Village Gamer

Montreal – Fight together, survive together! EA Montreal reminds Canadian gamers that Army Of Two™: The 40th Day will hit retail shelves nationwide tomorrow. Army Of Two™: The 40th Day delivers an exciting action experience that has earned widespread critical acclaim including a score of 9.5 from PLAY (Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system) and 4.5/5 from PlayStation: The Official Magazine (PlayStation®3). With an average score of 83* on the Xbox 360, Army Of Two™: The 40th Day is a full 11 point quality improvement over its predecessor. The game’s signature two-man gameplay has the Official Xbox Magazine saying, “the co-op play is amazingly fun and strategic,” and PSM3 in the UK calling it, “one of the best cover-to-cover shooters on the PS3.”

Army Of Two™: The 40th Day is the sequel to the 2008 multi-platinum co-op shooter. Players work together as the ultimate two-man private military team, Salem and Rios, to survive and escape the city of Shanghai as it falls under attack by mysterious forces. The game boasts a robust playbook of co-op moves with one of the most extensive and varied weapon customization systems ever found in an action/shooter game. Players can mix and match weapon parts found in the world and execute strategic two-man tactics that create a thrilling, one-of-a-kind co-op action experience.

Army Of Two™: The 40th Day is rated M by the ESRB and will be available for the Xbox 360, the PlayStation®3, and the PlayStation® Portable (PSP®). Gamers can also download a demo of the game now on PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE™ Marketplace.

Calgary – Ph03nix New Media has launched the iPhone Game Rebate program, the first system that provides cash rewards to purchasers of iPhone games. The innovative new rebate program lets iPhone game publishers and developers reward their customers with cash incentives, while users can enjoy discounts of 50% or more on newly released games.

“Offering rebates to iPhone users creates a whole new world of promotional opportunities for iPhone game publishers and developers,” said Jon Lam, CEO and Founder of Ph03nix New Media. “This is the first program of its kind for the iPhone, which means we’ll see a lot of exciting initiatives as companies use this program in unique and creative ways.”

Rebate promotions through the iPhone Game Rebate program will feature individual games or groups of games from specific companies, and may vary in terms of reward. The program is flexible and can offer rewards for any iPhone game or app. Publishers or developers interested in participating in the rebate program can inquire via e-mail.

To kick off the rebate program, Ph03nix New Media is offering a $1 rebate for the purchase of any iPhone game from now until Jan. 31. Registration for the rebate program is simple; to get started users only need to register online, and then they can redeem their rebate for this or any future promotion by sending in their iTunes receipt. Once the proof-of-purchase is received, a cash rebate will be sent to the registered user’s mailing address.

Toronto – Location-based services (LBS) company Cellflare has launched Version 3.0 of their GPS mobile application in the Apple’s App Store for the iPhone™.

For the release of 3.0 Cellflare has redesigned the interface, graphics and registration process to create ease of use, clearer presentation and increased functionality. Key new features for Cellflare are Friends on the Map and in addition Cellflare has improved the efficiency of its core tracking program which should allow for longer battery life.

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Burnaby – EA Sports™ is developing one of the most popular and culturally influential arcade basketball games ever made — NBA JAM — for the Nintendo Wii™. EA Sports NBA JAM revives the classic franchise with vintage NBA JAM gameplay, and all-new features that deliver a fresh new take on the game. Featuring the sights and sounds that fans of the franchise will instantly recognize, EA SPORTS NBA JAM mixes the old school with the new, to deliver a one-of-a-kind sports presentation on the Wii. Not yet rated by the ESRB, NBA JAM is scheduled for a 2010 release.

“NBA JAM is one of the most recognizable franchises in videogame history,” said Peter Moore, President, EA Sports. “Diehard fans of the original game have been asking for a remake for more than a decade. We’re very excited to give them their wish this year with the return of this iconic franchise.”

Featuring gameplay that is true to the original, NBA JAM will have players spinning with ankle breaking moves to the basket and on the way to high-flying, backboard-smashing dunks. In addition to the classic experience, EA Sports NBA JAM will also introduce new game modes, characters and gameplay depth.

NBA JAM brought an all-new visual style to the sports videogame genre when it debuted in 1993. Now, the new EA Sports NBA JAM re-defines the visuals for a sports game yet again by bringing true-to-life body types, updated physics, and visible player emotion to the over- the – top experience.

Vancouver – As announced last week on Village Gamer, Deep Fried Entertainment’s WiiWare title ShadowPlay is officially available for download for the Wii today.  Let your imagination run wild when light meets everyday objects to create fascinating shadows. Play and experiment, make a monster out of a pineapple, a dolphin out of a banana – the only limit is your imagination. ShadowPlay challenges players by transforming shadows into more than 100 exciting, unique puzzles. As more challenging puzzles are unlocked, players will have to find more creative ways to solve problems. You will never look at a slice of pizza the same way again! Winning a round will allow players to advance to the next level as well as score another item to use in the Free Play Mode, where you can unleash your imagination and create your own shadow art. Family and friends can also jump in to help tackle a puzzle at any time using Local Co-op Mode. ShadowPlay will provide tons of brain-racking fun for 1 or 2 players of all ages for 800 Wii points. Rated E by the ESRB.

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