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Assassin’s Creed Launch Trailer

The Assassin’s Creed launch trailer is now available for download, if you didn’t already know the PS3 and Xbox 360 version of the game will be available this week.

Movie Actors Join Beowulf Cast

Actor Ray Winstone will be playing Beowulf in the upcoming movie and also lends his voice and likeness to the game, as do fellow actors Anthony Hopkins, Brendan Gleeson and Sebastien Roche. Beowulf the game begins shipping on November 9th.

“This is the first time I’ve worked on a video game, and I must say it was one of the hardest working days of my career,” confessed Ray Winstone after the intense recording sessions for the Ubisoft production. “But it was vital to capturing the power of the film and translating that into a great gaming experience. Beowulf is a brutal character, a Dark Age-gangster with both hero and monster in him … as a player, I can identify with the monster slayer.”

“These performances stir us like a great soundtrack does - you get shivers. The starring actors lend authenticity and intensity to The Beowulf video game experience, something that was indispensable in order for us to extend the story beyond the movie,” said Gabrielle Shrager, writer and lead story designer for the Beowulf video game. “The actors seamlessly translated their characters’ depth and emotion, breathing life into their video game roles as they did for the film.”

Beowulf ‘Authenticity’ Trailer

Two minute long Beowulf trailer with ingame footage discussing the game’s sixth century pre-Viking setting.

Nintendo Now Top Dog In Publishing

Game Developer magazine, published by Game Developer Conference organizers the CMP Game Group, has given Nintendo the highest honors in its annual Top 20 Publishers report. The last five years EA has held this honor and this year Nintendo takes it over Previous top publisher Electronic Arts is now ranked second, followed by Activision, Ubisoft, and THQ.

Game Developer decides the winner “by considering number of releases by SKU, average review scores, and estimated publisher revenue from August 2006 to July 2007.” Also this year they also added the publishers “reputations by polling more than 300 individuals from within the industry” to decide the winner.

“As we can see from the new rankings, the rise of casual gaming, coupled with these new reputational elements, has contributed markedly to ranking shifts,” said Game Developer editorial director Simon Carless. “We’re eager to see how these industry changes affect the report in subsequent years.”

A complete listing of this year’s Top 20 Publishers is available in the October 2007 edition of Game Developer Magazine.

Tom Clancy’s Air Combat Announced

What’s that you say? One more Tom Clancy franchise is on its way … no really it’s new.

Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, today announced the creation of Tom Clancy’s Air Combat, a new Tom Clancy franchise being developed by Ubisoft’s Bucharest studio for next generation consoles and PC. The first air combat game taking place in Tom Clancy’s universe, the brand will launch in 2008.

“Ubisoft has an unrivalled track record of creating and sustaining new brands,” said Serge Hascoet, chief creative officer at Ubisoft. “Our commitment to refreshing our catalogue with regular introduction of new IPs is what keeps gamers coming back for more. With this new brand we’re redefining the aerial combat genre and extending the Tom Clancy universe to deliver a compelling new action titles to next-generation gamers.”

Set in the near future, the game imagines a world where a private military force has accumulated such power that it attacks the USA. Thrust into the cockpits of incredibly powerful and technologically advanced jet fighters, gamers will benefit from hi-tech piloting assistance, providing comfort, security and enhanced perception. As players gain skills and confidence, they will be able to shed the assistance. But before choosing performance over security, they’ll have to weigh the risks carefully.

“We are confident that this new brand will become the new benchmark for flight combat games and will be, like other Tom Clancy based games, an instant online multiplayer hit,” says Sebastien Delen, managing director of Ubisoft’s Bucharest studio. “The player will experience all the action and excitement of modern air combat, from intense dog fighting to tactical strikes.”

Double Fusion Breaks Ground With New In-Game Ad Software

In-game advertising specialist Double Fusion has released a new technology which separates in-game advertising from the development process, enabling advertisers to implement new ads in already completed games and back catalog titles.

The technology makes ad placements possible where previously they could not be feasibly implemented, including in back catalog titles and titles late in the development process. Fusion.runtime also represents a compelling advertising solution for the casual games industry, where the large volume of titles launched each year requires an easy-to-implement solution to reach the market’s full potential.

