From the press release:

Today, 2K Games released the original score to BioShock as a free download on The Cult of Rapture website. The score was created by film, television and video game composer Garry Schyman and features a combination of early twentieth century writing, aleatoric elements, musique concrete, traditional tonal and late romantic styles that capture the distinct retro-futuristic aesthetic of the game. To download the score for free, please visit The Cult of Rapture at: http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture.

From the press release:

LYON, FRANCE – Atari today announced the forthcoming release of Lucky Luke: Go West! for PC, Wii and Nintendo DS, an action packed platform game based on the adventures of legendary animated cowboy Lucky Luke in the forthcoming full-length animated feature film ‘Go West!’. The film is slated for December 2007 release in France and other European territories, following the video game launch in the autumn.

“Following the great success Infogrames has enjoyed with the Lucky Luke license in the past, we are extremely pleased to be working with licensor Lucky Comics and film producer Xilam on a brand new Lucky Luke product,” said Mathias Hautefort, Executive Vice President of publishing and production, Atari. “We are already working closely with them to ensure that this title delivers everything consumers expect from the license, and a high quality game.”

“We are very excited to have Atari bring our film to so many great game platforms,” said Marc du Pontavice, founder and President of Xilam. “We are very happy to be working closely with them to turn this story into such compelling gameplay.”

Inspired by the cucumber-cool cowboy’s adventures in the comic book ‘The Caravan’, Lucky Luke: Go West! lets players jump into his spurred boots for a thrill-a-minute journey escorting the notorious Dalton brothers to New York to stand trial. Of course, the Daltons do what they do best – they escape, rob banks, wreak havoc and blow stuff up. Throw in the tenacious Lucky Luke, his faithful steed Jolly Jumper, tribes of deadly Indians, cops by the cart-load, and a vast wagon train where the Daltons mislay their ill-gotten gains and the result is a wild world of hilarious new western adventures.

Play as a selection of different characters from the famous stories, including the Daltons and of course Luke himself, through the fun and colourful environments from the parched western desert to the mean streets of the Big Apple. A host of frenetic mini-games will test much more than the speed of the player’s draw with chaotic shooting, drawing, steering, dancing and music games. Take on the story mode solo or invite up to 3 friends to join in for party mode mayhem and see who really does have the fastest draw in the west.

Shooting faster than his shadow, Lucky Luke fights crime and injustice across the wild plains of the old west. Lucky Luke is one of the most popular and best-selling comic-book series in Europe with more than 250 million comic books sold in 20 countries. A total of 80 comic books, four feature length animated cartoons, two live action films, three cartoon series and five video games have been released to date, and the award-winning ‘The New Adventures of Lucky Luke’ animated TV series is currently broadcast in more than 20 countries worldwide from France to Indonesia.

Developed by Tate Interactive (Wii, PC) and Neko (DS), Lucky Luke: Go West! is scheduled for release across Europe this autumn, followed by the feature film ‘Go West!’.

From the press release:

New York, NY – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that it will publish Borderlands™, the latest release from acclaimed developer Gearbox Software, for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®. As the first title in an all-new sci-fi action franchise, Borderlands combines the best elements of Gearbox Software’s famed first-person action titles with player customization and vehicular combat to create an unprecedented gaming experience.

Gearbox Software has developed revolutionary new technology to create Borderlands’ incredible layers of gameplay depth. Borderlands features a groundbreaking content generation system allowing for near-endless variety in missions, environments, enemies, weapons, item drops and character customization.

“Borderlands represents an important evolutionary leap in game design and technology,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “By utilizing revolutionary new technology to create thousands of unique, randomly generated missions, weapons and situations, Borderlands will raise the bar for next gen action games.”

Borderlands is an extraordinary cooperative experience, allowing for multiple players to share the same game experience simultaneously online. Players can freely join or leave each other’s games at anytime, or choose to play in the full single-player mode. Borderlands features life-like character animations, impressive real-time physics, and customizable vehicles.

“Borderlands creates a universe of gameplay that goes far beyond anything anyone would expect. We’re tapping into every bit of Gearbox Software’s experience with the biggest science fiction video game franchises, then taking everything way past the next level,” said Randy Pitchford, President of Gearbox Software. “The team at 2K Games shares our passion for pushing boundaries in gameplay and storytelling and are absolutely perfect partners for Borderlands.”

Borderlands will be available holiday 2008 for PLAYSTATION 3 system, Xbox 360 and Games for Windows®.

