Tuesday, June 23, 2009

GameStop - Tuesdays Family Night In Announced, Fun Affordable Family Gaming - Press Release

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In Response to the Survey GameStop did, GameStop have announced a new initiative that will run from June until September. Titled Tuesdays Family Night In, it offers discounts and chances to win free dinners. other incentives include a 20% bonus on trade-in credit that can be applied to Family Night In Games, and $3 off coupons for Baskin Robbins, whilst coupons last.
Gamestop have also launched a New Site, www.gamestop.com/familynightin , to promote the offer, but also educate families on the ESRB, ways to stretch budgets, and how to make nights in inexpensive.

Press Release

GRAPEVINE, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Jun 23, 2009 GameStop (NYSE: GME) today proclaimed summer Tuesdays as Family Night In to help families create fun and affordable in-home gatherings. The world’s largest video game and entertainment software retailer is rolling out special summer offers, discounts and chances to win free dinners while helping families strengthen their bond and extend their budgets.

This commitment recognizes that most families are looking for smart ways to stretch their entertainment dollars while increasing their fun. According to a Harris survey conducted for the retailer, 92 percent of families will be trying to maximize their dollars, with 4 in 5 cutting back on expensive summer leisure activities. Instead the majority (62 percent) will be choosing simple indulgences like eating ice cream or sharing family dinner together (42 percent) while one in three parents expect to play video games with their kids.

To help fulfill those desires, GameStop is extending a special value offer and a Family Fun sweepstakes to consumers who make their purchases on Summer Tuesdays from June 23-Sept. 1. GameStop’s Family Night In summer fun incentives include:
A 20-percent bonus trade-in credit on summer Tuesdays. Families looking to trade in older games will receive extra currency that can be applied to selectFamily Night In titles;
A Family Night In sweepstakes that celebrates 100 nights of summer by awarding 100 families a free dinner. Ten families each week will be awarded a $25 gift card redeemable at a food purveyor or restaurant of their choice, a Baskin-Robbins® Brownie a la Mode® ice cream cake for dessert and four TWIX® Caramel Cookie Bars; and
To help make Family Night In even sweeter, coupons for $3 off any Baskin-Robbins® cake purchase of $15 or more will be given to all GameStop customers making purchases on summer Tuesdays (while supplies last) and to those who enter the Family Night In sweepstakes online.

“Family Night In is a terrific way for families to share fun, quality time together,” explained Hillary Mendelsohn, a well-known author, shopping guru and mother of two whose family already holds its own weekly gaming nights. “As a mom, I love the fact that playing video games brings us together, lets us learn from one another and just laugh and laugh. As a smart shopper, I appreciate GameStop for responding to the times by making gaming more affordable.”

“In our house, we have three generations who love to play games,” said Paul Raines, Chief Operating Officer for GameStop. “Gaming is a family tradition that helps us stay connected and have fun together even in the midst of everyone’s busy lives. We hope Family Night In will help bring families closer together, while allowing them to save money and have fun at the same time.”
The company is also launching a special web site, www.gamestop.com/familynightin, offering fun tips and pointers for families to consult in enhancing their ownFamily Night In gatherings, such as:
A list of hot new and pre-owned family-friendly titles (rated “E”, “E10” and “T”) including NASCAR Kart Racing, Up!, Guitar Hero Smash Hits and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010;
A guide to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board’s (ESRB) rating symbols and content descriptors to help parents make informed decisions about which games are appropriate for their own kids;
Ways families can stretch budgets without sacrificing fun by taking advantage of GameStop’s trade-in program to buy new titles or other items using older games as currency; and
Ideas for how to make Family Night In fun, creative and inexpensive.
For additional information about GameStop’s Family Night In please visit www.gamestop.com/familynightin.
The Harris Interactive Omnibus poll was conducted online from May 14 through May 18, 2009, among 639 parents/legal guardians of a child/children under the age of 18 living in their home.

