Aether [Armor Games via IndieGames]

You want PAX press coverage, you keep an eye out for Crecente’s posts – he’s the one with the official yellow pass. You want to know what you would go through if you were here at PAX, you read my stuff. Because I am you.

Now – onto another girl-centric panel; I’ve got a theme going, in case you can’t tell. This little feminist number features advice from real girl gamers directed at guy gamers who are still stuck with crabby girlfriends that can’t understand the “no, I can’t go out tonight, I’m in the middle of a raid” excuse.

As panels go, this was one of the better ones because most of the questions were asked by the audience (and the sound quality in the room didn’t blow). It was also one of the longer panels because people really got into the topic (also a plus). So if you can’t be arsed to scroll down through this long (and paraphrased) transcription, here’s a summary:

1) Give your girl a game that’s tailored to her interests; don’t force her to play a game just because you like it.
2) Play co-op, not competitive. Some girls are unnerved by 13-year-old trash-talkers.
3) Don’t force her to identify herself as a gamer; it’s enough that she’s playing a game.
4) Spend as much time doing what she wants to do in her life as you expect her to spend time gaming with you (basic rule of relationships).
5) Don’t act like an asshole while you’re gaming – it makes games into the enemy.
6) Don’t belittle her choices of game; maybe she likes Barbie’s Horse Adventure.
7) Let her backseat game you and don’t argue with what she tells you to do; if she tells you to make Master Chief jump to his death, just do it – it’ll be fun for her and get her one step closer to trying it herself. (That’s my own personal rule.)

The panelists (from the program, so any misspellings aren’t my fault):
Christa Phillips (Xbox Live Community Manager)
Jane Pinckard (Editor-in-Chief, GameGirlAdvance)
Cori Roberts (Editor, Gameinatrix)
Shelby Wills (Producer, Pipeworks Software)
Nicole Tanner (Director of PR & Marketing, Foundation 9 Entertainment)

Introductions

Shelby: Started gaming with Oregon Trail and King’s Quest 6. Got into gaming via osmosis – mom was a CPA with a computer in the days when computers were rare.

Christa: Started with Space Invaders on Atari and King’s Quest 2.

Jane: Got started with Commodore 64, playing Load Runner and making impossible levels that can’t be beat.

Cori: Likens first gaming experience to first crush. Pitfall Harry was her first “boy”.

Nicole: Had the coolest grandma ever that bought the Atari 2600 to lure her grandchildren over.

Q: What are some of the barriers to entry for non-gamers and what can we do about them?

Christa: A big one is gamers acting like jerks when they play games. You throw the controller, act like a dick, and ignore company. The game becomes the enemy – like football.

Cori: People try to force other people to like specifically what they like. Girlfriends may not be into Halo, but they might like something else; so don’t force Halo on them and expect them to love gaming.

Jane: Starting a non-gamer with something totally unfamiliar is bad. Final Fantasy will overwhelm a noob, but if they like soccer, they can identify with FIFA Street and get into it that way.

Shelby: People don’t know that there are games out there for them. They might think Halo and GTA are the only games ever. You can’t force it. Show ‘em what’s out there, let them try it. It’s about exposure.

Q from the floor: My wife plays puzzle games with me, but she gets pissed if I beat her. And if I let her win, she acts like a dick. What should I do?

Jane: Do you need to play versus? Because there are good co-op games out there…

Cori: There are some XBLA games that are co-op.

Shelby: Try Boom Blox.

Nicole: My husband and I had a huge thing going with Puzzle Fighter. 6 hour battle to beat him – but it was rewarding. Don’t just let her win.

Q: What are ideal games for introducing noobs?

Cori: Played Nintendogs at a Laundromat and a crowd of non-gamer women gathered around her to watch. The next week, they had each bought a DS for themselves.

Shelby: A few years ago, that question was a lot harder to answer. With the Wii and the DS, Nintendo basically is the answer. We got a Wii for Christmas a couple of years ago. The kids started playing the adults gathered around, even the anti-games ones. Pretty soon, they all wanted to play Wii Sports. My dad destroyed everyone in Bowling and Boxing. My mom did the same in Brain Age and then gave it to her mother.

Jane: Licenses are actually important. Name recognition can hook people. If Barbie is the girl’s thing, get her the damn Horse Adventure even if you hate it. A lot of girls got into games because of Tomb Raider because it had a main girl in it.

Q from the floor: My girlfriend only plays Mario games. How can I get her to try something else?

Nicole: Sounds like she’s a platformer. Try Ratchet & Clank. Insomniac is really great because they’ve perfected the difficulty such that it’s not too hard or too easy.

Cori: Then you can move on to Prince of Persia.

Jane: My sister got into Ico. She got emotionally engaged in the story and it’s just such a pretty game. Plus the controls are simple.

Q from the floor: Sixty-five percent of internet casual gamers are women. Is casual internet gaming the way to get people to cross over?

Cori: You’re assuming those gamers don’t play everything else.

Nicole: A lot of that has to do with access to the games. You can go to Pogo.com and play everything for free. Price is a barrier to access. It definitely is a starting point, especially with the iPhone and stuff. But what you need to do is show them a similar game on a console (Bejeweled on XBLA). And then ease them into Puzzle Fighter, etc.

Christa: Women in particular are intimidated to make the jump to consoles. They think of the console as a guy’s thing or a kid’s thing. Show them the other features (download movies, etc.) because then it justifies them spending money on it. Once you teach them that the console isn’t the enemy, then they’ll try it out.

Q from the floor: I’m a gamer, my fiancé is a gamer, my roommate’s a gamer – his girlfriend is not. Rock Band is the one thing that she’s kind of gotten into. But she really hates that we’re into games; it’s like racism – she’s disgusted.

Jane: Some people are just “gamist.”

Shelby: She might be an EverQuest widow. Look at how much you’re playing and make sure you’re not prioritizing games over her.

Christa?: Play when she’s not home.

Guy: That feels kind of dirty.

Nicole: If she likes to go shopping, take her shopping. Spend as much time doing what she wants to do as what he wants to do – Relationship 101.

Q from the floor: My wife thinks of herself as a non-gamer. But she spends all this time playing solitaire. How do I get her to stop being a solo-gamer and get her to branch out from solitaire?

Cori: There are people that only play Halo. If she wants to play just solitaire, then let her play.

Christa: You don’t need to get her to identify herself as a gamer. If she’s happy playing solitaire, why try and force her to try something else?

Guy: I’d like to share games that I like with her. Not Gears of War, or anything, but like LittleBigPlanet or something… (Something about Catan.)

Shelby: Casual games might be the next step for her. But you can’t force it. Try a smaller step than LittleBigPlanet.

