The Wii version of the game will feature several customized control schemes, as well as all-new story and challenge modes to make the game worth of retail release. Hit the jump for the full press release, along with two more screens worth of hot pirate vs. ninja Wii action.

BLAZING LIZARD’S PIRATES VS. NINJAS™ DODGEBALL ABOUT TO BE UNLEASHED ON Wii™

Intense Dodgeball Rivalry to be Settled on Wii Courts Everywhere This Winter

Cockpit, Austin, TX – August 28, 2007 – Gamecock Media Group announced today that Blazing Lizard’s Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball will release on Wii™ this winter. The title features two ancient rivals, ninjas and pirates, along with several other teams, all looking to settle the score once and for all – on the dodgeball court.

“The competition between the Pirates and the Ninjas is so huge that battles are breaking out all over,” said Harry Miller, El Presidente of Gamecock Media Group. “We’re happy to bring this grand conflict to the Wii, and give players the chance to help determine who the ultimate champions are.”

Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball will have scurvy thieves squaring off against crafty martial artists in large, detailed arenas. The game allows for up to eight players and offers a total of seven teams, including pirates, ninjas, robots and zombies plus three unannounced ball slingers. Each team utilizes its own unique techniques and strategies to try and ultimately defeat the enemies. Unique to Wii version, the game will offer all-new story and challenge modes, along with several customized control schemes.

Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball is scheduled for release this winter. For more information visit www.gamecockmedia.com and www.piratesvsninjas.com.

Pirated Pirates Vs Ninjas Dodgeball Delays Release

Cockpit, Austin, TX - April 9, 2008 - Gamecock Media Group announced today that due to pirated copies of Blazing Lizard's upcoming Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball being on the loose the game will be revamped and held until later this Spring.

"We see the irony in all this," noted Christopher Stockman, Studio Director at Blazing Lizard. "Rest assured, we have a crack team of Ninjas on the case and hunting down all pirates. On the positive side it gives us a chance to go back and add in additional content to the game."

What this means for fans of Pirates (the sea-faring kind) and Ninjas is more bang for their buck when the game releases (this also includes fans of the other teams in the game, Robots and Zombies). In addition to the free-flinging arcade dodgeball events already in place (look out for Peg-Leg Stomps and Shuriken Attacks.), Blazing Lizard is adding more traditional rules dodgeball modes where teams stay only on their side and multiple dodgeballs are in play. Now we can settle the score once and for all.

For more info visit www.piratesvsninjas.com. If you are one of the pirates, watch your back!

[disclaimer: the game has not been pirated but we wanted an excuse to announce the wait for the game and the new game mode.]

"It is no secret that Pirates and Ninjas have beef," stated Chris Stockman, Studio Director of Blazing Lizard. "But it turns out both have a great love for dodgeball and unique skills when it comes to playing the game. We are bringing together sworn enemies for what I can guarantee will be explosive dodgeball action."

Blazing Lizard's Pirates vs. NinjasTM Dodgeball To Hit Xbox 360 LIVE Arcade

Eternally Warring Camps To Meet On Neutral Ground For The First Time - The Dodgeball Court

Cockpit, Austin, TX - November 1, 2007 - Gamecock Media Group announced today that Blazing Lizard's Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball will debut on Xbox LIVE™ Arcade on Xbox 360™ in early 2008. The title looks to answer the age-old question of which much-revered profession is better, by settling the score...with (dodge)balls.

"It is no secret that Pirates and Ninjas have beef," stated Chris Stockman, Studio Director of Blazing Lizard. "But it turns out both have a great love for dodgeball and unique skills when it comes to playing the game. We are bringing together sworn enemies for what I can guarantee will be explosive dodgeball action."

Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball will have sea-faring thieves squaring off against stealthy martial artists in beautiful environments. The game will allow for up to eight players and offer five teams, including pirates and ninjas and three more that will announced soon. Each team has their own unique style and techniques and is hell-bent on destroying the opposition.

Look for Pirates vs. Ninjas™ Dodgeball to hit an Xbox near you in early 2008.

There was a bit of nervous anticipation. Blazing Lizard's Lead Designer Christopher Stockman was on the line. He had just emailed me the pitch on his unannounced game after assuring me it was just the sort of thing Kotakuites, in particular, would love.

And in the 10 or so seconds of downloading and opening the document, I could feel the tension through the silent phone line. He was waiting for my reaction because it was an Important Moment.

