Tuesday, July 20, 2010

EA Reveal The Next Expansion For The Sims 3 is Called Late Night

EA have announced that the next expansion for The Sims 3 is called Late Night and its expected to come out this fall on PC's. Late Night adds a downtown scene to the game where you can go to parties, bars, tour the scene with your Sims band, or just hang out at a Hot Tub. EA have released a new trailer for Late Night, revealing many of the different locations and types of nights out you can have.



Screenshots


Press Release

GUILDFORD, UK., July 20, 2010 – The Sims players will soon have a reason to stay out late on the town! The EA Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced The SimsTM 3 Late Night Expansion pack* is in development and will hit store shelves worldwide this fall. The newest expansion to The Sims 3, the best-selling PC game of 2009**, The Sims 3 Late Night gives players all-access and lets them loose on a vibrant, active downtown scene where they’ll rub elbows with celebrities at the hottest parties, hit the local bar after work, tour the scene with their Sims’ band, kick back in a plush hot tub, and discover what’s lurking as the lights go out and adventure begins after dark.

“The community has been very vocal about unleashing their Sims in more interesting and unpredictable social situations,” said Scott Evans, General Manager of The Sims Studio at EA. “The Sims 3 Late Night is full of ways to approach a rich, new life beyond a Sims’ normal day, such as schmoozing with celebrities on the rooftop of a skyscraper, wooing the crowd with your Sim’s band, or being the best bartender in town at the hottest new lounge.”

Players will be able to take their Sims into the bustling urban setting where they’ll be able to become a local celebrity, member of a music band, mixologist, director, and more. To gain entrance into the most elite clubs in town, players need to keep their attitude in check otherwise they’ll be given the cold shoulder by tough bouncers or find another way onto the list. If chilling is the player’s forte, their Sims can lounge at a chic club or dive bar or if they like to live on the edge, they can discover the secret of becoming a vampire. Whether embarking on a new career, painting the town red, or throwing a party on the rooftop of a penthouse, it’s always up to the player to tell their unique stories with The Sims 3. What will happen when the lights go out and Sims get all access?

For more information about The Sims 3 Late Night or The Sims 3, please visit www.TheSims3.com. Developed by The Sims Studio, The Sims 3 Late Night for PC/Mac has not yet been rated by PEGI. Join more than one million The Sims fans on Facebook by visiting the official fansite page for The Sims 3 athttp://www.facebook.com/TheSims3.


*Requires The Sims 3 for PC/MAC to play.
**In North America and Europe according to NPD data, Chart-track UK, Gfk France, Gfk Spain, Gfk-MCC Germany and EA internal estimate.

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About The Sims
The SimsTM, the groundbreaking franchise that allows players to create and live a virtual, simulated life on a computer, celebrates its ten year anniversary in 2010 with an impressive more than 125 million units sold since its launch in February 2000. Now translated into 22 different languages and available in 60 different countries, The Sims has quickly become a universal gaming and cultural phenomenon. Since its June 2009 launch, The Sims 3 has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide to date and was the #1 best-selling PC title for 2009 in North America and Europe. Fan intensity is evidenced through the 150 million downloads of player created content including: Sims, houses, stories and more. The Sims 3 community site,www.thesims3.com, welcomes up to four million unique visitors monthly, handles nearly 300 content downloads every minute and more than 2.5 million uploads have been made to date, including 15 movies each hour. The Sims 3 YouTube Channel is within the top 10 most viewed sponsored channels of all time with more than 32 million video views. Visit The Sims 3 official website to see what the players are creating at www.TheSims3.com or the official YouTube Channel for The Sims at http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSims. The Sims 3 is currently available for PC, Mac, iPhone®, iPod touch® and mobile devices and in the fall 2010 on Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii and in 2011 the Nintendo 3DS.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA MobileTMand POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, and The Sims are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mac, iPhone, and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EA And Maxis Announce Darkspore Is Coming To PC's In Early 2011


EA And Maxis have announced Darkspore, a PC game coming in early 2011. Darkspore is a online RPG which sets you the task of battling across alien worlds to defeat the Darkspore and safe the Galaxy. As you progress, you will need to collect Living Weapons to help upgrade your character to defeat ever increasing Darkspore intensity. The game has a 4 player co-op mode as well as a full single player campaign. EA have released new screenshots from the game as well as a reveal trailer. they both mostly show fighting, exploring, and upgrading your character.



