New York, NY (May 22, 2012) – The 9^th annual Games for Change Festival, taking place at NYU’s Skirball Center on June 18-20, will kick-off its Opening Day of June 19 with keynotes bookended by leading games for change evangelist Jane McGonigal (Author of the New York Times Best-Seller Reality Is Broken and Chief Creative Officer for SuperBetter Labs) and the legendary Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari Corporation and Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater and frequently acknowledged as the father of the video game industry. Bookending the final day will be leading linguist and researcher Dr. James Paul Gee (as presented by the Games for Learning Institute) and a closing program with Lucy Bradshaw (General Manager, Maxis/EA) and Michael D. Gallagher (President/CEO, Entertainment Software Association).

A world-renowned designer of games that aim to solve real-world problems and improve lives, Jane McGonigal is a pioneer whose accolades include being named among the “20 Most Inspiring Women in the World” by Oprah Winfrey for her O Magazine and among “Top Ten Innovators to Watch” by Business Week.  McGonigal specializes in creating collaboration games that challenge players to tackle social issues such as poverty, hunger and climate change.  Her best-known work includes “EVOKE” (Direct Impact Game of the Year, Games for Change 2011), “The Lost Ring” (named “#1 Bright Idea of the Year” by BrandWeek), “Superstruct,” “Cruel 2 B Kind” and “World Without Oil (Activism award, SXSW)”.  She is Chief Creative Officer for game company SuperBetter Labs. She also authored the best-selling book Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World.  McGonigal serves on the advisory board for Games for Change and has been a consultant, speaker and workshop developer for over a dozen Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies, along with speaking at the annual TED conference, SXSW interactive and Webstock.

Nolan Bushnell is a technology pioneer, entrepreneur and scientist.  He is often cited as the father of the video game industry, and is best known as the founder of Atari Corporation and Chuck E. Cheese Pizza Time Theater. Over the past four decades, Bushnell has been a prolific entrepreneur, founding numerous companies. Currently, Mr. Bushnell is devoting his talents to fixing education with his new company, Brainrush, which uses video game metrics to engage learners in academic subjects. His Anti Aging games project helps seniors to avoid many of the problems of mental aging through game exercises that maintain mental flexibility and problem solving.  His numerous accolades and distinctions, include:  ASI 1997 Man of the Year, induction into the Video Game Hall of Fame, induction into the Consumer Electronics Association Hall of Fame and named one of Newsweek’s “50 Men That Changed America.”  He is also highlighted as one of Silicon Valley’s entrepreneurial icons in “The Revolutionaries” display at the renowned Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. In March of 2009, Bushnell was honored with the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Fellowship Award (BAFTA) the highest accolade the Academy bestows, for his outstanding creative contribution to the Video Games Industry. He was similarly honored with a LARA award from the German Academy of Entertainment.  A biopic about Bushnell, tentatively titled Atari, is in pre-production. The story was acquired by Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company and is set to star DiCaprio as Mr. Bushnell.

Dr. James Paul Gee is a Presidential Professor at Arizona State University and a member of the National Academy of Education. He is also the Chief Games Researcher in the Center for Games and Impact at Arizona State University. He has published widely on language, learning, and digital media, especially video games. Gee’s keynote on the final day opens the Games for Learning Institute (G4LI) program and will take place on the Festival’s main stage. His seminal books include What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy (2003, Second Edition 2007), which argues that good video games are designed to enhance learning through effective learning principles supported by research in the Learning Sciences. Situated Language and Learning (2004) places video games within an overall theory of learning and literacy and shows how they can help us in thinking about the reform of schools.  His most recent books are Good Video Games and Good Learning: Collected Essays (2007); Women and Gaming: The Sims and 21st Century Learning (2010) and Language and Learning in the Digital Age (2011), both written with Elisabeth Hayes.

Lucy Bradshaw, who has produced over 30 games in her career, is the GM and leader ofthe Maxis label of video game powerhouse, Electronic Arts.  Starting her career as a producer with Activision (“Shanghai 2: Dragon’s Eye”) and LucasArts (Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back), Bradshaw then joined EA in 1997.  She initially served as executive producer on “SimCity 3000” and subsequently such franchise titles as “The Sims,” “The Sims 2” (the fastest selling PC game of all time), “The Sims 2: Nightlife” and “SimCity 4.”  She also led the development and successful launch of “Spore” and its spin-offs. In March, Bradshaw and EA partnered with Games for Change @ GDC Summit to announce the return of SimCity during their EA Gamechangers event.