"This is dramatic!" I said. He laughed. Back to silence. And then I saw the logo in big, bright letters: Pirates Vs. Ninjas Dodgeball.

"We own it; we own pirates versus ninjas!" Chris exclaimed. Yes—startup Blazing Lizard has actually filed a trademark for Pirates Vs. Ninjas, and it's all theirs.

Blazing Lizard was founded by three former THQ/Volition veterans who were behind games like Red Faction, Freespace and Saints Row. Now expanded to a mighty team of four, they intend on releasing their first (of what they hope to be many) PvN-themed games in January 2008. That is, as soon as they sign a publisher and actually decide on which downloadable platform is right for them (PSN or Xbox LIVE).

PvN Dodgeball is an up to 8-person single or multiplayer game in which ninjas, pirates and three other unannounced groups will go head to head in free form dodgeball. There are no lines, and supporting players will attack one another with cutlasses and katanas, but throwing the ball is still the only way you knock the other team out of the game.

The game will also feature spawning boxes (no treasure chests??) containing charges. When a player is charged, they can perform a special move like the "pegleg stomp," firing shockwaves toward enemy players. When they fall to the ground, you can grab the ball and do some real damage—Vince Vaughn and Rip Torn style (on a side note, I'd see Vaughn as the ninja in this metaphor, with Torn being an old but tough pirate).

The gameplay is supposed to be "easy to learn and difficult to master," and the game is built from the ground up on an all new engine being developed by Blazing Lizard that's assured to "have all the bells and whistles of a next-gen engine." Yes my friends, that promise has bloom lighting written all over it.

Chris and I talked a bit more about the title. When leaving Volition just four months ago to live off savings while developing a new IP, the Blazing Lizard team had no clue what they'd be working on, other than a console downloadable game.

"When we came up with this, it was like wow, why hasn't anyone come up with this before?" Stockman explained. "When we snagged the trademark it was like, too good. That is just too sweet."

But what about that pirates vs. ninjas IP? Can ideas grow so large as cultural phenomenon that they can't be copyrighted? To own PvN seems analog to owning the geek national anthem, the word "pwned" or the concept of downloading Britney Spears nip slips. It's something that, as dorks, we gave birth to, painfully, through thousands of drunken conversations, angry fistfights and male-to-male makeup hugs.

"We have no intention of being jerks with this IP," Stockman said. "I certainly don't spend my days searching for all the free flash games that may feature pirates and ninjas. We certainly don't want to damage the underground culture surrounding PvN."

As for the future of Blazing Lizard, while they plan on releasing as many PvN titles as people will buy (even a puzzle fighter was discussed), the team forecasts other, non-pirate projects in their future—possibly even a new Freespace game.

"A lot of people were wondering what type of game we were going to announce. We had a lot of people who loved Freespace," Stockman said. "If people keep saying make a kick ass space game, that's something we're going to explore."

But given the price of the Freespace IP, Stockman would rather reinvent the series than continue it.

"A new IP 'from the makers of Freespace' has the same effect. This way, we can start with a new story, new characters...the whole nine yards."

Hmmm...I wonder if they can trademark intergalactic sharks with laser beams next.

Announcing Blazing Lizard

Savoy, IL, August 7, 2007 - Industry veterans announce the formation of Blazing Lizard, Inc, a new game development studio dedicated to producing high quality and compelling console downloadable games for all ages and demographics.

The core development team is lead by Sandeep Shekar, Jiovanie Velazquez, and Christopher Stockman and has a combined industry experience of over 30 years. The team was most recently at Volition, Inc where Jiovanie served as Studio Artist Manager leading the growth and managing the careers of the studio's art department. Chris and Sandeep, most recently, lead the design team for the critically acclaimed, million-selling Saints Row for the Xbox 360. Saints Row has gone on to receive numerous nominations for 2006 Action / Adventure Game of the Year and won 2006 Sandbox Game of the Year from Official Xbox Magazine.

The Blazing Lizard team has played leadership roles on many other games including the million-selling Red Faction series, Summoner series, The Punisher, Freespace, and Elite Force 2.

Blazing Lizard's first game, an original IP for unspecified platforms, will be announced on August 13, 2007.

ABOUT BLAZING LIZARD, INC.

Formed in early 2007, Blazing Lizard's goal is to create high quality, compelling console downloadable games for all platforms. Their first game, an original IP for unspecified platforms, is poised to take the fledgling console downloadable genre by storm and will be unveiled on August 13, 2007.