the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the expansive game world and experience “Perfect World International” prior to its open beta this fall.
“Today’s beta launch is an exciting milestone for us as it provides the opportunity for North American gamers to receive their first introduction to Perfect World International,” said Dr. Alan Chen, CEO of Perfect World Entertainment Inc. “Providing early access to the full game underscores our commitment to customer satisfaction while demonstrating the well-designed, high quality entertainment experience that gamers can expect from Perfect World International.”
“Perfect World International” is the English-based, international version of Perfect World II. With millions of players worldwide, the game has been heralded as one of the most successful 3D MMORPGs in a number of countries. “Perfect World International” offers an immersive online world with three unique races and six different classes; all the while maintaining its free-to-play business model. In addition, it boasts one of the most in-depth character creation interfaces known to date, numerous quests full of lore and depth, and an extensive selection of customizable fashion items.
Fans of PVP will also enjoy Territory Wars, a unique feature in “Perfect World International” in which guilds fiercely compete in weekly battles to dominate certain parts of the world. The victors walk away with a great deal of reward in addition to the many added benefits that the conquered territory provides.
For additional information on “Perfect World International” and the closed beta, visit http://www.perfectworld.com.
FAIRFAX, Va. – August 18, 2008 – Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that the open beta for their highly anticipated MMORPG, Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR), will begin on September 7th, 2008. This means that hundreds of thousands of fans will be able to enter the gritty fantasy world of WAR to experience the thrill of Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) combat before the game goes live on September 18th, 2008.
“For three years we have been saying that ‘WAR is coming’ and the team has been working hard to deliver on this promise,” said Mark Jacobs, co-founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “In just a few weeks, we are going to throw open our doors and invite more players into the game than ever before. They will have a chance to delve into the open beta and see for themselves that WAR has arrived and it is glorious!”
Players can get into the North American open beta by pre-ordering Warhammer Online from select retail partners. Participants of the North American closed beta will automatically be granted open beta access. For more information about the WAR open beta, visit www.warhammeronline.com/openbeta.
Available for PC, Warhammer Online is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. WAR will be the first MMORPG to launch servers simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania when it goes live on September 18th, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.
FAIRFAX, Va. – August 6, 2008 – Hot on the heels of spectacular showings at E3 and Comic-Con, Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that fans will be able to enter the gritty fantasy world of Warhammer® Online: Age of Reckoning™ (WAR) on September 18th, 2008 when the highly-anticipated MMORPG goes live. After three years in development by Virginia-based Mythic Entertainment, WAR will open its North American, European and Oceanic servers and offer players a variety of flexible subscription options. Gamers who pre-order WAR in North American will enjoy special benefits including open beta admission, a live game head start, and bonus in-game items.
Based on Games Workshop’s epic and longstanding tabletop fantasy war game, WAR is a unique MMORPG that features revolutionary Realm vs. Realm™ (RvR) gameplay that will immerse players in a world of perpetual conflict for years to come. WAR has been recognized for its unique play style that appeals to novice MMO players while offering incredible depth for more seasoned players.
Consumer demand for WAR is mounting with all units of the game’s Collector’s Edition having been pre-sold in North America. In addition, the title is receiving significant media attention, picking up numerous critic awards at this year’s E3, including “Best PC Game” from G4’s XPlay, “Best MMO” from IGN and Voodoo Extreme, and “Top 10 PC Game” from GameSpy, as well as being nominated for the prestigious Game Critic’s Awards “Best PC Game”.
“The countdown has officially begun. Mark your calendars! September 18th is the Day of Reckoning,” said Mark Jacobs, founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. “For the last three years, the entire team at Mythic has poured their hearts into making Warhammer Online the next great MMORPG. We are so excited to open up this world and share it with the fans that will live in it, quest in it, go to war in it and make it come alive.”
