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Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes Comes on Nintendo DSiWare

Sierra Monica B. — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:00:27 +0000

Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes is the latest video game launched by Electronic Arts for the Nintendo DSiWare console, in which players have the possibility to use their own face and voice. They have the mission to save their stolen identity in an adventure game and use a web camera and microphone to introduce their face and voice to become part of the game as a new character, having the option of switching between eight costumes, including a barbarian full of muscles, a spy and a ninja.

The player’s identity was stolen by The Professor, the arch villain, and in order to get it back he/she has to track him down in 15 action-based levels with different challenges.
The action involves fighting baddies in the Haunted Hills, collect stars in the Frantic Frontier and solving puzzles in the Mystic East.
One cool aspect about this game, in addition to using your own voice and face, is that you can play even as one of your friends,family members, pets or another living thing you know.

The game developed by EA Bright Light is available for purchase in North America starting today, while other parts of the world will receive it on December 4.

“Foto Face: The Face Stealer Strikes is not a traditional gaming experience,” said Harvey Elliott, Vice President and General Manager Casual, EA Play Label. “We believe there are two key viral components, firstly the enormous fun that people will have putting their friends’ faces into the game, and secondly going to Facebook to check out all what other people have done with the character creation tool.”

Sabi Launches the ItzaZoo Game Based on the Living Ink Technology

Sierra Monica B. — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:04:01 +0000

ItzaZoo is a new game for children launched by Sabi, featuring interactive reading and drawing. It is destined to children age four or older and was developed in collaboration with reading specialists, cognitive psychologists, experts in interactive software for children, and children.
ItzaZoo, the ItzaBitza sequel, features the Living Ink drawing recognition technology that allows kids draw things with the mouse on a screen and their drawings are brought to life. These are animated and become part of the stories created by children themselves. The game has elephants, lions, turtles and others in the animal kingdom.

Among the awards ItzaBitza, the first game in the series, received are Game of the Year 2009, Best Tech for Kids from BusinessWeek, The National Parenting Center Seal of Approval in 2009, Parents’ Choice Gold Award and Dr. Toy’s Best 100 Children’s Products of 2009.
Both ItzaBitza and ItzaZoo are available for download at SabiGames for Windows operating systems up to Windows 7, while the CD version can be purchased for a price of $19.99.

“While Living Ink strikes many as magical, the true magic lies in providing a new way to engage young children in reading practice,” said Margaret Johnson, co-founder and CEO of Sabi. “Through ‘ItzaZoo,’ we’ve created a new, fun way to practice reading that ignites imaginations and builds positive self-esteem.”

Zombie Island of Dr. Ned Expansion for Borderlands Announced

Sierra Monica B. — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:59:50 +0000

Borderlands is a science fiction first person shooter with role-playing game elements developed by Gearbox Software to entertain players on PCs running on Windows, Xbox 360 and on PlayStation 3 gaming systems.
It was released in October and the publisher is the well known 2K Games that announced the first add-on game content for Borderlands. Called The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, the expansion is available for download at the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and the PlayStation Network, where you need 800 Microsoft Points or $9.99, respectively, to get it.

The add-on game places Dr. Ned in the center of the action. He creates human-eating zombie monsters and is in charge with keeping Jakobs Cove’s workers alive.
In the M-rated Borderlands video game you can switch between single-player and multi-player modes and use an advanced weapon generating system that produces various types of powerful weapons.

“We are very excited to present fans of the highly acclaimed Borderlands with the first expansion” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned presents a bold new storyline that entertains and excites, and simultaneously ensures that fans still receive the same great gameplay experience that made the original game a success.”

Razer Launched the 5600dpi Imperator Gaming Mouse With Increased Ergonomics

Sierra Monica B. — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:29:56 +0000

Razer has just announced a new high-end gaming mouse for players needing an ergonomic right-handed high-precision mouse model. Razer Imperator is only for right-handed gamers, but features design enhancements that support aggressive movements during long hours of gaming. It also introduces the company’s first adjustable side buttons for different palm sizes.

