Monday, November 9, 2009

EA Announce They Have Aquired Playfish


EA Has announced today that they have acquired Playfish. Playfish are a creator of social network games, and this acquisition for EA means they have accelerated their position in the social networking game market. Playfish will operate within EA Interactive, A division of EA focused on the Web and Wireless.

Playfish see joining EA as "...the ideal opportunity for us to push forward our goals to lead in the social entertainment evolution on a faster and much larger scale." Whilst EA sees the move as "...the right time to invest and strengthen our participation in this space", referring to social gaming.

Press Release

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov 09, 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced it has acquired Playfish™, a leading creator of social network games. The acquisition accelerates EA’s position in social entertainment and strengthens its focus on the transition to digital and social gaming. Playfish will operate within EA Interactive, a division of EA focused on the web and on wireless.

EA has acquired Playfish for approximately US$275 million in cash and approximately $US25 million in equity retention arrangements. In addition, the sellers are entitled to additional variable cash consideration, up to a maximum of US$100 million, contingent upon the achievement of certain performance milestones through December 31, 2011.

“Social gaming, with its emphasis on friends and community, is seeing tremendous growth and this is the right time to invest to strengthen our participation in this space,” said Barry Cottle, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Interactive. “EAi has been successfully leading the charge for EA, and with the addition of proven expertise from Playfish, their broad consumer base and strong game brands, we’re moving ahead aggressively in our plans to lead in the category of cross-platform social entertainment.”

"The industry is undergoing dramatic transformation and joining EA is the ideal opportunity for us to push forward our goals to lead in the social entertainment evolution on a faster and much larger scale," said Kristian Segerstrale, CEO and Co-founder of Playfish. “EAi’s vision and entrepreneurial culture are consistent with our own, and together, we are in position to be the company that defines new and innovative connected experiences that will change the way people play games.”

Playfish is one of the world’s largest and most respected social gaming companies with more than 150 million games installed and played worldwide on platforms such as Facebook®, MySpace™, Google™, Bebo, iPhone™ and Android. Playfish currently has over 60 million monthly active players across its ten titles – including Facebook hits Pet Society, Restaurant City, and Country Story – driving more than 1 billion game play sessions every month.

EAi is a division of EA focused on digital business, including EA Mobile™, Pogo™ and social gaming. Pogo is the #1 casual gaming destination in audience engagement across North America and Europe. And EA Mobile is the world's #1 mobile games publisher with 34% market share in the U.S., and the leading games publisher on Apple's App Store with such Top Paid Apps as Rock Band®, Madden NFL10, The Sims™, and Tetris®.

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 MobileTM and POGOTM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. 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 and The Sims are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Rock Band is a trademark or registered trademark of Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., an MTV Networks company. Tetris is a registered trademark of Tetris Holding LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Playfish

Playfish leads the social gaming industry in innovation and creativity with award-winning, category-defining games designed for friends to play together. The company has changed the way people play games by creating more social and connected experiences. To date, more than 150 million Playfish games have been installed and played by millions of people worldwide on platforms such as Facebook, MySpace, Google, Bebo, iPhone and Android. The company’s games are amongst the most acclaimed and popular online, including Pet Society, Restaurant City, Country Story and Who Has The Biggest Brain? Playfish has development studios in London, San Francisco, Beijing and Tromso, Norway. Playfish is backed by Accel Partners, Index Ventures and Stanhope Capital.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements set forth in this press release regarding EA’s acquisition of Playfish Limited and the expected impact of the acquisition on EA’s strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements that are subject to change. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or actual future results to differ materially from the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements. Some of the factors which could cause results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements include the following: the effect of the announcement of the acquisition on EA’s and Playfish’s strategic relationships, operating results and business generally, including the ability to retain key employees; EA’s ability to successfully integrate Playfish’s operations and employees; general economic conditions; and other factors described in EA’s SEC filings (including EA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2009 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2009). If any of these risks or uncertainties materializes, the potential benefits of the acquisition may not be realized, EA’s and/or Playfish’s operating results and financial performance could suffer, and actual results could differ materially from the expectations described in these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release. EA assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Tecmo Announce NBA UNRIVALED For The Playstation Network And Xbox Live Arcade

Tecmo Have Announced that, In Partnership with, A.C.R.O.N.Y.M Games, They are releasing NBA UNRIVALED for the PSN and XBLA. the game is set to come out November 11th, in time for the start of the 2009-2010 NBA Basketball season. it will have all 30 NBA Teams and the latest rosters.

The Game features 5 on 5 arcade gameplay. there will be offline and online multiplayer, Player vs Player or 2 players VS CPU. The game will also feature a Momentum Mania Gauge which when filled increases offensive and defensive abilities.

The game will feature unlockable jersey's from old teams. there will also be a chance to put your own face in the game.

