GamesIndustry.biz and the Festival of Games have agreed to work together to attract games industry icons to next year’s Festival of Games Conference.

As of today, the two organisations will share their industry knowledge to provide a best-in-class conference programme for the Festival of Games 2011, taking place across April 28-29 in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

While previous editions of the Festival have focused on bringing greater experience in the decision-making process to industry executives and managers, the new partnership with GamesIndustry.biz will strengthen the Festival’s international ambitions and ensure that the conference’s content reflects the most recent developments in the global and domestic markets.

“With GamesIndustry.biz, we have found an international partner that is able to help us attract the right speakers for our event. With our combined knowledge of the market, we are able to pinpoint trends and select boardroom knowledge for decision-makers from the entire industry,” said Seth van der Meer, Chairman of the NLGD Foundation, the organising body of the Festival of Games.

And Phil Elliott, Publisher of GamesIndustry.biz, added: “I’m delighted that we’re going to be working with the NLGD Foundation on the Festival of Games. It’s an event that’s developed strongly, and can now be counted among the most important industry conferences on the European calendar.”

“We look forward to leveraging our experience in the videogames business sector to help take it to the next level, and – in turn – sharing the knowledge and learning on offer at the event with our industry community.”

THE FESTIVAL OF GAMES
The Festival of Games takes place on April 28-29, 2011, at the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht (the Netherlands). The 2010 event attracted over 2000 visitors, with 180 companies from 25 countries.

The Festival of Games is the most effective games industry event, that combines a conference, an international matchmaking event, called Pitch & Match, a business Expo for trade visitors, and the largest games industry Career Fair of Europe.

With previous Conference speakers including the inventor of Pac-man, Professor Toru Iwatani, David Perry (GAIKAI), Masaya Matsuura (Creator of the 1st music game), Ian Livingstone (Eidos/Square Enix Europe), Kellee Santiago (thatgamecompany) and Alan Yu (ngmoco), the Festival of Games has set high expectation levels for future editions of the event.

The Festival of Games is organized by the NLGD Foundation and is made possible by the Dutch ministry of Economic Affairs, the province of Utrecht and the city of Utrecht.

In the next months GamesIndustry.biz and the Festival of Games will announce the first results of this fresh partnership. We have already made arrangements with some very high profile people who are expected to make their debut on 28 and 29 April 2011. You can check both websites for the latest developments: www.gamesindustry.biz and www.festivalofgames.org.

GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ
GamesIndustry.biz is the market-leading business community for news and information about the global videogames industry, covering all aspects of the interactive entertainment value chain from development through to retail.

The registration-only site has a significant and qualified global audience, spanning the all parts of the industry value chain, from design, development, publishing, marketing, distribution or retail all the way through to media, freelance and students.

Leading news content, with opinion-forming industry interviews and analysis, are added daily, while the site boasts one of the largest recruitment databases for videogames-related roles, a company directory of contact details for hundreds of businesses in the industry, links to industry bodies and events, and a database of press releases.

Additionally the site delivers daily and weekly newsletters to a massive and growing industry audience, and regularly features key figures offering their opinions on the topics of the day, often feeding back on our stories and features.

FIFA, Need for Speed, Medal of Honor and The Sims Among Top Franchises to Reveal Deep Innovation and New Experiences for Consumers

Electronic Arts  announced plans for gamescom 2010 in Cologne. EA will showcase a powerful slate of titles representing a selection of leading franchises across the company’s Games, Sports and Play Labels. Media and consumers are invited for hands on experience with a whole host of innovative game play that highlights the company’s focus on delivering fewer, better games and building direct to consumer digital offerings.

“Gamescom has grown to become the largest show for interactive entertainment, and offers a unique chance for us to engage directly with consumers, retailers and media at one event,” said Jens Uwe Intat, Senior Vice President and General Manager for EA Publishing in Europe. “Our line up demonstrates the intense focus we have on building quality games with deep innovation for our consumers, and it’s great to see the industry coming together to create such a milestone event in Europe”.

