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Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), has announced that “Bring Down the Sky,” the first piece of downloadable content for the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™, is now available for PC gamers to download free¹ of charge.

Fully optimized for the PC, “Bring Down the Sky” is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that will further expand the Mass Effect story and universe.  It includes a new uncharted world that introduces the deadly Batarian alien race, approximately 90 minutes of new gameplay and an original soundtrack.  Instructions on how to download and install the new content is available at http://masseffect.bioware.com/downloadablecontent/.  “Bring Down the Sky” is currently available for international languages including English, Spanish, Italian and German, with additional language versions coming soon.

The storyline for the new content begins as Batarian extremists have hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova.  Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.

Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, “Bring Down the Sky” has received critical acclaim as one of the “must have” downloadable expansion packs.  Mass Effect has also received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 80 awards including Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year, with the PC version achieving several perfect 10/10 scores and an overall review average of over 90%² (http://masseffect.bioware.com/previewsawards/). 

PC gamers can download and install “Bring Down the Sky” by simply launching their registered copy of Mass Effect for the PC and following the instructions at the launch screen.  For more information about Mass Effect, please visit www.masseffect.com.

one of the leading European computer game developers, in association with the world’s largest CPU manufacturer Intel, today announce their audience enhancing masterpiece with the unveiling of SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel as a true notebook gaming experience.

The Action RPG will boast a new level of optimization specifically targeted at gaming on notebooks from the hardcore gaming rigs down to the 128Mb onboard chipsets.

In the development of the notebook gaming technology in SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel, the focus has been on 3 main areas, namely core processes, graphic optimization and notebook-specific features.

Notebook-specific features include essential items such as in-game battery and wi-fi indicator displays, and the Ad-Hoc multiplayer mode (AMM) which is an innovative approach to gaming “on the move”, delivering fast Ad-Hoc wireless game creation and joining. All functions are actively supported by the Intel Centrino Processor Technology.

Commenting on SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel for notebooks, Heiko tom Felde, Managing Director of Ascaron Entertainment GmbH, explained, “Mobile PCs now account for over 60% of all PC hardware sales. Over the past few years this has created a huge market growth which is often disregarded by other major releases. The philosophy behind Sacred has always been to be accessible to everyone, in terms of gameplay, entertainment and system requirements. Notebooks and SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel go hand-in-hand, allowing everyone to participate in the positive and rewarding game Ascaron has developed.”

In respect of the partnership between Intel and Ascaron, tom Felde says, “Our relationship with Intel has been superb. The level of support and professionalism provided by Intel is reflected in the performance of SACRED 2 on notebook systems. We are pleased that Intel opened their doors for Ascaron to work so closely and feature SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel as the leading showcase for Intel’s exceptional new Centrino2 platform.”

Atari serves up a treat with the announcement of What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver, the first video game to feature international cooking star Jamie Oliver and his delicious, world-renowned recipes, scheduled for release exclusively on Nintendo DS™ for Christmas 2008. What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver walks players through virtual and real-life cooking situations, from shopping to chopping, dressing the dish to serving up meals.  The portability of Nintendo DS means Jamie Oliver is with you every step of the way to offer help and inspiration at the supermarket, in the kitchen, on the barbecue or wherever you feel like cooking up a storm. 

Turn your hand to some delicious real cooking with the interactive cookbook, stuffed with 100 original Jamie Oliver recipes, mouth-watering photography by David Loftus of the quality we’ve come to expect from Jamie’s books, and featuring voice recognition leaving hands free to concentrate on the cooking. The interactive shopping list automatically saves ingredients from chosen recipes (either Jamie Oliver’s or your own creations) and organises them by food type making trips to the supermarket a breeze.  You can add any other items you want to the list using the keypad or text recognition. 

In the spirit of Jamie Oliver’s books and TV shows, the creative cooking mode encourages players to get stuck in using hundreds of hand-picked ingredients to create their own dishes  Up to 100 of your own unique recipes can be saved on the Nintendo DS to be recreated in the kitchen later and shared with friends and family using the Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection.

The cooking games offer fun for everyone with a series of recipe challenges using the stylus to chop, stir and serve in a variety of virtual real-time 3D kitchen settings.  Challenge your friends and family to a cook-off or beat the clock, all the while keeping quality and taste in mind on your way to becoming a top chef.