About GameStop Corp.
Headquartered in Grapevine, TX, GameStop Corp., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 6,244 retail stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also operates an e-commerce site, GameStop.com, and publishes Game Informer(R) magazine, a leading multi-platform video game publication. GameStop Corp. sells new and used video game software, hardware and accessories for video game systems from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. In addition, the company sells PC entertainment software, related accessories and other merchandise. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website: http://www.gamestopcorp.com.


About Baskin-Robbins
Named the top ice cream and frozen dessert franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine’s 29th annual Franchise 500® ranking, Baskin-Robbins is the world’s largest chain of ice cream specialty shops. Baskin-Robbins creates and markets innovative, premium ice cream, specialty frozen desserts and beverages, providing quality and value to consumers at more than 6,000 retail shops in 35 countries. Baskin-Robbins was founded by two ice cream enthusiasts whose passion led to the creation of more than 1,000 ice cream flavors and a wide variety of delicious treats. Headquartered in Canton, Mass., Baskin-Robbins is part of the Dunkin’ Brands, Inc. family of companies. For further information, visit www.baskinrobbins.com.

About Mars Snackfood US
Mars Snackfood US is the United States snack operations of Mars, Incorporated. Mars, Incorporated is a private, family-owned company founded in 1911 and employing 70,000 associates at 250 sites, including 151 factories, in 67 countries worldwide. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, U.S.A., Mars, Incorporated is one of the world’s largest food companies, generating global revenues of more than $30 billion annually and operating in six business segments: Chocolate, Petcare, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, and Symbioscience. These segments produce some of the world’s leading brands: Chocolate – M&M’S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Petcare – PEDIGREE®, WHISKAS®, SHEBA®, CESAR® and ROYAL CANIN®; Wrigley – ORBIT®, EXTRA®, STARBURST®, DOUBLEMINT® and SKITTLES®; Food – UNCLE BEN’S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS® and SEEDS OF CHANGE®; Drinks – KLIX® and FLAVIA®; Symbioscience – WISDOM PANELTM MX, SERAMIS®, and COCOAPROTM. For more information, please visit www.mars.com.


GameStop - Survey Shows Families Are Going To Watch Their Budgets This Summer, But Still Spend Time Together - Press Release

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GameStop have done a survey to look at what people are spending on entertainment during Summer 2009. they conclude that whilst families watch their budgets, families do plan to spend time together doing activities together.


Press Release

GameStop Survey Shows Families’ Plan to be Smart Spenders On Entertainment for Summer 2009
As Parents Seek to Stretch Entertainment Budget, Simple Family Pleasures Will Dominate Summer
GRAPEVINE, Texas --(Business Wire)-- Jun 23, 2009 Although many families plan to continue watching their budgets this summer, family fun still remains a top priority, according to a survey commissioned by GameStop (NYSE: GME), the world’s largest retailer of video games and systems, and conducted by Harris Interactive®. Four in five American families are planning to scale back on summer leisure activities, but parents confirmed that quality time together will play a major role in their decisions on how to wisely spend their dollars.

For example, the vast majority of parents who are planning to cut back on costly leisure activities this summer are planning to do something else instead. This includes turning to simple indulgences like eating ice cream together (62 percent) or sharing meals at home together (47 percent), and one in three (34 percent) expect to play video games together with their kids. Some of the leisure activities those families expect to scale back this summer include:
eating out (66 percent)
trips to theme parks or other attractions (46 percent)
small vacations (43 percent)
going to the movies (38 percent)
Parents who plan to do something else instead say popular and less expensive alternatives will include:
going to free community events (63 percent)
day trips (51 percent)
playing video games together (34 percent)
hiking/biking (31 percent)
For budget-conscious families (e.g., trying to stretch their dollar), the majority (87 percent) are taking advantage of coupons; two in three (64 percent) are shopping only during sales and one in four (25 percent) are looking to stores’ trade-in programs where they can save on new, used or refurbished goods.