As president and CEO of the Entertainment Software Association, Michael D. Gallagher leads the trade association representing U.S. computer and video game publishers.  He has led ESA’s focus on highlighting the value of video games as next-generation learning tools by, in part, facilitating ESA’s sponsorship of the National STEM Video Game Challenge, which is a component of the White House-led “Educate to Innovate” campaign.  Gallagher previously was a leader in telecommunications and technology issues at the U.S. Department of Commerce and served as Department Chair with the international law firm Perkins Coie.

Other confirmed speakers include:  Matt Binkowski (SVP, Social Experience with Social@Ogilvy); Sojo Studios founder Lincoln Brown (“WeTopia”); Sharna Jackson (Tate Kids Editor); Babooga’s J Moses (Founder and President, and Board member, Take-Two Interactive Software); Afroes Transformational Multi-Media’s Anne Shongwe (Founder and CEO); HopeLab’s Richard Tate (VP Communications and Marketing); AMD’s Ward Tisdale (Director, AMD’s Global Community Affairs Department); GameDesk’s Lucien Vattel (Founder and Executive Director); game designers Chris Bell (“WAY,” “Journey”), Ian Bogost (Game-o-Matic), Tracy Fullerton (Director of the Game Innovation Lab at the USC School of Cinematic Arts), Navid Khonsari (Cinematic Director “Grand Theft Auto,” “Alan Wake”), Jesse Schell (Author, The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses), John Tynes (Lead Game Designer, Microsoft Studios), and a spotlight on game studios out of the UK including, Preloaded’s Phil Stuart (“The End”, a two-time nominee for this year’s Games for Change Awards), LittleLoud’s Simon Parkin (“Sweatshop”) and Rob Davis’s Playniac (“International Racing Squirrels”). For the complete line-up of speakers: http://gamesforchange.org/festival2012/speakers

New at the festival this year:

• Summit with Members of the Federal Games Working Group – A day-long program designed to provide game developers and non-profit organizations with an opportunity to network with members of U.S. Federal Agencies that invest in games, including representatives from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, NASA, National Endowment for the Arts, National Institutes of Health, the Smithsonian, State Department, and the National Endowment for the Humanities

• AGITPROP – An evening, public program curated by NYU Game Center, with NYUGC Director Frank Lantz, Paolo Pedercini of Molleindustria (and three-time nominee for this year’s Games for Change Awards) and Wafaa Bilal of the NYU Photography & Imaging Department on the role of games in social change and political debate.

• Kinect Lounge – Debuting at this year’s Opening Night festivities

Returning day-long thematic strands include:

• Games for Learning Institute (G4LI) @ G4C returns for the third year. In addition to presenting Dr. James Paul Gee, the program also includes Valve Software’s Josh Weier (Software Developer and Project Lead, Portal 2) and Leslie Redd, Director of Educational Programs. G4LI is a joint research endeavor with Microsoft Research with generous support also provided by the Motorola Foundation and Microsoft Game Studios.

• Tools for Teaching Game Design to Youth, supported by the AMD Foundation, designed as a series of hands-on workshops for educators interested in teaching game design to youth

The Games for Change Festival brings the digital games industry together with a broader community of government agencies, foundations and charities, educators, media and corporate entities.  The festival, which is open to the public, includes a Game Arcade where award-nominated games can be played, along with speakers, panels, workshops and other activities.  The festival culminates with the annual Games for Change Awards.  For a complete itinerary and to register, visit www.gamesforchange.org/festival. Media links here: http://gamesforchange.org/festival2012/press

Major support for the 9^th Annual Games for Change Festival is provided by the AMD Foundation, the Entertainment Software Association Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, Microsoft, and ESI Design.

