Slip on your overalls and get ready to sling hay! Alawar Entertainment (www.alawar.com), a leading publisher of casual games, has released Joe’s Farm, a 3D puzzle game in which you help a farmer complete his chores before time runs out. In Joe’s Farm, you guide a pig who must push barrels of water, bails of hay and crates to their destinations using the fewest number of moves. Your brain will get a workout as you think about how to complete each of the game’s 100 levels. Fortunately, moving the farmer is as simple as clicking where you want him to … Continue reading Alawar Announces Joe's Farm →

Hip Interactive Corp. (TSX:HP) today announced that its fast-growing publishing division, Hip Games(TM), has signed an agreement with Kuju Entertainment (AIM: KUJ) for the development of the first game based on the work of popular cult horror director George A. Romero. The game, the name of which has yet to be announced, will be developed for consoles and PC at Kuju’s development studio in Surrey, United Kingdom and is expected to be part of Hip’s next fiscal year ending March 31, 2006. "With George A. Romero’s cult status and following among horror fans, a property of this pedigree deserves a … Continue reading Hip Making George Romero Game →

Leading video games publisher and developer Namco Hometek Inc. announced today they have signed a deal with the Denmark-based pioneer of interactive television entertainment, ITE, to bring two projects from the global "HUGO" franchise on the Game Boy Advance to the U.S. market this year. Working closely with ITE, Namco will deliver the addictive platforming/puzzle game HUGO – The Evil Mirror and the fast-paced kart racing title HUGO Bukkazoom for young gamers ages 12 and under. "We're excited to partner with ITE, a true leader in the interactive entertainment industry, to bring the HUGO franchise to the North American video … Continue reading NAMCO Deals With ITE →

Hearts of Iron 2, one of the most detailed World War II games ever created, has been added to the Game Industry News Prize pool. "We like to offer prizes for our readers that are really top of the line, and Paradox Interactive was gracious enough to let us do this," said Nate Wooley, publisher of Game Industry News and Gameindustry.com. "For fans of either strategy games or World War II, this game is a must have title." The game recently got a rare 5 GiN Gems review for being one of the most detailed strategy games on the market. … Continue reading Hearts 2 Added To Prizes →

Twin Galaxies’ Board of Referees have announced the continuance of an annual tradition: to offer cash bounties as prizes to gamers who can break world records on specific games titles, ranging from today’s Halo2 and Doom3, back to titles on the NES, Atari 2600, Colecovision, Intellivison and much more. Walter Day, Chief Scorekeeper at Twin Galaxies says: "Robert Mruczek, Tom Votava, Adam Wood and Billy Mitchell — all members of Twin Galaxies’ Board — have offered to pay out of their own pockets more than $20,000 in cash prizes for world-record high-scores on some of the most challenging games in … Continue reading Cash Offered For High Scores →

Ubisoft, one of the world's leading video game publishers, today announced that Tork: Prehistoric Punk has shipped in North America for the Microsoft Xbox. Play the role of Tork, a fearless, young cave boy who has seen his village destroyed and his father kidnapped. Travel through time using Tork's magical powers on an adventure in which he will encounter mythical creatures, morph into three special characters and visit beautiful landscapes. Tork: Prehistoric Punk is rated "E" for Everyone and has an MSRP of $19.99. "Tork: Prehistoric Punk is an enchanting, challenging video game with environments so breathtaking players will find … Continue reading UBI Ships Tork: Prehistoric Punk →

Buena Vista Games, Inc. (BVG), the interactive entertainment arm of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS), today announced the hiring of three key executives for the company's European operation. Games industry veterans Ed Bainbridge, Sean Ratcliffe and Michael Jacob have been named Director of European Production, Director of European Marketing and Executive Producer, respectively. "Attracting experienced high-caliber talent is the most critical element in building Buena Vista Games' operation in Europe," said Graham Hopper, senior vice president and general manager, Buena Vista Games. "Ed, Sean and Mike bring a wealth of games industry experience to the company, and will play … Continue reading Buena Vista Hires New Europe Execs →

Major League Gaming (MLG), the official professional video game league for console game players, announced today two of its top players, Matthew "Zyos" Leto and Joe "Dyslexia" Renaud, are the recipients of one-year sponsorships from Nokia N-Gage. The move marks the first time a mobile phone manufacturer has entered into a relationship with professional video game players to serve as ambassadors for the promotion of video game properties and related company events. "We are delighted with the new relationship formed by Major League Gaming and Nokia N-Gage," said Michael Sepso, chief executive officer of MLG. "We were thrilled to have … Continue reading Gamers Get Nokia Sponsorships →

Konami Digital Entertainment – America, a division of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., announced today a new Castlevania game for the Nintendo DS. Set in the year 2036, the newest title in the series continues the storyline that first emerged in the critically acclaimed Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow for the Nintendo GameBoy Advance. While the new 2D side scrolling action game will contain all the classic gameplay that fans of the series have come to expect, Castlevania for DS (working title) will also incorporate innovative gameplay elements that take full advantage of the portable system’s powerful new technology. "The game’s rich … Continue reading Castlevania Coming to Nintendo DS →

New research released today by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) shatters myths about the profile of typical American video game players, revealing that they regularly volunteer, exercise, and attend religious services. According to a survey conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, computer and video game players spend more than three times the amount of time exercising or playing sports, volunteering in the community, reading, or engaging in religious, creative, and cultural activities than they do playing video games. In total, gamers spend 23.4 hours per week on these activities, compared to 6.8 hours per week playing games. Avid gamers … Continue reading ESA Survey Finds New Gamer Trends →