Unreal Tournament 3 (PC)
"Unreal Tournament 3's superior graphics and gameplay experience take the award-winning Unreal franchise to a completely new level," said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. "The game truly defines what fast-paced, frenetic, intense first-person shooter gameplay should be."
"Unreal Tournament 3 delivers on the promise of high-caliber game quality that gamers have come to know and expect from Epic Games and the Unreal franchise," said Mark Rein, vice president, Epic Games. "The power of Unreal Engine 3.0 has enabled the development team to set new expectations for what cutting-edge graphical and gameplay quality for a first-person shooter should be."
Unreal Tournament 3 marks the return of the world's premiere first-person shooter to the PC, and its debut on the PS3. Unreal Tournament 3 unleashes the full power of Unreal Engine 3, taking graphics, gameplay, and challenge to a whole new level. Players engage in intense battles with other human players online, or against Unreal artificial intelligence that sets the industry standard. With the most powerful futuristic weapons and vehicles available, this is FPS action at its best!
Unreal Tournament 3, rated "M" for Mature, is available for a U.S. suggested retail price of $49.95, with the PC collector's edition available for a U.S suggested retail price of $59.95.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune has gamers playing as the fallible Nathan Drake, a possible descendent of Sir Francis Drake and an explorer out to uncover the secrets of his family legacy while uncovering El Dorado. Featuring more than 100 minutes of in-game cinematics with movie-like production quality pre-rendered on PS3, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune was developed using proprietary technology that enabled incredibly realistic characters and lifelike environments. Building on its heritage of extraordinary storytelling and character development, Naughty Dog has created a deep and rich experience that captivates emotion and sets the precedence for realistic action games to follow.
"The power of PS3 has really opened up the doors for game developers in terms of creating realistic worlds and believable characters," said Evan Wells, Co-President, Naughty Dog Inc. "We are extremely proud that we accomplished what we set out to do: create a game that combines the fun and adventure of our previous games, presented in a real world setting that immerses players and makes them feel like the star of a big-budget blockbuster film."
Equipped with a 400-year-old clue found in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake, players join Nathan Drake on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado. The adventure leads to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and quickly turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his trusted companions, Elena Fisher and Victor Sullivan, must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the suspicious secrets hidden on the Island. Combining Naughty Dog's roots in adventure and platforming with a storyline comparable to a pulp action movie, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a unique blend of problem-solving traversal, cover-based gun combat, hand-to-hand brawling and immersive puzzle solving. Players will explore large exotic environments, experience frantic vehicle chases, battle eccentric pirates with an array of fighting moves all the while following a deep story showcasing how far people are willing to go to pursue their own desires. Utilizing the power of PS3, Naughty Dog extends innovation into every aspect of the game. Characters express lifelike emotion using gesture and facial expression through the proprietary Wrinkle Mapping Facial Animation system. An advanced blending system lets Drake respond immediately to player controls, allowing the player to use Drake's movements and expressions to navigate through the game. Cell Broadband Engine enabled Naughty Dog to create a complex animation system for fluidity of movement where Drake can reload his weapon while dodging bullets and find cover behind a wall, all in one smooth natural motion. Additionally, a combination of next generation rendering techniques and high-dynamic range lighting delivers an unequaled level of realism and detail in the game, creating an emotional connection that complements the story.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune also takes advantage of the SIXAXIS wireless controller. Players can utilize the technology to balance across logs or trees in tight, narrow, unstable surfaces and use it to arc and change trajectory of grenades in real-time.
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is rated "T" for "Teen".
Star Trek: Conquest (PS2/Wii)
Conquest features a blend of strategy and intense action set in the STAR TREK: The Next Generation era and will be available on store shelves throughout North America as early as tomorrow.
Take control of Federation, Klingon, Romulan, Cardassian, Dominion, and Breen forces and lead them in a campaign to control the Galaxy, one planet at a time. You can build and manage your growing empire in turn-based strategy, fully utilizing the Wii Remote as you select and maneuver your Starships throughout the large, galactic map.
Strategically, you must effectively manage limited resources to expand your empire. You decide how to best achieve objectives by ordering your fleets and admirals, building support structures, researching technology, and engaging your enemies in combat.
Once battle is initiated, Conquest switches to a ship level tactical view allowing direct command of your ships as you engage in real-time combat. While maneuvering your Starship with the Nunchukâ˘, you can take direct aim and fire away with the Wii Remote.
Star Trek: Conquest, rated E for Everyone, retails for an estimated MSRP of $29.99 on the Wii and $14.99 on the PS2.
Mario Party DS (NDS)
It's been three years since NDS launched in the United States, and sales through October have topped 13.6 million in the United States alone. That's reason enough to party. And who's more qualified to host a nonstop Nintendo celebration than Mario himself? With today's launch of Mario Party DS from Nintendo, you can stop wondering where the party is, because the party is wherever you are. You've got a standing invitation to party with the whimsical plumber and his outrageous pals anywhere, anytime.
The latest installment in the wildly popular Mario Party game series introduces five new boards and more than 70 awesome minigames, playable for the first time ever on the super-portable Nintendo DS. It's a great value, since up to four DS owners can compete via local wireless using only one game card.
"The wireless features of Mario Party DS let families enjoy game time together, whether they're on the road or lounging in the living room," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Nintendo has the hottest products for the holidays and beyond, and we want to make sure all family members know we have something for them."
Mario Party DS combines the easy-to-learn fun of classic board games, the innovative wireless features of Nintendo DS and the imaginative mayhem of the Mario universe. Up to four players of any age can use the stylus, touch-screen and built-in microphone to party their way through dozens of replayable minigames that feature classic characters and dozens of zany challenges. Whether twisting shapes, flipping burgers or battling for precious coins, everyone in the household will find something to love in this action-packed game.