Jane: If she doesn’t like versus online, start an asynchronous game with her on FaceBook.

Guy: Can you make a Jane Austen game? Because then she’d be all about it.

Jane: I’m working on it.

Q from the floor (and it’s a girl!): I am a girlfriend who games and my fiancé got me into it because he bought me my own console. I think it’s great to give a girl baby step, but don’t underestimate them. I got straight into FPS games. Going online is extremely intimidating. Especially when you’ve got strangers yelling at you all the time. What advice would you give to anyone who wants to go online and fight the intimidation?

Christa: Join GamerChicks. If your girlfriend/wife is afraid of jumping online thanks to 13-year-old assholes, train with her, go into games with her. Hook her up with other girl gamers so her sisters can help her if she’s getting abused online.

Nicole: There are some great online MMOs based around casual gaming like Puzzle Pirates. Everyone is super-nice on there and you don’t get trash-talking.

Shelby: It’s true, not everyone starts with the casual games. There’s some huge percentage of women gamers on World of Warcraft, so you never know which game will do it for a girl.

Q from the floor: My wife plays games, but doesn’t call herself a gamer. Is there still a stigma amongst women to identify?

Cori: Definitely. Some of the looks I get when I say I’m a gamer…

Guy: How can we get rid of it?

All: Time.

Nicole: For the longest time, it was just kids in basements that played games. It’s not necessary to adopt the gamer label – playing the game is what counts, not identifying as a gamer.

Cori: Send her to GamerChicks. I have friends that guilt me for playing, but I stand up for myself and if she can learn to do that, it’ll make her feel less ashamed.

Christa: Bring her to PAX next year.

Success Story from the floor: I bought Champions of Norrath and had to get three more controllers because all my racing gamer friends wanted to get into it. I wound up making different characters for different games and it was like I was cheating on one of them if I played with someone else (“I thought we were playing my game!”)

Jane: Yeah, it’s the co-op games that really attract people. Playing as a group is really healthy.

Christa: Give non-gamers an excuse to play. Like gaming for charity – “I’m curing breast cancer!” A lot of girls are looking for an excuse to game, but they don’t want to be bad at it and they don’t want to get made fun of.

Cori: Get girls to talk to each other about gaming.

Q from the floor: My girlfriend games, but isn’t really into it. And she’s not here because she’s out of the country… but she said only nerds would go to PAX anyway. How can I get her to come to PAX next year?

Shelby Jane?: Tell her to come check out the “freak show.” You’ve got pictures to back it up. Tell her “you’ve got to see some of this stuff.” And everybody likes free stuff…

Q from the floor: My fiancé is really trying hard to get into gaming. She came with me to PAX (waves at her), but she has a problem with the controls. And she’s an action-oriented martial artist, so she wants to do something like that, but gets frustrated. What can I do?

Cori: Do you have a Wii? Get Red Steel.

Jane: She’s totally not alone. The Wii control scheme is what people want because it’s simple to play.

Cori: Just cut people. That’s what I did.

Shelby: There are a lot of games that don’t use all the buttons – look for those.

Christa: Practice by yourself and get used to the controls. Eventually you’ll get the hang of it.

Q from the floor: What are your opinions on games focused towards girls? Like misogynist games like Fat Princess or demeaning games like Bratz?

Cori: I look around and I see little girls playing on their pink DS lites – I hate pink. And I look at their mothers and they are not gamers, so I realize they won’t buy their little girl something that doesn’t look girl-appropriate. I’m not opposed to the girly stuff because who knows what that girl will grow up to play?

Nicole: Making games just for girls is not the answer. Make games for everybody. The Sims wasn’t made for women, but it appealed to them. A company that aims specifically at women is going to fail.

Christa: Actually, Fashion Barbie games totally sell. I’m going to buy the Tinkerbell game for my pink DS (me too, me too!). Sexism is rampant, but games aren’t the cause – they’re a symptom. So bring on the sexist games, I’ll play Imagine Figure Skating.

Shelby: A lot of games are great and parents need to go out there and find them instead of assuming all of them are either Barbie, or violent.

Q from the floor: Cute games sometimes turn out competitive and that can be a barrier (i.e. Bomberman). Is that a gender issue?

Jane: No. Some of those games have co-op modes because people like co-op modes. People get sick of getting shot at, so it’s not a girl thing. It’s a comfort level thing. I suck at Bomberman – but I can be comfortable with it.

Comment from the floor: I’ve seen girlfriends convert just because they play with other girls who game.

Q from the floor: My mom had breast cancer and suffered nerve damage, but she kicked my ass at Boom Blox. These games are based on other games (like hunting or bowling). Do you think that more intuitive controls are helping people get into it or the game behind the game?

Cori: It’s the intuitive controls. The Wiimote looks like a TV remote, so she’ll pick it up and play.

Christa: I think it’s about content. Viva Piñata won my mother over because it’s about caretaking and that’s what moms do. She gets it, so she plays it.

Q from the floor (and it’s another girl!): There’s trouble with trying to get back into a game after hiatus. The stigma of sucking at something is so bad – it’s focused on my gender. I suck because I’m a girl, not because I suck, is what they think. It makes me want to pretend to be a guy just to get away from it. How do you deal with that?

Cori: I just talk trash whether I’m losing or not. Try to enjoy the game until you re-learn how to play.

Jane: Join GamerChicks.

Q from the floor: I’ve got two little girl gamers. My wife will watch us play and get really into cheering – but we can’t get her to game with us. She gets so excited she can’t press buttons. And she feels so guilty when she plays a game for herself. What can I do for her?

Christa: Get her a DS and Animal Crossing. So she can put it in her purse and play it on the go and there’s no guilt because you don’t have to do anything and you can put it down whenever.

Cori: My grandmother watches me play Resident Evil 4. She’ll get popcorn and she’ll watch it like it’s a horror movie.

Jane: It’s inherently fun to watch someone play. So it’s okay for her just to watch.

Q from the floor: I almost made my girlfriend a WoW widow and even though I recovered, I can’t get my girlfriend to give games a second chance.

Shelby: Game by example. Show her it’s okay and that you can game and be healthy.

Christa: Ask her to help you spot snipers. Chicks like flattery. If she feels like she’s helping (calling her “a lucky charm” when you score a headshot), you’re making it a positive experience.

Jane: I’m really bad with directions. I make my boyfriend navigate for me in GTA. Have you tried less hardcore games?

Guy: I’m really into RTS games, and she tried it out (Age of Empires), but she’s worried about it getting too complicated.

Jane: Try the DS version. It’s lighter on the strategy and it’s turn-based.

Q from the floor: Are games where you create stuff more effective for hooking your girlfriend on games?

