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Tuesday, October 28, 2008 Shipping Announcements

by Rainier on Oct. 28, 2008 @ 1:44 a.m. PDT

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 (PC)

Poised to be one of the best strategy games of 2008, Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 blends the over-the-top humor the series is known for with exciting new real-time strategy innovations. With three fully co-operative, story driven-campaigns, and an unprecedented emphasis on naval gameplay, the game will delight fans and strategy novices alike. Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 also features the Command & Conquer franchise's trademark live-action movie sequences starring one of the largest and most talented casts in the history of video games, including Gemma Atkinson, Gina Carano, Randy Couture, Tim Curry, Kelly Hu, Jenny McCarthy, Jonathan Pryce, Autumn Reeser, J.K. Simmons, Peter Stormare, and George Takei.

"Our team is made up of huge Command & Conquer fans who have been dying to bring back Red Alert and gamers are going to see that passion shine through loud-and-clear in Red Alert 3," said Chris Corry, executive producer at EA Los Angeles. "Our goal was to strike a balance between being true to our roots -- that unique, light-hearted tone and fast-paced Red Alert gameplay -- and bringing a feast of exciting new RTS innovations to the table. The deep story, the star-studded cinematics? That feels like Red Alert. But bringing naval gameplay into the heart of the game design and launching the player into an ambitious and engaging co-op campaign? Gamers have never seen anything like this before."

Like all games in the series, the events of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 revolve around time travel and its consequences. The game begins with a doomed Soviet Union on the brink of defeat to the Allies. Two desperate Soviet generals and a brilliant scientist travel back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. At first their mission appears to be a resounding success, but they quickly realize that their actions have created an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, and a new superpower has been thrust onto the world stage -- The Empire of the Rising Sun. Gamers will get to experience the three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire from each faction's unique perspective, following three distinct storylines and with each campaign being fully enabled for co-operative play, connecting with a friend online** or with one of nine different in-game co-commanders. The game also features skirmish and multiplayer for up to six players.

Each copy of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 contains a free "Women of Red Alert 3" poster and a code for Kossar's Helm, an exclusive item for Mythic Entertainment's Warhammer(R) Online: Age of Reckoning(TM). The Soviet hat gives gamers the ability to turn their WAR characters into a bear. Also available at launch is the Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 Premier Edition which contains exclusive multiplayer maps, a behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the live-action cinematics, the Red Alert 3 soundtrack and an exclusive beta key to a future Command & Conquer game.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3, rated 'T' for Teen is now available in stores worldwide, and will ship for the X360 on November 11th.

MotorStorm Pacific Rift (PS3)

Developed by Evolution Studios, MotorStorm Pacific Rift combines amazing visuals and intense driving action to deliver an extreme and visceral off-road experience that will leave players on the edge of their seats. MotorStorm Pacific Rift brings the core off-road mayhem of the original MotorStorm(R) while adding a new vehicle class, double the amount of tracks, and a tropical environment filled with unpredictable terrain and numerous obstacles to negotiate.

Picking up where the original left off, MotorStorm Pacific Rift once again drops players into the MotorStorm Festival, however this time participants must navigate their way through a lush tropical environment featuring towering peaks, crystal clear water, molten lava, and dozens of interactive elements. Additionally, this latest installment in the MotorStorm franchise features an in-depth multiplayer mode where players can challenge friends in a variety of 12-player online race configurations or in split-screen mode with up to four-player offline.

"MotorStorm Pacific Rift is another platform exclusive that continues to showcase the true power of PS3," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president, product marketing, SCEA. "The gameplay action is still over-the-top, but we have added a number of features including more dynamic environments and tracks, more vehicles, and split-screen to provide the most brutal off-road racing experience to date on PS3."

With smarter and more aggressive artificial intelligence that will go to any lengths to win, the goal is not only to lead each race, but to survive. Players can chose from 16 diverse, multi-route tracks, and race among eight different vehicles including ATVs, Bikes, Buggies, Trophy Trucks, Rally Cars, Mudpluggers, Big Rigs, and the newly included Monster Truck class. Additionally, players will not only carefully choose the type of vehicle for each track but implement more strategy during each race as driving through water will cool an overheated engine, while going near lava will quickly cause vehicles to heat up. Real-time track deformation allows vehicles to carve up each course in varying depths, making it possible for players to follow an old route or blaze a new trail and insuring they never experience the same lap twice.