Fans looking forward to laying siege to their enemy’s capital city will have several pricing options available, beginning with a $14.99 monthly subscription. Additionally, collectible 30- and 60-day prepaid Game Time™ Cards will be available at many game retailers. WAR subscription options include:
* Monthly Subscription: $14.99 USD
* 3-Month Subscription: $41.97 ($13.99 per month)
* 6-Month Subscription: $77.94 ($12.99 per month)
Players can now pre-order their copy of WAR to secure their spots on the frontlines with a special pre-order package that includes:
* Open beta admission: Pre-order customers can experience the glory of battle and the thrill of WAR by participating in the open beta test.
* Head Start program: Players can begin their adventures in the Age of Reckoning before the game’s official launch.
* Bonus in-game items: Players can equip their characters with two bonus in-game items by pre-ordering from select retail partners.
* Universal Fighting System™ Battle Deck: The Emperor Karl Franz and Tchar’zanek, dread Champion of Tzeentch, go head-to-head in this exclusive collectible card game from Fantasy Flight Games. (Available in a limited supply from select retailers.)
Participating pre-order partners include Amazon.com, Best Buy, Circuit City, Direct2Drive, EAStore.com, EB Canada, EB Games, Fry’s, Futureshop, GameCrazy, GameStop, GoGamer.com, and Walmart.com. (Pre-order offers will vary by retailer.) The European pre-order program is scheduled to begin in late August. For more information about the North American pre-order program, visit www.warhammeronline.com/preorder.
Available for the PC, WAR is rated “T” for TEEN by the ESRB. WAR will be the first MMORPG to launch servers simultaneously in North America, Europe, and Oceania when it goes live on September 18th, 2008. For more information, visit http://www.warhammeronline.com/.
New York, NY – August 6, 2008 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce that Grand Theft Auto IV will be arriving on the PC on November 18th and 21st in North America and Europe, respectively.
“We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can’t wait for people to play it.”
Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City , the latest installment in the enormously successful Grand Theft Auto series features a painstakingly detailed and life-like city for players to explore; a rich, immersive narrative experience; an original soundtrack highlighting the cultural eclecticism of Liberty City ; and newly expanded multiplayer just for the PC.
For more information please visit: http://www.rockstargames.com/IV
SAN RAFAEL, CA, August 5, 2008 – Telltale Inc., the leader in interactive episodic entertainment, is announcing that “Homestar Ruiner”, the first of five monthly Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People episodes, will premiere Monday, August 11. “Homestar Ruiner” will release on Nintendo’s WiiWare™ download service in North and South America and worldwide on PC simultaneously. WiiWare availability for Europe, Australia and New Zealand will follow shortly.
As the star of the popular Homestarrunner.com web cartoons, Strong Bad has been answering emails (in boxing gloves), pranking his friends, pummeling his enemies, and making people with questionable taste snort milk out of their noses for years. Now he’s branching out to star in the monthly Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People series developed in partnership with Homestarrunner.com creators Mike and Matt Chapman.
In the season premiere, Strong Bad’s plans to beat the snot out of his rival Homestar Runner backfire, and he ends up with an unwanted houseguest cramping his style. Now he needs to get life back to normal, by any means possible. Comical point-and-click gameplay progresses the story, with side quests, mini games, achievements, and an “extended play” sandbox mode that unlocks after the story is completed rounding out the game experience.
“Homestar Ruiner is a great series premiere and kick-off for the season. The next five months will be filled with lots of surprises,” says Telltale CEO Dan Connors. “This is how we always envisioned episodic gaming—monthly releases, straight into the living room. We’re happy to be working with the Chapmans and Nintendo to make it a reality.”
New Strong Bad episodes can be downloaded from the Wii™ Shop Channel each month for 1000 Wii Points™. The series takes advantage of the WiiConnect24™ technology by giving players the ability to send Strong Bad-themed emails to Wii friends directly from the Lappy. Photos taken using the in-game camera feature can be attached to emails, allowing players to show off Easter eggs uncovered or hidden costumes collected during the game.
“We are very excited,” said a Videlectrix spokesperson from his pretend high-rise office, “Our last game topped out at 8 bits. We’ve heard this one might reach 9 or 10!”
