"FaceBreaker reinvigorates one of the great genres in sports videogames. Arcade boxing takes me back to my roots in this industry, and this game signals our shift to adding more approachable fun to our product lineup. In no time at all, you'll be picking up the controllers and knocking your opponent around the ring, smashing faces, and having a riot."

REDISCOVER THE JOY OF PUMMELING WITH FACEBREAKER

An All-New Intellectual Property from EA SPORTS Brings Back Arcade Boxing
Chertset, UK - January 31, 2008 - Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that FaceBreaker™ - an all-new intellectual property - is under development at EA Canada and will be released for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360™ video game system from Microsoft and the Wii™ in 2008.

"We're very excited to announce FaceBreaker, an all-new franchise from EA SPORTS that is fun, fresh and innovative," said Peter Moore, president, EA SPORTS. "FaceBreaker reinvigorates one of the great genres in sports videogames. Arcade boxing takes me back to my roots in this industry, and this game signals our shift to adding more approachable fun to our product lineup. In no time at all, you'll be picking up the controllers and knocking your opponent around the ring, smashing faces, and having a riot."

The renaissance of the arcade boxing genre is upon us. Created by the same team that developed the award-winning Fight Night Round 3, FaceBreaker offers irreverent fun, immersive gameplay and eye-popping stylized graphics. In this in-your-face, arcade world full of ego-wielding characters, each boxer comes to life with unique attributes and distinct personal style, including Romeo, a Latin lover known for his pelvic thrusts, and Molotov, an oversized Russian demolitions expert with a penchant for fighting dirty. Add a little personal motivation to your fight by uploading a photo of your face to create a realistic likeness using Photo Game Face, and go toe-to-toe with a real-life friend or foe.

Laugh out loud as you pummel your opponent with a barrage of blows to the face and watch in satisfaction as your progress is illustrated by real-time facial deformation. With haymakers, face shots and body blows, wait for the right moment to drop a super punch to make your presence known. Taunt your adversaries and flaunt your talent, by tying one hand behind your back to add ultimate humiliation to your bout. In FaceBreaker, it just feels good to rearrange your opponent's face.

EA SPORTS™ is the leading interactive sports software brand in the world, with top-selling titles and franchises including Madden NFL Football, FIFA Soccer, NHL® hockey, NBA LIVE basketball, NCAA® Football, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® and NASCAR® racing.

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"In all my years working in professional boxing, I have never seen anything come as close to recreating the thrill, the intensity, the courage and the spectacle of the sport," said legendary boxing promoter Don King. "Don King Presents: Prizefighter is more than a game — it is a glimpse at what life is like in and out of the ring for these incredible athletes."

2K Sports Announces Don King Presents: Prizefighter

Don King Presents: Prizefighter brings an innovative feature set and story line to set the standard in boxing video games

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), today announced the spring 2008 release of Don King Presents: Prizefighter, the most realistic boxing video game simulation, for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo's Wii™ home video game console and Nintendo's DS™ portable system. This in-depth, documentary-style title will provide the deepest, most authentic and entertaining experience ever seen in a boxing video game.

"The combination of real-life fight scenarios, story-driven gameplay and photo-realistic graphics will set this title apart from the competition," said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "Our goal has always been to deliver the most engaging and realistic titles, and Don King Presents: Prizefighter will exceed these expectations. Based on the game's innovative features and high-profile fighters, this title will be a 'must have' for any sports gamer."

"In all my years working in professional boxing, I have never seen anything come as close to recreating the thrill, the intensity, the courage and the spectacle of the sport," said legendary boxing promoter Don King. "Don King Presents: Prizefighter is more than a game — it is a glimpse at what life is like in and out of the ring for these incredible athletes."

Developed by Venom Games, the 2K studio that brought Rocky and Rocky Legends to the Xbox and PlayStation 2, Don King Presents: Prizefighter will bring the realism of live action match-ups and the true tactics of the sweet science together for the first time. More than just a night at the fights - players will be responsible for building a career by overcoming adversity, avoiding temptation, and balancing their commitments to train and promote, all while focusing on the goal of ultimately winning and defending the title belt. The story will be told by a revolutionary sports documentary-style narrative never before seen in a video game.

