Toronto, Canada – August 27, 2008 –Today leading computer game publisher Lighthouse Interactive, part of SilverBirch Inc.’s video game division, and developer Nitro Games, released six never-before-seen screenshots for East India Company. These print quality screenshots highlight the three basic gameplay elements: strategy, combat and trade. Scheduled to release in Q1 2009, this dynamic real-time strategy war game for Windows® PC is based on the exploits and adventures of the infamous 18th century East India Companies. It challenges players to build the World’s most powerful trading empire as they engage in fierce open sea battles in both single player and multiplayer modes.

GAME SUMMARY

In East India Company, players will assume the role of Governor Director of one of the East India Companies or other rival companies. There are eight nationalities to choose from: British, Dutch, French, Danish, Portuguese, Swedish, Italian or Spanish – with the goal of bringing new colonies and wealth such as: tea, spices, gold, diamonds and other precious cargo back to Europe, but they must dominate the other rival empires along the way. Wars will be waged and blood will be spilled. Players will also conquer the open sea and explore 40 different cities, towns and villages. Starting modestly, you will build your fleet, establish connections to far away countries, and keep the rivaling nations at bay. Choose from an array of ship classes and types of transport and military vessels: small sloops, schooners, brigantines, frigates and ship-of-the-line. Create different fleets and assign them to specific trading routes. Controlling well situated ports and upgrading them is one key to success.

Conflicts and wars are inevitable. When hostile fleets engage each other, the spectacular naval battles are fought at a real-time tactical level. Devastating broadsides are fired with a deafening roar and cannon balls tear through enemy ships and their crew. At a tactical level, you have direct command over your ship and give independent orders to each of your other fleets. Fight against the other European powers to create a trading empire that will rule above all others!

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Black Box, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), today unveiled new details of Need for Speed™ Undercover, the intense action racing game scheduled for release worldwide this November. Need for Speed Undercover has players racing through speedways, dodging cops and chasing rivals as they go deep undercover to take down an International crime syndicate. The new game heralds the return of high-intensity police chases and introduces the all-new ‘Heroic Driving Engine’ — a unique technology that generates incredible high-performance moves at 180 miles per hour during breathtaking highway battles.

“Need for Speed Undercover puts you at the center of a big-budget Hollywood movie with all of the drama, action and dazzling chase scenes, right on your gaming console. The unique Heroic Driving Engine will give you ultimate control over the hottest cars and push you to use every ounce of skill to outrun the law and take down criminal adversaries,” said Executive Producer Bill Harrison.

A mix of stunning computer graphics and live-action movies will immerse gamers in the rich world of the Tri-City Bay Area. The city’s open-world environment features over 80 miles of roads, including an enormous highway system that sets the stage for heart-pounding highway battles. These high-speed, high-stake chase sequences will push players to the limit as they fight off cops and opponents while whipping through traffic at 180 miles per hour.
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Details and facts about the upcoming addition to the Crash Bandicoot franchise were released this week at GC Leipzig.

Publisher Sierra Entertainment
Category Action
Developer Radical Entertainment
Format Xbox360, Wii, PS2, DS, PSP

Product Overview
In Crash Bandicoot: Mind over Mutant, a rejuvenated Neo Cortex is taking over the world one brain at a time! Cortex and N. Brio devise a new kind of evil; a text-messaging, do-anything device which controls both mutant and bandicoot minds. Armed with his quick-wits and lightening agility, Crash must free his friends, the titans and save the day!
Product Features
• Mutant in Your Pocket! – Not only does Crash keep the ability to control his enemies when he jacks them – now he can store his favorite monsters in his pocket, upgrade them and utilize their powers when they are most advantageous

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Press Release – Toronto, July 29, 2008 – SilverBirch Studios, a member of the SilverBirch Inc. ( TSX-V: SVB ) group of digital media companies, today announced that N+, a DS and PSP game to be released by Atari, Inc. in August, has won two awards at the recently concluded 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit in Los Angeles.

N+ won best PSP game of show awarded by GamingExcellence and separately won the best handheld game of show awarded by the Blast Magazine. N+ is a physics-based platformer in which a player assumes the role of a ninja who by running and jumping has to make his way to a door while collecting gold, avoiding attackers and fighting the clock.

“This is obviously a great honor for us,” said Wojtek Kawczynski, Senior Vice President, SilverBirch Studios. “Winning two awards at E3 further validates the quality of N+ and is a reflection of the passion that went into the making of the game.”
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Press Release – Paul Thelen, founder and chief strategy officer of Big Fish Games™, the world’s largest casual games distributor, today revealed new research that challenges the conventional thinking about audience profiles in the video game industry. The results of a recent study show gamers can no longer be classified into the traditional archetypes of core and casual fans due to the rapid diversification of the demographics, game styles, business models and platforms in the U.S. games market.