Games for Change (G4C) is the leading global advocate for supporting and making games for social impact.  Founded in 2004, G4C facilitates the creation and distribution of social impact games that serve as critical tools in humanitarian and educational efforts.  The organization aims to leverage entertainment and engagement for social good.  To further grow the field, G4C convenes multiple stakeholders, highlights best practices, incubates games, and helps create and direct investment into new projects.  Visit www.gamesforchange.org.

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Alternate title: A female game designer thinking about Speedos:

,,,pleased with my contributions on the design of the Jungle Shirts, Island Shirt, and Elysian’s Tropical Top. Personally, when I play MMOs, I’m a woman playing a female avatar. I want my character to be pretty, I like skirts and pretty shoes, and many hair options, but I don’t want to fight dragons in a battle bikini and stilettos. I know plenty of players of both genders, who enjoy playing in pure fantasy outfits, and I understand the pure character customization and the implied escapism in this.

As a female player, I always feel sidelined in my hobby when my character’s only fashion choices are skimpy miniskirts, chainmail bras or other items designed for the male gaze. As a designer, I value virtual items that contribute to the atmosphere. When Crystal Center is full of avatars in tropical shirts, sunglasses, and so forth, it makes Next Island feel even more like an island paradise. Many players seem to agree, importing things like sundresses, hats and sandals from the others planets to wear on our beaches.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we’ll never make bikinis (or I guess Speedos for the fellows!)…

via Next Island Dev Blog.

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IRVINE, CA— (May 15, 2012) — BuzzMob, a mobile app for live events that forms location-based social networks in real time, announced a partnership with Comikaze Entertainment, operator of the largest multimedia pop culture exposition in Greater Los Angeles, to provide exclusive social media for Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo Presented by POW! Entertainment.

BuzzMob delivers a real-time digital community experience within physical spaces and surrounding events. It connects on-site and virtual attendees, fostering fan interaction and delivering exclusive rich media content curated for the event. BuzzMob’s quest to revolutionize the live event experience through digital represents an opportunity for people, places and brands to build authentic, hyper-local connections.

“Stan Lee’s Comikaze is an impactful event that resonates globally. While it was huge last year, this year’s show is looking even bigger,” said Jeff Jackel, BuzzMob’s CEO. “We’re excited to partner with Comikaze to provide the best experience possible for potentially hundreds of thousands of fans. This event will showcase the future of what live events will look like with real-time digital interaction. The price of tickets is no longer just an entry fee – its access to a digital network of exclusive content. Our hope and expectation is that event attendees will ultimately come to expect and demand this level of digital engagement. Comikaze is at the forefront of event innovation and we’re looking forward to an incredible event.”

Comikaze is the largest pop culture convention in the Greater Los Angeles area set to take place from Sept. 15-16, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Last year’s show, its first, was the largest first-year expo of any kind, with over 40,000 attendees. This year’s expo recently announced a partnership with Stan Lee and his company, POW! Entertainment. Now titled, Stan Lee’s Comikaze presented by POW!, it is expected to generate even more attendees and feature additional celebrity involvement.

“We want our fans to have the best event experience possible, which is why we’re excited to work together with BuzzMob to provide our fans with a truly unique social media experience,” said Regina Carpinelli, CEO of Comikaze Entertainment. “Our fans are smart, savvy and digitally connected, so this is the perfect vehicle to engage with them.”

BuzzMob’s partnership with Comikaze will provide exclusive content, contests, panel question and answers and a never-before seen fan interaction with celebrity participants.

About BuzzMob

BuzzMob is a location-based mobile platform that brings social media communication to real-world places and events. Using GPS-enabled smartphones, BuzzMobbers within the same vicinity are instantly connected to talk, share tips, photos, and media as well as receive exclusive content from within a private digital network. With customized features for a range of markets, from shopping centers to campuses to arenas to neighborhoods, BuzzMob is an opportunity for people, places and brands to build authentic, hyper-local connections in real-time. BuzzMob’s social live engagement tool is changing what it means to experience and interact with the everyday world. BuzzMob is currently available on Apple iOS, the web, and is launching soon on Android. Visit them online at www.BuzzMob.com.

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Contains Katy Perry singing in Simlish.

I always love The Sims, but I’m embarrassed by how much I want The Sims 3: Katy Perry Sweet Treats.