Christa: There’s something to that. My daughter spent days designing a skate track she never used.

Jane: Spending two hours on building an avatar that looks like you… there’s something to that.

Q from the floor: My girlfriend is interested in the idea of games – she used to play Tetris like seven hours a day, but she’s never moved on. She avoids competition and online socialization of any kind. Any suggestions for her?

Shelby: Bejeweled? She might like that and Puzzle Quest.

Jane: Zuma.

Shelby: She can avoid online components in most games, so make that clear to her.

Nicole: There are so many “the shit keeps falling” games (her husband’s term for puzzle games), but each adds a different element so that they’re all similar to Tetris, but very different.

Guy: She’s also scared of the controller being so big…

Nicole: I have tiny hands and I can handle it. The fear comes from being unfamiliar.

Christa: A lot of these games don’t use all the buttons.

Shelby: And you can get them on the DS or something.

Christa: There are also games that are super easy. Try something more trivia oriented like Wits & Wagers or Buzz!

Success story from the floor (yet another girl): My friend was totally against games, but she saw me play Halo and Fable and liked both of them. But the controls scared her. I got her Fable on the PC and now she won’t stop gaming.

Story of some kind from the floor: I have a friend, let’s call him “Bort.” Bort has a girlfriend from out of town… I used to hang out with him a lot. But now when Bort’s girlfriend is in town, I go to his house to play games with her. She kicks my ass… Uh. I have a girlfriend, too.

*Awkward silence*

Admonishment from the floor (last girl in the line): For other girl gamers, be supportive to each other. And to the non-gamers, give games a chance!

Q from the floor: I go to a school where people are too snotty and smart to play games. I’ve won a few over with Guitar Hero, but I’d like to share artsy games with them. Any ideas?

Jane: Braid.

Shelby: Yeah, people eat up the existentialism. Smart people feel good playing that game.

Jane: And it deconstructs gaming – you could have deep discussions about it.

Last question: My girlfriend plays a couple games and is into music. She won’t really play anything besides Rock Band. I’d like to get her into core gaming so I can have more fun with her. Any suggestions?

Jane: You do other things besides playing games, right? You should respect her interests as much as she respects yours…

Guy: She doesn’t really do a whole lot… besides watching TV. She doesn’t play very many video games. (Jeez, it sounds like he doesn’t like his girlfriend very much…)

Cori: Look for a game that’s a little bit more immersive. So you can talk about it the way you talk about TV shows.

Christa: Go for something with a strong storyline. Break down the games and the barrier is gone.

Hexiom Connect [Kongregate via IndieGames]

MTV Multiplayer got some surprising info on one of the key titles, the Lindsay Lohan vehicle Mean Girls. It looks to be a shameless Puzzle Quest clone — not such a bad thing — but trades jewel matching for shoes, lipstick and, err, jewel matching.

Further solidifying the fantasy to high school setting change is the swapping out of spells and incantations for "rumors, pranks and putdowns." We should work on our own, Kotaku branded Puzzle Quest rip. There's obviously money it.

‘Mean Girls’ Game Plays Like ‘Puzzle Quest’ In A High School, Stars Lindsay Lohan [MTV Multiplayer]

Despite my fondness for the adventure games of yore, it appears the days of puzzles in narrative games have come and gone. Puzzles - especially the serial unlocking variety found in the old LucasArts games - seem to have become a relic of a bygone era. Where they once provided a necessary ludic element to a clever and often complex narrative - designed to add challenge and force the player to earn his progress through the story - few modern players have the patience for such challenges anymore ....

Combat has replaced puzzles as the progress-impeding mechanic du jour for modern gamers, and fast-paced action, quick reflexes, and gamepad dexterity are the premium skills. To be sure, games like SOCOM and Call of Duty also require strategic thinking, and online multiplayer often requires fine tactical thinking and cooperation. But puzzles - the kind you study for awhile, scratch your head about, and maybe even mull over in your sleep - have largely disappeared from narrative games.

Is there a place for puzzles of the old school stripe in current games? Abbott suggests considering the purpose of such puzzles in narrative-driven games while re-thinking their implementation; it's a difficult puzzle, to be sure, but one whose dividends could pay off in future gameplay.

Puzzles are for geezers [Brainy Gamer]

Puzzle Quest Expansion Pack hits Xbox LIVE® Arcade on July 23rd

D3Publisher of Europe Ltd (D3PE), a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, has announced that expansion pack Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ - Revenge of the Plague Lord, its latest Xbox LIVE® Arcade for Xbox 360™ offering, will launch on Xbox LIVE Marketplace on July 23, 2008.

The expansion pack will be available for play as an addition to fan favorite game Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for Xbox LIVE Arcade for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and includes four new hero professions, scores of new spells to cast and items to collect, challenging new quests, monsters and bosses, and the introduction of a new archenemy. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord will be available on Xbox LIVE marketplace for 700 Microsoft Points.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord will offer fans hours of additional gameplay with four brand new Hero Professions: Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock. Players will adventure with new or existing Heroes to explore an expansive new area on the Southern Map containing more than 25 challenging quests, cast more than 50 new spells and collect more than 40 new magical items as they’re immersed into the compelling story of Antharg, the Lord of Plague and brother to the infamous Lord Bane. New monsters, bosses and more will challenge veteran and casual fans alike for hours of compelling entertainment. The expansion pack further increases the full Puzzle Quest experience by adding three new Achievements and raising the character Level Cap to 60. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord was initially code-named “Puzzle Quest: 1.5” to reflect its tremendous amount of content.

For more information about the story and features of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Revenge of the Plague Lord and other Puzzle Quest properties, please visit www.puzzle-quest.com.

A 'Spiritual Successor': Puzzle Quest: Galactrix:

The most obvious changes in this semi-followup to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords are the space theme and the new circular game space, which allows for some interesting mechanics that are a slight-but-satisfying shift from the typical match three rules of play. As is obvious from screenshots, Galactrix has a galactic setting, with spaceships, stars, and planets. In this incarnation, players can have up to three ships with various capabilities and stats, so they can swap up play styles easily throughout the game.

I found the new layout of the play area, now in a circle shape, interesting — instead of falling down in a straight line, game pieces can slide in from all sides. The direction from which they slide depends on how you play your line of three (or however many) — while casual players probably won't notice this feature, it does add an extra bit of strategy. The game is due out in the first quarter of '09, for PC, XBLA, and DS.

Aliens for the Kiddies: Ben 10: Alien Force

Ben 10: Alien Force is a Cartoon Network property that features a kid (the titular Ben) who, while on summer vacation, comes to possess a watch known as the Omnitrix. The Omnitrix allows Ben to transform into a variety of alien forms in order to battle evil and save the world. A game based on the series (Ben 10: Protector of Earth) was released last year, and Ben 10: Alien Force is seeking to follow up on the apparent success of that game.