Don King Presents: Prizefighter will be available in spring 2008 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo's Wii™ home video game console and Nintendo's DS portable system, leveraging the unique hardware features of each platform.

For more information, log onto www.2ksports.com/prizefighter.

XSeed's Wii boxing game Hajime no Ippo, aka Victorious Boxers: Revolution, is set for a release this "autumn" here in North America, Cubed3 reports. The game will have 25 playable characters, cut scenes and a story mode... all wrapped around a chewy center of Wii boxing. Hopefully, a touched up form of the one in Wii Sports that allows my son to inexplicably kick my ass every time we play.

New Boxing Game Coming to US [Cubed3]

I didn't realize how much I missed this series until seeing this press release. The game was completely overshadowed by EA's Fight Night, which of course took a much more realistic turn on the boxing genre. I find it much more pleasing beating up cartoony characters for some reason. Let's hope they get the game going soon, because now would be the perfect time to bring back the "The First Lady" from the second game for another couple of rounds. Michael Fahey

10TACLE STUDIOS gets "Ready 2 Rumble"

New game to be realized for various videogame platforms

Darmstadt (Germany) / Singapore, 2nd March 2007 - With the third iteration of the arcade style satirical boxing game "Ready 2 Rumble" 10TACLE STUDIOS AG supplements their product portfolio with yet another popular international brand. With sales of almost three million copies worldwide the two predecessors are among the most successful games in the boxing genre. Singapore subsidiary 10TACLE STUDIOS Pte Ltd. will be realising the new title together with licensor, The Buffer Partnership and executive producer Stereo Mode. The new version of "Ready 2 Rumble" is to be released for various videogame platforms. The Japanese experts from AKI Corporation, who have established themselves as one of the leading game development studios within the genre, with hits such as "Def Jam" and "WWF Wrestlemania", have been entrusted with the first development.

10TACLE STUDIOS AG anticipates a turnover through distribution of the game of more than 20 million US dollars by 2010.

10TACLE STUDIOS AG CEO Michele Pes explains: "With the release of "Ready 2 Rumble" 10TACLE STUDIOS AG is focusing on one of the major game brands in the market. The family-friendly, humorous realisation of the boxing sport is unique and an ideal supplement to our product portfolio."

"We are very pleased to have experienced development partners like AKI Corporation and the producing team of Stereo Mode on board for the realisation of this project. At the same time, this project underlines the strategic position of 10TACLE STUDIOS Pte Ltd. in the Asian games market as a full-service provider for development, production, funding and distribution," adds Aroon Tan, CEO of 10TACLE STUDIOS Pte. Ltd.

For many years, Michael Buffer, the most famous boxing ring announcer in history, has opened the biggest international boxing events with the phrase "Let's Get Ready to Rumble ". Moreover, "Ready 2 Rumble" stands now for one of the most popular brands in boxing games. In this game, caricatures of numerous celebrities take it to the ring, where they have to prove their fighting spirit in battles of epically hilarious proportions. Excellent animation, action-packed moves and ironic commentary have already made the predecessors top-sellers and provided enduring gaming fun.

Another candidate for the useless peripheral hall of fame, the Wii Boxing Gloves actually transcend my usual criteria of being only useful in one game by being useful in only one fraction of one game. Created with Wii Sports in mind, the fingerless padded gloves feature sleeves on the top that you actually tuck the wiimote and nunchuck into, offering all the functionality of simply duct taping the controllers to your hands with none of the messy skin irritation.

If these were fully padded regulation boxing gloves I could see the need for them, as my girlfriend tends to get hyper-aggressive during a round of Wii Sports Boxing, but since the fingers are exposed she would retain full use of her knuckles and nails, leaving me short $22 on top of being beaten to a bloody, shredded pulp. Michael Fahey

Wii Boxing Glove for Wii Sports gives that Powerglove feeling [Videogamesblogger.com]

By all accounts it sounds like Boll got himself an early Christmas present, and this account in no way changes that. Boll basically got a chance to beat the crap out of people he hates.