Five EA and EA Partner titles at gamescom have already received early recognition for their outstanding quality. The gamescom 2010 award nominations were announced today and include:

FIFA 11 – Best Console
Star Wars: The Old Republic – Best Online and Best of gamescom
Crysis 2 – Best PC, Best of gamescom
The Sims 3 console – Best Mobile title (NDS)
Rock Band 3 instruments – Best Hardware

EA at gamescom 2010

Tuesday, August 17th, 4:00pm
EA Press Briefing: The Palladium, Schanzenstraße 36, Gebäude 197, 51063 Cologne
A live stream of the press conference will be available at http://live-event.ea.com/gamescom/live/

August 18th-22nd
EA Booth: Hall 6.1 (A074)
Games on show: Crysis 2, Darkspore, Dragon Age 2, FIFA 11, FIFA Manager 11, Medal of Honor, Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, Rock Band 3, The Sims 3 on console, Star Wars: The Old Republic. For iPod: The Sims 3, The Sims 3 World Adventures, EA SPORTS FIFA 10, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, and for iPad: Need For Speed Shift, Command & Conquer Red Alert, SCRABBLE, Mirror’s Edge, Tetris.

Behind closed door game demonstrations in EA’s Business lounge, Hall 5.1. Open to media only; Bulletstorm, Crysis 2, Darkspore, Dead Space 2, Dragon Age 2, EA SPORTS Active 2, FIFA 11, FIFA Manager 11, EA SPORTSMMA, Medal Of Honor, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Rock Band 3, The Sims Medieval, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, The Sims 3 on console. Madden NFL 11 for iPhone as well as MONOPOLY Streets will be available for hands-on play in the EA Business Lounge.

Exciting shooters, intense third-person action, authentic sports games and family friendly fare show the versatility of 2K’s biggest E3 showing ever

2K announced its star-studded E3 2010 lineup that includes premier high-quality games for gamers of all tastes and ages. The full scope of 2K’s experience will be on display* in the South Hall at Booth 2823, as the sequels to some of gaming’s biggest franchises will make an appearance alongside the debut of new and exciting additions to their portfolio, creating 2K’s biggest E3 showing ever.

“By delivering only the hot list-dominating games that we want to play, 2K will take on E3 2010 with its strongest lineup to date across all of its divisions,” said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. “The benefit of our strategic approach to this year’s roster of delivering fewer, bigger titles – featuring games like Mafia II, NBA 2K11 and New Carnival Games – is that we can focus on delivering the most engaging and entertaining experiences for today’s broadening gaming audience. From core to casual, 2K will have something for every gamer this holiday season.”

In the past five years, 2K has become one of the gaming industry’s premier publishers, creating titles that are both critically and commercially successful. By developing a mantra that emphasizes quality over quantity, 2K has published a number of multi-million unit selling franchises in a short amount of time for a wide variety of platforms including BioShock, Borderlands, Carnival Games, Sid Meier’s Civilization, NBA 2K, NHL 2K, Major League Baseball 2K and more. This year’s E3 lineup personifies the very essence of the 2K DNA of creating prestigious and meaningful titles that continue to innovate in unique and exciting ways.

The 2K booth will be home to eagerly anticipated titles from 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play. In addition, the 2K booth will be hosting photo-ops with six of Playboy magazine’s most popular Playmates appearances, further enhancing the partnership with Mafia II that features more than 50 of Playboy magazine’s vintage covers and Centerfolds as part of a unique in-game integration. Two Playmates will be present at the booth each day for the full three days as part of the Mafia II Photobooth Experience.

Show goers can dress up in period clothing and pose with props and upload their photos to their favorite photo sharing and networking sites. Playboy.com’s 2008 Cyber Girl of the Year and Gamer Next Door Jo Garcia will also be available for autographs at 2K’s booth during select hours and dates. Furthermore, the 2K booth will debut the official Mafia II consumer demo for hands-on play for all E3 attendees, prior to its release later this summer. For more information on the Playmates and 2K’s booth activities, please visit: www.mafia2game.com/e3.