The game is an 3D action-brawler; it features 5 playable characters. While only Ben can transform into aliens, these aliens are selectable and each have unique qualities. The Wii and PS2 versions will feature a multiplayer coop mode; the DS version more strongly resembles a side scroller, but does feature three exclusive aliens. The game also features puzzles, though it was mentioned that it is not a puzzle heavy game — the focus is supposed to be on accessible, fun gameplay, estimated at 6 to 11 hours if one is breezing through and not focusing on collecting all the unlockables.

The game will see an October 28th release, launching simultaneously on the DS, PSP, Wii, and PS2. Yuri Lowenthal, the voice actor for Ben in both the cartoon and the game, wandered over to offer some thoughts on the challenges of recording for games — namely, most sessions are done alone, sometimes with very little context for what is going on beyond the actual lines.

My, That's Some Rack You Have: Onechanbara

Despite the enthusiasm of the person demonstrating this Wii game from Sandlot, which was compared to Earth Defense Force, I came away pretty unimpressed regarding this hack and slash — and I do love me some ridiculous hack and slash games every once and a while. 'It's like playing a cult-following B horror movie!' cried the demonstrator as he hacked and slashed his way through hordes of zombies with the Wiimote. It certainly had enough ridiculous costuming, jiggling cleavage, and blood to qualify.

The game features two sisters, Aya and Saki; players can choose to play as either and also engage in coop modes. Perhaps the most 'interesting' feature is the 'blood coating everything including your character' aspect of the game — if your sword gets covered it blood, it becomes dull and starts getting stuck in your zombie enemies. You must clean the sword off to return your weapon to its slashing glory. Furthermore, your character can become completely coated and go into a special rage mode, doing tons of damage ('The developers really like this because she looks naked!').

The game only has a Wii release planned in first quarter of 2009; it will be a 'budget title' and clock in for less than $59.99, actual price not yet decided.

Classical Shmup: Bangai-O Spirits

A follow up to Bangai-O, a side scrolling shmup released for the Dreamcast and N64, Bangai-O Spirits is a pretty retro looking game that features some playful technology. Featuring over 160 levels with an old school arcade feel, most of the presentation focused on the level editing and sharing capabilities.

Every level can be customized as you play to tailor your play experience, and for those among us who like creating things, levels can be created and shared. The interesting part is the delivery method, known as 'sound load.' It was a little hard to hear in the D3 room, but as a level was saved, it was possible to hear a sort of melody. This melody — the level save — can be uploaded or saved to computer as a .wav file. To transfer a saved level to the DS, one plays back the .wav while using the DS microphone. I didn't get an exact explanation of precisely how all this works, and it does seem ripe for mistranslation somewhere, but it's a cool idea nonetheless.

The North American release features some exclusive content, including eight all new levels and can support one to four player local wifi play. It will be released August 12th, and will be going for $29.99.

Baa, Baa Black Sheep: Shaun the Sheep

OK, I love sheep. I think real sheep are pretty cute, if kind of stupid, and really like the variety that don't barge through fences (i.e., trapped in a video game). Shaun the Sheep is an animated series from the Wallace and Grommet people, Aardman Studios — shown on Disney in the US, it's now getting a darling DS title to go with its adorable show. These are really, really cute sheep, and I had to stop myself from squeeing when the DS was fired up to demonstrate the game.

Shaun is a preternaturally intelligent sheep who is tasked with finding fifteen of his less cerebrally endowed herdmates in the game; the puzzle/adventure title is, unsurprisingly, being marketed as family friendly and fun for kids. Shaun features lots of mini and micro games and lots of cute sheep. The nature of gameplay is designed for kids, but also won't bore the pants off adults, especially those who are fans of Aardman productions.

The game will be released for DS on September 23rd and will retail for $29.99 — and feature lots and lots of cute and fuzzy sheep. Lots of sheep.

Galactrix, Puzzle Quest's sci-fi spin-off, looks to be a pretty impressive step-up from the original Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlods that took everyone, including the developers, by surprise.

This time around the puzzle game will have a full storyline penned by a professional writer, rather than something dreamed up by the development staff. The game opens after a scientific accident provokes an alien race to try and exterminate humanity. As with Challenge of the Warlords, players create a character who gains skills, craft items, and in this case, upgrades their space fleet and deals with political factions.

The new hexagonal puzzle board now drops uses gravity, based on a player's location in the universe, to determine how to drop pieces as others are cleared. The game will also include a set of new mini-games that has you hacking jumpgates, negotiating with other factions, trading commodities and collection blueprints.

My very short time with the game gave me a glimpse of the new game board and, as with Trism, the new gravity-specific gameplay adds a whole other level of complexity to the game. I'm sure I'll end up being just as addicted to Galactrix as I was to Warlords when it finally hits.

I suppose once you announce a game where a scantily clad woman gets splattered with zombie blood the rest of your line up looks a bit pale by comparison.

D3Publisher Announces Solid E3 2008 Line-up Featuring Titles Based on Top-Selling Entertainment Brands and Original Intellectual Properties

E3 Media & Business Summit 2008
LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—D3Publisher (D3P) will showcase titles for gamers of all ages at this year’s E3 Media & Business Summit, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California from July 15-17, 2008. The company’s line-up includes titles based on popular entertainment brands such as VIZ Media’s hit animated series NARUTO™, Aardman Animation’s Shaun the Sheep™, and Cartoon Network Enterprises’ Ben 10: Alien Force, as well as innovative offerings for the Nintendo DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Wii™ home video game console from Nintendo.

D3Publisher’s Game Line-Up Includes:

Onechanbara™: Bikini Zombie Slayers™ – Onechanbara is the ultimate evolution in a third-person blood-splattering hack-and-slash videogame. Players take on the role of the beautiful but deadly Aya or her little sister Saki, both of whom will need to put their legendary samurai skills to the test in order to battle legions of zombies terrorizing their city. Every person met and enemy battled gets the sisters closer to understanding who or what is behind the zombie outbreak and putting an end to it. Onechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers is anticipated for release in Q1 2009 on Wii.

NARUTO™: Clash of Ninja™ Revolution® 2 – TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher’s highly anticipated NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 offers an all-new original storyline created for the North American audience and features the largest character roster yet for the Clash of Ninja series. The latest iteration of the hit fighting game represents a huge progression from the previous game, including never-before-seen modes, improved visual presentation, and polished gameplay mechanics. The only four-player NARUTO fighting game series available, NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution 2 for the Wii home video game console is anticipated for release this fall 2008.

