SOE said new gameplay will be introduced to build on the old system and allow for more strategies and combos in the online card-based strategy title. It adds 250 new cards, new loot and promo cards, and a new island guardian, Chel'Drak the dragon turtle (is it a dragon or a turtle? Seriously, man).

According to SOE, LoN players have thrown down over a million matches since the title launched nine months ago. Oathbreaker's to be the last release before the August tournament at Gen Con Indy - wannabe competitors must qualify by July 12-13. Why not try, if you're into it? There's $100,000 at stake!

Full details after the jump.

WITH MORE THAN ONE MILLION LEGENDS OF NORRATH™ MATCHES PLAYED TO DATE,

EVERQUEST® FRANCHISE ONLINE STRATEGY GAME INTRODUCES OATHBREAKER TO THE VIRTUAL PLAYMAT

Release Precedes $100K World Championship Event at Gen Con Indy 2008

DENVER, COLO. – June 19, 2008 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC announced the release of Oathbreaker, the fourth set of the EverQuest® franchise online strategy game, Legends of Norrath™. Oathbreaker continues to draw upon the influence of SOE’s groundbreaking EverQuest® franchise, adding fun and familiar elements, including items and characters beautifully illustrated with high-fantasy flair. Oathbreaker will enthrall players with a tale of corruption from within, and redemption that comes at a terrible cost, providing an unprecedented level of drama in the ongoing saga. While Oathbreaker brings the story of your Oathbound hero to a dramatic finale, new gameplay builds on existing functionality and allows for even more creative strategies to emerge.

"In just over nine months since launch, Legends of Norrath has had more than one million matches,” said Scott Martins, director of development, SOE Denver. “And, with the introduction of Oathbreaker, many more matches are on the horizon. There are more ways than ever to enhance your strategies, explore different decks and try out new combos. We're eager to introduce the new raid and open up cooperative play. And, with the Monthly Sprint Tournaments that started in early June, there are more opportunities for players to climb the rankings and earn special promo cards and free loot.”

Not only does Oathbreaker complete the story arc which originated with LoN’s first set, Oathbound – it’s also the last LoN release before the World Championship event at Gen Con Indy, August 14-17, where up to 32 finalists are slated to compete for up to $100,000 in cash prizes. July 12-13 marks the last opportunity to compete in a monthly online Championship Qualifier tournament before the World Championship event. At Gen Con, two days of qualification heats, open to all Gen Con attendees 18 and older, will take place before the final championship day.

Developed at SOE’s Denver studio, Legends of Norrath is the only online strategy game based on and playable from SOE’s popular EverQuest® and EverQuest® II MMOs, as well as from a stand-alone client using a free SOE Station Account (available at www.station.com). Players can challenge opponents on their game server and across other EQ and EQII servers.

Oathbreaker’s features include:

New Cards – More than 250 new cards for your online arsenal! Collect all 210 base set cards, four starter decks featuring 16 new quests and three random rares, 10 scenario rewards, fantastic new loot cards for EverQuest and EverQuest II and lots of new promotional cards.

Play For Free - SOE is providing all registered LoN users even more complimentary content and bonus features in the game client, including ten new scenarios that tell the tale of Oathbreaker and a brand new raid. Go to www.legendsofnorrath.com for complete details.

New Raid Play – In the Antechamber of Fate, up to four players can face off against the powerful island guardian Chel’Drak, the dragon turtle!

New Gameplay – “Charge” is a new keyword that provides additional bonuses to cards while players have, or get rid of, their charge tokens. Re-linkable navigation offers greater flexibility in play by allowing linked cards to be linked again to a new target.

New Faces - Delve into new avatar races (Froglok and Erudite), unit types, legends, keywords and abilities. Explore more of your favorite EverQuest and EverQuest II classes with the introduction of “unarmed” Monks, Coercers, Templars and Beastlords (with their warder pets)!

Oathbreaker cards will be available via digital download from SOE’s Station Store in both 58-card digital starter decks for $9.99 (plus any applicable taxes), and 15-card digital booster packs for $2.99 (plus any applicable taxes).

To get started, players can download the client for free, test their skills 24 hours a day against AI and real opponents, and then head over to the tournament lobby to compete. Monthly Championship Qualifier eligibility limited and subject to Official Rules. Residents of certain territories are not eligible to participate in LoN tournaments with rewards. Please see the EULA for details. For a schedule of events, rules and further details, see the Events Calendar and the Tournaments page.

The gameplay sounds a little bit real-time action and a little bit turn-based strategy, with a card combat system. Full release follows the jump.

IRVINE, Calif. - June 09, 2008

Atlus U.S.A., Inc., today announced Yggdra Union, a card-based strategy RPG for the PlayStation®Portable system (PSP). For years, strategy RPG fans have accepted repetitive, non-interactive battle sequences as the genre standard; few games have dared to break the mold. Yggdra Union blows through, shattering the mold into tiny, unrecognizable bits. One reviewer wrote of the game’s ground-breaking mechanics, “It's no easy feat to invigorate a genre that has remained fairly set in its ways for the last few generations, let alone do it with the imagination and energy present here.”* Experience a fresh mix of turn-based strategy and real-time action, constantly engaging the player and providing intense, riveting gameplay combined with tactical card-based combat.

Originally released for Game Boy Advance to warm praise, Yggdra Union is beautifully remade and loaded with enhancements, including fully remastered audio and visuals (featuring the artwork of famed character designer and manga artist Satoko Kiyuzuki), dual language voiceovers in both Japanese and English, a widescreen aspect ratio, additional difficulty settings, new unlockable content, and more… all exclusive to the PSP® system!

Yggdra Union is currently scheduled for release on September 16.

This card may seem pretty straight forward, just a picture of Vault-Tec's Vault Boy giving you a happy thumbs-up and a wink. But I can't help but start thinking about a Fallout Christmas.... maybe that's snow in the background after all.

I guess it was just a matter of time before EA's uber-popular Sims franchise started expanding outside the computer and game screens. But EA wouldn't be satisfied with stickers or action figures, oh no. They are going straight to the top by issuing a Sims credit card.

Currently on The Sims' website, you can vote for one of four designs. Not that I really want a Sims credit card or even care for The Sims in general, but in the interest of crackerjack reporting, I voted so I could see the results. Design number three seems to be the front runner with design number four making a close second.

There are no details yet on what the terms of the card will be, but the site promises "exciting rewards and offers for The Sims player community." Whatever these exciting rewards are, I hope they are tangible items and not some exclusive in-game super toilet so your Sims can pee faster. Did you ever notice how long it takes those little bastards to go to the can? Flynn De Marco

[Thanks, knukleur]

Kotakuite George1234 saw this pic over at the Gaming Age Forums of that first rumored, now confirmed Wii Sync button. It also shows the SD card slot more clearly and, if you squint, what George theorizes is a round button for the ejection of the card. Which certainly beats prying it loose with a flathead screwdriver. So there you go. Florian Eckhardt

Originally spotted in this thread [GAF]