Physics-based car damage once again delivers ultra-realistic crashes, where players break and destroy a vehicle's parts and panels during collisions with other drivers as well as with objects in the environment. A new Photo Mode allows players to save the most spectacular crashes to their desktop, or share with friends. MotorStorm Pacific Rift also allows players to create custom soundtracks by storing favorite songs on the PS3 HDD and adding it to the list of music played within the game. The included soundtrack contains a variety of heart-pounding rock and hip-hop selections including Fatboy Slim, Megadeth, Slipknot, and Ministry.

Matchmaking, detailed stats, and leader boards are part of MotorStorm Pacific Rift's extensive PlayStation Network options, allowing players to see how they fare against the competition. Exciting new content will be made available for download throughout the year via PlayStation Network.

MotorStorm Pacific Rift "T" for "Teen" (Descriptors: Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Mild Violence).

MySims Kingdom (NDS/Wii)

MySims Kingdom sets players on an adventure of discovery and exploration to help King Roland and his subjects revitalize the Kingdom with endless building options, new lands to explore and even more MySims characters. MySims for the PC delivers the fun and excitement of the hit Wii game with the added bonus of new MySims characters, new essences and online capabilities. Players can now join up to seven of their friends in their own towns’ online neighborhood.

"We are excited to release three new games from the MySims franchise offering something for everyone, whether you are a fan of console, handheld or PC games,” said Tim LeTourneau, Executive Producer for MySims. "MySims Kingdom for the Wii expands the depth of gameplay from MySims and sets you on an adventure of discovery with new lands, new characters and unlimited customization. The Nintendo DS version offers an intriguing mystery to unravel with mini-games and creativity on the go, while MySims for the PC lets you build a town of your own and features an area where you can play and share your creations with your friends online!”

MySims Kingdom for the Wii

Help King Roland and his subjects revitalize his Kingdom in this epic quest that spans numerous mystical lands, each with a unique theme. In order to restore order and majesty to the once beautiful Kingdom, players will help new and old friends alike, discover new activities and build to the limit of their imaginations.

The story begins in The Capital, where players first meet King Roland, Princess Butter and companions Buddy and Lyndsay. An adventure throughout the kingdom follows. New characters, new lands and clever new contraptions will be revealed. Players will enhance their surroundings by constructing everything from bridges and houses to gardens and gates. Through newly added activities, players are better able to accomplish the tasks they are challenged with along the way, including herding pigs, chopping wood, mining stone, finding treasure chests and more! In true MySims fashion, everything is customizable, allowing each creation within the world to have your signature look.

MySims Kingdom for NDS

Thwart the plans of evil and revive a distant land of the Kingdom. Mayor Ellen needs your help to entice King Roland back to his vacation paradise! Extract essences from the world and mix them to unlock new items. You can then use those items to rebuild the land and persuade the King that it is suitable for a visit! In addition, participate in various miniquests for the characters that you meet, partake in a slew of new activities and mini-games – including kayaking, ski jumping, tennis, populating the town zoo and more.

MySims (PC)

MySims for the PC delivers the fun and excitement of the hit Wii game with the added bonus of new MySims characters, new essences and online capabilities. Players can now join up to seven of their friends in their own towns’ online neighborhood.

"We are excited to release three new games from the MySims franchise offering something for everyone, whether you are a fan of console, handheld or PC games,” said Tim LeTourneau, Executive Producer for MySims. "MySims Kingdom for the Wii expands the depth of gameplay from MySims and sets you on an adventure of discovery with new lands, new characters and unlimited customization. The Nintendo DS version offers an intriguing mystery to unravel with mini-games and creativity on the go, while MySims for the PC lets you build a town of your own and features an area where you can play and share your creations with your friends online!”

Create and discover a newly expanded MySims town! MySims for the PC includes all the fun of the first game plus: new online features so you can play with your friends; six all-new characters to befriend; and a graphic upgrade from the power of the PC. Safely chat, interact and play games like Zombie Tag with your buddies online. Construct buildings and create objects to use cooperatively with up to seven friends in your shared garden. Trade your creations with your friends in-game! Or share them outside of the game via email or instant message so that your buddies can enjoy them in their own MySims town. The choice to play online is yours, so you can decide to play as a single-player or expand your experience by playing with friends in your own online neighborhood.