Downloadable versions of each Strong Bad episode will also be available for the PC exclusively from Telltale’s website, with preorders starting today at www.telltalegames.com/strongbad. Episodes can be purchased individually for $8.95 or as part of a five-episode subscription for $34.95. As with Telltale’s popular Sam & Max series, customers who purchase the full series from Telltale will later be eligible to get a disc version for the cost of shipping and handling.
After the “Homestar Ruiner” premiere on August 11, storylines in the monthly episodes will run the gamut from political struggles to rock’n roll to the world of videogames (of course), building to the exciting season finale in December. Many fan favorite characters from Free Country USA will appear in each episode, along with special new super 8-bit style mini-games from Videlectrix. Additional details about the series can be found at www.telltalegames.com/strongbad.
About Homestarrunner.com
Homestar Runner was conceived in 1996 by Mike Chapman and friend Craig Zobel as an idea for a weird kids’ book they would only make a few photocopies of for friends. In 2000, Mike and brother Matt dusted off the idea and launched Homestarrunner.com, featuring the Flash-animated exploits of the characters. Since 2002, they have updated with new cartoons almost every week including the popular feature ‘Strong Bad Email’ in which fans get their emails answered by the cartoon’s charming antagonist, Strong Bad. Mike and Matt write and animate the cartoons with Matt and Missy Palmer providing voices for the characters. The site has been featured and mentioned in the New York Times, Wired Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Time, The Wall Street Journal, and, most importantly, two songs from the site were featured in the Guitar Hero series.
I recently went out to Las Vegas for Midway’s Gamers Day at the Red Rock Resort. They showed a few games: NBA Ballers: Chosen One, Wheelman, TNA Impact, Unreal Tournament 3 Xbox 360, and This is Vegas were playable. They also announced a Mortal Kombat and DC Comics game, which looked like a MK fighter with Scorpion, Sub Zero, Superman, and Batman confirmed as characters. There was a lot of excitement in the crowd about that one. We wondered how the whole fatality thing would play out with the super heroes, for example, would DC want Superman to rip out his opponent’s skull and show it to him? They also announced sequels for Game Party and Touch Master as well as Blitz: The League.
There was a lot of talk, especially from Midway execs like Mark Booty, Interim President and CEO, about how Midway is reaping the benefits of centralization and standardization. The different studios share assets like game engines and design tools as well as knowledge. You could see how licensing the Unreal Engine and then using it to build every game is paying off in terms of how the games look, how complex the game play is, and how quickly they can come to market.
The big focus was on This is Vegas. The game is being made by Surreal Software in Seattle – they’ve been working on it for three plus years. It’s an open world of a likeness of Vegas where you gamble, party, race, and fight. It’s an ambitious project to create a world that big. This gives players the chance to live out “their Vegas fantasy.” It looked OK, nothing special in terms of graphics or audio. The focus has definitely been on game play. I did the dancing mini-game, the same that was shown during the press conference. I thought that it was fun. I wonder about it conceptually though. My concern is that by offering many types of game play it may end up asking players to play in ways that they don’t want to play, for example, the guy who wants to drive around and beat people up may not be the same guy who wants to enter a dance contest. But I talked to Darci Morales about this concern and she said that if you don’t want to play a particular mini-game you don’t have to. The point of all the mini-games is to build your buzz and gain experience and you could choose to do that however you want. I’m mainly interested in seeing how all of the different games and gaming mechanics translate into a holistic gaming experience. I think This Is Vegas is noteworthy because it looks like it’ll be a hell of an achievement for Surreal and Midway when it is done and it deserves merit if only for being a massive effort at establishing an open game play world with lots of variety. I’m not sure whether that translates into being a successful game in an overall sense. I’d get a better idea from a more in depth demo where I could see how the player goes from one mode to the other, how fluid that is, and how all of the different modes combine.
I met with Ubisoft the other day and talked to them about the games that they are working on for 2008. I saw a bunch of demos, and played some games. They even brewed a fresh pot of coffee for me.