2K Games

• Mafia II (August 24, 2010) – A beautifully crafted look into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia where clothing, cars, music and advertising are meticulously created to replicate an American city in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Cinematic storytelling and intense gunplay combine to deliver the action crime game for this generation.
• Sid Meier’s Civilization V (Fall 2010) – The flagship of the award-winning Civilization series returns, introducing an all-new gameplay engine, new combat tactics, ultra-realistic game world and extensive community and multiplayer features.
• Spec Ops: The LineTM (2011) – A provocative, military shooter that challenges players’ own morality by putting them in the middle of unspeakable depravity where brutal life-or-death choices take them on a journey into the heart of darkness.
• XCOM (2011) – An intense and gripping experience driven by the fear and tension that result from mankind’s struggle to survive against a faceless enemy that is violently probing and plotting its way into their world.

2K Sports

• NBA 2K11 (Fall 2010) – It’s the #1 selling and rated NBA series that everyone is playing – from the most elite NBA athletes and superstars to the local court gym rats. NBA 2K10 delivered on its promise to TAKE OVER, and NBA 2K11 will build on that momentum by dialing up all of its features – gameplay, AI, presentation, visuals, audio, online and more – to deliver what’s expected to be the best basketball video game experience EVER.
• NHL 2K11 (Fall 2010) – Taking video game hockey to a new level, Wii MotionPlusTM brings revolutionary stick control to your Wii RemoteTM with the ability to execute real-time (one-to-one) dekes, puck juggling, shooting and defensive maneuvers.

2K Play

• New Carnival Games (Fall 2010) – And we do mean New! The family fun of the original multi-million unit seller soars to new heights with all-new games, attractions and prizes. There’s multiplayer action for every game and a franchise first: compatibility with Wii MotionPlusTM.
• Nickelodeon Fit (November 2010) – The first fitness game designed specifically for children featuring Nickelodeon’s favorite characters. It’s exercise fun with Dora, Diego, Kai-lan and The Backyardigans – with a youthful emphasis on heart health, cardio, strength building and endurance.

*Some titles available by appointment only

The world of gaming was forever changed when Mario made his first appearance in Donkey Kong back in 1982. Now, more than 20 years later, Mario is still ‘The Godfather’ of gaming as the most successful and enduring character in an industry which is constantly evolving.

May 23rd marks his triumphant return in Super Mario Galaxy 2 and to celebrate the highly anticipated release the Guinness World Records 2010 Gamer’s Edition highlights 10 of the premier Mario records featured in this year’s book.

A selection of Mario’s amazing accomplishments includes:

• Most prolific video game character: (Mario) The character who has appeared in the largest number of video games is Mario, created by Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo, in Kyoto, Japan, in 1982. Mario has appeared in 207 distinct titles including remakes and re-releases.
• Longest-running computer game character: (Mario) Nintendo’s Mario character, a plumber by trade, first appeared in the arcade version of Donkey Kong in 1981. Mario has since made an appearance in over 70 games, although he is a “playable” character in only around 30 of these.
• Most successful videogame hero: (Mario) Mario, a computer-generated carpenter created by Shigeru Miyamoto (Japan), first made an appearance under that name in Nintendo’s ‘Game & Watch’ version of Donkey Kong in 1982 (He was otherwise known as “Jumpman” in the original 1981 arcade version of the game). To date, Mario has featured in at least 125 video games that, combined, have sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide.
• Most critically acclaimed 3D platformer: (Super Mario Galaxy) The record for best critical reception for a 3D platformer is held by Super Mario Galaxy, with an outstanding 97.26% and 97% from GameRankings and Metacritic, respectively. The game was praised for its gravity-bending level design and for staying true to the series’ nostalgic roots.
• Best-selling videogame series of all time: (Super Mario) With over 201 million copies sold, the Super Mario series is the best-selling gaming franchise in history – across all genres. While the last 28 years have seen the intrepid Mario engaging in a wide variety of activities – including role-playing, medicine and several sports – the series remains firmly rooted in the 2D platforming that first brought it success with the original Donkey Kong in 1981.
• Most prolific party games series: (Mario Party) The most prolific party video game series is Mario Party (Nintendo, 1998), which has seen 11 entries across six formats as of May 2007.
• Best selling non-bundled sports video game: (Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games) It took Sonic and Mario at the Olympic Games 12 weeks to notch up worldwide sales of 5.5 million making it the bestselling non-bundled sports game of all time.
• Best-selling gaming character cross-over: (Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games) Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games has sold over 7.09 million copies on Wii and 4.22 million on DS since its launch in 2007, making it the most popular game to feature characters that originally starred in their own games. It was the first videogame to feature both iconic characters, who had been rivals for many years as mascots.
• Best-selling racing game: (Mario Kart Wii) In May 2009, Nintendo revealed lifetime sales figures for a number of its Wii and DS games, including Mario Kart Wii. The game’s 15.4 million copies sold beats the previous record held by Sony’s Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec, which has sold 14.89 million copies. Mario Kart DS is the best-selling racer on a handheld, with 14.61 million copies sold.
• Earliest Nintendo game to feature competitive online play: (Mario Kart DS) The first Nintendo-published game to feature competitive online play was Mario Kart DS in 2005. While earlier online titles included Animal Crossing and Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II, none allowed players to battle each other.