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Game (NDS/PSP/PS2/Wii)

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Game, players work to help Ben and his buddies stop a diabolical alien invasion as they battle the Forever Knights and HighBreed. Gamers take control of Ben, cousin Gwen, former enemy Kevin Levin and Ben’s new alien forms to employ distinctly different and complex powers to manipulate fire, swim underwater, grow more than 60 feet tall, climb walls, fly at Mach speed, plus lots more!

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Game is a truly authentic portrayal of the television series on Cartoon Network, and will captivate fans this holiday season,” said Alison Quirion, vice president, marketing, D3Publisher. “Developer Monkey Bar Games has created an epic adventure where series fans can revisit their favorite parts of the show, and also immerse themselves in new story content as they direct Ben’s actions and decisions.”

“The huge success of last year’s Ben 10: Protector of Earth is a testament to the quality of the game created by D3 as well as fans’ affinity to Ben 10,” said Christina Miller, vice president of Cartoon Network Enterprises. “We’re thrilled to release this follow-up game to further extend the brand and anticipate it will be a must-have game this holiday season.”

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Game is a fast-paced, 3D action adventure that offers eight playable characters, an unlimited combo system and puzzles and challenges that will engage players of all levels for hours at a time. Playable alien forms include Swampfire, Jet Ray, Humungousaur, Spidermonkey and Big Chill. Players will also direct cousin Gwen’s new talent to create energy fields and use them to protect and attack, as well as Kevin Levin’s ability to absorb materials like stone, wood and metal to create an impenetrable shell on his body. In addition to Swampfire and Humungousaur, the Nintendo DS version will offer alternate playable alien forms Goop, Echo Echo and ChromaStone, giving players additional unique powers to command and explore.

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Game for Nintendo DS is rated “E” (Everyone – Cartoon Violence) and is developed by 1st Playable Productions, LLC. All other versions are rated “E 10+” (Everyone 10 and up – Cartoon Violence) and are under development by Monkey Bar Games™.

Ben 10 Alien Force: The Game is available at retail stores across North America for the Wii for $39.95, and for PS2, NDS and PSP for $29.95.

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell (NDS)

Players will be able to see environments and characters that are featured in the movie while playing the game, and also use codes found in-game to unlock items in the virtual world.

“Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell introduces girls to countless hours of original gameplay that is unmatched in quality and design,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “Along with other Disney Fairies properties launching in the same timeframe, the game represents the growth of a beloved franchise for the company which is sure to be very popular with kids and grown-ups alike.”

In Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell for the Nintendo DS, players can use their stylus to fly around the beautiful and always-changing world of Pixie Hollow as Tinker Bell, the iconic Disney Fairy. Players can also fully customize Tinker Bell’s wardrobe, choosing from hundreds of different outfits and accessories, and interact with dozens of other Disney Fairies also seen in the all-new movie “Tinker Bell,” including Fawn, Iridessa, Rosetta and Silvermist. Along with playing such challenging and fun mini-games as catching dew drops and painting lady bugs, players can make new Fairy friends and trade clothing creations to start style trends. Once a unique clothing item has been created and gifted, witness Pixie Hollow populate with other Fairies wearing the trend.

Because Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell utilizes the DS real-time clock, Pixie Hollow changes with the time of day and the season. Players will witness their birthdays being celebrated, fireflies glowing at night, and their Fairy friends in costume at Halloween. Special items hidden throughout Pixie Hollow contain secret codes which can be used to unlock items in the virtual world on PixieHollow.com, where players can log in, create their own personalized Fairy and help bring about the change of seasons through meeting friends, playing games and collecting items in nature.

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell also includes access to DGamer, the all new online community exclusively for Disney gamers. Players can create unique 3-D avatars, chat with friends, swap accessories, earn in-game honors and unlock exclusive Disney items during gameplay.

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell, Rated E for Everyone, is available in stores nationwide today, retailing for $29.99.

Bejeweled Twist (PC)

Featuring a revolutionary new style of play and production values unrivalled by any other casual game, Bejeweled Twist, the first new Bejeweled title in almost four years, puts a completely new spin on the top-selling puzzle game that PopCap pioneered eight years ago.