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First expansion to the popular mobile Action MMORPG welcomes the gritty dual-wielding Pirate class

HONG KONG – Apr. 26, 2012 - Conquer Online, one of the longest-running, free-to-play online PC games, made its formal debut as a full-featured Action MMORPG on iPad in December of 2011 to great fanfare, breaking into the Top 10 RPGs category in its first week. The game’s iPad community has already surpassed 200,000 fans and continues to grow. Today, NetDragon is launching the first expansion, Invasion of Pirates, to the Chinese fantasy universe. In the new expansion, players will have access to explosive new skills with the newly added Pirate class. An all-new video has been released to showcase the Pirate class in action.

To celebrate the launch, NetDragon is also giving away some real-life loot, including brand new iPads. Players who discover the hidden in-game iPad item (hint: hack-‘n-slashers, apply skills here!) will be able to turn it in for the newest generation of iPad for free!

The new Pirate class comes dressed for battle wielding both rapiers and pistols. Their abilities all channel power and precision alongside the most fiery, action-packed combat in the game. Pirates have the advantage of being able to down any foe—on land or sea. With a little strategy and pirate know-how, the new class can easily become the most deadly in PvP battles.

Download Conquer Online HD and get the Invasion of Pirates expansion free now for iPad in the App Store at http://itunes.apple.com/app/conquer-online/id459012102?mt=8.

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I am still not entirely sure if this is a rhythm game or a sports game. But it involves Kinect and a basketball!

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Interested in minimalist gamer shirts like these? Espada Limited, the maker of these shirts, is offering readers 30% off any purchase with the coupon code “ThumbGods”.

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From the Next Island MMO game development blog:

Via Work In Progress:Campbell’s Basic Framework >> Next Island Dev Blog

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Sometimes I get so caught up in women in design and development that I forget there are also women working in hardware developement. Here are some from Women 2.0

Amy Sheng (Co-Founder, CellScope)
Mechanical engineer Amy co-founded CellScope to extend the reach of diagnosis with medical microscopy from your smartphone. Follow Amy on Twitter at @AmySheng.

Ayah Bdeir (Founder & Lead Engineer, littlebits)
Ayah created litteBits, an award-winning kit of pre-assembled circuits that snap together with tiny magnets. No soldering, no wiring, no programming. Follow Ayah on Twitter at @AyahBdeir.

Helen Greiner (Founder & CEO, CyPhy Works)
After founding iRobot and taking it public, Helen runs an early stage robotics startup developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at CyPhy Works. Follow Helen on Twitter at @HelenGreiner.

Julia Hu (Founder & CEO, LARK)
Julia dropped out of business school to take her invention to the next level: LARK was produced thru PCH Accelerator and now in Apple stores. Follow Julia on Twitter at @ourlark.

Limor Fried (Founder, Adafruit Industries)
Limor founded Adafruit to create the best place online for learning electronics, making the best designed products for makers of all ages and skill levels. Follow Limor on Twitter at @adafruit.

Lisa Qiu (Co-Founder & CEO, Lower East Kitchen)
In ShenZhen participating in hardware accelerator program Haxlr8r, Lisa democratizes sous vide cooking with Lower East Kitchen. Follow Lisa on her blog at Q and Abe.

Mary Lou Jepsen (Founder & CEO, Pixel Qi)The first CTO of One Laptop per Child, Mary Lou founded Pixel Qi to manufacture low-cost, low-power LCD screens for consumer products. Follow Mary Lou on Twitter at @PixelQi.

Monisha Perkash (Co-Founder & CEO, Lumoback)
Lumoback develops sensors to monitor and measure your posture, sending vibrations to your lower back to remind you to sit up straight. Follow Monisha on Twitter at @mperkash.

Rachel Kalmar (Co-Founder, Senstore)
Rachel co-founded Senstore, enabling DIY healthcare with next generation smart sensors. Follow Rachel on Twitter at @grapealope.

Star Simpson (Co-Founder & Electrical Engineer, Canidu)
Star co-founded Canidu, channeling her knowledge of electronics into designing Canidus’s projects to be robust, safe, and friendly. Follow Star on Twitter at @starsandrobots.