Screenshots


Press Release

Guildford, UK – July 20, 2010 – MaxisTM, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced the next project in its award-winning portfolio of PC games: DarksporeTM, an online, science-fiction action role-playing game, is currently in development for an early 2011 launch. Darkspore is rich in action and fiction, and is being written and developed by some of the most talented minds in the video game industry.

“Darkspore is inspired in part by the award-winning creature editor tech of Spore, but also in large part from the team’s own passion for gaming and prior experience,” said Lucy Bradshaw, General Manager of Maxis Studio. "The team has combined these inspirations to produce a unique take on the action RPG genre.”

Darkspore will feature dynamic, fast-paced action as players battle across alien worlds to save the galaxy from the mutated forces of Darkspore in a four-player co-operative and full single-player campaign, as well as intense multiplayer battles. In order to defeat the malicious Darkspore, players will need to collect an arsenal of living weapons - genetic heroes with different combat abilities - and upgrade them with tens of thousands of collectible body parts and armor.

Darkspore will feature three unique classes of five different genetic hero types, with a limitless number of upgrades and customizations available through the parts players collect on each planet level. As players progress, Darkspore builds in intensity, with new planets and enemy forces requiring players to strategically select the right squad and ability combinations to succeed in their missions.

EA is scheduled to launch Darkspore in early 2011.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA MobileTMand POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.co.uk. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet www.eagames.co.uk/press.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, Pogo and Darkspore are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

EA And Spicy Horse Games Announce Alice: Madness Returns For The PC, Xbox 360, And Playstation 3


EA and Spicy Horse Games have announced Alice: Madness Returns, a sequel to the PC original game American McGee's Alice. American McGee has returned for this sequel, and he says “We can’t wait to share our vision with Alice in Wonderland fans and gamers around the world.” Alice: Madness Returns is set to come out on the PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 in 2011.

The Story of Alice: Madness Returns is that Alice has returned to Wonderland, 10 years later, to find a Corrupted and shattered world. Alice is setting out to find the cause of her family's death through a gloomy and stark London, whilst also jumping to Wonderland. EA have released some screenshots and artwork from the Wonderland location, showing how twisted and dark its become.

Screenshots


Artwork


Press Release

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Gaming visionary American McGee returns to Wonderland as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) and Spicy Horse Games announce Alice: Madness Returns™, the dark and deranged sequel to the year 2000 PC hit, American McGee’s Alice™. Designed with the same dark style of the original, but now featuring entirely new visuals, story and game design, Alice: Madness Returns is a fun and addictive action adventure set to release on PC, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system. The game follows Alice on a journey through a wildly corrupted and shattered Wonderland to uncover the truth behind her haunted past and tortured psyche. In this journey, players will romp through highly-detailed elaborate worlds, encounter a cast of off-beat characters and engage in epic battles with deadly weapons and sinister villains.

“Alice is a classic fiction, infinitely rich with memorable characters, places and experiences. Our approach to Alice: Madness Returns takes this colorful world and reinvents it with psychotic personalities and pervasive insanity,” said American McGee, Spicy Horse Games Co-Founder and Senior Creative Director. “We can’t wait to share our vision with Alice in Wonderland fans and gamers around the world.”

Alice: Madness Returns takes place 10 years after the conclusion of the original game, with Alice struggling to recover from the emotional trauma of losing her entire family in a fatal fire. After spending a decade institutionalized in an insane asylum, she is finally released to the care of a psychiatrist who just may be able to help her conquer the nightmarish hallucinations that still haunt her. Alice embarks on a mission to root out the true cause of her family’s mysterious death, jumping from a gloomy and stark London to a rich and provocative Wonderland.

“In 2000, we launched a cult hit on the PC with American McGee’s Alice. Ten years later, I’m pleased to announce American is back on board leading the top-rate talent at Spicy Horse Games to create this sequel,” said David DeMartini, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Partners. “The Alice in Wonderland fiction continues to be a fan favorite all over the world. We can’t wait for them to experience the next chapter with Alice: Madness Returns.”

Alice: Madness Returns will be available in 2011 for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.
For more information on Alice: Madness Returns, please visit http://AliceMadnessReturns.com.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS™, EA™, EA Mobile™ and POGO™. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, Pogo, Alice: Madness Returns and American McGee’s Alice are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Spicy Horse Games
Spicy Horse Games is a game development studio located in Shanghai, China. Founded by a collection of game industry vets, creative artists, and adventure seeking expats in late 2006, Spicy's mission is to build eccentric game content for the PC and console market. Our passion for game making is fueled by an intense love for all things story, art, and fun. Spicy relies on a unique production model, strong culture, and interesting location to inspire and drive development of its game titles.

