zeroinitiate - A World of WarCraft Rogue Blog

LOS ANGELES, Calif., February 6, 2008 - A must-have Wii™ game for Summer 2008 is on its way! EA’s Casual Entertainment Label today announced BOOM BLOX™, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer, Steven Spielberg. This high-energy game features over three hundred levels, a variety of activities, a cast of over thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity. BOOM BLOX will be available in May 2008 for the Wii™ from Nintendo.

Read more… »

Durham, USA – February 1st, 2008 – Funcom is excited to announce the launch of the Spanish community forums for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, just one week after launching the Spanish marketing site available on www.ageofconan.com.

Funcom will be launching a Spanish localized version of the highly anticipated massive online game simultaneously with the North American, English, German and French on May 20th, 2008. Launching the community efforts is an important step in that direction.

“Online games are increasing in popularity, and there is no doubt that Spain is an important and a very exciting market to operate in,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “That is why we are looking so much forward to releasing the game in Spain simultaneously with the other localized versions, and as such it is tremendously important for us to cater to the growing Age of Conan community in Spain.”

Read more… »

First Release, ”Playboy Games: Pool Party,” Scheduled to Launch Worldwide In Summer 2008

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Jan 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — THQ Wireless Inc., a subsidiary of THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI), today announced that it has signed a worldwide agreement with Playboy Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:PLA)(NYSE:PLAA) to exclusively develop Playboy-branded mobile games. The multi-year Playboy agreement covers the development and publishing rights to multiple Playboy-branded, lifestyle themed, non-nude mobile games featuring bikini-clad Playmates to be released worldwide. The first title, Playboy Games: Pool Party, is scheduled to launch in summer 2008.

Read more… »

Game Sells in Excess of Seven Million Units According to The NPD
Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan 25, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) announced today that Call of Duty 4(R): Modern Warfare(TM) was the #1 title in units worldwide for calendar 2007, according to The NPD Group, Chart Track and The GFK Group. Developed by Infinity Ward, Call of Duty 4(R): Modern Warfare(TM) has sold in excess of seven million units worldwide since its launch in November.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has garnered critical acclaim, securing more than 18 perfect score reviews and over 40 combined Editors’ Choice and Game of the Year awards in the U.S. alone. The game has been nominated for 10 prestigious Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences awards, including Game of the Year. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare also currently is the #1 Xbox 360(TM) title on Xbox Live, based on unique users, according to www.majornelson.com.

Read more… »

Next-generation Console Debut of the Grand Theft Auto Franchise Set for April 29, 2008

New York, NY - January 24, 2008 - Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce the release date for Grand Theft Auto IV, the new title in the genre-defining Grand Theft Auto franchise. Developed by Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto IV will be simultaneously available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and will be in stores worldwide on April 29, 2008.

Read more… »

WORLD OF WARCRAFT® REACHES NEW MILESTONE: 10 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS

Subscriber base for Blizzard Entertainment®’s massively multiplayer online role-playing game now exceeds 2.5 million in North America, while Europe passes the 2 million mark

IRVINE, Calif. — January 22, 2008 — Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. announced today that subscribership for World of Warcraft®, its award-winning massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), has continued to climb, recently passing 10 million worldwide. Interest in the game has remained high in all regions, with thousands of new and returning players signing up through the holiday season. World of Warcraft now hosts more than 2 million subscribers in Europe, more than 2.5 million in North America, and approximately 5.5 million in Asia.

Read more… »

‘Prepare to Qualify’ as Namco Networks Unveils Pole Position: Remix Designed Exclusively for iPod

Namco’s Pole Position II is revved up for iPods with video to celebrate 25 years as a top-selling racing classic

SAN JOSE, Calif.–Namco Networks, the leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the worldwide release of Pole Position: Remix, now available for purchase and download from the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) for play on iPod. Pole Position: Remix is based on Namco’s popular racing classic Pole Position II, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The iPod title includes completely new game play, graphics, soundtracks and an entirely new course exclusive to the iPod. Pole Position: Remix is available from iTunes for $4.99 and can be played on the iPod nano with video, iPod classic and the fifth generation iPod.

Read more… »

Durham, USA – January 21, 2008 – Funcom announces a new release date for Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. The highly anticipated MMO receives 8 more weeks of development, allowing Funcom to deliver a more polished MMO experience when the game launches on the 20th of May 2008. Despite great feedback on vital aspects like immersion, fun factor and the exciting combat system, the management of Funcom has decided to polish the game even more. Eight weeks of development work is therefore added to stress game systems and polish the game further leading up to launch.

Read more… »

BATTLEFIELD HEROES LEADS THE WAY FOR EA’S NEW ‘PLAY 4 FREE’ BUSINESS MODEL

Unique Cartoon Shooter Introduces a New Way to Play Battlefield

Munich, Germany, January 21, 2008 – At the Digital, Life, Design Conference (DLD) in Munich, Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today unveiled Battlefield Heroes™, an all-new Play 4 Free cartoon-style shooter that will bring classic Battlefield gameplay to an all new mass audience. Available for download at www.battlefield-heroes.com this summer, Battlefield Heroes is EA’s first title that is offered completely for free, and features a built-in matchmaking system to ensure that players of equal skill are paired together for fair play. Developed by DICE in Stockholm, Battlefield Heroes is leading EA’s new web-focused free to download, free to play business model which generates revenue through advertising and micro-transactions. With zero barriers to entry, now anyone can be a hero on the battlefield!

Read more… »