Fusion.runtime also allows publishers and developers to incorporate new ad placements into their titles, whether first-run or back catalog, after the release of the game, creating additional revenue potential through the development of specialized programs, a capability Double Fusion refers to as “just-in-time advertising.” For example, if an advertiser wanted to put a branded 3D blimp in the sky across multiple titles for a Fourth of July promotion, and there were no pre-existing blimp placements, publishers using the fusion.runtime technology that wanted access to those advertising revenues would be able to easily place the blimps in their games, and have them disappear after the ad campaign was completed. With code-based solutions, the ad placements are locked once the game has shipped; fusion.runtime opens the door to a much broader, real-time development of custom, dynamically-served game advertising programs.

The technology, which is already being utilized by Ubisoft, NCsoft and casual game publisher Oberon Media, will be demoed by San Francisco-based Double Fusion at the Austin Game Developers Conference beginning Wednesday.

Consumer and technology research firm Parks Associates has forecast that the advent of dynamic advertising technologies such as fusion.runtime will help the US in-game advertising market swell from $514 million to $675 million by 2012.

Tom Clancy’s EndWar Factsheet

Product Specifications:
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Shanghaï
Ship Date: FY 07-08
Category: Strategy
Rating: RP (Rating Pending) T/16+ expected

Product Description
World War 3 on a scale and level of intensity that has never been seen. The Great War genre that Tom Clancy created with Red Storm Rising eventually comes to life with Tom Clancy’s EndWar!

True to the Tom Clancy’s video games’ tradition of innovation and excellence, Tom Clancy’s EndWar is an all-new breed of strategy game. Designed from the ground up for consoles, it is a fusion of next-gen. technology, superior design, and top-notch production values.

2020, with resources growing scarce every nation must look after themselves. Tensions between the US, Europe and Russia are near a breaking point. One spark will ignite the war to end all wars. ENDWAR lets players experience this geopolitical epic in two distinct phases:

Key Features
· World in Flames
A chillingly realistic vision of World War 3, in the fashion of the best techno-thrillers… Set in 2020, Tom Clancy’s EndWar explores a full-scale land war between superpowers. While the narrative engrosses the player in a massive global conflict, with battles taking place in American and European heartlands, on 40 real-life recognizable battlefields including Washington D.C., Paris and Moscow.

· Shock and Awe
Tom Clancy’s EndWar exploits the capabilities of next-generation consoles to deliver production values comparable to the best action titles, rendering the chaos and grandeur of tactical combat more vividly than any game before it.

· Control amidst chaos
The game’s intense depiction of land warfare never overwhelms the player because Tom Clancy’s EndWar’s console-based design and interface empowers him to constantly maintain situational awareness and execute orders with the dispatch of a tactical genius. Simplicity ensures that success depends on tactical decision-making, not manual dexterity.

· Massive replayability
In every way possible, Tom Clancy’s EndWar is designed for maximum replayability.

Game Is On In London This October

As one of the world’s most famous cities, London is a cultural hotbed for every kind of industry from banking to fashion. This October the capital plays host to the video games industry as the London Games Festival brings the very best of the gaming world to life in the city. The 2007 London Games Festival will see a selection of over 40 events taking part in locations across London from 22 - 26 October 2007.

Following on from the success of last year’s festival, the 2007 London Games Festival is bigger and better than ever before, with a focus on creating positive, engaging events for a mainstream audience as well as core gaming fans. Over 40 different events have already been confirmed by major industry players in key London locations and dozens more fringe events are being planned by newcomers to the industry. Supported by everyone from publishers to personalities and trade bodies, London Games Festival is supported by publishers including Activision, Atari, Eidos, Electronic Arts, Konami, Microsoft, Nintendo, Sega and Ubisoft, with more to be announced soon.

Reflecting on London’s huge wealth of culture, London Games Festival will offer a staggering diversity of entertainment ranging from live concerts, to art installations and professional gaming tournaments. With something for everyone to enjoy, whatever their taste or gaming experience, this event is designed to highlight the industry and help increase awareness and uptake of its products.

Highlights on offer this year include the British Academy Video Games Awards, celebrating the best achievements in gaming; Videogames Live at the Royal Festival Hall, a concert for around 2,000 guests; The Virtual Worlds Forum, a lecture for up to 600 guests on the corporate opportunities in virtual worlds; DWS Legal Forum, examining the legal boundaries of the industry; The Science Museum: Quantifying Immersion in Games event; the Eurogamer Careers Fair and an ELSPA forum looking at the perception of gaming.

Get PWNED! Dell Sponsors Frag Dolls and Team Pandemic

Two of the world’s most recognized gaming teams — Team Pandemic and Ubisoft’s Frag Dolls — have scored sponsorships from Dell, the company announced today. The deals bring together some of the best professional gaming talent in the industry, male and female, and the Dell XPS gaming platforms.