NBA UNRIVALED*


*Pictures from www.facebook.com/NBAUNRIVALED


Press Release

TORRANCE, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Nov 09, 2009 Leading publisher TECMO today announces their partnership with developer A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games to release NBA UNRIVALED™, exclusively for download on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation® Network. Combining inspiration from both arcade classics and retro styling, the highly-anticipated, visually stunning sports title will be available in time to kick off the 2009-2010 NBA® basketball season with all 30 NBA teams and players from the latest rosters.

From expressive cut scenes to exaggerated slams, the game will be reminiscent of arcade basketball favorites. At this time, no such game exists in the digital download realm.

Game Features:
*Choose your favorite team: Boasting all 30 NBA teams and the top players from the latest 2009-2010 Rosters, you can choose your team to compete in full 5-on-5 team arcade-style gameplay.
*Multiplayer: Grab a friend to play in online or offline multiplayer mode: Player vs. Player, or 2 Players vs. CPU.
*Momentum Mania! As players play for points, they will also play to fill up their Momentum Gauge. Once the Momentum Gauge is maxed out, the team goes into Momentum Mania, which boosts offensive and defensive abilities, allowing for flashier, bigger plays.
*Style: Experience electrifying effects, outrageous dunks, and fast paced action where no other basketball game has gone before!
*Unlockables: Unlock jerseys from today’s favorites to yesterday’s throwback classics.
*HD Play: For in your FACE action, both Xbox LIVE Arcade and PSN platforms have a supported screen resolution of 1080p.

NBA UNRIVALED is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and will initially be released in North America, Japan and Europe for Xbox LIVE Arcade on November 11, 2009, later followed by a release on PlayStation Network in the same regions.

For more information about the game, visit www.nbaunrivaledgame.com. Become a fan on the official Facebook page by visitingwww.facebook.com/NBAUNRIVALED.

ABOUT TECMO
TECMO, Inc. is a global developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for current generation consoles, handhelds and digital download content based in Torrance, California. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of TECMO, LTD., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. TECMO is best known for the Dead or Alive®, Ninja Gaiden®, Tecmo Bowl® and Fatal Frame® series. On April 1, 2009, TECMO KOEI HOLDINGS CO., LTD was established as a result of the TECMO, LTD. and KOEI Co., Ltd. merger. More information on TECMO can be found at www.tecmogames.com.

ABOUT A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. GAMES
Founded in 2004 by two ex-EAC gurus, A.C.R.O.N.Y.M. Games is home to 22 talented videogame creators who love what they do and make sure it shows in every pixel of our hand-crafted products. Our passionate management team has almost a century of practical experience between them, which means we can offer a sensible tried-and-tested approach to just about any development undertaking. We have our own internally developed cross-platform engine which works beautifully on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PC and iPhone. We are adept at using 3rd party technology too, as well as being experts in online gameplay.

ABOUT NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2008-09 season, NBA games reached 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach was also reflected in the 77 international players from 33 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than five million daily visits, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $110 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 425 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.

NBA UNRIVALED™. ©2009 TECMO, Inc. TECMO is a registered trademark of TECMO, LTD. The NBA and individual NBA member team identifications reproduced on this product are trademarks and copyrighted designs, and/or other forms of intellectual property, that are the exclusive property of NBA Properties, Inc. and the respective NBA member teams and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of NBA Properties, Inc. © 2009 NBA Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. All photos courtesy of NBA Photos. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. The PlayStation Network Logo is a service mark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

Capcom And Hi Corp Announce That Resident Evil 4 Is Coming To The Zeebo As Resident Evil 4: Zeebo Edition


Capcom have announced that they are working with Hi Corp And Their engine Mascot Capsule Eruption to bring Resident Evil 4 to the Zeebo Console.

Hi Corp have also announced that their engine will be available to other developers who want to port games to the Zeebo Console.


you can click on the Screenshot to see it bigger.

Press Release

TOKYO --(Business Wire)-- Nov 09, 2009 HI CORPORATION (JASDAQ:3846)(ISIN:JP3160860007)(Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Kazuo Kawabata; hereinafter "HI") announced today that HI's 3D rendering engine MascotCapsule eruption (hereinafter "eruption") has been adopted by Capcom Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; President and COO: Haruhiro Tsujimoto; hereinafter "Capcom") for their video game "Resident Evil 4: Zeebo edition"developed for a 3G Wireless entertainment system "Zeebo", targeting consumers in BRIC countries. The Zeebo ismanufactured by Zeebo, Inc. (Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States; CEO: John Rizzo).

"By using eruption, we were successfully able to easily port the game utilizing the BREW(R) version. In addition, thanks to eruption's high quality graphics, we can represent our high technologies to Zeebo users," said Takeshi Tezuka, General Manager of Mobile Content Development and Senior Manager of Business Development, R&D Management Group at Capcom.