Puzzle Quest: Galactrix – A rich new addition to the beloved Puzzle Quest universe, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix incorporates a powerful blend of puzzle, strategy and RPG gameplay elements, into an all-new futuristic, science-fiction setting. Offering an innovative new hexagonal puzzle board for a wide range of strategic depth, a rich storyline and fresh gameplay elements, Puzzle Quest: Galactrix is a captivating new adventure to explore and conquer in Q1 2009 on Xbox LIVE® Arcade, Nintendo DS and Windows™ PC.

BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game – Based on Cartoon Network’s hit series, BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game is the only console videogame allowing players to command and experience the adventures of the ALIEN FORCE team. Gamers will help Ben take the DNA-scrambling Omnitrix out of retirement and become the hero as they transform into eight different playable characters—including cousin Gwen, enemy-turned-ally Kevin and five of Ben’s brand new alien forms to utilize their all-new super powers and defeat the intergalactic invaders! BEN 10: ALIEN FORCE The Game is a fast-paced, 3D, action adventure offering an unlimited combo system and engaging puzzles and challenges, coming to Wii, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP system and Nintendo DS this fall 2008.

NARUTO™: Path of the Ninja™ 2 – TOMY Corporation and D3Publisher’s NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2 is the latest in the popular RPG videogame series offering a completely original storyline, expanded character roster featuring 30 playable characters and improvements to the battle system that will give players more options than ever before as they make use of the newly-added Squad Leader and Ninja Tag systems. For those who want to test their mettle against fellow ninja across North America, NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2 will also provide the opportunity to earn points and special ninja cards as players prove their strength over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. NARUTO: Path of the Ninja 2 is anticipated for release on Nintendo DS this September 2008.

Bangai-O Spirits™ – Created by revered Japanese developer TREASURE, Bangai-O Spirits is a re-imagination of their hit 90s DreamCast game Bangai-O. The twitch-fest shooter gameplay includes more than 160 levels, punishing supermoves, exclusive content for the Western version, and a sensory overload of fireworks onscreen. Bangai-O Spirits boasts a powerful level editor tool, local wireless multiplayer for up to four players and the pioneering new Sound Load technology. Bangai-O Spirits blasts into retail stores August 12, 2008 exclusively for Nintendo DS.

Shaun the Sheep – The only handheld videogame based on the award-winning TV show from Aardman Animation, Shaun the Sheep allows players to assume the role of the lovable sheep, Shaun, as he tries to find the rest of the flock before the Farmer arrives home. Designed exclusively for the Nintendo DS, Shaun the Sheep will feature the fan-favorite characters, items, and locations from the popular stop-motion animated series on the Disney Channel, as well as original content for all new experiences with Shaun. Shaun the Sheep flocks to retail stores on September 23, 2008.

-18 years old (or older), with valid ID
-interested in action, puzzle, and strategy games.
-in the SF Bay Area and free July 10th, from 1-5pm.
-able to travel to the aforementioned fabulous Capcom HQ on your own.

A secret puzzle action strategy game plus prizes and maybe cookies? I could not think of a better way to spend an afternoon. Hit the link for how you can get a chance to do these secret things they wish you to do.

Bay-Area Gamers: Capcom Wants You! [Capcom Blog]

"Roogoo is a fun, family friendly puzzle game that is as addictive as it is cute," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "Not only does the game get progressively more challenging to play, but it also gets harder and harder to put down."

The PC version, which retails for $19.95 (boxes aren't free!), and features all 45 levels of the XBLA version, as well as split-screen multiplayer. Awww, remember back when we used to play multiplayer games together on the PC? We were such dorks back then.

ROOGOO NOW SHIPPING FOR PC

SouthPeak's Critically Acclaimed Xbox LIVE® Arcade Puzzle Game is Available Now Wherever PC Games are Sold

MIDLOTHIAN, VA - June 25, 2008 - SouthPeak Games today announced that its puzzle game Roogoo is now available for Windows PC. Roogoo, which was previously released on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, features 45 levels as well as two-player split screen.

"Roogoo is a fun, family friendly puzzle game that is as addictive as it is cute," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "Not only does the game get progressively more challenging to play, but it also gets harder and harder to put down."

Taking place in the fantasyland of Planet Roo, you star as one of the last Roogoo’s still uncorrupted by the evil King Goo. King Goo can think of nothing but power and uses his influence to make other Roogoos believe that greed is the way of life. He starts to steal joyful meteors from the sky and uses their powers to build bigger and more powerful cities. After a fair amount of stealing, many of the kingdom’s once cute and innocent Roogoos have turned into wicked Meemoos. It is your job to stop King Goo from collecting the remaining meteors and to turn the Meemoos back into Roogoos before it’s too late.

In order to accomplish your quest and save Planet Roo, you must guide falling meteors, in the form of different shape blocks, through rotating platforms. When matched correctly, the blocks are allowed to reach their intended destination. Each meteor you guide correctly gets you one step closer to your goal.

Roogoo is available now for $19.99 at retailers everywhere. It is rated E for Everyone.

It touches on all manner of interesting topics, such as character design challenges ("We go to the bar.") and plans for the future ("...the next version will also allow people to create and submit levels.") that Puzzle Farter fans will find rewarding. If not, maybe you'll just give the game another go or for the very first time.

Inside ‘Puzzle Farter’ [The-InBetween]

User generated content is something of a hot issue, with even universities like Stanford getting in on the game of how to make it easier and more intuitive for people to make their own stuff for games. At the recent Social Gaming Summit, a couple of industry types got together to talk about user generated content in virtual worlds, and why the model works for their games (such as Habbo Hotel or Puzzle Pirates):

"The more tools that you provide can lead to richer behavior, but often it's the simpler things that people enjoy most," began Daniel James, CEO of Three Rings. "As designing games constraints can lead you to designing better games, constrained environments can lead to more fun."

"The simplest games are the ones everybody can join in and play," expanded Ted Rheingold, founder of Dogster and Catster.

The panel also went on to discuss why we should think of 'virtual spaces' instead of 'virtual worlds' when looking at game design — design from the avatar up, not the 'world' down. Clearly this would not work for everything, but with casual MMOGs getting ever more popular, probably not a bad idea to go forward from for some developers.

Why User-Generated Content Matters For Games

Puzzle Farter [via del.icio.us]

The App Store will be part of the iPhone 2.0 firmware update that is free to iPhone users, but $10 for iTouch owners. That's right, Apple is charging for a firmware update.

Why should you care if you own an iPhone or iTouch? Spore, Trism, Galga, Pacman and maybe, just maybe Puzzle Quest. Also there are the games announced at the beginning of the conference.