“With these sponsorships, Dell is ratcheting up its ability to network and play directly with college student and women gamers, via gaming events, online forums and other digital media,” said Susan Kittleson, director of Dell games and customer marketing. “Dell wants to showcase PC gaming at its highest level, and there’s no better way than to partner the best talent with our awarding-winning hardware.”

As part of the Frag Dolls’ sponsorship, Dell and the team will launch a search for the most hardcore, competitive female PC gamer and offer her a spot in the unique lineup — and the opportunity to compete in tournaments around the world. Female gamers who think they’re tough enough to go head-to-head against the world’s best can sign up at. Applicants will have the opportunity for in-person interviews Aug. 2-5 in the Dell booth at QuakeCon in Dallas. Qualifiers will compete in the finals on games like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six(R) Vegas at Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Seattle, Aug. 24-26. The winner will be offered a spot on the team.

The Frag Dolls, a team of seven dedicated female gamers assembled by game publisher Ubisoft, are recognized as some of the best players in the world. In addition to attending gaming events, members of the unique and popular gaming team will post monthly columns with tips and trends, participate in podcasts and interviews, and post blogs on a special section of Dell’s new interactive web destination.

“We can’t wait to welcome a new Frag Doll to the team,” said Morgan ‘Rhoulette’ Romine, Frag Doll team captain. “One of our goals is to be advocates for gaming on all platforms and Dell is an ideal partner to help us make this a reality.”

The Dell University program is also sponsoring Team Pandemic under the Dell Unleashed banner. Team Pandemic will be the first pro-gaming team to exclusively game on Dell XPS systems featuring Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processors and Microsoft(R) Windows Vista(TM) Ultimate.

“Dell’s college initiative provides us the opportunity to work closely with the industry’s technology leaders,” said Chris Lemley, president of Team Pandemic. “With Dell Unleashed as a title partner, we have a unique variety of media to further reach the college-aged gamer.”

This fall, Team Pandemic and Dell will travel to several university campuses to host on-site and online collegiate gaming tournaments. Top individual prizes will include a trip to Sweden with Team Pandemic for the World Series of Video Game finals.

E3 - Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway Looks Great

Product Specifications:
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Gearbox Software (PC, Xbox 360, and PS3)
Ship Date: TBD
Category: First-Person Shooter
Rating: RP (M anticipated)

Product Description
Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway brings the critically acclaimed squad-based WWII shooter into the next generation of gaming with amazing graphics and sound, new cutting-edge gameplay features, and a totally redesigned online component.
Delivering on the franchise’s compelling story, unrivaled authenticity and intense squad-based action, Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway drops you into Operation Market Garden, the largest paratrooper operation in World War II. Lead Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division as they fight to open “Hell’s Highway” in a daring bid for a quick end to the war.

Key Features:

• Brothers In Arms Hell’s Highway - next generation: The classic authentic, squad-based combat series explodes on next-generation hardware, offering unprecedented graphics and features.
• New Story, New Setting. Follow Matt Baker, Joe Hartsock and the rest of the 101st Airborne Division in “Operation Market-Garden” as they fight to open famous “Hell’s Highway” in a daring bid for a quick end to the war.
• Live the life of an enlisted man: Get orders from HQ, go on patrol, spot the enemy and set up a devastating ambush. For the first time, finding the enemy before they find you is part of the challenge.
• Unprecedented character design: Lifelike characters look, talk, move and think with incredible realism. Game characters interact with the player and each other like true brothers in arms, trading ammunition, helping wounded allies and civilians, working together to man team-operated weapons, and more.
• Rich cinematic experience: As the squad leader, you interact with and get to know your brothers. Each character has his own personality, unique story and background, and grows through the game.
• Powerful new units under your command: Players can use or command combined arms teams – machine gun crews create intense fire, bazooka crews destroy buildings and tanks, and mortar crews pound the enemy from a distance.
• Step into the boots of a soldier: Hit the dirt and get prone, rip grenades from your chest and hurl them at your enemies. See and feel the blast of nearby explosions.
• Completely new multiplayer experience: Fight major multiplayer battles with dozens of players on each side; all the intensity and accessibility of Deathmatch meshed with the squad-based gameplay that helped make Brothers In Arms® famous.
• Destroyable cover: Keep your men moving and choose your cover wisely – simulated with real physics, weapons will damage, dent, scorch and destroy the world around you.