Disney today announced the renaming of its video game business unit to Disney Interactive Studios at the company's investor conference in Orlando. Disney Interactive Studios' Senior Vice President and General Manager, Graham Hopper commented, "This change reflects our focus on creativity, the weight of Disney content in our portfolio, and the enormous value consumers see in the Disney brand." The business unit formerly known as Buena Vista Games will now be known as Disney Interactive Studios and will publish both Disney and non-Disney branded video games for all platforms worldwide. Video games will be published under the company's strong consumer … Continue reading Disney Renames Buena Vista Games →

Big Fish Games, a leading developer and distributor of casual games, today announced the launch of the Principal Network Partner (PNP) affiliate program (http://pnp.bigfishgames.com), an innovative new service designed to build long-term annuity revenue for Web site operators, game developers and product distributors. The PNP program is fundamentally different and offers superior financial return compared to traditional affiliate programs. The royalties paid to affiliates are based on the lifetime value of an ever-expanding network of customers, and the referrals those customers create through My Game Space, a social networking service offered by Big Fish Games for casual gamers. Participants in … Continue reading Big Fish Games Launches Affiliate Program →

NASCAR fans nationwide can shift their mobile phones into high gear with the launch of EA SPORTS NASCAR 07, available today exclusively on Sprint wireless phones. Available now for the first time on the mobile platform, NASCAR 07 from Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) features NASCAR's most popular drivers, famous racetracks, realistic graphics and challenging strategy., NASCAR 07 launches today on capable Sprint and Nextel wireless phones, and will be available on all other major US mobile carrier networks on March 1st. "NASCAR is an incredible partner and the sport is a visceral, adrenaline-filled experience that really gets people fired … Continue reading NASCAR 07 Hits Wireless →

Secrets of the pharaohs hidden in ancient hieroglyphs are ready to be revealed to clever puzzle fans as Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced that "Brickshooter Egypt" for the PC has shipped to game retailers across North America. In 60 captivating levels, and against an atmospheric backdrop of Egyptian-styled graphics and soundtrack, players must rebuild the pyramids to their former glory in this classic-style matching game. "Brickshooter Egypt" is rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB and debuts with an MSRP of $19.99 (USD). Featuring truly original gameplay, five ancient pyramids, along with the mysterious Sphinx, must be restored in … Continue reading Brickshooter Egypt Puzzler Released →

Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com) and 2by3 Games (www.2by3games.com) are excited to announce the release of the third patch for their World War II grand strategy game, Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided. The patch includes two important rule changes and several tweaks to the Uncommon Valor scenario. It is highly recommended that all A World Divided fans download this new update to enjoy the improved version of an already rock solid game. Like its predecessor, Gary Grigsby's World at War: A World Divided gives you complete control over the production, research, and military strategy for any of the major … Continue reading Gary Grigsby' s World At War Updated →

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) and Sigil Games Online announced today that the hotly anticipated massively multiplayer online role-playing game, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, is now available at retail outlets across North America and Europe. The game is also offered for digital download at www.station.com. "From day one Vanguard was created with the vision of developing an MMO with an unparalleled feeling of immersion," said Brad McQuaid, CEO of Sigil Games Online. "To accomplish this, we included innovative features that break the shackles of the traditional MMO experience. Our diplomacy system, for example, is one of many original concepts we employed … Continue reading Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Ships →

Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that it is a platinum sponsor of the 2007 Women In Games International (WIGI) conference and will host the March 6th event at its company headquarters in Redwood Shores, California. The conference theme is "From Production to Profit: Creating and Marketing Games for Women". EA's Lucy Bradshaw, VP and Head of Production and Development for Maxis/Electronic Arts will deliver the opening keynote entitled, "The Secrets of The Sims Success". EA and WIGI are committed to promoting the inclusion and advancement of women in the growing interactive entertainment industry. Representing 38% of the game … Continue reading EA Sponsoring Women In Games Conference →

Today GameTap, the first-of-its-kind broadband entertainment network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS, Inc.), announces the addition of its Artist of the Month campaign showcasing a robust line-up of original music programming. This massive promotion devotes 30 days of exclusive programming with a new show premiering each week and encompasses live performances, music videos, top ten lists, interviews, and more. The campaign launches this month with The Hold Steady, followed by Fall Out Boy in February, and is running for the first time both inside and outside of the GameTap subscription service. Among the shows the Artist of the Month … Continue reading GameTap Launches Artist Of The Month →

Square Enix Co., Ltd. today announced a licensing agreement with Epic Games that enables Square Enix to introduce Epic's Unreal Engine 3 middleware into its next-generation game development process. Square Enix has built its highly successful franchises such as FINAL FANTASY, DRAGON QUEST and KINGDOM HEARTS by pushing game consoles to their limits and providing unparalleled user experiences for more than 20 years. This was achieved through the company's proprietary technologies, which were mostly optimized for each game given the limited resources of game consoles. However, in order to ensure both game quality and development efficiency for next-generation game systems … Continue reading Square Licenses Unreal 3 Engine →

mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, and the Kaiser Family Foundation today announced the "Change the Course of HIV Challenge" – a competition offering college students digital tools to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people in the United States. The challenge asks gamers, activists or any student with a great idea to propose a viral, Web-based video game concept to help raise awareness about HIV/AIDS among 15-24 year olds in the US and to promote personal action in response to the epidemic. The winning individual or team will work with mtvU and the Kaiser Family Foundation – which are … Continue reading Game Aims To Halt AIDS Spread →