Games can be downloaded by cell connection if they are less than 10 MB and via WiFi if greater than 10MB.

So far it looks like games will run for $10 a pop, though it will ultimately be up to the developers to set prices. Apple keeps 30 percent of the revenues. If the dev decides to give the game away there is no charge at all from Apple.

Stay tuned here for other gaming news coming out of WWDC today and if you're looking for a deeper, more in-depth look at the whole show make sure to catch Gizmodo's amazing live coverage of the conference.

Capcom is working to expand the breadth of our catalog to gamers of all ages in North America and Neopets is a perfect brand for us to bring to casual and family gamers,” said Germaine Gioia, senior vice president, licensing, Capcom Entertainment. “Combining Capcom’s experience, the rich world of Neopets, and Infinite Interactive’s skills in the puzzle/adventure genre makes a perfect match.”

It sounds like a terrifyingly addictive mix actually, and I personally know several combination Puzzle Quest / Neopet addicts that are probably hyperventilating as they read this. Add the fact that the games will feature unlockable codes for exclusive items on the Neopets website, various mini-fames, and 150 different petpets, and this is a game that has already sold several thousand copies. Hit the jump for the full scoop.

CAPCOM® AND NEOPETS® PARTNER TO INTRODUCE NEW MULTI-PLATFORM PUZZLE ADVENTURE GAME
Neopets® Puzzle Adventure Coming for Nintendo® Platforms and PC This Winter

SAN MATEO, Calif. and LOS ANGELES— June 3, 2008— Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, and Nickelodeon® Kids and Family Group’s Neopets®, the most engaging tween virtual world on the internet (http://www.neopets.com), announced today a partnership to develop a new multi-platform puzzle adventure game, Neopets Puzzle Adventure (working title), for the Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and PC this holiday season. Based on the deep storylines of Neopets, Neopets Puzzle Adventure is a new puzzle game being developed by Capcom and Infinite Interactive, developers of Puzzle Quest™.

“As part of Neopets’ strategy to extend the property into a multiplatform brand, we are continuously giving our audiences new ways to play on and off of the site,” said Kyra Reppen, Senior vice president and general manager, Neopets. “Our partnership with Capcom provides a new form of game play for Neopets that is relevant to the platforms our audience is using, and that complements the game play on the site.”

“Capcom is working to expand the breadth of our catalog to gamers of all ages in North America and Neopets is a perfect brand for us to bring to casual and family gamers,” said Germaine Gioia, senior vice president, licensing, Capcom Entertainment. “Combining Capcom’s experience, the rich world of Neopets, and Infinite Interactive’s skills in the puzzle/adventure genre makes a perfect match.”

Set to launch on the three systems this holiday season, Neopets Puzzle Adventure takes puzzle solving skills to new levels with a unique Neopets spin. Based on the classic board game, “Reversi”, Neopets Puzzle Adventure, is a robust and fully integrated Neopets experience as it includes 150 different quests across vast Neopian lands, a variety of the most popular customizable Neopets to choose from, and several fun mini-games to add depth and fun to the gameplay. As a bonus to Neopets fans, players will be able to earn codes throughout the game that connect back to the Neopets site by achieving certain goals throughout the DS, Wii or PC game. These unique codes will allow players to unlock exclusive items back in their virtual world on neopets.com.

Neopets Puzzle Adventure is the only multi-platform puzzle adventure console game based on the popular virtual, global community. For the Neopets fan, Neopets Puzzle Adventure is a must-have game with its intuitive “pick up and play” game play pattern and new never-before-seen areas in the Neopets universe to explore. Neopets Puzzle Adventure will incorporate several different mini-games, 150 petpets, as well as more than 300 items to equip various Neopet characters, recipes, treasures, awards and more.

The Game Factory Snatches Rubik's Cube for the Nintendo DS™ and Wii™ Systems and Secures Licensing Agreement with Seven Towns Limited

New 3D Puzzle Games Allow Players to Step 'Inside' the Iconic Rubik's Cube

SANTA MONICA, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—The Game Factory, an international publisher of family-friendly and casual videogames, today announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Seven Towns Limited to publish Rubik's World, a 3D puzzle game experience for the Nintendo Wii™ and DS™ systems, both inspired by the Rubik's Cube.

"The Rubik's Cube is one of the most well known icons in the gaming and entertainment industry," said Henrik Mathiasen, president of the Game Factory. "We're honored that Seven Towns Limited has chosen us to take the Rubik's experience to the next level with Rubik's World. We feel confident that we have created a concept for the whole family that is innovative, challenging and addictive, offering a new twist in the puzzle genre while keeping the Rubik's Cube core values alive."

"We're pleased to be working with the Game Factory to enhance the Rubik's brand with Rubik's World," said David Hedley Jones, for Seven Towns Limited, a London-based company that has introduced hundreds of successful original games and toys throughout the world in the past 35 years. "We're confident that everybody will enjoy this video game experience."

Step Inside the Cube' with Rubik's World

For those who have always wondered what the inside of a Rubik's Cube looks like, the Game Factory will deliver Rubik's World in the Fall of 2008. Designed for players aged eight and older, this otherworldly game will look and play like no other game on the market. A collection of extremely addictive, easy-to-play puzzle games will increase in difficulty as the player delves deeper into this 3D world. Each version of Rubik's World will host its own unique and original series of games. Players will test their brainpower by constructing 3D shapes and objects, navigating through mazes and even creating their own soundtracks. The DS™ version will allow players to connect to a community of Rubik's World enthusiasts through the platform's wireless connection. The Wii™ version accommodates up to four players and will feature an online message board.

If you're interested hit up the jump to read the details and email Lisa over at Mind of the Gamer.

Attention all Puzzle Quest fans in the Los Angeles Area!

D3Publisher of America would like to give you the opportunity to participate in upcoming focus testing for the next game in the Puzzle Quest franchise. If you own Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on any platform and would like a chance to participate, please e-mail lisa@mindofthegamer.com and put "Puzzle Quest Research" in the subject line. All e-mails must be received by April 18th, 2008. Participants will be considered on a first come, first served basis and will be screened for some additional criteria.

The runners-up names were Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Sorceress of Malbec and Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - The Scourge of Antharg.

Revenge of the Plague Lord will be hitting Xbox Live arcade this spring and include four new hero professions: bard, rogue, ranger and warlock, as well as a new area on teh Southern Map which includes more than 25 new quests, 50 new spells and 40 new magical items.

The expansion pack has players taking on Antharg, the Lord of Plague and brother of Lord Bane.