Tan Le (Founder & President, Emotiv)
Tan founded Emotiv, a neuroengineering company developing interface technology for digital media taking inputs directly from the brain. Follow Tan on Twitter at @TanTTLe.

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On 24 May 2012, Nordic Game presents the sixth annual Nordic Game Awards. Highlight of the conference’s gala dinner, the yet-to-be-announced and very secret host of the show will present prizes in six categories.

Want to be a part of this? Register for Nordic Game 2012 at www.nordicgame.com. And do it before 20 April, so you don’t miss the Early Bird offer.

The nominated games for NGA 12 are:

Best Nordic Game of the Year
Battlefield 3 (EA DICE, Sweden)
Renegade Ops (Avalanche, Sweden)
Where’s my Heart? (Die Gute Fabrik, Denmark)
Minecraft (Mojang, Sweden)
Trine 2 (Frozenbyte, Finland)
Syndicate (Starbreeze, Sweden)
Battlestar Galactica (Artplant, Norway)

Best Nordic Children’s Game
Moogies (Plan Vanilla, Iceland)
Gnarts World (Snowcastle, Norway)
Elleville Elfrid & Elleville Elfrids Vinterleker (Rock Pocket Games/Kool Produktion AS, Norway)
Lego Duplo (Space Time Foam, Denmark)
Paint Splash (Knapnok Games, Denmark)
Toca Boca Tea Party (Toca Boca/Brickmark, Sweden)
Vinter I Blåfjell (Ravn Studio, Norway)
Starstable (World of Horsecraft, Sweden)

Best Nordic Handheld Game
The Marbians (Progressive Media/Nordisk Film, Denmark)
Anthill (Image&Form, Sweden)
Sprinkle (Mediocre, Sweden)
Draw Race 2 (RedLynx, Finland)
Super Stardust Delta (Housemarque, Finland)
Death Rally (Remedy, Mountain Sheep, Cornfox Brothers, Finland)
Touchgrind BMX (Illusion Labs, Sweden)
Joining Hands (10tons, Finland)
Neon Zone (House on Fire, Denmark)

Best Artistic Achievement
Where’s my Heart? (Die Gute Fabrik, Denmark)
Anthill (Image&Form, Sweden)
Gnarts World (Snowcastle, Sweden)
Outland (Housemarque, Finland)
Trine 2 (Frozenbyte, Finland)
Bullet Time (Kiloo, Denmark)
Battlefield 3 (EA DICE, Sweden)
Syndicate (Starbreeze, Sweden)
Minecraft (Mojang, Sweden)

Best Nordic Innovation Award
Where’s my Heart? (Die Gute Fabrik, Denmark)
Minecraft (Mojang, Sweden)
Paul & Percy (Kipper Digital, Denmark)
W.I.L.D. (Mindgames, Iceland)
Wild Chords (Ovelin, Finland)
Dark Nebula ep 2 (Free Lunch Design, Sweden)
Life of George (LEGO, Denmark)
Sanctum (Coffee Stain, Sweden)

Nordic Indie Sensation Award
This award is a special public award. Visitors of the Nordic Game Indie Night (23 May) and the Nordic Game 2012 conference (24-25 May) will be able to try all the nominated games and vote for their favorite. The nominees will be announced shortly.

The Nordic Game Awards is organised by Nordic Game Program in cooperation with the following game producers’ associations in the region: Dataspelsbranschen (SE), Icelandic Gaming Industry (IS), Neogames (FI), Producentforeningen (DK), and Spillprodusentforeningen (NO).

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Atari‘s announcement of their upcoming $100,000 Pong Indie Developer Challenge  came as a bit of a surprise to me, after their recent app-store cleansing of any indie games with any mechanics similar to existing indie games. Chris Priestman writes on IGM about the Apple’s removal of many — if not all — Atari-influenced indie games, at Atari’s request. He writes specifically on how this has affected indie devs Black Powder Media and their battle game Vector Tanks 3, but there are pretty far-reaching affects of this cleanout for indie devs and players of indie games. Since Atari pioneered many mechanics that are now common game design elements, copyright infringement seems to cover an awful lot of simple mechanics, and simple mechanics with new twists are a staple of indie development. Does Atari, then, own all simple shooters?  All games with the physics of Pong? It’s hard to find an action game, indie or core, that doesn’t have a passing resemblance to standards like Pong, Asteroids, Missile Command, and so forth.

