Twin Galaxies’ Board of Referees have announced the continuance of an annual tradition: to offer cash bounties as prizes to gamers who can break world records on specific games titles, ranging from today’s Halo2 and Doom3, back to titles on the NES, Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivison and much more. Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies says: "Robert Mruczek, Tom Votava, Adam Wood and Billy Mitchell — all members of Twin Galaxies’ Board — have offered to pay out of their own pockets more than $20,000 in cash prizes for world-record high-scores on some of the most challenging games in … Continue reading Cash Offered For High Scores →

Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced the hiring of three key executives for the company's European operation. Games industry veterans Ed Bainbridge, Sean Ratcliffe and Michael Jacob have been named Director of European Production, Director of European Marketing and Executive Producer, respectively. "Attracting experienced high-caliber talent is the most critical element in building Buena Vista Games' operation in Europe," said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. "Ed, Sean and Mike bring a wealth of games industry experience to the company, and will play … Continue reading Buena Vista Hires New Europe Execs →

Ubisoft, one of the world's leading video game publishers, today announced that Tork: Prehistoric Punk has shipped in North America for the Microsoft Xbox. Play the role of Tork, a fearless, young cave boy who has seen his village destroyed and his father kidnapped. Travel through time using Tork's magical powers on an adventure in which he will encounter mythical creatures, morph into three special characters and visit beautiful landscapes. Tork: Prehistoric Punk is rated "E" for Everyone and has an MSRP of $19.99. "Tork: Prehistoric Punk is an enchanting, challenging video game with environments so breathtaking players will find … Continue reading UBI Ships Tork: Prehistoric Punk →

Major League Gaming (MLG), the official professional video game league for console game players, announced today two of its top players, Matthew "Zyos" Leto and Joe "Dyslexia" Renaud, are the recipients of one-year sponsorships from Nokia N-Gage. The move marks the first time a mobile phone manufacturer has entered into a relationship with professional video game players to serve as ambassadors for the promotion of video game properties and related company events. "We are delighted with the new relationship formed by Major League Gaming and Nokia N-Gage," said Michael Sepso, chief executive officer of MLG. "We were thrilled to have … Continue reading Gamers Get Nokia Sponsorships →

New research released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) shatters myths about the profile of typical American video game players, revealing that they regularly volunteer, exercise, and attend religious services. According to a survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, computer and video game players spend more than three times the amount of time exercising or playing sports, volunteering in the community, reading, or engaging in religious, creative, and cultural activities than they do playing video games. In total, gamers spend 23.4 hours per week on these activities, compared to 6.8 hours per week playing games. Avid gamers … Continue reading ESA Survey Finds New Gamer Trends →

Konami Digital Entertainment – America, a division of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., announced today a new Castlevania game for the Nintendo DS. Set in the year 2036, the newest title in the series continues the storyline that first emerged in the critically acclaimed Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for the Nintendo GameBoy Advance. While the new 2D side scrolling action game will contain all the classic gameplay that fans of the series have come to expect, Castlevania for DS (working title) will also incorporate innovative gameplay elements that take full advantage of the portable system’s powerful new technology. "The game’s rich … Continue reading Castlevania Coming to Nintendo DS →

Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (SOE), a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online gaming, today announced EverQuest: Dragons of Norrath, a new expansion for the incredibly popular PC Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), EverQuest. EverQuest: Dragons of Norrath is scheduled to be available at retail and for digital download from Sony Online Entertainment for U.S. $29.99 in February 2005 with a special incentive price for U.S. and European consumers who pre-order and digitally download directly from Sony Online Entertainment. "The EverQuest development team continues to deliver new content, adventures and features in yet another thrilling expansion pack for the world … Continue reading EverQuest Expands Again →

Konami Digital Entertainment – America, a division of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced that Suikoden IV for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system has shipped to retail stores nationwide. The company’s epic role-playing game (RPG) includes the long awaited return of the series’ signature 108 Stars of Destiny as well as an enhanced graphical interface and a new ground breaking battle system. "The Suikoden series has always delivered an enriched gameplay experience as well as added replay value through innovative battle sequences and unique storyline twists," said Dennis Lee, product manager at Konami Digital Entertainment – America. "Suikoden IV … Continue reading Konami Ships Suikoden IV →

IGE, the world's leading provider of value-added services to players and publishers of multiplayer online games, today announced the appointment of Steve Salyer as President and Eric Berk as Chief Financial Officer. The addition of the two veteran executives was announced today by IGE Chief Executive Officer Brock Pierce. Steve Salyer brings to IGE more than 25 years of experience in senior management roles in the interactive entertainment industry. Mr. Salyer comes to IGE following an extremely successful tenure as President, Business Development for leading video game publisher Ubi Soft Entertainment, where he helped orchestrate the acquisition of famed development … Continue reading IGE Adds Eric Berk →

United Talent Agency (UTA), one of Hollywood’s largest talent and literary agencies, today announced that Jonathan Epstein, a leading figure in the video gaming and interactive media worlds, has joined the agency. Epstein will be opening up the San Francisco office for UTA, marking the first time a major entertainment agency has established a presence in the heart of the electronic gaming and Internet businesses located in Northern California. With the addition of Epstein, the agency expects to significantly expand its current video game and interactive operations into new areas representing the convergence of gaming, filmed entertainment, and the marketing … Continue reading UTA Adds Jonathan Epstein →