LET OUT YOUR INNER PRINCESS - NATSUME’S MAGICAL PRINCESS DEBUT FOR
NINTENDO DS GOES GOLD

Due Out At The End of This Month, Natsume’s Brand New IP Lets Girls
Step into the Shoes of a Princess

Burlingame, Calif., September 9, 2008 - Natsume, a worldwide developer
and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that
Princess Debut for the Nintendo DS has gone to gold master. Scheduled
to ship at the end of this month, Princess Debut is the perfect video
game for any young girl who dreams of becoming a fairy tale princess!

(more…)

Partnership expected to provide Namco Bandai with a global distribution network and substantially increase distribution revenues of Infogrames

Lyon, France, September 9, 2008

Infogrames Entertainment (“Infogrames”) and Namco Bandai Games Europe S.A.S. (“Namco Bandai”) today announced that they have signed a binding letter of intent establishing a strategic partnership between Infogrames and Namco Bandai. Under the terms of the agreement, Namco Bandai would acquire a 34% stake in Infogrames’ European and Asian distribution operations, with the remaining stake being retained by Infogrames.

Under the terms of the transaction, Infogrames has agreed to regroup its distribution operations into a standalone entity with exclusive physical packaged-goods distribution rights for video games produced by Namco Bandai and Infogrames within Infogrames’ European and Asian territories. Infogrames would continue to invest in, develop and publish interactive video games in a packaged format or online as one of its core activities. The newly formed entity will benefit from the extensive distribution network of Infogrames, with global reach and localized presence, while filling its pipeline from the entire range of products created by Namco Bandai and Infogrames, as well as other publishers.

(more…)

Award-Winning PC Series Blasts Its Way To Handheld This Fall!

EDISON, N.J., September 8, 2008 - Majesco Entertainment Company (NASDAQ: COOL), an innovative provider of video games for the mass market, today announced Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure for Nintendo DS. Developed by Knowledge Adventure and inspired by the original hit PC game, Math Blaster makes learning fun by combining a variety of adventure-based learning games with challenging mathematic puzzles and the unique capabilities of Nintendo DS. The result is an action-packed adventure that adds up to total entertainment!

Robots control the galaxy and the fate of the universe lies in question. Armed with an experimental spaceship, players must put their math skills to the ultimate test as they blast through space to defend the human race and defeat the robotic rulers. Players master math skills in a variety of brain-busting categories including addition, subtraction and multiplication. Whether competing with a friend in Four Player Battle Mode, or testing their computation abilities in Challenge or Adventure modes, players multiply, add and subtract their way through three difficulty levels.

Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure for Nintendo DS is expected to release this Fall. For additional information about Majesco’s exciting line of products, please visit: http://www.majescoentertainment.com/.

Stourbridge, England, 8th September 2008. Data Design Interactive - a successful video games publisher and games developer are pleased to unveil their latest game to be released on their dedicated Nintendo Wii label Popcorn Arcade; Farmyard Party – featuring the Olympigs.

Farmyard Party: Featuring the Olympigs brings farmyard fun to the Nintendo Wii. The game has eight Olympig events which are divided into four categories: all-round, speed, power, and skill. Game modes include a marathon challenge, party modes themed around event styles, single event fun and some hilarious bonus games.

(more…)

Brenda Stells of Berwyn, PA, watches as her friend Kathleen Marshall of Wyndmoor, PA, bowls a strike at Wii Sports: bowling at AARP’s annual Life@50+ Expo event at Washington, D.C.’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Nintendo’s interactive booth attracted crowds with live demonstrations of senior- and baby boomer-friendly video games for its Wii and Nintendo DS systems.

Sharen Price and Virginia Foale of Jamaica, NY, find out their brain age at Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes A Day, a brain-training video game for the portable Nintendo DS system. Featured at AARP’s annual Life@50+ Expo event in Washington, D.C., the game is designed to help seniors and baby boomers to keep their minds agile with a series of math, memory, verbal and musical activities.

PR email

Based on such creations, Technology Review 2008 named Dr. Lee as one of the world’s top 35 innovators under the age of 35. The review lauds his ability to find new high-tech uses for existing electronics that help people beat the high cost of technology.

The September issue of Technology Review features Dr. Lee and the other “TR35 Young Innovators,” who will be honored Sept. 23-25 during the EmTech08 Conference in Cambridge, Mass.

“When the Nintendo Wii came out, most people saw a fun new way to play video games,” the review’s online entry for Dr. Lee states. “Johnny Lee saw a surprisingly good infrared camera that could make innovative computer interfaces affordable.”

Read On HERE

SEATTLE - August 28, 2008 - The organizers of the fifth annual Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) today sent a reminder that this year’s gaming festival will begin later this week. PAX 2008, to be held Aug. 29-31, is expected to draw over 45,000 gamers, industry professionals and media to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle for the 3-day gaming festival. Attendee badges may be purchased at the door at $30 for a one-day badge or $60 for all three days of the show.