D3Publisher of America Reveals New Expansion Pack for Critically Acclaimed Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords on Xbox LIVE Arcade D3PA and Developer Infinite Interactive Call on Fans to Name New Addition to Puzzle Quest Universe at www.puzzle-quest.com

LOS ANGELES—(BUSINESS WIRE)—D3Publisher of America, Inc. (D3PA) today revealed a robust new expansion pack for critically acclaimed Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords™ for Xbox LIVE® Arcade. Code-named "Puzzle Quest: 1.5" internally to reflect its tremendous amount of content, the expansion pack includes four new Hero professions, scores of new spells to cast and items to collect, challenging new quests, monsters and bosses and much more including the introduction of a new archenemy, Antharg, the Lord of Plague. D3PA and Infinite Interactive ask the devoted fan base to leave their mark on the Puzzle Quest universe by submitting game title suggestions to www.puzzle-quest.com starting at noon PDT Monday, March 17 and ending at noon PDT, Friday, March 21. The winning game title and two runners-up will be announced on April 2. The soon-to-be-named expansion pack will be available for play as an addition to Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft in spring 2008.

"Infinite Interactive has delivered much more than the average expansion pack and the incredible amount of content that it will include sets a new precedent for offerings on Xbox Live Arcade," said Peter Andrew, vice president of product development, D3PA. "As much as 'Puzzle Quest 1.5' appropriately describes the new content, we look forward to having our fans name the next iteration in the Puzzle Quest universe."

The expansion pack will offer fans hours of additional gameplay with four brand new Hero professions: Bard, Rogue, Ranger and Warlock. Players will adventure with new or existing Heroes to explore an expansive new area on the Southern Map containing more than 25 challenging quests, cast more than 50 new spells and collect more than 40 new magical items as they're immersed into the compelling story of Antharg, the Lord of Plague and brother to the infamous Lord Bane. New monsters, bosses and more will challenge veteran and casual fans alike for hours of compelling entertainment.

For more information about the story and features of the "Puzzle Quest 1.5" expansion pack and naming contest rules and regulations, please visit: www.puzzle-quest.com.

Developed by Infinite Interactive Pty. Ltd., Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords artfully blends match-three puzzle gameplay with strategy, character-building elements and a persistent storyline. This unique combination of gameplay elements produces an appealing new videogame genre that entices casual and hardcore gamers alike, offering hours of fun-filled gameplay for the whole family. Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords has received numerous accolades acknowledging the excellence of the game. These include the prestigious Best Downloadable Game at the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, a Best Puzzle Game of E3 2007 Award from IGN.com, and the esteemed iParenting Media Excellent Product Award for 2007.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords and "Puzzle Quest: 1.5" are developed by Infinite Interactive Pty. Ltd. and are rated "E 10+" (Everyone 10 and older—suggestive themes) by the ESRB.

We all know the world can't get enough Puzzle Quest... well, at least I can't get enough of it. And the thought of being able to play the very touch-perfect puzzle RPG on my iPhone gives me goosebumps. So after my little hint didn't result in any immediate announcement of an iPhone Puzzle Quest or Galaxtrix, I took matters into my own hands and emailed Infinite Interactive to see what was up.

Janeen Fawkner, producer on the game was quick to respond:

Hi Brian, We would love to do a game on the iPhone, but we'll have to see what our publisher D3P has in mind... We'll suggest it to them :)

Sounds good, but I'm impatient, so I went to D3 next, asking when we could hope to see a Puzzle Quest on the iPhone and pointing out that Inifinite was gung-ho. Their spokesperson's response?

They're looking into details now and will get back to me soon.

Now, now, I want it now! I even made this handy-dandy screenshot for them. You can imagine what a pain I was to my parents when I was a kid.

Update: D3 just got back to me with this: "D3Publisher of America is exploring opportunities to bring Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords to a variety of mobile carriers."

That doesn't sound like a "Yes we're making it and you'll have it next week" to me at all. Not at all.

I wondered how they would change the jewel matching style gameplay to make this game different from its predecessor and they certainly didn't disappoint. Besides the obvious visual differences in the interface, the style of puzzling has changed as well. The round pieces have changed to hexagonal ones and extra challenge has been added by the movement of the hexagons once you have matched up your three or more. Instead of dropping straight down, your columns slide diagonally, and depending on which piece you move, the columns will fill in either from the left or the right. Gravity will have a bearing on the various movements of the pieces as well making you have to think in several directions at once.

One of the things I asked about was whether the AI was going to be improved over the seemingly punishingly difficult AI of the original Puzzle Quest. I was told that the developers had heard players issues and it was something they were working on. So hopefully this time around, our enemies from space won't have the same kind of luck that will allow them 5 minutes worth of amazing moves while we just sit and watch our health go down.

Like the original Puzzle Quest, Galactrix has an overarching storyline that ties all the puzzle battling together. In the far future, the entire galaxy is run by four mega corporations. It's not long before one of these corporations starts deadly experiments that go awry and threaten the existence of the universe. The player must puzzle battle these enemies of the universe and save us all.

There wasn't much more information given in the short demo that I saw but I could tell from what I did see that D3 definitely has another addicting hit on their hands. The changes from the original game are enough that new players will find it exciting and seasoned players will take to it immediately without feeling like they are just playing the same game over again. Puzzle Quest: Galactrix will be coming to the DS, PC and XBLA later this year, ready to fly its way into your heart and not let go.

Patapon (PSP)
Action plus rhythm plus great art style equals awesome.

Frontlines: Fuel of War (X360, PC)
Battle for control of the earth's depleted natural resources.

Lost: Via Domus (X360, PC, PS3)
Solve the mysteries of the island.

Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (X360, PC, PS3)
The Nazi's won WWII and boy are we in trouble.

Naruto: Ninja Destiny (DS)
A Naruto 3D fighter for your DS.

The Sims 2: FreeTime (PC)
Exactly what the Sims need. More free time. Bastards.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PS3)
The world of giant bugs comes to the PS3.

Destroy All Humans! Big Willy Unleashed (WII)
Aliens and penis jokes: a winning combination.

Mazes of Fate DS (DS)
Determine your fate in this RPG with mazes.

Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None (WII)
Live (or die) through Agatha Christie's greatest mystery.

ArmA: Gold Edition (PC)
ArmA: Armed Assault and ArmA: Queen's Gambit together again for the first time.

Heavenly Guardian (PS2)
Animated 2D shooter action.

Puzzle Guzzle (PSP)
Guzzle this puzzle!

Portal Brain Age 2 Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass BioShock Puzzle Quest Rock Band Super Mario Galaxy Wii Sports The Witcher WoW: Burning Crusade

And now that the industry has become so successful at creating high quality, more polished sequels, will any of these titles really be in play a decade from now?

