Penny Arcade Adventures: Ep. One (X360/PC)

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One is an RPG-Adventure game set in the deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia, delivered to gamers via accessible episodic releases. Players join Gabe and Tycho, the crime-solving team of the Startling Developments Detective Agency, to combat savage enemies and solve mysteries hidden deep in the sinister heart of New Arcadia. The game is the result of close collaboration between Hothead Games and Penny Arcade, featuring distinct artwork and characters designed exclusively by Mike "Gabe" Krahulik, story and dialogue by Jerry "Tycho" Holkins, both brought to life by the Hothead team.

Key Features:

• Create-a-Player System lets you design and develop your own character, seeing it come to life in 3D and in the comic-style 2D cut scenes
• Dynamic turn-based combat system, over-the-top animations, and team-up moves during enemy battles
• Classic adventure game play combines with RPG elements to unravel the game's mysteries and puzzles
• Authentic Penny Arcade story and dialogue written exclusively by Jerry Holkins
• Includes Gabe, Tycho, Annarchy, the Fruit F*cker and many other favorite Penny Arcade characters, plus new characters designed by Mike Krahulik

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One, rated M for Mature, is expected to offer players six to ten hours of gameplay, and is priced at $19.95 for the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions and at 1600 Microsoft points via Xbox LIVE Arcade.

Theatre of War (PC)

This boxed retail version of Theatre of War will include all the patches and official content additions since the game's previous download-only release. Theatre of War combines the look, feel and historical elements of World War II to create an unrivaled tactical battlefield experience spanning major campaigns from the Battle of Moscow to Normandy. With more than 50 missions spread across multiple campaigns and a rich do-it-yourself mission and map editor included, Theatre of War rewards armchair generals with tremendous gaming and replay value.

Theatre of War offers a fresh take on the WWII Real-time Strategy genre by combining the look, feel, sounds and historical elements of WWII to create the ultimate warfare simulation. The game engine features realistic shell ballistics, armor penetration calculations and damage effects coupled with destructible environments, trenches, fortifications and individually tracked weapons, equipment, ammo and vehicles. More than 50 battles spread across seven different campaigns (US/UK, Soviet, German, French, Polish, Battle for Moscow and Panzer Lehr in Normandy), along with eight non-campaign scenarios, five Training scenarios and 11 different multiplayer missions are available in the game to offer a rich and challenging combat experience to players.

WarBirds 2008 (PC)

WarBirds 2008 has added Two New Terrains, Ten New Aircraft including the famous WW II British Lancaster bomber and the Modern A-67 Dragon Counter Insurgency Aircraft, new three screen graphics capability with Matrox TripleHead2Go hardware, over 50 new personal aircraft paint schemes so Players and Squadrons can personalize their aircraft, new cloud and weather features, and dozens of other major improvements to continue to improve the online combat flying experience of TotalSims.com WarBirds.

WarBirds has been called the best World War II combat operations game ever produced. The award-winning title allows players from around the world to enter a persistent online battlefield and take control of more than 120 different aircraft and vehicles, including fighter and bomber aircraft, tanks, or naval ships in realistic recreations of actual World War II combat.

This new update to WarBirds has added two famous terrains to the over 12 large flying terrains already available to players. The Atoll Terrain was made famous in the Fighter Ops Simulation which operated on AOL in the mid 90’s. The New Ardennes Terrain represents the location of the famous Battle of the Bulge of World War II and will be used for Great Tank Battles as well as air combat.

Ten new and updated aircraft with more than double the polygons and detail of previous aircraft have been added to the simulation. New aircraft include the Famous British Lancaster bomber, which accomplished the famous Dam Busters mission of the 617 Squadron and the proposed A-67 Dragon, Counter Insurgency Aircraft, from US Aircraft Inc., for use around the world in the War on Terrorism. Dragon Aviators can now operate the remote cameras and shoot Hellfire’s, Sidewinders, and drop JDAM bombs in all of IENT’s offline arenas. Also included is new Three Screen Graphics using the Matrox TripleHead2Go.

New players, with either PCs or Macs, can download and try WarBirds 2008 to experience the fun and challenge of real time, multi-player combat flying.

Ponystars (PC)

Ponystars is a free to play online game for gamers and horse lovers of all ages, further widening Acclaim’s growing market appeal. The browser-based game is also the first Acclaim title that requires no download, so Ponystars is easily accessible to anyone who wants to play for free through their web browser.

“Acclaim is enthusiastic to be reaching out to a wider audience after the success of our other online game titles,” said Howard Mark, Acclaim CEO. “Ponystars has a broad appeal and will help to establish Acclaim as a place for gamers of all ages and genders.”

Ponystars are noble & innocent magic ponies who inhabit the Grasslands of Fairy Valley. Players receive their first magic pony when they register to play. Players name and customize each of their Ponystars to reflect his or her unique sense of style and may enter their stock in contests. Six different breeds of magic Ponystars earn in-game Fairy Gold as players care for and train their herd. Players can build their herd by breeding and raising adorable baby Ponystars, or by buying and selling their Ponystars.

As with other Acclaim titles, players can also purchase items and additional in-game currency using Acclaim Coins. Once a Ponystar reaches maturity after 10 days, players can apply Special Traits to their stock and begin to breed their herd to make more baby Ponystars.

As players build their herd, they can buy and sell animals, create on-line Stables for their friends, complete Adventure Quests, compete in tournaments and customize the appearance of their Ponystars. Special Traits include fun brand marks, fantastic coats, manes, and decorative hooves, as well as seasonal accessories and backgrounds. Exciting new traits will be added to the game on an on-going basis.

New players can sign up and claim their free magic Ponystars now.