THQ Have Released New Screenshots And A Trailer For Red Faction Armageddon

THQ have released new screenshots, Artwork, and a trailer for Red Faction Armegeddon. The artwork show a few levels, character models, and weapons. the screenshots appear to be in-game and mostly show the games main character shooting and killing a variety of enemies. The new trailer reveals a bit of the games back story, and sets up the scenario the main character finds himself in. the trailer is in-game footage, mostly showing off a few of the levels in the game, some action and shooting.



Screenshots


Artwork



Gnomic Studios Detail The New Patch For Their Xbox Live Indie Game Square Off

Gnomic Studios have announced that their Xbox Live Indie Game, Sqaure Off, has received its first patch. Lead developer Aranda Morrison says the need for the patch was because "...there were a number of niggling issues with the initial release we wanted to address," but it also opened up the opportunity for Gnomic to add more to the game.

The update brings 2 new Deathmatch levels to the game, as well as tweaks to the Deathmatch mode. a new level has been added to the Single Player and Co-Op mode, whilst the difficulty has been adjusted to make it easier to get into. All the levels now have their own global and friends list score boards. There are now statistics for each level, improved sound effects and new music tracks.

Gnomic Studios have also announced that they recently reduced the price of the game to just 80 MS Points in an experiment to see if price cuts would effect sales of the game and the money they made from it.



Press Release

PERTH, Western Australia - July 19 - Gnomic Studios are proud to announce the first major update of their critically acclaimed Xbox 360 game Square Off, available as of July 19th 2010 via Xbox Live for free.

Lead developer Aranda Morrison explained why we felt Square Off was in need of a major patch. “We decided to work on a free update because there were a number of niggling issues with the initial release we wanted to address," he said. "This turned out to be the perfect opportunity to throw in some bonus content.”

The update includes 2 new Deathmatch levels and a whole multitude of little tweaks to make Deathmatch play substantially more awesome than it was before. For single player and co-operative play, another level has been added, and the difficulty adjusted so the game is both noob friendly and a challenge to veterans.

Every level now has scoreboards for your friend list and your local players in addition to the existing global scoreboard, so now you can know whether you are the toughest square in your crew. Player profile statistics and per level statistics have been included, so no more arguing over who was the weakest link in your team. The sound effects have been improved and new music tracks have been added that we feel suit the game more than some of the original music.

Gnomic recently dropped the price for the game down to a measly $1(80 Ms Points), making it 66% cheaper than the original retail price. According to Lead Tester Joshua Stewart, this was done as an experiment to see the how the price cut affects conversion rates and sales figures. "We plan to make the results of this experiment public sometime soon," he said. "This way the Indie game development community can use this data to help guide their own pricing decisions.”

Additions to the game include a total of 3 new levels, updated AI, local and friend list scoreboards, player statistics, audio improvements and a whole raft of minor tweaks, all for the rather generous price of nothing.

EA Announce Those Who Pre-Order Need For Speed World Can Play The Game From 20th July


EA have announced that players who have pre-ordered Need For Speed World Starter Pack will be able to play the game from 20th July. Those with the early access will also be able to reserve their drive names, earn double XP, and unlock exclusive cars. they will also have a VIP status permanently displayed above their name.

The Starter Pack Will Cost £14.99 and gives the player £14.99 worth of SpeedBoost, in-game currency, full access up to level 50, and power -ups.

Press Release

Guildford, UK – July 20, 2010 – Black Box, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced that Need for SpeedTM World, the massively multiplayer online action racing game, is available for digital download on July 27 for the PC. Need for Speed World combines the rush of illicit street racing, deep RPG style progression and vehicle customization into an immersive, socially-connected Need for Speed experience. Players can compete against any one of their friends, family or pick from thousands of top ranked players to challenge in intense online battles and police pursuits across 150 miles of sprawling open world.

Players can pre-order the Need for Speed World Starter Pack* today to gain early access to the game on July 20. Gamers will also unlock exclusive cars, earn double XP, reserve their driver names and have VIP status permanently displayed in their driver profile before the game officially launches.