Turn up the music, raise your hands and voices and join the celebration! Electronic Arts revealed the 28 artists across 20 countries who will usher in the EA SPORTS™ 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ with an international soundtrack that celebrates the cultural vibrancy of the first FIFA World Cup™ to be held in Africa.

EA SPORTS™ 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ captures the sounds and history of the musical landscape in Africa with a rhythmic, tribal blend of 28 songs that, through mass exposure to football, videogame and music fans, will become synonymous with the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ worldwide. Somali-born poet, musician and rapper, K’NAAN, headlines the soundtrack with his song “Wavin’ Flag Coca-Cola Celebration Mix”.

A full playable demo of 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system will be available for downloadable at the PLAYSTATION Store, and for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system on Xbox Live Marketplace, beginning April 8 worldwide. Play as Spain or Italy and discover a football experience that brings to life the passion and emotion of the actual tournament. New players to the FIFA franchise will be able to choose to play the demo utilizing new Two-Button controls designed to enable new gamers to pass, shoot and compete for the 2010 FIFA World Cup TM with an accessible control scheme that utilizes just two buttons. In addition to playing a match football fans and gamers will be able to upload their replays from the demo to EA Football World for other fans to watch.

“2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is a landmark project in the evolution of world music and its African heritage,” says Steve Schnur, Worldwide Executive of Music and Marketing at Electronic Arts. “We’ve brought together such legendary African artists as Nigerian drummer/activist Babatunde Olatunji, Senegal icon Baaba Maal, and ‘The Bob Marley of Ghana’ Rocky Dawuni, with global superstars like Sergio Mendes and Nas & Damian Marley. But we’re perhaps most proud of K’NAAN, the unsigned Somali artist we discovered in 2004 whose music has now appeared in five different EA SPORTS video games.”

To listen to streaming music clips from this EA SPORTS one-of-a-kind mix of music, learn more about the bands and get details about features in the 2010 FIFA World Cup videogame, visit http://www.FIFA-WORLD-CUP.EASPORTS.COM.

Action
Assassin’s Creed II
Sebastien Puel, Patrice Desilets
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Development Team
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

inFAMOUS
Brian Fleming, Bruce Oberg, Chris Zimmerman
Sucker Punch Productions & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Left 4 Dead 2
Gabe Newell, Chet Faliszek, Tom Leonard
Valve/Electronic Arts

WINNER: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Artistic Achievement
Assassin’s Creed II
Sebastien Puel, Patrice Desilets
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Development Team
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

WINNER: Flower
Development Team
ThatGameCompany & SCE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Streetfighter IV
Yoshinori Ono
CapcomCapcom

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Best Game
Assassin’s Creed II
Sebastien Puel, Patrice Desilets
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

WINNER: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Development Team
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

FIFA 10
Andrew Wilson, David Rutter, Gary Paterson
EA Canada/Electronic Arts

Left 4 Dead 2
Gabe Newell, Chet Faliszek, Tom Leonard
Valve/Electronic Arts

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Multiplayer
Battlefield 1943
Patrick Liu, Gordon Van Dyke
EA DICE/Electronic Arts

