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Thursday, November 13, 2008 Shipping Announcements

by Rainier on Nov. 13, 2008 @ 6:04 a.m. PST

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:

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King (PC)

"Wrath of the Lich King contains some of the best content we've created for World of Warcraft," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We appreciate the valuable feedback from our beta testers and the continued enthusiasm and dedication of players around the world, and we look forward to seeing them in Northrend."

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King sends players to the cold, forbidding continent of Northrend, where the malevolent Lich King Arthas Menethil seeks to bring an end to life on Azeroth. Players will fight Arthas' undead army and unravel the mysteries of Northrend as they quest through new zones and dungeons, acquire potent new skills and abilities, engage in epic open-world player-vs.-player warfare with siege vehicles and destructible buildings, wield the runic power of World of Warcraft's first Hero class -- the death knight -- and much more.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King is now available at retailers on DVD-ROM for Windows(R) XP/Vista and Macintosh(R) at a suggested retail price of $39.99. A special Collector's Edition of the expansion is also available at a suggested retail price of $69.99. This limited-edition package includes the expansion, The Art of World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King hardcover book, an exclusive in-game pet, a behind-the-scenes DVD, two World of Warcraft Trading Card Game starter packs and two exclusive cards, a mouse pad featuring a map of Northrend, and the official World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King soundtrack CD.

On November 13, the official soundtrack will also be available for purchase and download on the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com), with three exclusive tracks available only on iTunes.

World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, rated T for Teen, is now on sale in North America, Europe, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Russia. The expansion will be in stores beginning November 14 in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, and available on November 18 in Korea and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Details regarding the launch of Wrath of the Lich King in mainland China will be announced at a later date.

The Wrath of the Lich King expansion requires the original World of Warcraft game, available for a suggested retail price of $19.99, along with World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, which sells for $29.99. These two products are combined in the World of Warcraft Battle Chest, available for $39.99.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 (Xbox 360)

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 blends the series' signature over-the-top humor and live-action storytelling with exciting new RTS innovations including fully co-operative campaigns and an unprecedented emphasis on naval gameplay. Developed at EA Los Angeles, the Xbox 360 version features the CommandStick 2.0, a revolutionary new control scheme that helps ease the strategy gaming experience on console, even with a game as action-packed as Command & Conquer Red Alert 3.

"Red Alert 3 is the fourth real time strategy game EA Los Angeles has released for the Xbox 360 and represents another step forward in bringing a more fluid, efficient control scheme to the console," said Chris Corry, executive producer at EA Los Angeles. "An awesome console RTS experience is something our team has always been passionate about being able to deliver and we think that players will notice that Red Alert 3 is not just a console port, but a game designed with the Xbox 360 controller fully top of mind."

Aside from introducing a new control system, the Xbox 360 version of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 contains all of the key features of the PC version released just two weeks ago, including over 60 minutes of 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.

Like all games in the series, the events of Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 revolve around time travel and its consequences. In this latest installment, the Soviet Union is on the brink of defeat to their mortal enemies, the Allies. In a final act of desperation two 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.

Xbox 360 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 with each campaign being fully enabled for co-operative play. Gamers can connect up with a friend online(1) or play with the help of one of nine different in-game co-commanders. The game also features skirmish and multiplayer for up to four players or with AI-bots.

Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 has been rated 'T' for Teen by the ESRB and '16+' by PEGI.

Hasbro Family Game Night (PS2/Wii)

Hasbro Family Game Night combines six family favorite board games including Connect Four, Boggle, Yahtzee, Battlship, Sorry! and the all-new Sorry! Sliders. With Mr. Potato Head as the host, each game can be played by the original or newfangled digital rules making gameplay fun, fresh and challenging for all ages and skill levels.

"Hasbro Family Game Night launches just in time for the holidays to deliver unforgettable family fun," said Chip Lange, EA Hasbro Vice President and General Manager. "Our goal was to create the ultimate digital game closet of favorite board games that would rally families to gather, play and make memories together. Hasbro Family Game Night is a video game that people can gift with pride and is sure to become a family tradition right alongside tossing the football after the big holiday meal."

Hasbro Family Game Night allows up to four players to shake, roll or slide while playing popular board games such as Boggle, Yahtzee, SORRY! and SORRY! Sliders as well as variations featuring new twists such as Boggle Portal Cubes and Reverse Yahtzee. Connect Four and Battlship allow players to strategize and plot playing by the traditional rules or cranking it up with Connect Four Power Chips or Battlship Super Weapons. Hasbro Family Game Night also features Party Mode giving players the option to build a custom party game by choosing their desired games and number of players and by setting a time limit. Party Mode mini-game challenges include Match the Pattern, Shake for Words and Chase the Boat.

"EA has taken five of Hasbro's most well-known and loved brands and re-imagined the gameplay experience for the casual digital consumer," said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Media and Gaming at Hasbro. "Hasbro Family Game Night is a great way to bring the family together as it offers something for everyone from kids to grandparents."

In addition to an array of gameplay choices, Hasbro Family Game Night allows players to customize their in-game digital environment. Each player can decorate his or her own digital game room with items such as earned trophies, cool furniture and room accessories. Players can also start by decorating with the help of colorful themes including a jungle tree house, an alien themed boy's room or a pink princess girl's room.

Hasbro Family Game Night, rated "E" for Everyone, is now available on Wii ($39.99) and PS2 ($29.99).

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