So that was in January, and in the end of February, Atari seems to be reversing this stance. Instead of banning these games from the Apple app store, they’re actively looking for iOs games from small studios that reimagine Pong. Wait, what?

My immediate thought was sympathy for the unlucky public-facing writer who was told to quit with the threatening cease-and-desist letters to indies, and start encouraging  game pitches from indies… for the very concepts Atari was banning last month. Poor writer, I thought, jumping follow to wildly different company directives. (Perhaps I was projecting a little) I thought the indie games contest might be a direct reaction to the games community’s feelings on the app-store cleanse, that Atari might be trying to clumsily make amends with small studios. Then I thought it might be a case of one corporate branch not communicating with another. On the surface of it, one might well develop a promotional contest for Pong’s 40th, without expecting a conflict from legal’s work protecting the company’s IP.

While I still see this as a corporate gaffe more than a planned screwover of indie devs, a bit of shady wording in the official rules makes it even less advantageous to indie studios.

That promised $100,000 prize is not actually the cash that Atari will be handing to indie studio who breathes new life into their dying franchise, er, develops a fun new take on Pong. The winner will actually receive $50K (a pretty nice prize, if not marketed as $100K). The other half of the promised prize money is the maximum the indie studio can make as revenue sharing on their game. I guess Atari lays claim to the game’s revenue after explicitly offering assistance to market the game and resources to develop the game.

And, of course, implicitly reminding any small studio who may have a revamped Pong in the works, that this partnership with Atari on their terms is the only way to get that game made and released.

Via Pong Backlash: Simpson’s Paradox

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Zombie Apocalypse Projected to Reach Your Area Within 24 Hours

But not to fear! Choice of Games, the company that gave you valuable
psychological insight into dragons (in “Choice of the Dragon“) and
vampires (in “Choice of the Vampire“) has produced a new interactive
novel to help you train for Zombiepocalypse survival. Choice of
Zombies, by Heather Albano and Richard Jackson, will soon be available
on iOS, Android and Kindle.

In Choice of Zombies, you play an ordinary person caught in a zombie
apocalypse. Will you fight using brawn or brains? Will you keep your
humanity intact or become a bloodthirsty zombie hunter? Can you stay
alive long enough to get yourself and your friends to a place of
safety?

Choice of Zombies has been vetted by the zombie (and gaming) experts
of IntroComp 2011, who awarded it First Prize.

You can play the text-based adventure in your browser here: http://www.choiceofgames.com/zombies/

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Los Angeles, CA – March 31, 2012 – LeKool games one of the leading global publishers of free-to-play online games are delighted to announce the Closed Beta launch of Star Supremacy Experience the next generation of browser based gaming with this Space war themed game. The battle for supremacy is about to begin!

The Game will be launched on 31st March 2012 at 7:00 PM PST time.

Star Supremacy, is a revolutionary strategic space simulation game, the player fights for dominance of the universe. Select your faction, you have planets to conquer, fleets to manage, new facilities to build, and exciting combat units to discover, with your battle squadrons spread out through the vastness of space with the mission to settle new planets and mine their raw ores. The player builds up an industrial infrastructure, constructs weapons factories and strong defensive fortifications, to get a strong offensive capability. Build a guild and conquer the universe together.

Engage in amazing PvP and NPC battles and prove your supremacy, with countless customization options no two ships will be identical.

Features:

• Animated Battle
• PvP & PvE Arena Battles
• Guild Quests & Upgrades
• Total Space Ship customization option
• Team up with other players from around the globe

So what are you waiting for? Come join us at the closed beta launch and see this amazing game yourself. Don’t forget the closed beta begins 31st March 2012 at 7:00 PM PST

LeKool is a fast growing browser game and social game developer and publisher. The company has published some of the most popular web games of 2011 like Call of Gods, Rich$tate, Senatry, Ninjawaz, EDragon, Fantasy of Swords, Business Tycoon Online, Lords of ages and Legends of Xian and has achieved great success. It also has an interactive and engaging gamer community.