The Beatles: Rock Band
Alex Rigopulos, Paul DeGooyer, Josh Randall
MTV Games/Apple Corp/Harmonix Music Systems/Electronic Arts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

Halo 3 ODST
Development Team
Microsoft/Microsoft Game Studios

WINNER: Left 4 Dead 2
Gabe Newell, Chet Faliszek, Tom Leonard
Valve/Electronic Arts

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Original Score
Assassin’s Creed II
Jesper Kyd
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Nick Arundel, Ron Fish
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe
Infinity Ward/Activision

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
James Hannigan
EA Bright Light/Electronic Arts

PixelJunk Shooter
Dom Beken, Alex Paterson
Q-Games & SCE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

WINNER: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Greg Edmonson, Clint Bajakian, Jonathan Mayer
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Sports
Colin McRae: DiRT 2
Matt Horsman, Clive Moody, Guy Pearce
Codemasters Studios/Codemasters

WINNER FIFA 10
Andrew Wilson, David Rutter, Gary Paterson
EA Canada/Electronic Arts

Football Manager 2010
Development Team
Sports Interactive/Sega

Forza Motorsport 3
Development Team
Turn 10/Microsoft

Wii Fit Plus
Shigeru Miyamoto, Tadashi Sugiyama, Hiroshi Matsunaga
Nintendo/Nintendo

Wii Sports Resort
Katsuya Eguchi, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshikazu Yamashita
Nintendo/Nintendo

Use of Online
Battlefield 1943
Patrick Liu, Gordon Van Dyke
EA DICE/Electronic Arts

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

WINNER: FIFA 10
Andrew Wilson, David Rutter, Gary Paterson
EA Canada/Electronic Arts

LIttleBigPlanet (PSP)
Development Team
SCE Cambridge Studio & XDEV Studio Europe/Sony Computer Entertainment

Singstar Take That
Development Team
SCE London Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

BAFTA Ones To Watch Award in association with Dare to Be Digital
Colour Coded
Murray Sinclair, Faye Wright, Liam Wong, Sean Donnelly, Nnanna Kama
(PixelPirates)

Quick as Thieves
William Wright, Michael Doig, Andrew Knight, Jamie MacKinnon, Lee Cresswell
(Gentleman of Fortune)

WINNER: Shrunk!
Vykintas Kazdailis, Andrew Macdonald, Michael Cummings, Jacek Wernikowski, Stuart Kemp
(The Butterflyers)

GAME Award of 2009
(The only award to be voted for by the public)
Assassin’s Creed II
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

Batman Arkham Asylum
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

The Beatles: Rockband
MTV Games/Apple Corp/Harmonix Music Systems/Electronic Arts

WINNER: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Infinity Ward/ Activision

FIFA 10
EA Canada/Electronic Arts

GTA China Town Wars
Rockstar Leeds/Rockstar North/Rockstar Games

Legend of Zelda Spirit Tracks
Nintendo/Nintendo

Street Fighter IV
Capcom/Capcom

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Wii Sports Resort
Nintendo/Nintendo

Family & Social
The Beatles: Rock Band
Alex Rigopulos, Paul DeGooyer, Josh Randall
MTV Games/Apple Corp/Harmonix Music Systems/Electronic Arts

Buzz! Quiz World
David Amor, Andrew Eades, Lee Clare
Relentless Software & XDEV Studio Europe/Sony Computer Entertainment

EyePet
Development Team
SCE London Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Guitar Hero 5
Brian Bright, Paul Robinson, Allen Freese
Neversoft Entertainment/Vicarious Visions/Budcat/Activision

New Super Mario Bros Wii
Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Hiroyuki Kimura
Nintendo/Nintendo

WINNER: Wii Sports Resort
Katsuya Eguchi, Takayuki Shimamura, Yoshikazu Yamashita
Nintendo/Nintendo

Gameplay
Assassin’s Creed II
Sebastien Puel, Patrice Desilets
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

WINNER: Batman: Arkham Asylum
Development Team
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

New Super Mario Bros Wii
Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Hiroyuki Kimura
Nintendo/Nintendo