“Quality family time does not need to be accompanied by a high price tag,” said Hillary Mendelsohn, Founder and President of thepurplebook: The Definitive Guide to Exceptional Online Shopping. “As a smart shopper and a mom, I appreciate GameStop’s trade-in program, which lets families convert old games into currency to be used for purchasing new titles. Not only does it help make the most of a family’s entertainment budget, but it also helps teach kids important lessons about managing money and making it go farther.” In fact, in 2008, GameStop returned millions of dollars to consumers that were used for obtaining new and pre-owned titles and hardware systems.

“We appreciate that American families are taking a close look at their spending this summer, and are pleased that GameStop is able to be a budget-friendly destination for entertainment that is as economical as it is fun,” said Paul Raines, Chief Operating Officer for GameStop.
Just in time for summer, GameStop is launching its Family Night In program, which is designed to help families maximize their entertainment budgets with special summer value offers and other incentives to customers who make their purchases on summer Tuesdays from June 23 to September 1. Visitwww.gamestop.com/familynightin for more details.

About GameStop Corp.
Headquartered in Grapevine, TX, GameStop Corp., a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, is the world's largest video game and entertainment software retailer. The company operates 6,244 retail stores in 17 countries worldwide. The company also operates an e-commerce site, GameStop.com, and publishes Game Informer(R) magazine, a leading multi-platform video game publication. GameStop Corp. sells new and used video game software, hardware and accessories for video game systems from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. In addition, the company sells PC entertainment software, related accessories and other merchandise. General information on GameStop Corp. can be obtained at the company's corporate website: http://www.gamestopcorp.com.

About The Survey
The survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of GameStop Corp. between May 14 and May 18, 2009 among 2,416 adults ages 18 and older, of whom, 639 are the parent/legal guardian of a child/children living at home with them under the age of 18. Results were weighted as needed to reflect the composition of the U.S. population of adults aged 18+ using targets for region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey results and methodology please contact zrivera@maloneyfox.com.

Zynga - FarmVille announced for Facebook as Free To Play Game - Press Release

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Zynga have announced a new free to play social game for Facebook. users can build and customise their Farm from the crops they grow, animals and Farm buildings. the aim is to earn the most money either individually, or together in your social group.

Press Release

SAN FRANCISCO --(Business Wire)-- Jun 23, 2009 Zynga (www.zynga.com), the largest developer of social games, announced the launch of a new farm simulation game, FarmVille, which will allow players to build and grow the farm of their dreams, with the help of their friends.

With this exciting new offering, Zynga brings its leading social game design to the broadest mix of Facebook users yet. FarmVille allows players to build and customize their farm from the very beginnings, plowing the land, and choosing what they want to grow from a large variety of crops such as strawberries, eggplant, wheat and soybeans. The farm is then theirs to cultivate how they choose. Players will also have options to purchase farm animals such as pigs and cows, and compliment your crops with other farm assets such as barns, windmills and greenhouses.

Nurturing the farm is the key to success for players and their network of fellow farmer friends: those who tend their crops diligently will see their farms flourish and their bank accounts swell. Players’ friends are a key element of success in FarmVille.

“We’re really excited about FarmVille. The farm category in social gaming has shown amazing growth over the past couple years, especially in Asia,” said Mark Pincus, CEO and founder of Zynga. “There is something universally appealing about farming which speaks to large, diverse audiences. FarmVille will take what players love about the farm genre, and add a mixture of new and delightful features and design elements that have been so successful for us in our previous games.”

About Zynga
Zynga is the largest social gaming company with more than 12 million daily users and 50 million monthly users. Zynga’s games are available on Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, Hi5, Friendster, Tagged, Yahoo! and the iPhone, and include Texas Hold’Em Poker, Mafia Wars, YoVille, Vampires, Street Racing, Scramble and Word Twist. The company is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, IVP, Union Square Ventures, Foundry Group, Avalon Ventures, Pilot Group, Reid Hoffman and Peter Thiel. Zynga is headquartered at the Chip Factory in San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.zynga.com.