From the press release:

Durham, USA – Funcom is proud to reveal the world’s first MMO concert delivered via in-game video feed delivery. The popular US band “All American Rejects” will have a unique virtual concert for the many citizens of Rubi-Ka this Sunday, perfectly merging technology and music from the 21 st century with a game set 25,000 years into the future.

While some games have had virtual avatars of bands performing in their virtual worlds, this will be the first known concert via dynamic mega size screens, delivered through technology developed by Microsoft Corp.’s Massive. Gamers will see the band’s performance, hear them and be able to mingle in the giant concert arena specifically designed for this historical event.

The concert is available free of charge to all players of Anarchy Online, and all they need to do to see it is to opt to toggle on viewing of the commercial advertising billboards in the game during the event. New players to the game can simply go to www.anarchy-online.com to download the free client, but since the event is secured via a sponsorship deal with a major U.S Telecom provider it can only be seen by North American gamers. With time Funcom hope that it is possible to expand the offering to global users, as well as providing other encore events.

Craig Morrison, the Producer / Director on Anarchy Online stated, “Virtual world entertainment is definitively expanding, and this historical opportunity to bring a concert to our players is something we have wanted to do for years. We know how much our players love music, whether it’s the award winning soundtracks from the game, listening to the in-game radio station GridStream or bringing their own, and now they will get to experience yet another level of interaction thanks to Microsoft Corp.’s Missive’s unique technology.”

Anarchy Online is well known for innovations in the gaming industry, and Funcom has been a pioneer on everything from instancing in MMOs to digital download and the introduction of dynamic in-game advertising billboards. The world’s first sci-fi MMO keeps on attracting scores of gamers, and with this move Funcom is once again stating its commitment to the continued development of the game.

Funcom hopes that this historical concert is but a first stepping stone for a technology with staggering potential. As the opportunities in virtual worlds expand, the company will continue to explore new venues with world-class partners, both in Anarchy Online and in future Funcom games. Check out www.anarchy-online.com for detailed event information, and come join Rubi-Ka this weekend!

From the press release:

NCsoft proudly present a piece on Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa entitled “Unleash the Power of LOGOS”.

“Unleash the Power of LOGOS”

Thousands of years ago, an Ancient Species known as the Eloh, made a great discovery. They uncovered a key to a powerful science unifying all known theories of physics. With this key, they were able to unlock answers to the fundamental questions of the Universe that explain the nature of all matter and energy. This knowledge allowed them to develop Logos, a way to manipulate matter, energy, and force in unique and powerful ways.

With the power of LOGOS at their disposal, they began exploring the universe. By folding space to quickly cross vast distances, they visited galaxies of all sizes in a quest to meet other sentient life. The Eloh shared their knowledge with all whom could comprehend this powerful truth. But sharing such knowledge and giving other LOGOS-receptive beings the ability to manipulate matter, energy, and force would eventually trigger an intergalactic war between the Eloh and the Bane, resulting in the enslavement of many species and ensuring the Bane’s place as our oppressors.

Like any science, LOGOS can be used for great advancement and discovery, or great destruction and oppression. Though the enemy has access to the knowledge of LOGOS, like all beings the Eloh visited, they are not able to harness its full power. Luckily for the members of the Allied Free Sentients, Bane usage of this power has always been volatile and unpredictable. Whether it is lack of training, lack of discipline, or an incomplete understanding of the power they hold, the Bane have never been able to master LOGOS. We must exploit this weakness. Our mastery of LOGOS is what will ensure our success and grant us freedom from our oppressors.

In Tabula Rasa, you are a LOGOS-receptive soldier of the AFS, and are able to learn the language of LOGOS at shrines throughout the worlds you travel to. Not only can your knowledge of LOGOS be used to activate special abilities that can help the AFS win this war, but the ancient symbols you uncover can also unlock hidden locations where you can further your training and enhance your skills. Ancient secrets will be revealed to you as you collect more and more LOGOS to your tablet.

LOGOS abilities will allow you to harness the very fabric of the cosmos. Use this power to defeat the Bane and secure our future!

From the press release:

ANAHIEM,CA - Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. today announced plans for the second expansion to World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Unveiled at the company’s BlizzCon™ gaming festival before an audience of more than 8,000 gamers, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King™ will open the forbidding wasteland of Northrend to exploration by the hardiest adventurers. New levels of power, challenging new dungeons and encounters, an exciting new character profession, and the game’s first hero class are just some of the new features awaiting players in Wrath of the Lich King.

“This expansion will add some of the most infamous characters and settings from the Warcraft® universe to World of Warcraft,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment®. “In addition to new story content, Wrath of the Lich King will introduce a number of features specifically requested by players over the past couple of years. We’re looking forward to sharing further details with everyone as development progresses.”