I am all alone, in a ring, across from an undefeated amateur boxer from Germany of all places, in Vancouver of all places, about to get punched in the head, of all places, hard and repeatedly. By the end of the first round I couldn't feel my own legs. I could hardly breathe. The guy who was supposed to be my corner man, no joke, got so drunk before the match he passed out and had to be taken home by his 60 year-old father. My "trainer" gave me no advice other than keep moving, keep breathing, and keep your hands up. It was like his first time or something, but apparently he wasn't too worried. Um... hello. The crowd is totally behind Uwe, half because they know him personally and half because they just want to see some blood and a potential serious injury and or tragedy.

I'm not nearly stupid enough to think I could survive, let alone beat, Boll in a boxing match. But if the angry German ever wants to do some fencing, I'm his man. I will hand him his ass, he can even name the weapon. Brian Crecente

MiraJeff is conflicted about ROCKY BALBOA and spills all about his match with Uwe Boll [AICN, via 1Up]

And here's the video of Uwe Boll beating up Richard 'Lowtax' Kyanka. Lowtax should have just used his 'wit' and started making Jeff K. jokes, which — judging from Something Awful's forum community — has the direct effect on the brain of a massive, debilitating concussion. Uwe would have been down for the count by the first hysterical "Number One instead of an Exclamation Point" joke.

To be fair to Lowtax, though: Uwe is a complete cunt. He told everyone that it was this fun PR stunt, then almost put one guy in the hospital. He refused to fight someone with boxing training. He promised training to all the fighters, who never got it. He changed his mind moments before the fight and claimed he was going to try to win by 'knockout'. Check out Lowtax's comments on the fight after the jump. Florian Eckhardt

Okay I am done drinking, and I'd like to post some more info before I forget it:

1) There was an actual real critic who sparred with Uwe Boll a few nights ago, who was a real amateur boxer. Uwe refused to fight the guy in the ring; obviously he only wanted people with no boxing experience.

Anyway, when Uwe was sparring with the dude, the critic / amateur had to quit sparring because Uwe "was taking it too seriously" and really trying to beat the shit out of the guy. So he just said fuck it and left.

2) Apparently when we were in another room, Uwe declared he was going to beat the crap out of all of us and try to "win by knockout." You know, like kinda the OPPOSITE of "this is all a PR stunt we will have fun my movies don't suck" that he was saying before.

3) Like I mentioned before, Uwe said we would get training, boxing equipment, and lessons beforehand. None of us received any of this, which didn't quite worry us at the time since he kept saying it was just a PR stunt and he wasn't really going to box for real for serious blah blah blah. NEVER trust a German. Three of the guys didn't even have cups to protect their balls; the only reason I had a cup was because my wife bought me one.

4) The dude after me was throwing up and had an EMT by his side for about an hour. He eventually had to have an oxygen mask on. The dude after him was all bloodied up and looked like crap. They too made the mistake of believing Uwe Boll when he said it was just a PR thing, since neither really trained.

Regardless, I don't regret anything and think it was a real learning experience. For example, I learned Uwe Boll is a lying dickhead who makes shitbag films, and he deserves all the shit he gets from folks on the Internet. I'll write an update about all this when I get back, but I'm trying to put the most major things here so I do not forget them.

OH and the high point of the day was when I met DAVID FUCKING CROSS and hugged him and gave him a "Doom House" DVD. That was fucking awesome and made the whole Uwe Boll fiasco worth it.

And another four of Uwe Boll's critics explode in a supernova of cottage-cheese lflab, including Rich 'Lowtax' Kyanka of Something Awful, whom — the BBC reports — "was punched so hard his whole family died."

Depressing. But not surprising that a trained boxer could beat the ever loving crap out of a gangly group of atrophied dorks. Perhaps the better contest would have been to see who could direct the best video game movie. Somehow, despite the fact that Uwe is as 'trained' a director as a boxer, I imagine that any one of these sunken-chest amateurs could have outclassed House of the Dead, even while limited to an Ed Wood like budget.