Highlights of the show include:

FRIDAY
- PAX 2008 Keynote from Ken Levine 4:30-5:30pm
- Penny Arcade Q&A Panel #1 5:30-6:30pm
- “Video Games and Piracy” Panel 7:30-8:30pm
- Music Concert with The OneUps,
Freezepop and Jonathan Coulton 9:00pm-1:00am

SATURDAY
- “Game Criticism and Old Game Journalism” Panel 1:30-2:30pm
- Pitch Your Game Idea 5:30-6:30pm
- Music Concert with Anamanaguchi,
The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets,
MC Frontalot and the Minibosses 9:30pm-1:30am

SUNDAY
- Family Feud: PAX Edition! 11:00am-12:30pm
- The Wil Wheaton Panel 11:30am-12:30pm
- Penny Arcade Q&A Panel #2 12:30-1:30pm
- Omegathon Final Round 5:00-6:00pm

The complete PAX 2008 schedule can be found at http://www.pennyarcadeexpo.com/PAX_2008_Schedule.pdf.

About Penny Arcade Expo: The Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) gaming festival is a three-day celebration of games and gamer culture. The annual convention includes an exhibition floor filled with playable builds of upcoming tabletop, console, and computer games; a conference program of game industry speakers; music concerts; freeplay areas; industry parties; an independent games showcase; game tournaments and more. Since its inception in 2004 the show has doubled in size year-over-year, growing from 4,500 attendees to 37,000 in 2007, making it the largest gaming festival in North America. For more information visit www.pennyarcadeexpo.com.

1. The availability of video games has led to an epidemic of youth violence.
2. Scientific evidence links violent game play with youth aggression.
3. Children are the primary market for video games.
4. Almost no girls play computer games.
5. Because games are used to train soldiers to kill, they have the same impact on the kids who play them.
6. Video games are not a meaningful form of expression.
7. Video game play is socially isolating.
8. Video game play is desensitizing.

Full article here

GRAB YOUR SEEDS, YOUR WATERING CAN, AND YOUR DS!

HARVEST MOON: ISLAND OF HAPPINESS FOR NINTENDO DS NOW AVAILABLE!

New Handheld Harvest Moon Adventure Kicks Off The 10-Year Anniversary
Celebration For The Ever-Popular Harvest Moon Franchise!

Burlingame, Calif., August 26, 2008 - Natsume, a worldwide developer
and publisher of family-oriented video games, announced today that
Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness for the Nintendo DS has officially
shipped, marking Natsume’s ten year commemorative anniversary
celebration for the popular Harvest Moon series. Harvest Moon: Island
of Happiness is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and will retail for
$29.99.

(more…)

Aug. 25, 2008

Hollywood packs its share of excitement, but video games can deliver just as many mind-blowing thrills as the biggest summer blockbuster. For proof, look no further than this week’s powerhouse additions to the Wii? Shop Channel. With a mesmerizing new WiiWare? title and two action-packed classics for the Virtual Console?, you’ll find captivating visuals, memorable characters and richly interactive tales that impress on screens of all sizes. With or without popcorn, the fun is yours to savor.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii? owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points? to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week’s new games are:

WiiWare

Helix? (Ghostfire Games, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): Helix is one of the most innovative music-rhythm games ever designed for the Wii console. Use the Wii Remote? controller to do dozens of exciting moves, including punches, circles, back fists, hooks and more. Be mesmerized by the eye-popping background visuals, which pulse to the beat of the music. Enjoy incredible replay value with 26 songs to play and three difficulty levels. Try to unlock all of the songs. This game is great for getting exercise plus having fun. No buttons are required, so it’s easy for anyone to pick up but difficult for even the best players to master.

Virtual Console

Ys Book I & II (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom. As Adol, you search the island of Esteria, gathering clues to unravel the mystery of Ys. Fight monsters that lurk in caves and towers with physical or magical attacks, and use your brain to make your way through dangerous areas filled with traps. In Ys Book I & II, the first titles in the Ys series were put together as a single TurboGrafx CD-ROM. They awed players with their gripping story lines accompanied by fully orchestrated soundtracks, wonderful voice acting and amazing special effects. Don’t miss out on your chance to experience this wonderful piece of gaming history.

SAMURAI SHODOWN 2 (NEOGEO, 1-2 players, Rated T for Teen-Blood, Language, Tobacco Reference, Violence, 900 Wii Points): First released in 1994, this fighting game follows 15 samurai in their individual quests. The rage system, which was popular in the first game, has been further enhanced. Not only does attack power rise when the gauge is full, but the player can also use a special technique that can break the opponent’s weapon and force the opponent to fight unarmed. The game also allows for more movement techniques such as back-stepping, rushing forward and ducking, allowing for even more strategies. A fun and important detail of this game: One of the new characters, Cham Cham, was voiced by voice actress Reiko Chiba, an idol in the gaming community.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.