EA Opens It’s Doors In Russia

Electronic Arts Inc., the world’s leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment, today announced the creation of a new EA entity in Russia. The new office, established to directly serve Russian consumers and retailers, is another step in the company’s growth strategy in Central and Eastern Europe and adds to EA’s global presence in over 40 markets outside of North America. EA intends to contribute to the rapidly growing market for interactive entertainment in Russia. The Moscow-based team will focus on bringing more localized game offerings to Russian players, more direct engagement with the gaming community and greater collaboration with retail partners.

At an event planned later today in Moscow, EA will host members of the government, industry and media to outline plans for bringing the best and latest innovations in interactive entertainment to Russia. Later this year, two of EA’s most popular franchises among Russian consumers, Need for Speed and FIFA Football, will launch in fully localized Russian versions for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system, adding to the company’s existing portfolio of games localized in Russian for the PC.

“Russia represents a significant opportunity for the games industry,” said Peter Laughton, EA Vice President and General Manager of Central and Eastern Europe. “This is a very dynamic marketplace, with a world class retail environment and consumers who have the intellect and appetite for interactive entertainment. We’re looking forward to bringing tailored offerings to Russian consumers that incorporate local language, music, and celebrities into some of our most popular titles”.

The Russian video game market is estimated at $250 million today, and is expected to more than double in the next three to five years. An increasing number of gaming consoles, PCs and game-enabled mobile phones will encourage the trend, along with compelling games content and a vibrant retail environment.

Protect Your Right to Play Games, Join The Video Game Voters Network!

The Video Game Voters Network is a place for American gamers to organize and defend against threats to video games by registering to vote and letting Congress know how important this issue is to the community. Without a critical mass of adult video game players who are registered to vote and willing to stand firmly behind their games, politicians will continue to fire criticism at games and game players in order to score easy points for their political campaigns.

Video games are fully protected speech under the Constitution, and receive the same First Amendment protection as books, movies, music and cable television programs. The Network opposes efforts to regulate the content of entertainment media, including proposals to criminalize the sale of certain games to minors, or regulate video games differently from movies, music, books, and other media. The Network also enables gamers to stay educated about issues, reach out to federal, state, and local officials, and register to vote. The Video Game Voters Network is a project sponsored by the Entertainment Software Association, a trade group representing America’s video game publishers.

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The Video Game Voters Network brings you this web video about the attack on video games, which is in the spirit of a game trailer. The “Fight For Video Games” trailer shows how politicians and media critics have set their sights on video games, just as they have with comic books, movies and music before, but now you can ensure they lose this struggle, just as they lost in other battles against free speech.

Do your part to raise awareness of the attacks on video games and help promote the “Fight For Video Games” Trailer - Watch It, Share It, Comment on It, and Embed It on your website.

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe PreView Screenshots

Publisher: Activision, Inc.
Developer: Next Level Games (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2) Artificial Mind & Movement (NDS, PSP) Beenox (PC)
Release Date: Fall 2007
SRP: TBD (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, NDS, PC)
ESRB Rating: “E10+” (Everyone 10 and older – Cartoon Violence) – Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, NDS, PC
“RP” (Rating Pending) – PSP

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Inspired by the Spider-Man film trilogy and the classic Spider-Man comics, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe challenges players to defeat and then join forces with notorious movie nemeses including Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Venom and Sandman, and embark on an epic quest to overcome a worldwide evil threat. Throughout the game’s original story and thrilling battles, fans control Spider-Man and one of numerous Super Hero or Super Villain sidekicks and master unique fighting moves and styles while switching between characters to execute team combos and defeat foes. For the first time ever in a Spider-Man game, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe features a unique co-op mode in which a friend can join the game at any time and take control of Spider-Man’s sidekick as they battle through the game side-by-side and replay favorite levels.

KEY FEATURES:

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe allows players to choose a sidekick from Spider-Man’s allies – Pick from a long list of Spider-Man’s powerful allies, like Blade and Iron Fist, and swap between the web-slinger and the chosen sidekicks at any time during gameplay. Each sidekick, good or evil, features their own unique attributes and powers that will assist Spider-Man throughout the game’s challenges.

Fight against movie Super Villains and then alongside them in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe – Using an innovative combat system, face off against and defeat some of the Spider-Man movies’ most notorious Super Villains such as Doc Ock, Sandman and Green Goblin, and then convert them to join Spidey’s list of potential sidekicks.

In Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, gamers team up in two-player co-op – A unique co-op mode lets friends join the game at any time and take control of Spider-Man’s sidekick. Playing in two-player co-op mode allows gamers to discover new ways to overcome obstacles and enemies. As players progress through the game, battle arenas are unlocked where raw one-on-one brawling with any Super Hero or Villain can take place at any time.

Come back for more, again and again, with Spider-Man: Friend or Foe – Replay the game or experience Versus mode with a different sidekick and eventually play as Black-Suited Spider-Man (Spidey’s darker, more aggressive persona) featuring unique powers and abilities. Throughout the different worlds, a host of secret areas containing special tokens can be discovered in the first play through, which players can go back and explore at any time. Gamers can also uncover a variety of hidden items scattered throughout the game which unlock collectables, powers and mini-games.