Specifications include the 5600 dpi Razer Precision 3.5G laser sensor, Razer Synapse on-board memory, 200 inches per second/50g acceleration, seven programmable Hyperesponse buttons, 1000Hz Ultrapolling/1ms response rate, on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment, Ultraslick Teflon feet with zero noise, and a total size of 123 x 71 x 42 mm.

Razer Imperator is available for purchase now at Razer for a price of $79.99, or EUR 69.99. It will be available in stores starting late December.

“Ergonomics and control were the key objectives with this mouse” said Robert Razerguy Krakoff, president of Razer. “Your grip stays locked and planted no matter how often you lift and swipe your mouse while playing. One of the typical complaints of gamers is the difficulty in reaching the side or thumb buttons on a mouse. We have pioneered adjustable side buttons that slide and lock into your ideal thumb position. You just can’t get a more custom tailored fit than the Razer Imperator.”

Undead Labs Announces Upcoming Zombie MMOG

Sierra Monica B. — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:34:46 +0000

If you like video games with lots of zombies and blood you’ll probably enjoy playing the upcoming title from Undead Labs. Even if its name is not known yet, the developers promised a very entertaining game involving flesh-eating dead people who invade Seattle.
The mysterious game is a massively multiplayer online zombie game, or MMOZ, like Undead Labs like to call it, packing both action and humor and is being developed in Seattle by a team led by Jeff Strain. You will be able to play it on consoles in the near future.

Undead Labs didn’t publish screenshots or other description of the game, but here are the words of Jeff Strain:

“Every time I see a good zombie movie with friends, we spend days debating our strategies for surviving the zombie apocalypse. The police station, or the supermarket? Garden rake, or staple gun? Bach, or the White Stripes? I’m a game developer, so I’d probably be useless for anything other than ghoul bait, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to build an MMOZ that lets us put those strategies to the test and find out for sure.”

deviantART Hosts the Darksiders: These Are Your Last Days Contest

Sierra Monica B. — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Are you a talented artwork creator with an account at deviantART? In this case you are invited to participate in a new contest opened for deviantART community members to get the chance to win lots of prizes, including a PS3, an Xbox 360, American Express gift cards of up to $1,000, or the upcoming Darksiders video game.

The online community with more than 80 million artwork pieces and 30 million unique users monthly hosts the contest about your unique interpretation of the apocalypse. Called Darksiders: These Are Your Last Days Contest, it is inspired from the upcoming video game called Darksiders, developed by THQ, which will be released in stores on January 5, next year. The game was created for the Xbox 360 from Microsoft and Sony PlayStation 3 gaming systems.

The online contest on deviantART is hosted by Joe Madureira, who will select the winners. Joe Madureira is a well known comic book writer and Creative Director at Vigil Games.
Darksiders is an action-adventure game placing the action in a world destructed by the apocalypse.

“We are really excited to partner with THQ to bring this contest to the deviantART community,” said Heather Wetzler, deviantART’s vice-president of Advertising Sales. “It’s a great opportunity to engage with both artists and gamers, and a privilege to be working with Joe Madureira.”

Gyromancer Available for Xbox Gaming Systems

Sierra Monica B. — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:59:08 +0000

Gyromancer is a new hybrid puzzle role playing game released worldwide for the Xbox LIVE Arcade, as well as the Xbox 360 gaming console and Steam. The game was developed by Square Etnix and PopCap and published by Square Etnix.
Gyromancer features a match-3 puzzle gameplay with role-playing elements, which allows players use monsters to fight against enemies.

In the role of Rivel, the leader of Temperance, you’ll have to solve puzzles and battle against beasts, while earning rewards. There are ten game stages, a battle system similar to the one used in Bejeweled Twist, 50 different beasts to control, and an online ranking system.
The Teen-rated game is available for the gaming consoles for a price of $14.99, or 100 Microsoft Points.

“We couldn’t be more excited by the launch of GYROMANCER – a collaborative project that brings together an incredible storyline, compelling puzzle-RPG elements and the highest production values,” stated Jason Kapalka, co-founder and chief creative officer at PopCap. “In developing the game, we did some early prototypes of the puzzle engine at PopCap, then Square Enix took over on the bulk of development, fleshing out the RPG components, and of course, adding all the incredible artwork and music. From my point of view, it’s been truly fascinating to watch Square Enix work, and equally gratifying to see the concept of ‘FINAL FANTASY plus Bejeweled’ actually come to life.”

