Activision & USO: Games for our troops | Juegos para nuestras tropas

Activision Publishing Partners With USO to Bring Entertainment to Troops This Holiday Season
Promotion Kicks Off With Pre-Release Events at Select GameStop Locations to Support Veteran’s Day Launch of Call of Duty(R): World at War

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov 06, 2008 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ — Showing their appreciation and support to those serving in the military, Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is partnering with the United Service Organizations (USO) to bring entertainment to the troops this holiday season. The company is using its chart-busting video game franchises Call of Duty(R) and Guitar Hero(R) to make a difference in the lives of service members around the world, offering them a taste of home and giving them a break from their day to day duties.

“Through this partnership we are able to bring joy to troops that are serving across the globe this holiday season,” said Mike Griffith, President and CEO of Activision Publishing. “The USO is an extraordinary organization and we are committed to working together to develop opportunities that show our support for the troops and celebrate their continued service to our country.”

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning & iGames

iGames Brings Together Local Gamers for Warhammer(R) Online: Age of Reckoning(TM) LAN Party Events Nationwide

Raptr to Track Gamer Achievements With Prizes Up for Grabs From Tagan, SteelSeries, Games Workshop, OCZ Technology, Alienware and Creative Labs

SAN JOSE, CA, Nov 06, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX News Network) — iGames, the leading LAN center organization, announced today the details of 10 upcoming local events for gamers battling it out in the massively multiplayer online world of Warhammer(R) Online: Age of Reckoning(TM) from Mythic Entertainment, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio.

The LAN parties will be held throughout the month of November at iGames member LAN centers across the country. Each LAN party will include fun, organized activities for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, including leveling contests, scenario play, keep raids, dungeon runs, and more. Free food, drinks, and limited-edition Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning t-shirts will also be made available.

Raptr, the social platform for people who play games, will track what LAN centers specific gamers are playing from, in addition to their in-game achievements such as increasing their character’s rank or equipping new gear. It’s free and easy to get started; gamers sign up for their free Raptr account either at home from http://raptr.com or at their local LAN center and then Raptr will do the rest. Raptr automatically updates players’ gaming activity while they play Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and thousands of other games.

“Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning has quickly emerged as a hit title with gamers as they get deeply immersed in the interactions of battling together, and against one another, for control of the in-game world,” said Mark Nielsen, Executive Director of iGames. “We’re very excited to contribute further to the interactive experience of the game through live events and integration with Raptr’s unique blend of social networking technologies.”

“We’re thrilled to work with iGames as they create amazing opportunities for gamers to come together,” said Dennis Fong, CEO of Raptr. “Connecting gamers nationwide at their LAN centers is perfect for Raptr as we strive to make gaming more social.”

Over $17,000 worth of total giveaways will be provided from lead prize sponsor Tagan, a leading manufacturer of computer power supply units, cases and other related products, and supporting prize sponsors SteelSeries, Games Workshop, OCZ Technology, Alienware, and Creative Labs.

Participating LAN centers:
Nov. 8 – Euphnet in Sunnyvale, CA (Near San Jose)
Nov. 8 – Gigabits LAN Center in Orlando, FL
Nov. 8 – Netlans in Phoenix, AZ
Nov. 8 – Vertigo Game Center in Wausau, WI (Between St. Paul and Green Bay)
Nov. 9 – Strike Zone Gaming in Fenton, MI (Northwest of Detroit)
Nov. 14 – Crazy Penguins Gaming in Rockford, IL (Northwest of Chicago)
Nov. 14 – CyGamZ in Ypsilanti, MI (Between Ann Arbor and Detroit)
Nov. 15 – Citadel Games in Brainerd, MN (North of Minneapolis)
Nov. 15 – 8wire LAN Gaming Center in Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 15 – Xtreme Gaming Cybercafe in San Antonio, TX

A final culminating event with up to 35 participating LAN centers nationwide will be held on November 22 called All Out WAR! The goal of All Out WAR will be to capture the end-game enemy territory in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.

For more details, including specific times and LAN center addresses, go to http://www.igames.org/war or contact the iGames events team at events@igames.org.

“A Kingdom for Keflings” & Avatars

Giants in video games? Nothing new. But playing with your own doppelganger as the giant? That is something you can only do on Xbox LIVE Arcade.

From NinjaBee, the developer that brought fan favorites “Band of Bugs,” “Outpost Kaloki X” and “Cloning Clyde,” comes “A Kingdom for Keflings,” a new twist to the city-building game genre where you play as a giant working to turn a village of Keflings into a metropolis.

The Xbox LIVE Arcade game, launching on Nov. 19 with the New Xbox Experience, is the first Xbox 360 title to ship with playable, in-game Avatars. “A Kingdom for Keflings” also comes packed with custom animations tailored for Avatars and player-controlled social emotes. The game supports 4-player Xbox LIVE multiplayer with each friend using a custom Avatar, and works perfectly with Xbox LIVE Party.

But Avatar inclusion is just half the fun. In this innovative, Medieval-era city-builder, giants start out with a small village and a handful (literally!) of helpful Keflings who are tiny humanoids that follow the player’s commands and try not to get stepped on. Fun and direct interaction with Keflings includes carrying them around, assigning them jobs and training them to do simple tasks. The game features extensive customization of the city through personally constructing and painting each building and decorating the village with additional elements such as trees, statues and more. Players will have to collect and manage resources to build their village into a full-fledged city.

Other key features of the game include:

* The ability to build cities online cooperatively with up to 3 friends
* Stylized animated graphics that change with the seasons and season-based gameplay
* A dynamic-music soundtrack (which adapts to the season and the state of the village)

Developed by NinjaBee, “A Kingdom for Keflings” will be available for 800 Microsoft Points worldwide. The game is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

As always, for more information about the New Xbox Experience, including a Developer Diary detailing how Avatars will be used in games, please visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/nxe.

Monopoly: Trailer

Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection

SEGA MEGA DRIVE^TM ULTIMATE COLLECTION ANNOUNCED FOR THE XBOX 360 & PLAYSTATION 3

SEGA’s glorious past is gathered in one colossal collection

LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (November 3, 2008) – SEGA® of Europe Ltd. and SEGA® of America, Inc today announced the development of SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. This compilation will feature the best first-party games from SEGA’s respected 16-bit Mega Drive years, as well as bonus content from its 8-bit Master System and 1980’s arcade era games library.

“SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is a must-have for any SEGA enthusiast,” commented Gary Knight, European Marketing Director for SEGA Europe. “Fans will get a chance to relive fond memories from these classic games in HD format.”

Developed by Backbone Entertainment, SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection contains over 40 celebrated SEGA classics in one package; making it the largest collection of SEGA first party games ever offered. Featured games include; Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2 and 3, Columns, Alien Storm, Ecco the Dolphin, Space Harrier, and cult classic, Streets of Rage 1, 2 and 3. The games in the collection have been reproduced with the utmost detail and accuracy to commend their originals. In addition, SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection can output the games in 720p with higher resolution graphics for HD televisions, bringing a new visual richness to these classic titles.