“I really want to get as many people as I can cooking simple, tasty food, so I’m really excited about bringing a book’s worth of my recipes to a game for the first time,” said Jamie Oliver. “You can cook my recipes for real at home or in the game’s 3D kitchens, but what’s brilliant is that you can come up with your own recipes then share them with your mates and family over wi-fi. Lovely.”

“What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver will be the most complete cooking game and it’s great to have Jamie Oliver on board with his wholesome recipes and passion for life,” said Cyril Voiron, VP Brand Management, Worldwide Publishing, Atari.  “What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver is a great game for Nintendo DS as it appeals to players of all ages within the family, be it the everyday adult cook or the budding child chef, which is a perfect fit with Nintendo’s phenomenal DS audience.”

What’s Cooking? with Jamie Oliver is scheduled for release across Europe in October 2008.  For information on Jamie Oliver, please visit his official website at www.jamieoliver.com.

Jamie Oliver is a phenomenon in the world of food. He is one of the world’s best-loved television personalities and one of Britain’s most famous exports.
Since beginning his TV career in 1998 as the Naked Chef he has sold over 17million books worldwide and his shows are now aired in more than 50 countries. Not only that but Jamie is also the founder of The Fifteen Foundation, a charity dedicated to giving young people a chance to turn their lives around by training to become chefs in four Fifteen restaurants around the world,- London, Amsterdam, Cornwall and Melbourne. Over 100 students have now graduated. In 2004 his documentary “Jamie’s School Dinners” highlighted the poor quality of food served in canteens and as a result of Jamie’s “Feed Me Better” campaign the government pledged £480million to address the problems and provide schools with essential equipment and training for staff . Jamie lives in London and Essex with his wife, Jools, and two daughters, Poppy and Daisy.
 

Deep Silver and Apogee Software today announced an agreement to co-publish the Duke Nukem Trilogy™ episodes for the Nintendo DS™ and Sony PSP® (PlayStationPortable) systems in North America and Europe. The Trilogy is comprised of three new episodes, released sequentially, beginning in the Summer of 2009: Critical MassTM, Chain ReactionTM, and Proving GroundsTM. The Trilogy is being produced by Apogee under an exclusive license agreement with 3D Realms Entertainment and MachineWorks Northwest LLC, and will be released by Deep Silver, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Koch Media.

“We were seeking a strong global publishing partner to herald the eagerly-anticipated return of Duke Nukem,” said Terry Nagy, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Apogee. “We have indeed found that partner in Deep Silver.”

“Since we launched the Deep Silver label, we’ve aggressively pursued the best properties to bring to market,” said Dr. Klemens Kundratitz, CEO of Koch Media. “Apogee has produced some of the greatest franchises in the history of gaming, none of them more popular than Duke Nukem.”

Deep Silver is exhibiting at the 2008 E3 Media & Business Summit on July 14 – 17 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in the Showcase Pavilion, Booth #401.

LYON, FRANCE – 11 July 2008 – Atari is revving it up with the announcement of the ultra realistic racing video game RACE Pro, scheduled to speed into stores this autumn 2008 exclusively for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Developed by renowned award-winning game developer SimBin, a leading creator of PC racing simulators, RACE Pro brings SimBin’s formidable skill and know-how to Xbox 360 for the very first time this autumn.

RACE Pro recreates a breathtaking reality giving gamers the ultimate racing simulation experience, all powered by Lizard, SimBin’s own physics engine. With precision physics and handling, racers will feel every bend and burst of acceleration along with every emotion from pre-race tension in the pit lanes to the exhilaration of capturing the checker flag. RACE Pro provides unrivalled realism and deep immersion into the racing world through ultra realistic car models and official FIA championships and tracks. Putting players in the driving seats of their simulated racing careers, racers will have the opportunity to work their way up the leader boards through intense training and winning key races. RACE Pro has something for everyone, allowing players of all levels to pick up and play, while offering challenging tracks and advanced modes for the more experienced players.

RACE Pro offers a wealth of cars ranging from 200 to over 1000 horse power, as well as a host of championships including WTCC (World Touring Car Championship), Formula 3000 and Formula BMW. GT cars from manufacturers including Aston Martin and Saleen take their place on the grid as well as production cars such as the Audi R8 and Dodge Viper SRT10. In addition, RACE Pro is exclusively bringing all the WTCC cars from manufacturers Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet and Seat to Xbox 360 for the very first time. For a blast of accessible fun, the Mini Cooper Challenge invites players of all abilities to take the wheel.