PixelJunk Shooter
Development Team
Q-Games & SCE Santa Monica Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Handheld
Gran Turismo
Kazunori Yamauchi, Yuji Yasuhara, Hiroki Imanishi
Polyphony Digital Inc/ Sony Computer Entertainment

WINNER: LittleBigPlanet
Development Team
SCE Cambridge Studio & XDEV Studio Europe/Sony Computer Entertainment

LocoRoco Midnight Carnival
Kenji Sakai, Saeka Horikoshi, Hiroya Matsugami
SCE Japan Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Mario and Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
Shigeru Miyamoto, Takashi Tezuka, Hiroyuki Kubota
Nintendo/Nintendo

Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box
Akira Tago, Akihiro Hino, Tatsuya Shinkai
Nintendo/Nintendo

Scribblenauts
Jeremiah Slaczka, Marius Fahlbusch
5th Cell/ Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Story
Assassin’s Creed II
Corey May, Joshua Rubin, Jeffrey Yohalem
Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft Entertainment

Batman: Arkham Asylum
Development Team
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Broken Sword – Shadow of the Templars: The Director’s Cut
Charles Cecil, Neil Richards, Tony Warriner
Revolution Software/Ubisoft Entertainment

Brütal Legend
Tim Schafer
Double Fine Productions/Electronic Arts

Dragon Age: Origins
Ray Muzyka, Greg Zeschuk, Mike Laidlaw
BioWare/Electronic Arts

WINNER: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Development Team
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Strategy
Command and Conquer Red Alert 3: Uprising
Development Team
EA Los Angeles/Electronic Arts

WINNER: Empire: Total War
Development Team
Creative Assembly/Sega

FIFA Manager 10
Gerald Köhler, Cord Westhoff, Bernhard Maiberg
Bright Future/EA Sports

Football Manager 2010
Development Team
Sports Interactive/Sega

Halo Wars
Development Team
Ensemble Studios/Microsoft

Plants vs Zombies
George Fan, Tod Semple, Rich Werner
PopCap Games/PopCap Games

Use of Audio
Batman: Arkham Asylum
Development Team
Rocksteady Studios/Eidos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Development Team
Infinity Ward/Activision

DJ Hero
Jamie Jackson, Dan Neil, Tim Riley
Freestyle Games/Activision

Flower
Vincent Diamante, Steve Johnson, Jenova Chen
ThatGameCompany & SCE Santa Monica Studios/ Sony Computer Entertainment

Left 4 Dead 2
Gabe Newell, Chet Faliszek, Tom Leonard
Valve/Electronic Arts

WINNER: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Amy Hennig, Bruce Swanson, Greg Edmonson
Naughty Dog & SCE Foster City Studio/Sony Computer Entertainment

Wield Aragorn’s Sword on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PSP, Wii and Nintendo DS in Autumn 2010

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Saul Zaentz Company and New Line Productions, Inc. announce that The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest videogame will launch on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system with full support for PlayStation’s upcoming motion controller technology at the controller’s launch. This family-friendly action-adventure game, based on the films and literature of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, will ship in Autumn 2010 for the PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ system.

In The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest videogame, players become the legendary hero Aragorn and relive his most daring battles from The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The action-packed sword, bow and horseback adventures will be enhanced for players of all ages through high-quality graphics and gameplay created especially for the PlayStation 3 system. Utilizing PlayStation’s upcoming motion controller for precision through mastery, The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest videogame engages players with intuitive motion-control gameplay where every controller gesture instantly and accurately translates to weapon strikes in the game. Exclusively for the PlayStation 3 system and Wii, two-player motion controlled co-op gameplay featuring Gandalf allows kids, families and friends to battle side-by-side in the heart of the action.

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest videogame will feature the voice talents of actor Sean Astin (Rudy, The Goonies, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and actor and vocal artist John Rhys-Davies (Indiana Jones, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy). Both Astin and Rhys-Davies will reprise their on-screen roles of Samwise Gamgee and Gimli. The game also showcases original in-game music tracks along with music from The Lord of the Rings film scores created by composer Howard Shore.

