Village Gamer

THQ and Relic Entertainment to Deliver “Direct Fire” Control and Intense Combat in Newest Installment of Award-Winning Company of Heroes Franchise

Vancouver – THQ Inc. today announced Company of Heroes®: Tales of Valor™, the next chapter in the critically-acclaimed Company of Heroes franchise, has reached the gold master stage of development and has entered manufacturing. Developed by award-winning Real-Time Strategy (RTS) developer, Relic Entertainment, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor offers three, intense single-player campaigns, three new multiplayer modes and an innovative “direct-fire” feature that offers an unprecedented amount of control on the battlefield. Scheduled for a nationwide release at all major retail and online outlets on April 9, 2009, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor will be available as a Games for Windows® PC title for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

“Building upon the recent critical and commercial success of Dawn of War II, Relic Entertainment is set to deliver the next great chapter in the award-winning Company of Heroes franchise,” said Kevin Kraff, vice president of global brand management, THQ. “Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor strengthens Relic Entertainment’s reputation as a leading RTS developer, with an unwavering dedication to innovative, ground-breaking gameplay experiences.”

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Vancouver – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., is proud to announce that Max Payne 3 is currently in development at Rockstar Vancouver and is scheduled for a winter 2009 release on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Developed by Rockstar Vancouver, Max Payne 3 tells the story of a retired police detective embroiled in a world of corruption, turmoil and intense violence.

The award-winning Max Payne franchise put players in the role of Max Payne, a hard-boiled New York City detective with a penchant for violence, out to avenge the death of his family. The latest installment delivers more of the classic elements and hyper-intense action that fans have come to love, while moving the story of Max in a new direction.
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Burnaby – Electronic Arts Inc. announced today that Need for Speed™ SHIFT, the all-new authentic racing game in the Need for Speed series, will hit stores in Europe on September 17 and North America on September 22, 2009. Need for Speed SHIFT brings a true driver’s experience to some of the world’s most iconic racing tracks, including the storied Brand’s Hatch in the UK. The game also features the largest roster of high-performance cars in Need for Speed history including race cars such as the Pagani Zonda F, Porsche 911 GT2 and Lotus Elise.

“With Need for Speed SHIFT, we set out to create a racing game that pushes the genre and delivers something never before seen in a Need for Speed title,” said Patrick Soderlund, Senior Vice President at EA Games Europe. “By focusing on the driver’s experience through the first-person view, we are able to capture the high-speed intensity and gripping emotions of racing.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Dark Second Chapter to the Epic Science-Fiction Trilogy – Coming Early 2010 for Windows PC and Xbox 360

Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. today officially announced Mass Effect™ 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the multi award-winning 2007 hit, Mass Effect. The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren’s evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril…

“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action.”

Mass Effect 2 is coming to PC and the Xbox 360 video game system in Early 2010. To see the exclusive new teaser trailer check out the website here: www.masseffect.com

Canadian game studio strives for something different

Toronto – Untold Entertainment Inc., a Canadian game studio specializing in online casual games for kids, happily announces the development of Kahoots. Kahoots is a challenging game of nonsensical crime and silly intrigue, modelled entirely from plasticine.

The game is set in Londonton, a fictional and foolish vision of London, England. Drawing its inspiration from British board games like Cluedo (AKA “Clue”), and absurdly humorous series like Monty Python’s Flying Circus and The League of Gentlemen, Kahoots immerses the player in sepia-tinged Edwardian (fake) England at the height of a crime wave. As Spotland Pond’s newest detective, the player must track down cabals of criminals, all in pursuit of the evil mastermind behind their reign of (mostly harmless) terror.

A Very Hands-On Approach

Kahoots is being modeled from top to bottom in plasticine. Every character, set and prop is lovingly (and squishingly) hand-crafted by the team at Untold Entertainment. The world of Londonton is being brought to life through careful photography and digital image manipulation, resulting in a seamless (but smudgy) game experience. The creators hope that the game’s clay graphics will set it Read the rest of this entry »

The Ultimate Two-Man Private Military Team is Back in Action Delivering New and Groundbreaking Cooperative Gameplay

Montreal – EA Montreal, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced ARMY OF TWO™: THE 40th DAY. The ultimate two-man private military team of Salem and Rios return in this epic sequel where they must survive and prevail in a city under siege. EA Montreal is once again leading the next evolution in co-op shooter games offering a fresh, innovative and fluid co-op experience with a deep arsenal of customizable weapons so players can team up with their friends online for the fight of their lives.

With ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY, we’re pushing the tactical two-man military team into new battlegrounds offering a completely organic and rich co-op experience to deliver an action-packed co-op shooter this winter,” says Reid Schneider, Executive Producer, EA Montreal. “As chaos blankets Shanghai, China, you must rely on your partner to survive as you weave through a broken city left devastated in a mysterious wake.”
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Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. announced today the highly anticipated details of all six Origin Stories featured in the upcoming dark, heroic fantasy Dragon Age™: Origins. Each Origin Story starts the player off with a unique series of locations, characters and events that establish their motivations and lay the groundwork for the adventure to come.

With each Origin Story boasting several hours of unique game play, as well as challenging strategic combat and exploration, these 6 distinct preludes make Dragon Age: Origins the first BioWare game to offer not only multiple endings, but also multiple beginnings. Players will start their adventure in one of the following roles:

Dalish Elf
As one of the last “true elves”, you were content to spend your life wandering with your clan… until a chance encounter with a relic of your people’s past threatens to tear you away from everything you’ve known.

City Elf
You have always lived under the heavy thumb of your human overlords, but when a local lord claiming his “privilege” with the bride shatters your wedding day, the simmering racial tensions explode in a rain of vengeance.
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Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced that the release of Dragon Age™: Origins on PC has been rescheduled to the last half of 2009 from the previously announced early 2009 release date, coinciding with the release of the console versions of Dragon Age: Origins.

“Dragon Age: Origins is shaping up to be quite amazing in its level of quality and polish,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA. “I’m really proud of our team, who are working very hard to make Dragon Age: Origins the biggest and most exciting BioWare game yet, and we will work to ensure it not only meets, but exceeds the expectations of our loyal audience of fans.”

Dragon Age: Origins is the spiritual successor to BioWare’s critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate™, featuring deep character customization and roleplaying, morally challenging decisions, tactical party-based combat, and a wealth of gritty, mature sub-plots that together make it one of the most highly-anticipated PC and console releases of 2009.

Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., today announced that it will continue in the studio’s long tradition of delivering powerful content-creations to the gaming community by releasing the Dragon Age™ Toolset. BioWare will be presenting the Dragon Age™ Toolset at the Penny Arcade Expo in the Washington State Convention & Trade Center today through Sunday. Designed specifically for the highly-anticipated Role-playing PC game Dragon Age™: Origins, the Dragon Age Toolset provides players with developer-grade tools that will allow them to produce their own content.

Attendees of the Penny Arcade Expo will be the first ever to see the new toolset in action as BioWare will provide a live demonstration of some of its exciting features and capabilities. The Dragon Age Toolset will be part of a stage demonstration during the Penny Arcade Expo at 1:30pm, August 31, on the main stage at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, Washington.

Key features include:

Create Original Adventures – Using the rich set of Dragon Age assets and locations as starting blocks, users can modify these stunning areas by adding new quests, characters and scripting to craft their own adventures, fate-defining conversations and cut-scenes.
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Edmonton – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc., will be presenting their upcoming dark heroic fantasy Dragon Age™: Origins publicly for the first time ever to fans at Gen Con in Indianapolis, Indiana, the GC Developers Conference in Leipzig, Germany and the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, Washington.

Coming from behind closed doors and onto the show floor, BioWare is thrilled to reveal the heart-pounding demo that wowed international media at E3 2008 to the eager fans at Gen Con Indy, August 14-17, 2008, at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. This marks the very first public appearance of Dragon Age: Origins ever, with fans able to get a first-hand look at some of the exciting combat, devastating magic and credible digital actors that make up this epic adventure.

Dragon Age: Origins will then cross the ocean to Leipzig, Germany, to reveal itself to eagerly awaiting European fans at the GC Developers Conference, held August 20-22, 2008, at the Leipzig Exhibition Center. Dragon Age: Origins project director and executive producer Dan Tudge will be conducting behind closed doors demos to the press, revealing new details about combat, exploration, dialogue, the game’s origin stories and a few other juicy surprises not to be missed! BioWare’s community team will also be there to demo Dragon Age: Origins in a special lounge for invited members, fans and leaders of international EA community sites, August 22-24.
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