Kotaku: orcs & elves

Orcs & Elves DS Boasts Free Stylus, For A Limited Time

Mark Wilson — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 15:00:30 MDT

I was little excited over Orcs & Elves, if only because I watched McWhertor guiltily enjoy the game for an extended period of time at EA's press area while empty, mirage-like Rock Band boxes called my name in the background. Now I'm excited about Orcs & Elves on the DS because early buyers will get a Limited Edition version that includes a free, Nintendo-approved stylus. My cynical side realizes that you really should get something free for playing cellphone games that have been ported to your DS, but that side of me would never have played this game if it didn't leave the cellphone.

Orcs & Elves Freebie [via digitalbattle]

Orcs and Elves Screens

Brian Crecente — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:00:59 MDT

Electronic Arts just sent over new screens for their upcoming DS role-playing game Orcs & Elves. The id Software game was developed by Fountainhead Entertainment based on the uber popular cell phone game. While it looks like it has some potential, it didn't exactly float my boat at Leipzig when I tried it. Hit the jump for the fact sheet.

Orcs & Elves

Product Description
Enter an ancient and magical world where good and evil collide in an epic adventure with Orcs & Elves™ for Nintendo DS™.

The award-winning fantasy RPG mobile game, created by id™ Software and developed by Fountainhead Entertainment comes to the Nintendo DS, with more levels, weapons and fierce foes.

Orcs & Elves offers a breathtaking dungeon-crawling experience for any fantasy RPG gamer, featuring an Award-winning storyline spanning twelve sprawling levels within an ancient Dwarven kingdom.

As a young half-elf, a player will explore the ancient mountain-citadel of Zharrharag, a massive Dwarven fortress riddled with ancient treasure, powerful weapons, and waves of ruthless enemies.

Gamers can use the DS touch screen to solve devious puzzles, overcome deadly traps and unleash magical powers with an arsenal of arcane items like magic potions, enchanted rings, dragon scale armor and an enchanted wand.

Gamers will find and master thirteen mystical weapons including magical swords, deadly crossbows, and a powerful war hammer as they fight through waves of legendary beasts each with their own tactics and powers. Along the way, players will also befriend unique characters such as an ancient dragon to help them fight their way into the deepest reaches of the mountain fortress on a quest to expel the ultimate evil from the mountain's core.

Key Features
• Explore a Dungeon Teeming with Adventure: Travel through a Dwarven citadel's twelve massive levels, each riddled with evil forces and ancient treasure.

• Put your Best RPG Strategies to the Test: Solve devious puzzles, overcome deadly traps, and battle massive forces of foul beasts.

• Master Unique Weapons and Items: Wield extraordinary weapons including a sentient wand, a powerful warhammer, and magic swords. Use the DS Touch Screen to cast spells and make use of magic potions, enchanted rings, and dragonscale armor.

• Unravel an Award-Winning Storyline: With over ten hours of handheld gaming, escape to a place of adventure, mystery, and sorcery with Orcs & Elves, the new first-person adventure from id Software and Fountainhead Entertainment.

• New For the DS: A 3D game engine, new creatures, three new levels, new potions, and four new spells will thrill even the most seasoned adventurer, giving them reason to journey back into Zharrharag.

Product Specifications
Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.
Developer: Fountainhead Entertainment
Ship Date: November 13, 2007
Category: Role-Playing Game

Orcs & Elves II Hits Mobile this Holiday

Brian Crecente — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 18:40:30 MDT

At the end of the QuakeCon keynote Todd Hollenshead had Katherine Anna Kang, founder of Fountainhead Entertainment, take to the stage to show off a bit of Orcs & Elves for the DS.

After a bit of play, she announced that Orcs & Elves II will be hitting mobiles this holiday.

id Bringing Orcs, Elves To DS With Orcs & Elves

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 14:20:47 MDT

id Software and EA Mobile announced today that they're bringing the id created first-person RPG Orcs & Elves to the Nintendo DS as well as bringing a sequel to the original O&E back to mobile phones. The games are currently in development at indie studio Fountainhead Entertainment and will ship before holidays 2007. It's all a bit dry isn't it? Still, it shows that id Software is committed to the two portable platforms in addition to pushing the boundaries of top tier gaming hardware. Plus, more DS role-playing games are a good thing, not bad. Full press release after the jump.

EA ANNOUNCES ID SOFTWARE'S AWARD-WINNING ORCS & ELVES SERIES TO CONTINUE ON NINTENDO DS AND MOBILE

LOS ANGELES - July 11, 2007 - Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the upcoming release of the award-winning* title Orcs & Elves® to the Nintendo DS™ and the second installment in the action-fantasy saga, Orcs & Elves II, coming to mobile. Orcs & Elves and Orcs & Elves II are first-person fantasy role playing games created by id™ Software and developed exclusively for EA by Fountainhead Entertainment. Orcs & Elves marks one of the first games developed specifically for the mobile platform that has crossed over to another game-specific device.

The Orcs & Elves franchise has been lauded for marrying the storytelling and visuals of the fantasy RPG genre with the accessibility of the mobile format, which has appealed to casual and hardcore gamers alike. The game won numerous awards including IGN's Best of E3 2006 and Mobile Game of the Year at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

"Orcs & Elves was a perfect fit for the DS," said John Carmack, founder and technical director at id Software, "We were able to take excellent advantage of the 3D hardware and unique user input capabilities, and expand the game to include a lot of wonderful features that we just couldn't fit on the cell phones. Orcs & Elves II is a polished gem of a game for the mobile platforms, opening up new parts of the world to explore, while carrying forward and improving all the elements that were loved about the original game."

"Orcs & Elves changed a lot of people's perceptions by showing that you could build an easily accessible, story-rich RPG for today's mobile phones," said Travis Boatman, vice president of worldwide studios for EA Mobile™.

id Software has crafted an entirely new version of Orcs & Elves that utilizes the Nintendo DS unique technology platform. Orcs & Elves will feature higher graphical fidelity, more levels, items and monsters as players explore a massive Dwarven kingdom riddled with ancient treasures and fierce enemies. The game features hybrid gameplay, combining the best of first-person action and fast-paced tactical RPG gameplay.

"With the franchise expanding to the popular DS platform, we're reaching a real milestone in handheld gaming," said David DeMartini, vice president and global GM of EA Partners

Orcs & Elves II for mobile continues the epic story from the original game and expands the Orcs & Elves universe. In Orcs & Elves II, evil begins to spread throughout the lands after the fall of King Brahm at Mount Zharrkarag. As a novice thief who has stolen the legendary wand Ellon, players must travel through towns and forests while trying to convince the Wand to be helpful. With a new mouse companion, Ellon's help, and a lot of luck, Valin must return to his under siege town before it's too late. Players will encounter new creatures, allies and villains as they explore seven huge interactive environments including towns, collapsing caverns and haunted forests.

Orcs & Elves II for mobile and Orcs & Elves for the Nintendo DS is scheduled to be available for the upcoming holiday season.

*Orcs & Elves won 'Best RPG - Wireless Best of E3 2006 Award' - IGN; 'Best Mobile Game' at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention and 'Mobile Game of the Year' at the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards in Las Vegas in February 2007.