"There's no doubt this is the world's greatest casual video game," declared Cindy Robertson, who wrote, published and sells a strategy guide for Bejeweled 2 under the pen name Julia Gemstone. "PopCap has done it again, taking a ridiculously simple concept and honing it into an utterly enthralling experience that can be relaxing, challenging, exciting or incredibly strategic, depending on your mood. With so many ways to play, Bejeweled Twist provides thousands of hours of fun for anyone. If Bejeweled is hot chocolate, Bejeweled Twist is a double mocha latte!"

"It took considerably more time, more money and more people than the original Bejeweled, but we feel it was worth every ounce of that effort," said Jason Kapalka, chief creative officer and co-founder of PopCap, and co-creator of all three Bejeweled titles. "We promised ourselves we'd come up with something really new for 'the next Bejeweled' and we must have gone through at least a hundred ideas before settling on the 'twist mechanic' in the new game. Then it was a question of making that mechanic as fun and intuitive as possible, and that took a lot of tinkering and tweaking. But we're really happy with the final result. We believe the new game will be immediately recognizable to Bejeweled fans, and as easily accessible to novice players as the original game, but allow far more flexibility and freedom in play. So it can provide a challenging game for those who enjoy strategy, a fast-paced blitz for players with a passion for action, and a more relaxing, Zen-like experience for those just looking for a quick stress-busting break."

Bejeweled Twist removes the barriers of traditional match-3 games. Instead of swapping adjacent jewels to make a set, players rotate an entire 2x2 block of gems clockwise in an effort to create a line of three or more gems of the same type. Further, in Bejeweled Twist players don't have to make a match with every move - instead they can freely rotate gems anywhere on the board, allowing far greater liberty of movement and vastly increased strategic freedom to plan combinations, cascades and chains.

New Features of Bejeweled Twist:

  • Stunning visual and audio effects - highest production values - from high-definition imagery to subtle audio effects and a custom-composed soundtrack designed to enhance each of Bejeweled Twist's four modes of play
  • Endless rewards - instant replays and bonus multipliers to stats and rankings
  • Deep play - the more you play, the more you'll discover new ways to play
  • All-new elements:
    • New Special Gems:
      • Flame gems are created by matching four gems of the same kind at once. When matched with like-colored gems, these fiery jewels explode with an incendiary blast.
      • Lightning gems are created by matching five gems of the same kind. When matched, they fire bolts of explosive destruction in four directions at once.
      • Fruit gems are rare but powerful gems that can only be created by making lots of consecutive matches to max out the chain meter. When the chain meter reaches its zenith, one gem on the grid is transformed into a special Fruit gem, which, when matched, vaporizes all like-colored gems, among other powerful effects.
    • New Obstacles:
      • Bomb gems: These appear in later stages of the game and count down with every move you make. Eliminate them via matches or adjacent explosions from Flame or Lightning gems before they reach zero; if you don't, only the last-minute disarm spinner can save you.
      • Locked Gems: Locked gems can still be matched, but they can't be moved. Break free of them with like-color matches and special gems.
      • Coal: These inert rocks can hamper your ability to match gems, but they deliver a sparkly surprise when you burst them open with Flame or Lightning gems!
    • Bejeweled Twist has four game modes: Classic and Zen are available from the start, and you unlock the other modes as you progress:
      • Classic: The essential version of the game, Classic features Bomb gems that tick down to a deadly detonation. You need to clear them before they hit zero or it's game over!
      • Zen: You literally can't lose this in this free-form variant that is in some ways more a relaxation exercise than a puzzle. Explore dozens of alien worlds as you hone your gem-matching skills without the pressure of obstacles or time.
      • Blitz: This timed mode is perfect for both hardcore arcade players and those who only have a few minutes to spare. You have just five minutes to maximize your score in this championship variant.
      • Challenge: For a more cerebral experience, Challenge mode offers a dozen separate puzzle worlds, each with seven levels of difficulty and a final infinite stage. This mode is for the serious problem-solver

Bejeweled Twist is available now for PC at retail, various digital download site, and PopCap's official website. via online download at www.popcap.com/games/bejeweledtwist. Bejeweled Twist is due to hit European retail shelves in 2009.

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