Players last visited Northrend in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne™, when Arthas Menethil fused with the spirit of Ner’zhul to become the Lich King, one of the most powerful beings in the Warcraft universe. He now broods atop the Frozen Throne deep in Icecrown Citadel, clutching the rune blade Frostmourne and marshaling the undead armies of the Scourge. In Wrath of the Lich King, the forces of the Alliance and the Horde will venture into battle against the Scourge amid Northrend’s howling winds and fields of jagged ice.

Building on the foundation established in World of Warcraft and The Burning Crusade, Wrath of the Lich King will add a rich variety of content to an already massive game. New features coming with the game’s second expansion include:

• Death Knight Hero Class: Create a high-level Death Knight character - the game’s first hero class - once certain challenges have been met.
• Increased Level Cap: Advance to level 80 and gain potent new talents and abilities along the way.
• Northrend: Explore the harsh new continent of Northrend, packed with new zones, quests, dungeons, monsters, and items - and do battle with the undead armies of the Lich King.
• “Inscription” Profession: Learn this exciting new profession and gain unique ways to permanently enhance spells and abilities in the game.
• Siege Weapons and Destructible Buildings: Take the battle to another level with new player-vs.-player game mechanics and new battlefields to wage war on.
• New Character Customization: Change how characters look and express themselves, with different hairstyles and dance animations.

From the press release:

Chertsey, UK – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Crytek, award-winning developers of Far Cry, today announced that CrysisTM, will be hitting retail stores in North America and Europe on November 16, 2007 exclusively for the PC. A technical achievement featuring stunning DirectX 10 and DirectX 9 visuals, cunning gameplay, and an epic story, Crysis is recognised as one of the most anticipated PC games and first person shooters of 2007, recently winning Best PC game from the Game Critics Awards: Best of E3 2007.

“Crytek is constantly striving to push the boundaries of both game design and technology, while maintaining quality at the highest bar,” said Cevat Yerli, CEO and President of Crytek. “We’re thankful to our fans for their support and patience, and we’re excited to bring them Crysis this year. It’s going to be worth the wait.”

Offering true, open-ended gameplay, Crysis gives gamers an unparalleled amount of freedom that fosters completely unique gaming experiences. Players are outfitted with a revolutionary Nanosuit and an arsenal of fully customizable weapons, giving them a wide array of options not only in approaching the entire game, but every single objective or individual encounter. And they will need every advantage they can get going head to head against a menacing and highly intelligent alien threat amid dynamic, hostile battlefields that range from lush, tropical jungles, flash-frozen landscapes and a horrifying zero gravity environment.

Crysis also breaks new ground in multiplayer with the introduction of PowerStruggle – a unique team-based strategic mode for up to 32 players, where opposing sides battle for control of advanced weaponry and vehicles to overcome their enemies. For those who prefer the pulse-pounding action of deathmatch, Crysis will also feature an Instant Action mode, with the highly adaptive Nanosuit serving as the ultimate tool to outwit your opponents.

Crysis has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

From the press release:

Pasadena, CA - VestGame Entertainment has announced that ‘Magic Ages’, its first fantasy MMORPG, will be ready for its North America release by the end of September. The company will soon also reveal the launch date for its closed beta testing.

Set against the backdrop of an enchanted land and seeped in Norse and religious mythology, ‘Magic Ages’ is an immersive 2.5D MMORPG which has been in development for over one year. On the eve of Lucifer’s escape from hell, the game plunges its players into an ancient war between two rival human kingdoms torn apart by hatred and on the verge of destruction. Having been tested and proven in the Asian market for eight months, the game’s developers feel confident that Magic Ages will provide a compelling alternative to existing free MMOs. With its appealing graphics, rich plotline and variety of game options, ‘Magic Ages’ is expected to become a landmark for free MMORPGs. Along with its strong guild system which enables players to collaborate and compete with each other, Magic Ages also enhances the interactive experience by integrating an innovative audio and video chat system into the game environment.
For more information go to http://www.magicages.com/.

From the press release:

This year’s Games Convention, from 22nd – 26th August in Leipzig, will be the world’s biggest game event in 2007. More than 180,000 visitors are expected and journalists from all over the world will see the next generation of games.

This is the right place and the right time to present world exclusively „THEY“. The next generation mystery first person shooter for PC and next generation consoles will be unveiled at Leipzig Games Convention!

„THEY“ are huge – „THEY“ are different – „THEY“ are hostile!