Sega - Bayonetta Screenshots

Sega have released screenshots for Bayonetta. The screenshots show a variety of attacks and enemies.




EA - Spore Galactic Adventures Missions Trailer

EA Have released a trailer for the Spore expansion pack, Galactic Adventures. this time it focuses on the Missions in the game showing a few examples on offer.





Re-Cap of Yesterdays News (oldest to newest)

  • Advert on Giant Bomb's front page show that the Cardboard Tube Samurai is a pre-order costume for Yoshimitsu. http://tinyurl.com/6nm48j

  • 360: Major Nelson has said in his latest podcast that the next dashboard update the NXE is going to be faster. http://tinyurl.com/lvzft8

  • UK Games Chart. Prototype, The Sims 3, Wii Fit, Ghostbusters, Call Of Duty World At War are top 5. http://tinyurl.com/nljwm5

  • 360: Balmer has backtracked from his statement that a new Xbox Console was coming in 2010 by using poor words. http://tinyurl.com/mjs4wh

  • A Michael Jackson game is rumored to be coming out on PS2, PS3, and Wii this Christmas. http://tinyurl.com/md5873

  • Play.com say that their release date for Max Payne 3, of 30th October, was provided by the games developers. http://tinyurl.com/m9mrcu

  • The Tony Hawk Ride skateboard is more a platform than a peripheral. more games are planned for the device. http://tinyurl.com/lde73x

  • The Tony Hawk Ride skateboard is more a platform than a peripheral. more games are planned for the device. http://tinyurl.com/lde73x

  • RT @majornelson: Xbox LIVE Gold member deal 'o the week is now available: SSF2THD for 800 points: http://tr.im/pjtA

  • PSP: GTA China Town Wars is coming to the PSP in Autumn, Digital and UMD. Windscreen enhanced graphics, + More http://tinyurl.com/m4rwjz

  • QTE Blog: EA - Couple of Screenshots For Wii and 360/PS3 Versions Of Harry Potter And The Haalf Blood P.. http://tinyurl.com/nxsftr

  • Wii: Pictures of the Black Wii and accessories in Japan stores have been released, as well as the Blue Wiimote. http://tinyurl.com/nrer3s

  • QTE Blog: Majesco - Shorts Movie Tie-In Announced For The DS - Press Release http://tinyurl.com/l2rk9b

  • PS3: Final Fantasy 14 beta is rumored to start in September this year. http://tinyurl.com/n7taot

  • Capcom have said that they will continue to support Playstation platforms. Monster Hunter sold 8.5 Million on PSP http://tinyurl.com/nkt9ub

  • 360: RT @majornelson: Coming to Arcade this week: Garou - Mark of the Wolves and Droplitz for 800 points each. http://tr.im/plRo

  • Cliff Bleszinski has denied rumors that he is now working on a horror game. http://tinyurl.com/kq4dp2

  • PS3: a job listing from media Molecule has hinted that they are working on something ground breaking for PS3 only http://tinyurl.com/nzc7ux

  • PS3: a job listing from media Molecule has hinted that they are working on something ground breaking for PS3 only http://tinyurl.com/nzc7ux

  • Duke Nukem Begins was uncovered amongst Take Two's Lawsuit. was set for 2010 release by a well known developer http://tinyurl.com/ln5gn2

  • Tekken 6 Wireless HORI Sticks cost $150, comes with art book and Game. http://tinyurl.com/lx5g4c

  • PS3:Rumored Leaked screenshot of Playstation Cloud shows "Freinds Feed" gained trophys/levels, now playing + more http://tinyurl.com/nas6xn

  • The Box Art For Guitar Hero 5 shows no guitars. says there's 85 songs by 83 artists and has a T rating. http://tinyurl.com/ljnlsa

  • Its been announced that the The Sony Ericsson Satio Phone can play Playstation games, not said what kind tho. http://tinyurl.com/l4yz2c

  • PS3:Rumored Screenshot of Playstation Cloud has been Dismissed by Jeff Rubenstein as"Pure Conjecture...100% Fake" http://tinyurl.com/lwxcxp