The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn’s Quest is developed for Wii by Headstrong Games and for the PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation 2 system, PSP system and Nintendo DS by TT Fusion.

Over 700 Women Share Insight on Wants, Faux Pas & Boundaries of Social Media Gaming; Q Interactive & Engage! Expo Dive into Psychology of Rapidly Growing Gaming Community

A new study from Q Interactive and Engage! Expo (host of the Virtual Goods Conference) reveals insight into the psychology of social media gaming women, the largest demographic of social media users. The study of over 700 women, about 54 percent of which play daily and 30 percent weekly, investigates a range of viewpoints around salient social media gaming topics.

“We had a frank conversation with women to better understand not only how, when and what they play, but how they approach gaming at work, their self-imposed boundaries for play, their willingness to spend to feed their habit, and more,” said Marj Calinog, VP, Business Development. “Overall, we found a group completely engaged with play but one with definite ‘rules’ and opinions as well as concerns about the future. The findings hold great implications and opportunities for developers wanting to increase game loyalty and brands and advertisers seeking a meaningful presence in social gaming.”

As brands gather to discuss how companies can capitalize on the social gaming space, Q Interactive, specializing in social media monetization solutions for advertisers and developers, specifically shares how women engage with social media / games. This marks the company’s third recent proprietary research study from its “Women’s Channel.”

Finding: “I Embrace My Inner Gamer!”

• Of those surveyed, 42 percent consider themselves “gamers” and seven percent deem themselves “obsessed.”

• For 67 percent, one to five hours per week is “socially acceptable”; however, 26 percent feel six or more hours per week is socially acceptable.

• Nearly 45 percent of those surveyed have friends they consider “obsessed” with social media gaming.

• Approximately 16 percent of those surveyed “hide” or “sometimes hide” their gaming habits.

Finding: “There are Gaming Faux Pas – But I Set Boundaries for Myself”

• Over two-thirds of those surveyed believe there are “stigmas” associated with gaming. For those women, the leading stigma is:

-”Games are addictive” (24 percent)

-”Play makes you neglectful of other areas of your life” (21 percent)

-”Gaming is a waste of time” (17 percent.)

• Play at work is basically off limits: 93 percent of those surveyed share they primarily play at home versus work.

Finding: “I Won’t Pay – No Matter How Much I Love a Game”

• More than half of women surveyed – 54 percent – “fear” more games will make gamers pay in the future.

• If forced to pay, 77 percent would give up the game, while:

-10 percent would prefer a monthly subscription or fee

-10 percent would prefer a pay-as-I-go system

-Two percent would prefer a separate payment scenario for each game played

Finding: “My Kids Are Active in Social Media Gaming – But They are Not Paying”

“What we have found is moms and kids are both wired into social media gaming, however, mom has a heavy hand in kids’ play; she is actively supervising the time her kids play and what they spend,” said Christopher Sherman, CEO and Founder of the Engage! Expo.

• Overall kids (children under 18 years old) are connected: 16 percent of moms say their children have a smart phone.

• According to mom, 40 percent of kids are allowed to play daily, 37 percent weekly, and 10 percent monthly.

• Generally speaking, kids are banned from the wallet: 80 percent are not allowed to pay for social media gaming.

Source: Q Interactive

Edinburgh Interactive and Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival to host networking and information showcase

Edinburgh Interactive, part of the Edinburgh Festival, and the Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival announced plans for a far-reaching partnership that will bring the games industry together with the TV industry.

On Thursday 26th August 2010, the eve of the TV Festival and the closing day of Edinburgh Interactive, the two will host the first ever creative industries event for television and games, providing an insight into technologies, but more importantly bringing the decision makers from games and television together for the first time.

The MGEITF Futureview Keynote Address will be given this year by a games industry leader, with Edinburgh Interactive hosting a Keynote Address from television. There will also be a Creative Masterclass at MGEITF which will bring together games developers and creatives to discuss the game development process and to explore what the opportunities may be for co-development of interactive TV and games formats.

Today there are 13 million new generation static games consoles in UK homes (Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation 3), giving access to games, the internet, dedicated content channels and either the BBC iPlayer or Sky Player.

