Available in retail outlets worldwide beginning this week, Activision Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Tony Hawk's Underground 2 catapults players into an all-out skating blitzkrieg led by skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and Bam Margera, the star of MTV's "Jackass" and "Viva La Bam." The game delivers a hilarious new story mode and a classic mode that features signature Tony Hawk's Pro Skater goals and levels, as well as more customization and moves than the skate gods could dream of. Conquering sick terrain, wreaking havoc and pulling off mischievous pranks on and off their boards, players are sent on a crazy adventure and … Continue reading Tony Hawk's Underground 2 Ships →

A New Media Writers Caucus has been formed by the Writers Guild of America, west to address the professional needs of writers working in this area of entertainment. "There are now three major categories of screen-based entertainment: TV, movies, and games," said WGAw secretary-treasurer Patric Verrone. "We feel that new media writers and writer-designers deserve the same support and recognition that the guild offers other professional screenwriters." The Caucus launch party will be held on October 14, 2004, at 7 p.m. at WGAw headquarters: 7000 West Third Street, Los Angeles, including a demonstration of the online New Media Writers Directory. … Continue reading Caucus Forms To Support Game Writers →

Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that soccer stars Andriy Shevchenko, Fernando Morientes, and Oswaldo Sanchez will serve as the North American spokesmen for FIFA Soccer 2005, scheduled for release this fall under the EA SPORTSâ„¢ brand. The FIFA Soccer franchise, celebrating its 11th season this year, introduces Sanchez and the entire 18-team Mexican League for the first time to the game. "Becoming a FIFA cover athlete is an incredible honor," said Sanchez, a native of Guadalajara, Mexico. "I love EA SPORTS, especially the FIFA franchise. To think that my likeness is in the game, and that all the great … Continue reading Soccer Cover Athletes Announced →

CDV Software Entertainment today announced that Codename: Panzers, Phase One for PC has invaded North American retail store shelves. Codename: Panzers offers gamers an unprecedented real-time strategy experience focusing on key battles of World War II. Developed by Hungarian studio Stormregion, Codename: Panzers, Phase One thrusts you into the fast-paced battles of World War II with 30 missions split into three campaigns. Whether played in war-torn towns, bleak mountain landscapes or treacherous swamps, Codename: Panzers offers real-time combat with stunning 3D graphics. Create your combat force from over 100 finely detailed units: a flame-throwing squad, a Soviet "Stalin Organ" rocket … Continue reading CDV Releases Codename: Panzers To US →

Games companies looking to commercialise their games in Asia have another reason to cheer. Hot on the heels of the launch of the Games Bazaar1, a regional pay-as-you-use test-and-hosting platform, the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) today launched the Games Exchange Alliance (GXA). The GXA is a Singapore-Inc network of companies. It helps games companies cross ‘last-mile' commercialisation hurdles to place games titles into the hands of gamers in Asia. Each GXA member provides their respective strengths in games distribution, hosting, localisation and marketing to shorten the time-to-market for games companies. Initiated by IDA, the GXA is managed by … Continue reading Singapore Launches Games Exchange Alliance →

Matrix Games and Koios Works are pleased to announce that the innovative new wargame, Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great, has Gone Gold and is due to release in Early October, 2004. Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great is wargaming with a classic style. Easy to learn but difficult to master, it places you in the role of Alexander the Great during his conquest of the known world. Guide Alexander through his grand campaign from inheriting his father's legacy at the battle of Thebes to his conquest of Darius III and the Persian Empire through his last great battle at the Hydaspes, … Continue reading Alexander The Great Game Goes Gold →

Game Developer magazine’s October issue features the 2nd annual report on the Top 20 game publishers. This market defining study profiles the world’s leading game publishers, analyzes the types of games the companies release and explores their relationships with external studios. The publication enhanced the credibility of the annual report by overhauling the criteria used for ranking. Although revenue is still a key factor, this year’s survey also measured game review scores, number of titles canceled, producer quality and the catalog of original IP to determine rankings. As a result of expanding criteria, the Top 20 list had a few … Continue reading Top 20 Publishers Named →

Alawar Entertainment (www.Alawar.com), a leading publisher of shareware games for players of all ages, has released Strike Ball, a 3D accelerated brick-busting game from Owl Studio. As in Alawar's popular Magic Ball game, the player uses a bat at the bottom of the screen to hit a ball that destroys bricks at the top of the display. To set itself apart, Alawar's new arcade offering allows the player to demolish elaborate animated scenes taken from the real world. Among the scenarios in Strike Ball is a level in which three battleships are attacking an enemy fortification. Players also have the … Continue reading Alawar Releases New Shareware Title →

They have come relentlessly. Like an army of Uruk Hai, they have come. Month after month, the fans have come to www.LOTR.com to hear the music. More than a million have come, downloading MP3 after MP3 of Chance Thomas’ original music from Vivendi-Universal Games’ Lord of the Rings series. "The response to Chance’s music at LOTR.com has been fantastic," says Guy Welch, web marketing manager for VU Games. "Chance's delivery of web-ready files, online liner notes, and behind-the-scenes photography helped us quickly create a unique way for fans to experience this brand." By the end of August 2004 the total … Continue reading LOTR Game Music Gets Million Downloads →

Sidhe Interactive announced today that they will offer scholarships to the value of $4,000 for students who wish to study on Media Design School’s Graduate Diploma of Game Development. "The New Zealand game development industry has experienced solid growth in recent years", commented Mario Wynands, Managing Director of Sidhe Interactive. "We are delighted to help ensure this growth is sustainable by offering opportunities to emerging, talented individuals". Sidhe will grant one scholarship per intake for first year students, based upon candidates’ skills and abilities, motivations and evidence of financial hardship. Media Design School will match the value of the scholarship … Continue reading Sidhe Offering Game Design Scholarships →