You know what, Uwe? I, Florian Eckhardt, challenge you to a fight. Any time, any place. But it's not going to be one of your little sissy matches. It's Dublin street rules, baby. If you're not familiar with them, the fight starts with me swinging a drained pint glass as hard as I can into the side of your face. It ends with me pushing my thumbs through your eyes until I get squidges of brain underneath my fingernails. Although I suspect in your case, upon puncturing your retinas, I'd find my thumbs twiddling in a not-too-surprising vacuum concavity of skull. Florian Eckhardt

Film-maker knocks out his critics [BBC]

Awhile back, infamous games-to-movie director Uwe Boll challenged his mouthy critics to a boxing match. What they didn't know is that he was semi-pro boxer.

Well reader Fidel sends word that the first Boll boxing match ended as expected, with Boll making a fool out of his critic. Not only did he land some nice blows, the other guy was literally tripping all over himself to get away. Once he even turned his back on the boxer/director to try and stop the abuse.

The moral of the story: One's ability to make movies has nothing to do with one's ability to pummel a person into a bloody pulp.

Now if he had challenged all-comers to a bout of fencing I'd be all over that. Brian Crecente

Well, Uwe Boll has finally narrowed down the list of pasty, sunken-chested Internet writers who will try (and hopefully succeed) to beat him into a small puddle of incompetent cinematiste goo. The contenders?

• Carlos Palencia Jim nez-Arg ello from Madrid, Spain. Webmaster of www.cinecutre.com
• Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka from Lee's Summit, Missouri, Webmaster/CEO for Something Awful
• Jeff Sneider from Los Angeles, California, Journalist for Ain't It Cool News
• Chris Alexander from Toronto, Ontario, Journalist/Radio Announcer for Rue Morgue
• Nelson Chance Minter from Fredrick, Maryland, Website Critic.

In other words, Richard Kyanka (previously known) and a bunch of no names. I find myself curiously torn about who I will root for in the Kyanka vs. Boll fight. On one hand, there's Boll, who has unleashed one long celluloid tapeworm from Hollywood's spurting sphincter on the unsuspecting public. On the other hand, Richard Kyanka pretty much popularized the entire typing in capital letters/"so ugly my eyeballs exploded!" style of Internet humor. Maybe they'll both punch each other in the junk simultaneously while I shriek in girlish glee. Florian Eckhardt

Edit: Crecente seems to think it's important to mention that Boll used to be a semi-pro boxer nicknamed 'The Tiger'. Consider it done.

Uwe Boll to Literally Fight His Critics [Golden Palace]

The kids at IGN got a scoop from the team at EA Chicago who dropped details on Fight Night Round 3 for PS3:

What makes it so powerful and exciting is that the experience changes as the boxer's health deteriorates. We've captured the sensation and feel of taking punches by implementing a number of different effects such as ear ringing, simulated loss of hearing, and restricted vision that mimics the effects of eye swelling and damage as well as flashes of bright light, color shifts and blur to give players that sense and feeling of getting punched.

Amazing. I've been punched before and this all sounds very familiar. IGN has tons of pics from the PS3 version, which is looking hot. $600 hot? That's up to you! Michael McWhertor

Fight Night Round 3: The PS3 Interview

This one's for Fruit Brute. No, you don't need to say more. And neither do I. Florian Eckhardt

But Lewis seems to have realized that there are more cerebral ways to pulverize your opponent — he's decided to accept open chess challenges through King.com, aiming to prove that he's more than a beautiful yet still pretty fucking terrifying body. Better yet? Anyone who beats Lewis gets $1000.

I don't mean to impugn the chess talents of a man who is punched upside the head for a living, especially since he could kill me, but does anyone else think this is a bit fishy? $1000 bucks isn't chump change... it adds up. Lennox Lewis would have to be pretty excellent to compete with some of the guys who regularly play chess online. We smell a fix somehow. - Florian Eckhardt

(Edit: Here's a description of a game a journalist played against Lewis. He's described as "not bad" by a former challenger of Kasparov, which the journalist assures us is high praise.)

Knock Out Lennox Lewis - In Video Game Chess? [GameSetWatch]