Skinit And Konami To Bring You Skins From Your Favorite Games

Konami will offer Skinit skins featuring popular Konami content, which include designs from its world-renowned video game properties such as Silent Hill, Dance Dance Revolution and others. Consumers will be able to personalize a variety of mobile devices with this premium content, including handheld video game systems, phones, laptops, mp3 players and more.

A dedicated online store front at http://konami.skinit.com provides consumers with a convenient way to choose, buy and ship their customized Konami skins. In addition, Konami customers will also be able to choose other designs from Skinit’s premium brand roster which includes the NBA, NFL, MLB, Star Wars, Disney, Colleges and many more. Skinit skins uniquely offer 3M Scotchprint( graphics, the highest quality product in the market, ensuring consumers experience a perfect fit, durability, exceptional image quality and easy residue free removal.

“Skinit skins offer consumers a fun and innovative way to personalize their mobile device while also providing Konami with great brand exposure,” said Kazumi Kitaue, CEO, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “We are looking forward to building this partnership and creating more opportunities to generate awareness and interest in Konami’s acclaimed properties.”

“Skinit is proud to partner with Konami to offer gaming enthusiasts a brand new personalization experience. Skinit skins allow them to express their affinities and individualize their devices while also helping Konami increase brand awareness. This partnership is also indicative of Konami’s confidence in our product, our robust infrastructure and our fulfillment process,” said Paul Buss, CEO Skinit Inc.

Activision Is #1!

Activision, Inc. is the #1 third-party U.S. console and handheld publisher for the first six months for this year 2007, according to The NPD Group. The company increased its market share over the six month period to a record 13.7%, a 5.1% increase over the same period last year. Activision is the #1 U.S. publisher on both the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation 2 system, according to The NPD Group. they also ranked as the #1 third-party publisher on the PLAYSTATION3 system and the Nintendo platforms in the U.S.

“Our record performance was fueled by strong sales of our proven franchises Guitar Hero II, Spider-Man 3 and Shrek The Third, as well as our new intellectual property TRANSFORMERS: The Game,” stated Robert Kotick, Chairman and CEO, Activision, Inc. “Our balanced portfolio has enabled us to continue our leadership position across the console and handheld platforms.”

EA Announces Medal of Honor Heroes 2 - Wii Zapper And PSP

Electronic Arts Inc. today announced Medal of Honor Heroes 2, a new game from the critically-acclaimed Medal of Honor franchise designed completely from the ground up for the Designed Specifically for the Wii and PSP and Featuring Support for the Wii Zapper. It’s June 6th, 1944, and the war is in your hands. Step into the boots of OSS Operative John Berg and infiltrate Normandy from behind enemy lines to undermine the Nazi regime. On both the Wii and PSP systems, choose to tackle all-new missions in traditional single player campaign or engage in massive, 32-player online, continuous-joining multi-player battles where you can jump into the battle at any time. The Wii version also features full support of the Wii Zapper (name not final), allowing for a more immersive WWII action than ever.

In addition to a full-fledged single player campaign, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 also features an all-new mode designed specifically for the Wii that simplifies game-play for players of all skills levels for easy pick-up-and-play action. This mode plays like an old-school rail shooter — the Wii moves you around, while you do your part–taking enemies out and achieving objectives. For the PSP, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 will deliver the most comprehensive shooter experience to date on the PSP, with robust single player campaign and on-the-go 32-player multi-player capability that allows you to battle it out, anytime and anywhere.

From the same team at EA Canada that brought you Medal of Honor Heroes for the PSP in 2006, Medal of Honor Heroes 2 will be available this holiday for the Wii and PSP. This game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

E3 - Game Trailers.. Game Trailers and More Trailers!

Well, I sat down and tried to find all the E3 2007 game trailers and previews I could get my little hands on. I have been able to put together about 40 at this time, more to come as soon as I can. Here is the List we have at this time.

Age Of Conan | Army Of Two | Assassin’s Creed | Blacksite Area 51 | Burnout Paradise | Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare | Destroy All Humans 3: Path Of The Furon | Enemy Territory Quake Wars | Fatal Inertia | General News And Rants | God Of War: Chains Of Olympus | Guitar Hero Iii: Legends Of Rock | Halo 3 | Halo 3 Campaign | Halo Wars | Haze | Heavenly Sword | Lost Odyssey | Madden NFL 08 | Mass Effect | Medal Of Honor : Airborne | Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots | Naruto: Rise Of Ninja | Nights Journey Of Dreams | Project Gotham Racing 4 | Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools Of Destruction | Resident Evil 5 | Socom: U.S. Navy Seals Tactical Strike | Soul Calibur Legends | Spider Man Friend Or Foe | Spore | Super Mario Galaxy | Syphon Filter: Logans Shadow | The Bourne Conspiracy | The Settlers Vi | Timeshift | Trailer | Turok Enemy Infiltration | Undertow | Unreal Tournament 3 | Viva Pinata Party Animals

All the Trailers listed can be viewed on our new E3 2007 Game Trailer page. If you Find more that are not listed here please let me know, I will get them added as soon as I can. The page can be slow waiting to on the trailers to load, but hang in it’s worth the wait.