World’s Fastest Graphics Card Released

Sierra Monica B. — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:31:17 +0000

It’s not surprising that the new graphics card promoted as the world’s fastest comes from AMD, known as one of the leading developers of high-performance computer hardware components.
The card has the model name ATI Radeon HD 5970 and is included in the company’s award-winning line of graphics cards supporting Microsoft’s DirectX 11, ATI Streaming, as well as the ATI Eyefinity multi-display technologies. It is the perfect solution for high-end gaming computers on which users run current high-demanding games.

The card enables high resolutions and outstanding image quality levels, with high overclocking support. It is now shipping and will also be available in the Alienware Area-51, Alienware Area-51 ALX and Aurora desktops. It features the ATI Overdrive technology and the Dragon Platform technology, while the high performance is enabled by the smart design with advanced fan, vapor chamber, and fully vented exhaust.

It is based on the 40-nm process technology and supports the use of three displays simultaneously, enabling resolutions of up to 7680 x 1600 pixels, while delivering about five TeraFLOPS power.
You can use it for playing high-demanding video games like Battlefield Bad Company 2, DiRT 2, Aliens vs. Predator, The Lord of the Rings Online, and Dungeons and Dragons Online Eberron Unlimited.

When it comes to power efficiency, the ATI Radeon HD 5970 automatically lowers resource use when needed, which leads to a power consumption in idle mode of 42 Watts.

New Softkinetic-Optrima 3D Gesture Recognition Technology for Digital Entertainment

Sierra Monica B. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:25:47 +0000

Softkinetic teamed up with Optrima to deliver a new 3D gesture recognition technology to the digital entertainment market and consumer electronics. Gesture recognition is not something new. You have probably heard of Microsoft’s Project Natal that eliminates the need for using gaming controllers, putting players in the center of the action. It enables users interact with the virtual world and see themselves in the game as main characters, manipulating things with their own hands and gestures.

The 3D gesture recognition solution announced by Softkinetic and Optrima is called Softkinetic-Optrima and is described as the most complete 3D gesture recognition interface ever introduced on the market.
It works based on the iisu 3D gesture recognition software from Softkinetic and the 3D camera and sensors developed by Optrima. It recognizes full body gestures and will be used in controller-free gaming, interactive multimedia TV, operating systems for computers and others.

“The availability of a high-performance, low cost 3D imaging solution from Softkinetic-Optrima represents a defining moment in the global consumer electronics industry,” said Michel Tombroff, CEO of Softkinetic. “The solution we have developed will bridge the interactive gap between video games, movies, music, web-browsing, and more, dramatically accelerating the consolidation of these digital mediums on electronics devices.”

New Petz Games Engage Children and Parents in Caring for Animals

Sierra Monica B. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:59:55 +0000

Ubisoft, the famous video game publisher, Honor Society New York-based pop band and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals decided to start a campaign through which to teach children about caring for animals. The campaign involves the launch of new Petz games in the Sharing and Caring Month.
New Petz video games playable on the Nintendo DS gaming system include Petz Nursery, Petz Dogz Talent Show, Petz Hamsterz Superstarz, Petz Pony Beauty Pageant and Petz Dolphinz Encounter, all rated E.
In Petz Nursery children have the chance to care for virtual pets, while in the Petz Caring part children can team up with their parents in the virtual Petz Cause House to play mini games and earn points to support animals at the ASPCA. They can collect points until January 4 next year when they’ll find out how these points can help animals in need. Ubisoft will also donate funds to the ASPCA.

If you’re a kid then you probably know Petz games, but if not we can tell you that Petz was the top brand in pet simulation games last year, selling 19 million units across the globe. The games are about creating cute pets from various breeds like hamsters, cats, dogs, horses and dolphins, and caring for them in the virtual world.

“The ASPCA is excited to work with Ubisoft to help raise awareness about responsible pet care through this program,” said Elysia Howard, Vice President of Marketing & Licensing for the ASPCA. “We are grateful to be able to teach kids about the importance of saving animals from cruelty and caring for animals responsibly.”