"It's great to see popular brands like Resident Evil come to the Zeebo platform," said Mike Yuen, Senior Vice President, Content & Services at Zeebo, Inc. "HI's MascotCapsule technology is very well known and widely used by Japanese game publishers, and we hope this is just the first of many more great titles to be made available for our system."

Now that eruption supports Zeebo, game publishers are able to use it for developing new games for Zeebo. They can also use MascotCapsule V3, a full-software 3D rendering engine, for Zeebo.

How to Obtain Software Development Kit
To obtain the software development kit of eruption, you need to accept the commercial license agreement (A license fee is required). Contact adinfo@hicorp.co.jp for details.
* MascotCapsule(R) is a registered trademark of HI CORPORATION in Japan.
* Other company names and product names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of respective companies.

About HI
HI CORPORATION is a leading research and development company in middleware development for embedded devices. Its flagship product, real-time 3D rendering engine "MascotCapsule", has been adopted by five Japanese mobile network operators as well as by major handsets manufacturers for their global releases. For more information, visit our website athttp://www.hicorp.co.jp/english/index.html.

Microsoft Announces Season 2 of 1 VS 100 Will Start November 18th


Microsoft has announced that season 2 of 1 Vs 100 will start on November 18th at 5.00 PM (PT). the season will run for 14 weeks and will be hosted in the USA by Chris Cashman.

Season 2 also brings some changes to the game from the first game. if your chosen as the one, you live status will change to busy. the chances of getting into the mob or the one are also improved and biased on your score, the higher the score the greater the chance. More information will be made available next week.


Press Release

Your Avatar is dressed to the nines. The crowd is restless and ready to win. The spotlight shines on you when the host calls your name. Are you ready to play “1 vs 100” on Xbox LIVE? The entertainment phenomenon that took Xbox LIVE by storm is hitting your Xbox 360 again with Season 2 of “1 vs 100” on Xbox LIVE!

Based on Endemol’s hit TV game show, Xbox has pioneered a completely new genre of entertainment. Bringing together the best of television show experiences and interactive video games, “1 vs 100” Season 2 on Xbox LIVE will again feature Chris Cashman as the comedic live host everyone has come to love, all-new fresh trivia, and more real prizes.

“1 vs 100” Season 2 will run for 14 weeks and bring you new and exciting features. Get the inside scoop (and a jump start on the questions) by answering the following:

Question 1: “1 vs 100” Season 2 will premier on Xbox LIVE:
A: November 19, 2009 at 5:00 pm PT
B: November 24, 2009 at 5:00 pm PT
C: New Years Eve at 5:00 pm PT

Question 2: In “1 vs 100” Season 2, your chances of taking center stage are cooler than ever. During “1 vs 100 Live” shows, “The One” and “The Mob” will be selected based on:
A: Score, speed, accuracy, and number of Achievements you’ve earned.
B: Score, score, score – totals across the Season, the week and the round!
C: How many pigeons you have in your back yard.

The answer to question one is…. A: November 19 at 5:00 pm PT!
The answer to question two is…..B: Score, score, score – totals across the Season, the week and the round!

The higher your score, the higher your chances of being chosen as “The One,” or “The Mob.” Being “the One” is exciting and intense! So, if you’re chosen as “the One” in “1 vs 100” Season 2, Xbox LIVE will automatically change your status to “Busy.” You’ll also enjoy more time in the spotlight – “the One” will strike a pose at the top of the stairs before strolling down to center stage.

Beginning on November 19, “1 vs 100 Extended Play” will feature brand new themed trivia every weeknight including “Finish the Lyrics” (are you a Karaoke champ? What’s the next line in this song?), “80s” (how well do you know the 80s?), and “Vampires” (you love Twilight and True Blood. How much do you really know about vampires?)

We let the Xbox LIVE community speak for itself – on average more than half a million unique contestants competed in “1 vs 100” every single week during the 15 week Beta season of “1 vs 100,” which launched on June 1, 2009. Up to 114,000 people in the US and Canada, and 79,000 people in the UK and Ireland competed simultaneously in “1 vs 100 Live” shows. Microsoft even awarded nearly two million Microsoft points as prizes during the Beta season! “1 vs 100” was also downloaded nearly three million times making it one of the top 10 most downloaded pieces of content on Xbox LIVE to date.

So read up on your current events, and see you at the premiere of “1 vs 100” Season 2! Tune in next week for more details…

EA Has Released New Screenshots For MMA

EA Has released new screenshots for MMA. the screenshots are the first in-game screenshots that EA has released for the game. the screenshots are of a fight, they show the fighters, the referee, and the ring.

MMA



Koei Has Released Screenshots For Romance Of The Three Kingdoms Touch On The iPhone


Koei has released new screenshots for the upcoming iphone game, Romancing The Three Kingdoms Touch. the screenshots are in game and a mix of different parts of the game, like menus, world maps, story, and battles.

Romancing The Three Kingdoms



Audio Re-Cap of The Weekends News (oldest to newest)

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