In partnership with NPD Group, Big Fish Games surveyed nearly 3,000 U.S. individuals who play games, and matched the results across demographics, game mechanics, and psychographics. The study identified 14 distinct segments of gamers within 39 genres of games. The casual market was segmented into 10 distinct groups, while four segments were identified within the traditional core market. However, the segmentation calls into question the relevancy of the terms casual and core, due to a great deal of overlap and similarity between various casual and core segments once thought to be disparate.
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Press Release – Toronto, Canada: JoWooD Productions and DreamCatcher Games, leading publishers of interactive entertainment software around the world, today announced the official website for The Orb and the Oracle has been launched. Fans of the Dungeon Lords fantasy RPG series can access the website to find screenshots, videos, artwork, wallpapers, music and more.

The community based website contains message boards and will be frequently updated with the latest news on the game’s development. Screenshots and videos will provide RPG fans with their first glimpse into the next installment in the Dungeon Lords saga.

Game Features:

• A massive fantasy world filled with non-stop action and meticulously detailed indoor and outdoor environments. Explore shrines, campsites and country cottages throughout the vast rolling countryside, mountains, woodlands, swamplands and more.
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I know that many of you are eagerly awaiting the release of Dawn of War II, which is currently in development over at Relic Entertainment. Now you can keep on top of the latest development news in the official Dawn of War II community, which recently opened on the game’s official site. According to information on the Dawn of War II web site, community members will get the “first looks at some of the latest videos and screenshots from Relic, regular blog drops written by the team that works on Dawn of War II, extended information reveals on the game, direct access to Relic and forums for all of you to share your thoughts with Relic and each other – exclusively for the community.”

Dawn of War II, the new chapter in the Dawn of War RTS franchise, will launch players into an epic galactic battle the likes of which haven’t been seen before. Following on the footsteps of Dawn of War: Soulstorm, players will have the ability to send their elite forces to battle in the 41st millennium, deciding the fate of the ancient races who inhabit the worlds of Sub-Sector Aurelia. Watch for the battle lines to be drawn when Dawn of War II hits store shelves in the Spring of 2009.

Press Release – Today Ubisoft announced that it will publish Hell’s Kitchen™: The Video Game, for Wii™, Nintendo DS™, PC and Mac^®.

Developed by Ludia, Hell’s Kitchen™: The Video Game is based on the hit television program featuring world-renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay. The game will allow players to experience the show’s high-pressure kitchen and dining room challenges as a faithfully rendered 3D Chef Ramsay watches their every move.

“I had a great time doing the voice for my own animation,” said Gordon Ramsay. “Being in a video game is a new experience for me and I’m very pleased with the results.”

After executing the three phases of an order – preparation, cooking and service – Chef Gordon Ramsay will score each meal. As they progress through the game, players will be rewarded with access to recipes from Chef Ramsay’s own repertoire.
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Five graduating game design and animation students will plug their laptops into the Atlantic Technology Centre this summer to pursue a dream of driving their video game idea from concept to market-ready prototype.

The graduates are the first team selected for the GameGarage, an initiative of the Interactive Media Alliance (IMA), the PEI-based interactive media industry association, with support from Telefilm Canada and PEI Business Development.

Participants were chosen from a national competition that invited graduating new media students and recent graduates to submit original game concepts, or submit their resumes for a chance to work on someone else’s concept.
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Little Boy Games, a new Vancouver game development studio headed by Ivan Tung and Usman Khalid will be releasing their first game on XBLA this month. Go! Go! Break Steady is rated E for Everyone and features six break dancing characters who dance their way through twenty musical numbers as the player matches buttons and blasts their way through match-three puzzle levels.

Go! Go! Break Steady offers single player, co-op, versus and multi-player modes, along with an XBLA Leaderboard and Gamer Achievements. Gamers can choose to play as Hydro, Sparx, Slim, Granny, Go Go or Mighty Mite and choose their level of difficulty. The object of the game is to take on DJ Scruffy and the Beatniks and win the “All City Break Steady Tournament” by defeating each level and taking home the prizes.

Go! Go! Break Steady will be available exclusively on Xbox Live Arcade for Xbox 360 owners who have either a Silver or Gold membership. Those who are also on FaceBook can check out the Go! Go! Break Steady fan page for further information. Best of luck to Little Boy Games on their inaugural game release – we look forward to seeing more games from Ivan and Usman in the future.