Be one of the selected media to see a thirty minutes behind closed doors presentation – at the Business Center, Hall 1, IMC booth K36. By appointment only the brains behind „THEY“ will present the first playable scenes of this FPS, so mysterious, so stunning and so amazing – that „THEY“ might become one of the most anticipated world premiere titles from this year’s Games Convention!

„THEY“ features a technically future minded 3D engine with next generation effects, brand new gameplay elements and a revolutionary weapon system to survive the challenges ahead! But always remember: Nothing is as it seems!

For your personal 30 minute appointment please get in touch with our Head of Communication - Ingo Horn - preferably by phone or by email.

Facts and features:

Title: THEY
Platforms: PC & next generation console
Release date: 2008/2009
Genre: First person mystery shooter
Scenario: Near Future

- next generation 3D engine
- unique weapon system that makes you „love“ your weapons
- mysterious science fiction background story
- diversified enemies - thrilling and intelligent
- heroes to identify with
- heavy usage of physics
- destructible environment relevant for gameplay
- haunting single player mode
- versatile multiplayer modes

From the press release:

STORY:
As a galley slave you stand on the burning beaches of Tortage. With no memory of your past, a broken ore and tattered clothes you enter a fantastic journey where you will define your destiny. In a world filled with cruel gods, mythical creatures, lost civilizations and a struggling human race, Conan the mighty barbarian has finally seized the throne as king of Aquilonia; but his rule is on the brink of chaos as his nemesis Thoth-Amon attempts to resurrect the ancient civilization of Acheron.

DESCRIPTION:
Carve your destiny and fight along King Conan, in the first mature MMORPG. Advanced technologies, amazing graphics and stunning 7.1 surround sounds will immerse you in Robert E. Howard’s dark universe where magic and brutal combat lurk around every corner. Be the first to enter the savage world of Conan.

As a Massively Multiplayer Online PC gamer you will live in Conan’s Universe. Be the first to conquer the fantastic regions of Cimmeria, Aquilonia or Stygia. Be the first to own the Hyborian Ages and prove to the whole Online world you are worthy of Conan…your quest will begin on October 30th.

KEY FEATURES:

The First Mature Rated MMORPG – In the true and barbaric vision of Robert E. Howard, ‘Age of Conan’ promises to bring mature online players something brutal, new and refreshing. Age of Conan is savage, bloody, lethal, chilling, fantastic and mirthful; giving online gamers the chance to crush skulls, conquer the weak and unleash their fury.

Real Combat System - Fight mounted or on the ground. The new multi-point melee system delivers, for the first time ever, real-time combat. Team up in battle formations and command both Non-Playable-Characters and other players in epic multiplayer battles as well as joining massive sieges.

True Conan Experience – The first official Conan online Role Playing Game sends you on a brutal journey in the footsteps of the worlds’ greatest fantasy hero. Meet Conan’s friend and foes, battle demons and monsters known from 70 year of Conan history, and step up to the ultimate challenge: befriend the mighty King Conan himself.

Conan’s World - Enter a gigantic and unique world containing more than 30 distinct regions spread across the three mighty nations of Aquilonia, Cimmeria and Stygia. Explore deep jungles, burning deserts, inhospitable mountains, vast valleys, dark dungeons or gleaming cities, and venture in incredible journeys of exploration.

Advanced Technologies - Optimized for DirectX 10, Multi-core CPU and featuring Advanced Artificial Intelligence; Age of Conan takes advantage of the Dream World™ MMO Technology, delivering extremely detailed environments and real life physics…you won’t believe you’re playing a game.

Player vs. Player and Player vs. Environment - Meet the ultimate resistance in human opponents, and crush the skulls of other players in arena fights, drunken brawls and sieges. Charge into the world of Conan, and fight monsters and demons alone or in groups.

Guild and Solo Gameplay - Form guilds and lay siege to hostile castles. Let the catapults sing their merry song of death as the enemy is brutally crushed to a pulp. Team up with other players in clans or experience an amazing journey deep into the lands of Hyboria, alone.

Diverse Gameplay – Age of Conan delivers what every fan of MMOs loves: player-made cities, skilled crafts, classes and numerous social opportunities which are all but a few ingredients in this savage mature Role Playing Game.

Character Customization – Let your imagination run wild with thousands of options. Create your character and shape it up to fit the role and style you want to play.

Amazing Graphics - Featuring Real Time Dynamic Soft Shadows, Dynamic Weather System, advanced Shaders and an amazing art direction; the graphics will immerse you into a world as never seen before.

7.1 Surround Sound – Feel the powerful sound effects and epic soundtrack in 7.1 surround sound. Listen to gripping voices and dynamic sounds pulling you into the savage world of Conan.

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