Blizzard Entertainment today announced that World of Warcraft, its massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has surpassed the 1.5 million subscriber mark*, underscoring the game's continued success around the world. Building on its record-breaking debuts in North America, Korea, and Europe, World of Warcraft has reached global peak concurrency – the number of subscribers playing at the same time in each market – of more than 500,000 players. "All of us at Blizzard are extremely gratified and amazed at the international demand for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, president of Blizzard Entertainment. "From region to region, we've seen a … Continue reading World of Warcraft Breaks More Records →

Vivendi Universal today announced that VU Games has completed the purchase of leading independent console developer, Radical Entertainment. Under the agreement, VU Games will retain Radical’s team of more than 200 development professionals, as well as acquire the studio’s exclusive game development technologies. Radical’s founder Ian Wilkinson has been named President, Radical Entertainment, and the studio will remain in Vancouver, Canada. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. "The purchase of Radical Entertainment reinforces our commitment to strengthening VU Games’ creative talent and internal console development capabilities," said Bruce Hack, CEO of VU Games. "Radical’s focus will remain on … Continue reading Vivendi Buys Radical Entertainment →

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and SEGA are pleased to announce that today, hundreds of thousands of players can now jack into The Matrix Online, a massively multi-player online game (MMOG), to participate in the continuing saga of The Matrix franchise. Developed by Monolith Productions, directed by the Wachowski Brothers and co-published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and SEGA, The Matrix Online is launching for the PC today in North America and April 8, 2005 in Europe. The Matrix Online’s story continues after the third film, The Matrix Revolutions, ended with Zion and the Machines in an uneasy truce. Capturing the … Continue reading The Matrix Online Launches →

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS) today revealed that acclaimed Hollywood writer/director John Milius to be the screenwriting talent behind the WWII storyline of Medal of Honor European Assault, the latest from the widely successful Medal of Honor franchise. A graduate of the prestigious USC film school, Milius shared an Academy Award nomination with Francis Ford Coppola for the screenplay of Apocalypse Now (1979) and is perhaps best known for writing and directing fast-paced action films such as Dillinger (1973), Conan the Barbarian (1982), and Red Dawn (1984). Film fans may also recognize his signature style within the many memorable lines and … Continue reading Director John Milius Joins Medal Of Honor Team →

Got Game Entertainment LLC and co-publisher Merscom LLC today announced that "Laser Squad Nemesis" for North American release has gone gold. Developed by Nick and Julian Gollop, the team behind the "X-Com" games, "Laser Squad Nemesis" brings a new addiction to tactical warfare gamers. With its unique and innovative turn-based combat system, combined with the action of real-time strategy games, players plot battle orders, test them, and watch the results unfold as the forces of the Laser Marines, Greys, Machina, and Spawn fight for supremacy. Retailing for $19.99 (USD) and rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB for Blood and … Continue reading Laser Squad Nemesis Goes Gold →

Game Trust, the global leader in premium play infrastructure for casual games, announced today that five finalists have been selected in the first "Casual Game Evolution Challenge," co-sponsored by Shockwave.com and Macromedia. Open to any and all game developers, the contest launched before GDC seeking to identify the best single-player Shockwave game concepts for online, tournament, and download play. The contest was designed to help developers successfully release their games and to help the casual game market evolve with innovative new game concepts. The five finalists will be awarded Game Trust licensing contracts with a revenue share and guaranteed distribution … Continue reading Casual Game Finalists Announced →

Konami Digital Entertainment – America, a division of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today shipped Metal Gear Acid (MGA) to retail stores nationwide, in preparation for the upcoming launch of the PSP handheld entertainment system on March 24, 2005. The newest addition to the heavily-lauded Metal Gear franchise combines the renowned stealth action with new emphasis on tactical turn-based strategy. MGA takes gamers on an exciting new espionage adventure in which they assume the role of Snake, a top secret U.S. agent, who must infiltrate a remote base and uncover the secrets of a mysterious research project in order to save … Continue reading Metal Gear Acid Ships For PSP →

Dress-up dolls in Fashion Cents, our award-winning fashion puzzle game for girls! My Game Company is pleased to announce the release of Fashion Cents 1.6, the latest version of the innovative and highly addictive dress-up game that is capturing the hearts of girls around the world. In this original puzzle game, you must create matching outfits from a random assortment of clothing items. Every time you create a new outfit, you score! Fashion Cents gives you a wide assortment of hats, tops, bottoms, and shoes in a variety of colors and styles. Your objective is to combine these items into … Continue reading Fashion Cents Game Released →

Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR) today announced that Act of War: Direct Action, a near-future, techno-thriller for personal computer, featuring a story created by New York Times best-selling author Dale Brown has shipped to retailers nationwide. "Atari is excited to see this innovative game make its debut on retail shelves nationwide," said Wim Stocks, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Atari. "This is an opportunity for Atari to answer the call from consumers worldwide who want more from their interactive entertainment experience." Act of War: Direct Action is a graphically stunning and frighteningly plausible tale of suspense, international intrigue … Continue reading Atari Ships Dale Brown's Act of War →

One of Japan's most critically acclaimed games arrives stateside, as Majesco (NASDAQ: MJES), a provider of diversified offerings and content for digital entertainment platforms, today announced Phantom Dust has shipped to retail stores nationwide. Available exclusively for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, for a suggested retail price of $19.99, Phantom Dust features Xbox Live support, enabling players to compete, trade skills, and share statistics online. "First introduced in Japan, Phantom Dust quickly became a hit for its unique combination of fast-paced action, striking graphics and competitive multi-player capabilities via Xbox Live," said Ken Gold, Majesco's vice president of … Continue reading Phantom Dust Jumps From Japan →