The Future Of Videogames [Forbes via WiiWii]

SouthPeak Make It Two For LIVE Innovative, Charming Puzzle Title Coming To Xbox LIVE Arcade and PCs This Spring Tuesday 12th February/...SouthPeak Games has announced it will be releasing Roogoo for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PC this spring. Developed by Spidermonk Entertainment, Roogoo uses geometric shapes and rotating discs to craft a frenetic, exciting puzzle game framed within an imaginative storyline and a delightfully realised fantasy universe and is the second title SouthPeak have announced for Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360.

Roogoo tasks players with guiding meteors in the form of shaped blocks though a series of rotating disks as a means of saving the planet Roo and the entire Roogoo race. If aligned correctly, the disks allow the blocks to reach the ground and scores are awarded. However, it's not as easy as simply rotating the disks to form a neat tunnel. Various obstacles and enemies will impede the blocks' transit and with the flow of meteor blocks steadily increasing as the game progresses, players will have to think on their feet to save the Roogoo and rack up seriously high scores.

"Roogoo is a rare breed of puzzle game that combines compulsive play with an engaging storyline and a wonderful fantasy world," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "With its accessible gameplay, unique charm and high production values, Roogoo is set to carve its own niche when released for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC. Gamers will definitely have loads of fun mastering its unusual depth and trying to become the guru of Roogoo."

"We set out to build an addictive, casual game that would be easy to play yet difficult to master," said Scott March, President at SpiderMonk Entertainment. "SouthPeak gave us the freedom to push the limits of creativity and it resulted in a game that is truly different and has something for everyone. Not only do we have solid gameplay mechanic, but we have added a story element to the experience to really keep players engaged."

Roogoo will be released for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PC this spring.

The company will also be releasing video games based on Aardman's popular Shaun the Sheep character in 2008, alongside the eagerly-awaited follow-ups to the best-selling Ben 10 and Puzzle Quest.

Adam Roberts joins D3Publisher of Europe as Managing Director D3Publisher of Europe Ltd (D3PE), a publisher and developer of interactive entertainment software, has announced the appointment of Adam Roberts as Managing Director.

Adam joins D3PE having held roles as Vivendi's UK Managing Director and Vice President of Europe, and as Sales Director for Empire Interactive. As part of his new position, he will be responsible for the sales, marketing and operational functions across Europe and the PAL regions, and will be based in D3PE's Cambridge office.

"These are very exciting times for D3PE with Dark Sector shaping up to be one of the key action titles of 2008," said Roberts. "A wealth of exciting new titles on both current and next gen over the coming months and a talented team will cement D3PE's position as one of the fastest growing game publishers in Europe. D3PE will become a force to be reckoned, and I am delighted to be part of it."

Adam brings over 17 years of industry experience to D3PE, and joins as the company looks to build on the success of its Flushed Away, Ben 10, Puzzle Quest and Earth Defence Force 2017 titles with the launch of Dark Sector: a stunning action title for PLAYSTATION®3 and Xbox 360 due for release in April. The company will also be releasing video games based on Aardman's popular Shaun the Sheep character in 2008, alongside the eagerly-awaited follow-ups to the best-selling Ben 10 and Puzzle Quest.

As far as we're concerned, puzzle games never lost any credibility. I think the resurgence you're seeing now with things like the Wii and casual games in general is really just the natural state of things... as with computers and the internet, their early phases were dominated by geeky hardcore early-adopter types, but later they became much more mass market and universal in their use and acceptance. Why shouldn't video games be the same way? It makes no sense for them to remain a ghetto exclusively for twenty-something males who like shooting imaginary aliens.

Zing! It's a great little interview and well worth a read through if you've got the time.

PopCap on Casual, Peggle & Valve [Rock, Paper, Shotgun]

Chain Factor

Shadowgrounds Survivor (PC)
Fight against aliens for control of the planet.

Geometry Wars: Galaxies (DS)
Now smaller and with multiplayer!

Boogie (DS)
Dance the night away on your DS.

Omega Five (XBLA)
A new sidescrolling shooter on LIVE.

Cruis'n (WII)
Racing to the Wii.

Cranium Kabookii (WII)
The board game in video game form.

Master of Illusion (DS)
Learn magic tricks. Fun at parties, fool your friends.

Speedball 2 - Tournament (PC)
Future sports hurt.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (WII)
The insanely addictive RPG puzzle game continues it's system wide dominance.

Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey (PC)
You know you want it.

On a side note, wouldn't a marble fiend fan group be fantastic? We could arrange lectures, readings and dicussions...all about marbles and their many incarnations in not-so-popular culture. Not interested? What if we tempt you with some matching embroidered polos? Yeah, thought so.

Xbox Live Arcade gets a double dose of puzzles [siliconera]

More details at the official site.

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords [Xbox.com]

According to Mr. Takeshita, Zak and Wiki takes it's inspiration from the old PC point and click adventure games of years past. But they didn't want to create just another retro style game, they wanted to take the formula and improve upon it, allowing the player to do things they previously couldn't do due to the restrictions of a 2D environment. They also wanted to create a game that would appeal to not only regular game fans, but families and kids as well, providing an experience that would allow parents and kids to play together. I asked Mr. Takeshita if he thought the marketing of the game towards kids would turn off a lot of the adult gamers out there (which is admittedly a larger market) and he said that what will really sell the game is not it's graphics or title, but it's content and I have to say I agree. Despite the wonderfully cartoony graphics, the gameplay is solid and the puzzles are fun and more challenging than they would seem on the surface.

Of course I couldn't let the opportunity to go by without asking Mr. Takeshita about the name change. Treasure Island Z was short, sweet and to the point. Why change it to something so ridiculously long and rather juvenile? To start he said that Treasure Island Z was out because they couldn't secure the international right to the name because of the book. They went through almost two hundred other names before settling on Zak and Wiki. They figured that using the names of the main characters made sense and that adding the subtitle would let players know what the game was about. As for the length, he said the first name they settled on was even longer, but was shortened to the one they have now, although he couldn't recall what that longer name was. But ultimately, the name needed to appeal to kids and so was given a name that sounded similar to something one might hear attached to a animated show.

If you've had the good fortune to have played a demo of Zak and Wiki, you know how fun it is. It will be a shame if this game gets overlooked due to its quirky title and cartoony graphics although if Capcom plays it's cards right, this game will definitely be a great candidate for a new, intriguing franchise. Mr. Takeshita and his team have created an innovative game for the Wii that deserves a life as long as it's title.

That's it for this week's purchases, but my LA pals have our weekly Geek Night next Thursday, giving me a chance to finally check out the final version of Lair. I expect much