On July 20, the Need for Speed World Starter Pack will be available for £14.99. The Starter Pack includes a credit for £14.99 worth of SpeedBoost (the in-game currency), full access up to level 50 and a bundled assortment of power-ups including Nitrous and Traffic Magnet to help players get started. Players can also purchase additional items like power-ups, double XP periods and even rental cars starting at just a few cents.** A free client download of Need for Speed World will also be available at world.needforspeed.com to give gamers a sample of the intense street-racing action with access to all races, pursuits and career progression up to level 10.

Need for Speed World is being developed by Black Box, an Electronic Arts studio and is available on the PC. More information and details on the game can be found at world.needforspeed.com or follow us on Twitter at NeedforSpeed. Press can download assets athttp://info.ea.co.uk.
Conditions and restrictions apply to this preorder offer. See eastore.ea.com for details.
**Conditions and restrictions apply. See details at point of purchase.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA Mobile TM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.co.uk. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.eagames.co.uk/press.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO, and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.

EA And 38 Studios Reveal Codename Project Mercury Is Kingdoms Of Amalur: Reckoning


EA And 38 Studios have revealed that Codename "Project Mercury" is Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a open world RPG set in a world called Amalur, a world created by R.A. Salvatore. The Art is done by Todd McFarlane and the game is being developed by Ken Rolston. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is coming to the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

The first trailer for the game will be shown at this years Comic-Con during the 38 Studios Panel. those who attend this panel will also get a limited edition poster designed by Todd McFarlane. The panel is in room 6A and will run from 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM.

Press Release

Guildford, UK – July 20, 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and 38 Studios, LLC announced Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the company’s first title previously referred to under the codename “Project Mercury”. Reckoning is an epic, open-world role-playing game set in Amalur, a mysterious and magical new fantasy world created by New York Times best-selling author R. A. Salvatore. Brought to life visually through the trademark visceral style of renowned artist and Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, Reckoning brings a new level of intense action combat to the RPG genre. The game is being developed under the leadership of Ken Rolston, lead designer of the critically acclaimed RPGs Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and is scheduled for release in fall 2011.

“Reckoning is a great representation of how a team of incredibly talented and creative people with expertise in different areas can come together and complement each other so well,” said Jen MacLean, CEO of 38 Studios. “We are thrilled to be developing an open-world RPG under the leadership of one of the greatest RPG designers in the industry, with creative direction by one of the most iconic artists of our time, set in a rich universe imagined by one of the top fantasy genre authors in the world. We can’t wait to share the first details of this universe we have been so dedicated to building over the past few years.”

"In Reckoning, we started with Bob and Todd's exceptional Kingdoms of Amalur game setting and imagery," said Ken Rolston, Lead Designer at Big Huge Games, a subsidiary of 38 Studios. "On that foundation we built the open-world exploration, vast narrative and character customization fans expect from the best RPGs. And we've added something new that we've always wanted from the genre -- a fast-paced, graphically stimulating action combat experience with fluid control and immersive, discoverable gameplay fans haven't seen before in other fantasy RPGs."

Reckoning is a single-player RPG that sets players on a heroic journey to unlock the mysteries of Amalur. Amalur is a magical world, filled with strange landscapes, exotic cities, colorful characters and terrifying creatures. This Thursday at International Comic-Con in San Diego, 38 Studios visionaries McFarlane, Rolston, and Salvatore, along with 38 Studios Founder and Chairman Curt Schilling, will be hosting a panel in the first-ever public discussion of Reckoning. Attendees will be among the first to see the world debut of Reckoning’s first trailer, directed by McFarlane and will also receive a limited edition collectible poster designed by McFarlane. The panel takes place in room 6A from 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM and will be moderated by Spike TV’s Geoff Keighley.

Reckoning will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® videogame
and entertainment system, and PC. For more information about Reckoning, please visit www.reckoningthegame.com beginning Thursday, July 22, or follow the game on Twitter athttp://Twitter.com/ReckoningGame and become a fan on Facebook athttp://facebook.com/ReckoningTheGame

About 38 Studios
38 Studios, LLC, an entertainment and IP creation company founded in 2006 by Curt Schilling, is developing an original fantasy IP driven by the creative and artistic visions of pop-culture icons R. A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane. Entertainment products will include a massively immersive Online Entertainment ExperienceTM that transcends the traditional MMOG genre, novels, comics, toys, console games, movies, TV, and more.

For more information, visit www.38studios.com.

About Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTSTM, EATM, EA MobileTMand POGOTM. In fiscal 2010, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.7 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million units. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at www.eagames.co.uk/press.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile and POGO are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc.. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.