  • PS3: The Characters from Ratchet & Clank a Crack In Time have been announced and with character Art. http://tinyurl.com/nlnjem

  • 360: Serious Sam III is rumored to be coming to the 360 and published by Majesco. announcement may be this week. http://tinyurl.com/mgdz8d

  • PSP: Tales Of Vesperia, PS3 Game, unlocks exclusive challenges, skits and costumes for Tales Of VS on PSP. http://tinyurl.com/n8bxe2

  • Command & Conquer 4 is rumored to maybe having Persistent RPG Mechanics in single player and multiplayer modes. http://tinyurl.com/mqthhb

  • PSP: Strikers 1945 is being released on the PSP as a download exclusive. it will have new graphics and new modes. http://tinyurl.com/mv46fc




Monday, June 22, 2009

Majesco - Shorts Movie Tie-In Announced For The DS - Press Release


Majesco have announced a movie Tie-In game for Shorts on the DS.
In the game, the player takes on the role of 4 main characters from the movie trying to fix the wishes that have gone wrong and bring the community back to normal. there are 26 levels in the game, in 3 distinct episodes from the movie, where players can use the characters unique abilities, draw temporary platforms, and use ray guns to help them.
the game is slated for a Late July Release




Press Release

EDISON, N.J., June 22, 2009 - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Shorts for Nintendo DS. This entertaining puzzle platform game brings to life the highly-anticipated Warner Bros. theatrical release of the same name. Written and directed by Robert Rodriguez (The Adventures of Shark Boy and Lava Girl, Spy Kids) the Shorts film features a high-profile cast that includes Leslie Mann, William H. Macy, Jon Cryer and James Spader. Developed by Artificial Mind & Movement, the Shorts videogame is expected to release in advance of the movie this July.

In Shorts, a magical rainbow rock that grants wishes brings chaos to the peaceful suburbs. Players take on the role of four of their favorite characters from the movie-Toe Thompson, Nose Noseworthy, Loogie Short and Helvetica Black-as they work to return the community of Black Falls to normalcy by fixing wishes-gone-wrong. Each character has his own special jump and unique ability that helps when fighting off a multitude of enemies, including booger monsters, bomb shooting crocodiles, poison spitting snakes, bats and sparking robots!

Shorts features 26 levels in three distinct episodes from the feature film. Players can use the stylus to draw temporary platforms to jump on or use as shields to avoid dangerous threats. In addition, collecting enough energy balls lets gamers power special abilities like the alien and wasp hover-jumps, telekinesis super-attack, invincibility, and growth and shrink ray guns for extra sticky situations!

Shorts for Nintendo DS is rated E10+ and is expected to release late July. For additional information about Majesco's exciting line of products, please visit http://www.majescoentertainment.com/.

About Artificial Mind & Movement
Based in Montreal, Artificial Mind & Movement (A2M) is Canada's leading independent game developer, employing 500 talented people in Montreal (Quebec) and Santiago (Chile). Since 1992, A2M has released 70 titles across every game platform, with over 28 million copies sold worldwide. Our studios work with the industry's top publishers and licensors, including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Disney, Electronic Arts, Fox, Konami, LucasArts, Viacom and Warner. A2M is committed to producing unparalleled game experiences with original or licensed intellectual properties. Over the past three years, A2M has ranked simultaneously amongst the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 and Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies.

About Majesco Entertainment Company
Majesco Entertainment Company is a provider of video games for the mass market. Building on more than 20 years of operating history, the company is focused on developing and publishing a wide range of casual and family oriented video games on leading console and portable systems. Product highlights include Cooking Mama and Cake Mania 2 for Nintendo DS, and Cooking Mama World Kitchen and Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii. The company's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: COOL. Majesco is headquartered in Edison, NJ and has an international office in Bristol, UK. More information about Majesco can be found online at www.majescoentertainment.com/. @Majesco is on twitter at www.twitter.com/majesco.