With TV formats such as I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here, Countdown, Family Fortunes and Ready Steady Cook already available as Nintendo Wii and DS games, it is only a matter of time before the TV industry will develop new games formats for next generation 3D HD TVs with integrated console and internet access. Games are already becoming a major driver for digital entertainment usage, particularly on the internet and mobile phone platforms.

Chris Deering, Chairman of Edinburgh Interactive, said: “Games have had a significant effect on the use of the television in the home. Over the last 12 months this has moved on dramatically with recent research showing that 10 per cent of all BBC iPlayer requests are being driven by games consoles. The debate between the two industries has not yet begun; it will begin in August at Edinburgh Interactive and MGEITF.”

Deborah Turness, Editor of ITV News and Advisory Chair of the MGEITF Advisory Committee, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to explore joint format development between television and games and is a natural evolution driven by major advances in technology. In bringing together executives from these two entertainment industries to discuss, network and share ideas, we place both Festivals at the centre of a new global debate in Edinburgh.”

Edinburgh Interactive takes place on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th August 2010.

MGEITF takes place between Friday 27th August and Sunday 29th August 2010.

Sony Online Entertainment spreads the love this Valentine’s Day with in-game celebrations in EverQuest®, EverQuest® II, Free Realms™, Legends of Norrath® and Star Wars Galaxies™!

EverQuest
EverQuest players can join in the love party this weekend with free Shots of Love (in-game item, non-tradeable) from the Marketplace. Increased rare spawns will begin at 10:00 AM PST Friday, February 12 and continue until 11:59 PM PST Monday, February 15. Players can pick up their Shots of Love between Friday February 12 and Wednesday February 17th! For those who want to tie the know EverQuest style, discounted wedding packs are available in the Marketplace for a limited time.

EverQuest II
Erollisi Day, Norrath’s celebration of love and passion returns to EverQuest II this year with plenty of activities for players looking for romance. This year the light-hearted holiday festival includes new themed quests including “Shot through the heart” and “What’s love got to do with it”, and the returning favorites, “Love Lines” and “Find ’em a Find, Catch ’em a Catch”. During this holiday players also have a chance of finding love notes or message candies when they kill mobs all across Norrath. This love loot is used in holiday tradeskill recipes and can be exchanged for Erollisi coin, the holiday currency that several Erollisi merchants require for purchase. Also, there are new themed items for crafting, new items for purchase from holiday merchants and more, all available through Tuesday Feb. 16. For more information, visit www.eq2players.com.

Free Realms
This month, Free Realms is celebrating the Festival of Hearts, a special month-long event that celebrates love, friendship and kindness. All players will be able to participate in themed events, daily social activities and storyline quests that incorporate traditional items and rewards which embody the holiday: hearts, candies, forget-me-not cards, flowers, love potions and more. Heart Breakers are invited too, as even the Stone Hearted can participate in the world events that ensue. New Hippo, Tiger, Beetle, Groundhog and Owl pets will also be available in the Marketplace.

Legends of Norrath
The goddess of love wants players to spread her message all throughout Norrath and then engage her in a poetry contest. February 12th through March 9th, play the ‘Spread the Word’ scenario to win a Book of Love (8P28) promo card and either an Unscribed Glyph (8EQP4) or Draught of the Brilliant (8EQIIP4) loot card.

Star Wars Galaxies
The sounds of celebrating Ewoks fill the air! Join them once again in Tyrena on Corellia, Kaadara on Naboo and the Southern Ewok Village on Endor and earn some sweet new rewards while munching on Camby Berries and celebrating around the Chocolate Fountains. Players can complete special activities to earn Chak Hearts, and trade them in for exclusive new Ewok Festival of Love* rewards such as:

• A new Ewok Festival of Love painting
• A new bouquet of flowers
• A wearable halo
• Three new sets of wearable wings in pink, blue and gold
• Three new badges. Earn the new titles Ambassador of the Festival of Love, Follower of Kyoopid or The Love Broker

The Ewok Festival of Love is happening now! Spread the love and join in the fun until the celebration ends on March 2, 2010.