Rainbow 6 Vegas 2 – It’s the 10 year anniversary of the franchise and it returns with a bigger (meaning more game play) story. Due out in March 2008. There’s a greater degree of character customization in equipment and experience points can be applied to better weapons. Enemy and squad AI is better. There’s been a huge expansion of co-op game play – friends can jump in and out of the game on the fly without restarting levels. It’s the same core game play as version 1 with simple team controls. They’ve worked hard to add verticality to the levels such as looking up and seeing an enemy through a skylight and then having to go outside and climb up onto the roof to get him. There’s destructible cover so you can’t sit in one spot and hide. You sort of have to think and plan rather than charge right in. There are 7 locations and each location has multiple scenarios.
Far Cry 2 – They set out to keep the best parts of the original. The intention is to keep it real yet exotic so this version takes place in Africa. There’s 50 square kilometers of open game world, mostly savanna with some jungle. All objects are coded meaning that nothing is just a stupid graphic so trees grow while you’re playing and everything can take damage. There’s wind and light from the sun that change as the day progresses. No mission will ever be exactly the same because there’s a randomness about how enemies are deployed; they’re not always in the same place at the same time. It’s fast paced and from what I saw there was a lot of fire which is always a good thing. One fascinating thing that Clint Hocking (Creative Director) brought up is that it is now cheaper in terms of utilizing system resources to create vegetation procedurally than it is to make it animated. The game is due out roughly around holiday 2008. It will be the same game on console as on PC with the PC version having higher resolution.
Petz Bunnyz – This cute little DS game is basically targeted at young girls who want to play with fluffy bunnies at Easter time. It’s not my kind of game, but if you have a daughter who wants to raise a virtual bunny and play with it then this would be a hit.
Review by Matt Congdon
Score: 2 out of 5
The first EA Sports game that I played was Madden 64. I was horrified. I explicitly asked for NFL QB Club 98 for Christmas, but I was stuck with madden (what does my mom know about football or games). In my eyes this game sucked hard. How can you make a game without an NFL license or endorsements? When wanting to play as the Patriots I was stuck with some team named “Foxboro”, not to mention that the graphics sucked and so did the game play. I would describe it the pinnacle of boring. I promised this would be the last EA Sports game I would buy.
Later in life, I got a PS2 and decided to give EA Sports another chance on a different console. I was thrilled at Madden 2001,. The game kicked ass, and it kept getting better as the years passed. EA Sports produced a string of brilliant games and that kept getting bigger and better. I thought this was the kind of company that was out for the players not the dollars. Their hockey and basketball games all were a lot of fun to play and somehow the developers improved them from year to year.
Of course, EA Sports let me down. They suck again, They have started a long down spiral, passing mediocre a year or two ago and they are now about as bad as I can imagine [[I’m trying to avoid obscenity. Sucks is ok, but I draw the line at shit. MDS]]. NBA LIVE 08 illustrates this point. This game is crap. EA Sports just threw money and a deadline at a development team. It is inexplicable to me how a company can mess up basketball so badly after having good editions for last generation consoles. The game looks alright on an HDTV, but on an SDTV looks very distorted and odd. It seems like there are a lot of fisheye type replay angles. There are so many flaws that, the decent game they might have had for PS2 is now damaged goods.
Bioshock
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Irrational Games
Rated M for Mature
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review by Matt Congdon
There are a few rare games out there that force you to play them; once you lay down that cash, you’re sucked in until you finish. Sure, many games have great stories (Final Fantasy X), and some have great game play (God of War), but few combine both into something so special that you just can’t quit. One such title this year that shouldn’t be missed any adult gamer looking for a bit of adventure.. The game creates an intriguing story, but it’s the gameplay that makes the story come alive. Too many games these days have stories that aren’t connected with the actual gameplay, but rather just feature boring cut scene movies–which the typical ADD gamer (such as myself) doesn’t really like to sit through. Bioshock’s story is delivered mostly through audio, which is transmitted to you via radio, so you’re listening to the story while shooting, dismembering and electrocuting baddies through Bioshock’s Levels.
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