Gamers and racing fans alike will experience the thrill of racing these powerful cars on 13 real life tracks covering all continents, of which Macau, Porto and Pau are exclusive to RACE Pro, and US tracks Laguna Seca and Road America are brand new to SimBin fans.

“With five years worth of experience under SimBin’s belt, RACE Pro ensures a unique racing experience unlike anything seen before on console,” said Cyril Voiron, VP Brand Management, Worldwide Publishing, Atari. “Nothing gets you closer to the ultimate racing sensation than RACE Pro and Atari is proud to add this product to our holiday line-up.”

“Having personally taken the leap from 20 years of championship racing to racing simulation development, I am really excited for SimBin to be taking its own leap from PC to Xbox 360,” said Henrik Roos, CEO, SimBin Studios AB. “We are proud to be taking this significant move with Atari, our trusted partner since our very first game.”

Online play via Xbox Live® online game service and System Link support lets up to 12 players take on equally high-powered opponents and test their skills to the limit to reach the finish line ahead of the pack. For friends closer to home, the brand new ‘Hot Seat’ feature puts players in the driving seat for a limited amount of time before passing the controller to the next player and so on, demanding exceptionally quick reactions and precision racing from even the most seasoned drivers.

Nothing gets closer than RACE Pro, t

ASCARON, one of the leading European computer game developers, and Deep Silver, the games label of Koch Media, a leading producer and distributor of digital entertainment products, today announce the official packshot for the Action RPG SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel.

SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel is a vast, detailed and deeply playable Action RPG. Assuming one of 6 uniquely identifiable characters players will embark on a thrilling story across two intricate campaigns set on the paths of Light and Shadow. SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel blends a seamless game world with solo and multiplayer gameplay, packed full of unsolved quests, character development, gritty adventure and deadly combat with hordes of screaming enemies.

Ancaria is a world without level boundaries, and players can freely explore without any loading delays. With its huge attention to detail and high quality graphic style, SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel will enchant players from all over the world.

SACRED 2 – Fallen Angel will be released in the 4th quarter of 2008 for PC, PLAYSTATION®3 and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®.

Official game site:: www.sacred2.com

Apply the sunblock! SimBin Studios AB announced today that the flaming in-game video trailer for GTR Evolution has been released.
In the second half of August 2008 GTR Evolution will take GT and WTCC Extreme cars to Nordschleife, the holy grail of racing also known as “the Green Hell”.
 
Check out the hot video trailer and some cool screenshots at:
www.gtr-evolution.com

About GTR Evolution for PC

GTR Evolution contains 5 new classes of the finest cars with a total of 30 new models to race. In the GT classes players can experience legendary cars like the Corvette C6R, Aston Martin DBR9, BMW M3 GTR, Koenigsegg CCGT and Spyker GT2R.
Even more exciting are the all-new WTCC Extreme cars. These are pumped up fictional WTCC car designs developed by SimBin in cooperation with the FIA WTCC, and are exclusive to GTR Evolution.
The racing thrills continue with the Production Car Class featuring the street versions of the Audi R8, Dodge Viper SRT/10, Koenigsegg CCX and Gumpert Apollo. Overall, GTR Evolution offers 49 unique cars in 12 classes with more than 500 variations as well as 19 tracks in over 40 different layouts including the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Features
In-Game File sharing to up- and download setups or ghost files while being in the game.

Race-line in Time-Trial is a feature inspired by the Race-line in GTR2 but features more options. There are distinctive brake-markers to indicate braking points, the game can now show two Race-lines simultaneously. These Race-lines including their ghost-files and setups can be up- or downloaded in-game as well.

Upgraded Replay system with the possibility to not only save the full replay after the race but also the instant replays that can be viewed during the race.

Nationality indicator for the player-profile will now be equipped with a flag and a country indicator following the player throughout the game.

Game modes
Championship functionality for full integration of the GT cars to run an endurance championship as well as a touring car championship. This functionality is also added to the Custom Championship, allowing the player to mix in the GT cars and WTCC Extreme cars with the other content.

GTR Evolution is distributed by Atari in Europe, Viva Media in the US, Akella in Russia, QV software in Australia and Zoo in Japan. The release is set for the second half of August 2008.