Electronic Arts (EA) (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that it has made a multi-million dollar donation to the USC School of Cinema-Television (USC-CNTV) to advance interactive media education and create a launch pad for the next generation of interactive entertainment. The contribution, part of EA's global educational and talent development effort, will fund two new facets of USC-CNTV's Division of Interactive Media: the Electronic Arts Interactive Entertainment Program and the Electronic Arts Endowed Faculty Chair. The EA Interactive Entertainment Program is a 3-year Master of Fine Arts degree program. The program will help forward USC-CNTV's goal to educate the next generation … Continue reading EA Gives Millions To School →

Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, today announced that The Dukes of HazzardTM: Return of the General Lee will be available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and the Xbox video game system from Microsoft in October 2004. Licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, The Dukes of Hazzard: Return of the General Lee is a humorous action racing game that combines a mission-based adventure and arena-style driving. "Based on the success of the first two Dukes of Hazzard games, we are working with a great property that has stood the test of time," said Tony Kee, … Continue reading Ubi Soft Making Dukes Of Hazzard Game →

Leading video games developer and publisher Namco Hometek Inc. announced today the upcoming release of ACE COMBAT 5, shipping exclusively for the Sony PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system in Fall 2004. The newest instalment is the most explosive title yet in the unparalleled ACE COMBAT series. Developed by Namco Limited in Japan, ACE COMBAT 5 is set to soar as Namco's fifth instalment of the Air Combat/Ace Combat series. Introducing Wingman Command, ACE COMBAT 5 is the premier air combat game combining ultra-realistic graphics and dog fighting with the sheer excitement of commanding a squadron, knowing that their fate is … Continue reading Namco Releases Ace Combat 5 →

Konami Digital Entertainment – America, a division of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced it has shipped Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny for the Xbox video game system from Microsoft, to retail outlets nationwide. Reaching a new audience of gamers, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny brings the worldwide trading card game phenomenon to Xbox owners for the first time. Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny features the highly popular trading card game in a beautifully rendered 3D world. With more than 1,000 of the latest Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, Yu-Gi-Oh! The Dawn of Destiny seamlessly integrates the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game gameplay and … Continue reading Yu-Gi-Oh! Makes XBox Debut →

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: ERTS), the world's leading interactive entertainment software company today announced a worldwide publishing agreement with celebrated game designer Chris Taylor of Gas Powered Games. The two companies have partnered to create a Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game for the PC. The new title is slated for release in 2006. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. "This is a huge opportunity for our company; to be working Tawith the most successful and proven publisher of video games in the world", said Chris Taylor, President of Gas Powered Games. "We worked hard to find a publisher that shared … Continue reading Gas Powered Games And EA Partner →

Atari and Stormfront Studios, under license from Hasbro, Inc., have announced plans to develop Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, an action adventure game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons world created by Wizards of the Coast. Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will place players in the middle of a heated battle between two demonic armies set to overrun the world of Faerun. The intense story setting in Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone will highlight the game’s use of an enhanced version of Stormfront’s powerful game engine, allowing for greatly improved graphics, faster gameplay and even more intelligent enemies. Scheduled for release in … Continue reading Atari And Stormfront To Make D&D Game →

Microsoft Game Studios announced today that musician Danny Elfman has composed the theme for the upcoming Xbox role-playing adventure game, Fable. Elfman, three-time Academy Award-nominee and GRAMMY Award winner, is best known for his unique musical style and has contributed to the soundtracks of dozens of popular films including Chicago, Batman, Spider Man, Men In Black, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice. For his work on Fable, Elfman worked with a hand-picked orchestra and recording team to produce a magical theme. In Fable, the groundbreaking role-playing adventure game from game designer Peter Molyneux, the players’ every action determines their characters’ … Continue reading Danny Elfman To Compose For Fable →

The employees of Scion Studios have joined Epic Games in a move that doubles Epic’s in-house development capacity. This will increase Epic’s ability to develop multiple games, including those in its award-winning Unreal franchise, internally for both PC and console platforms. Michael V. Capps, Ph.D., former CEO of Scion Studios, will head Epic’s development and production management in his new role as president of Epic Games. Tim Sweeney remains Chairman and CEO of the company. Before founding Scion, Dr. Capps designed and produced America’s Army, the hugely popular multiplayer US Army game built with Epic’s Unreal Engine technology. "Mike has … Continue reading Scion And Epic Merge →

Magnum Games is exploding into the PC gaming arena with their premier CD-ROM title, Beyond The Law: The Third Wave. A squad-based, strategy shooter, in Beyond the Law: The Third Wave the player commands a covert team of specialists to stop a renegade criminal element intent on destroying the United States of America. In this world corruption is rampant, the police have been bought, and terror reigns – an elite force with authority beyond the law becomes the last line of defense. This mob must be stopped before our nation’s capital is destroyed in a nuclear attack. CEO, Carlo Voelker … Continue reading Magnum Games To Launch With Shooter →

Enlight, a leading entertainment software developer and publisher, announced today a partnership with gaming visionary American McGee. Founder of the independent game design and consulting firm TMIEC, McGee has signed on to be Enlight’s creative director. Praised for his unique design talents by publications ranging from PC Gamer to Rolling Stone, American McGee developed Alice, a darker gothic version of the Lewis Carroll children’s tale Alice in Wonderland and American McGee’s Oz, a film trilogy currently being developed by Disney Films and Jerry Bruckheimer. "American McGee is one of the most gifted designers in the interactive entertainment and computer games … Continue reading American McGee Joins Enlight →