E3 - Almost 40 New Game Fact Sheets And Still Going

With over 40 Fact Sheets already and E3 2007 is only 2 days old. I have placed the Game Fact Sheets here in one post. I call it “The E3 2007 Game Fact Sheets Roundup” I have gathered together all the Fact sheets I could find and posted them in one place to make looking for the info about your favorite game go much more smooth. Use the navigation links in the posts to make it faster to find what your looking for. Full Story »

E3 - Over 23 Game Trailers and Growing

Well, I sat down and tried to find all the E3 2007 game trailers and previews I could get my little hands on. I have been able to put together 23 at this time and more to come as soon as I can.

1. Halo 3 E3 2007 Trailer

2. Halo Wars E3 2007 Trailer

3. Halo 3 Campaign Trailer E3 2007

4. Lost Odyssey E3 2007 Trailer

5. Assassin’s Creed E3 2007 Trailer

6. Resident Evil 5 Trailer E3 2007

7. Call of Duty 4 : Modern Warfare Trailer E3 2007

8. Medal of Honor : Airborne Trailer E3 2007

9. Naruto: Rise of Ninja E3 2007 Trailer

10. Mass Effect Trailer E3 2007 Trailer

11. Viva Pinata Party Animals E3 2007 trailer

12. Madden NFL 08 E3 2007

13. Fatal Inertia Trailer E3 2007

14. Burnout Paradise E3 2007 Trailer

15. Undertow E3 2007 Trailer

16. TimeShift E3 2007 Trailer

17. Project Gotham Racing 4 E3 2007 Trailer

18. Soul Calibur Legends E3 2007 Trailer

19. NIGHTS journey of dreams E3 2007 Trailer

20. Spore E3 2007 Trailer

21. Age of Conan E3 2007 Trailer

22. Destroy All Humans 3: Path of the Furon E3 2007 Trailer

23. Blacksite: Area 51 E3 2007 Trailer

All the Trailers listed can be viewed on the new E3 2007 Game Trailer page. If you Find more that are not listed here please let me know I will get them added as soon as I can.

E3 - New Products For Wii, 360, PS3, and DS Lite

Nyko Technologies today announced their product lineup. The lineup includes new products for the Nintendo Wii , PlayStation 3, and the Nintendo DS Lite, including a new version of the popular Intercooler for the Wii, as well as all-new products such as the Zero for PS3 and Party Station for Wii. All products are currently slated to ship to retail in Fall of 2007.

The Intercooler for Wii is the next installment in Nyko’s popular line of console cooling solutions. The unit attaches easily to the back of the Wii, ensuring a perfect fit and cooler ambient temperature levels, thanks to a built-in fan that increases airflow circulation out from the unit’s main ventilation slot. For added convenience, the Intercooler also powers on and off with the console itself, as well as features a white finish that matches the original color scheme of the Wii.

For the ultimate in Wii party experiences, Nyko’s introduces The Party Station. Combining multiplayer conveniences with food and drink storage, the Party Station is one of the most unique Wii products, but also one of the most useful. Multiple LCD scoreboards allows gamers to keep track of multiplayer face-offs, while the Party Station’s built-in fan keeps hands cool during the most heated of tournaments. When it’s time to eat, the Party Station’s built-in snack and dip bowls keep the food coming, while drinks stay upright in four cup holders, including four supplied freezable cup sleeves to keep them chilled. Storage is also made simple with four slots to hold Wii remotes and a drawer to store accessories like SD cards and manuals. The Party Station is designed to maximize the social gaming experience unique to the Wii.

The Power Adapter for Wii provides gamers with a simple solution for powering their Wii console. The Power Adapter plugs into any standard wall outlet, and also features a built-in LED to indicate when the unit is connected to AC power as well as a visual modeling that compliments the Wii console.

All three new Nyko products for the Wii will ship in the Fall of 2007.

For the ultimate solution in PS3 gaming, the Zero Wireless Controller is the final word in wireless and convenient controller options. Continuing the popularity of Nyko’s Zero controller line, the PS3 Zero features a unique metal polymer hybrid design putting the most advanced controller into the hands of PS3 gamers. Able to provide up to 25 hours of continuous play with the included removable and rechargeable NiMH battery, the Zero also features a revolutionary wireless chipset that provides a reliable and accurate range of up to 30 feet as well as backlit LED buttons and precision analog sticks, buttons, and triggers for maximum durability. The controller is also equipped with a precise accelerometer that detects six different directions of motion for the most accurate game play experience. The Zero Wireless Controller is available in three distinct color schemes to match the tastes of any gamer.

DS Lite gamers needing a convenient carrying and charging solution for their portable handheld need look no further than Nyko’s Ultimate Kit Lite. The bundle comes in multiple color designs, and each includes a stylish, protective carrying case, matching car charger and DS styli. A supplied carabineer allows the carrying case to be attached to a backpack or belt, while convenient pockets on the case allow for the storage of up to eight DS game cards.

The Zero Wireless Controller, and Ultimate Kit Lite will ship to retailers in August of 2007.