For more information about Lekool, please visit http://www.lekool.com/home

Star Supremacy – http://starsupremacy.lekool.com

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New YouTube channel Nerdtist let us know they’ll be launching April 2nd, 2012 with original nerdy video content.

Here’s their first video, in advance of the official launch:

You can subscribe to the channel now.to get more videos as they come out.

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League of Legends players will soon discover that being a melee carry
is no longer a boy’s club, as Fiora, The Grand Duelist, is entering
the battlefield. Fiora is the first true melee carry since the initial
launch of League of Legends. She fights with raw agility and lightning
speed, using a fencer’s grace and a range of exciting abilities: A
forward dashing Lunge, a Burst of Speed and a Blade Waltz are all
moves in which Fiora dashes around the battlefield damaging enemy
Champions.

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The Story

The Demons had been defeated … the heroes were lost … Greed and resentment led to war. The seal was broken and the evil returned … only one hope remained: the prophecy. Be the chosen one, unite the people and banish evil once and for all!
Races and Classes

Join the Humans, Elves, Viridis or Pandas and face the challenge as a Warrior, Hunter, Druid, Mage or Fighter.
Pets and Mounts

Raise your own pets, train them to be mighty mounts and ride in style.
Epic Battles

Choose a faction and test your mettle amongst hundreds of players on massive battlefields.
A New World

Discover an enormous world, explore countless gloomy instances and face powerful boss monsters in tactical battles.

Via Eligium – The Chosen One: Register here!

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Originally developed for PC by Youda Games, Youda Survivor topped all major casual game charts and received rave reviews from players and critics alike.

In Youda Survivor you play as Youda, who has been washed up on the seacoast of the mysterious island. Your task is to win over the hearts of the native tribe by proving that you are the one person that can save them from cunning pirates. Obtain mystical tribal items with magical powers, learn rituals to control the weather and use special machines to advance in your quest. Boil powerful potions which make you stronger and score levels as fast as possible to win gold medals. Prove that you have what it takes to survive anywhere and under any circumstances.

I can’t help being excited for this one… I loved indie island survival Stranded Without A Phone, I had a love-hate with the adorable and punishing Lost in Blue 2, and could not stop playing Sims 2: Castaway. Can’t wait to play it!

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San Francisco, California – January 18, 2011 – Leading casual games publisher, G5 Entertainment, today announced that its award-winning, highly engaging, time management adventure, Supermarket Mania 2, is rushing into the Kindle Fire on January 26, 2012. Developed and published by G5 Entertainment, Supermarket Mania 2 is a highly polished sequel to an already great game. With millions of players enjoying this superior strategy experience on various gaming platforms, Supermarket Mania 2 is a must-have for every Kindle Fire owner.

In Supermarket Mania 2, you move to Tinseltown with Nikki and her friends to run a Supermarket. You’ll be busy stocking shelves, making milkshakes, brewing coffee, baking croissants, squeezing fresh juice, serving fresh pizza, checking out customers, and keeping the store clean. The customers also come in varying flavors. The most important customers are the celebrities. Every other customer freezes in their tracks as they take snapshots, while the celebrity zooms around the store, and demands everything they want be in stock. This is where the power-ups come in handy. Energy drinks make you move fast as everything around you slows down, a cookie plate makes everyone in the store happy and the cleaning solution makes your store shine in an instant. Utilizing these items at the correct time is crucial, if you’re shooting for the high score.

Join Nikki once again for hours of fun…just remember to keep an eye on Mr. Torg’s dirty tricks!

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16th January 2012 – Hampshire, UK/… Deep Silver today announced that an exclusive artbook and a soundtrack CD will be available for anyone that will preorder the action-adventure/puzzle mix Catherine that will be released on February 10, 2012.

The artwork in the booklet is not available anywhere else, the same applies to the music tracks from the game that the limited CD will contain.

These preorder items will be available through a special retail partner in each of the territories that the game will be published by Deep Silver in Europe, with GAME being the retail partner for the UK.

Catherine will be released by Deep Silver in Europe in a limited “Stray Sheep Edition” (containing the Rave-T-Shirt that Vincent wears in the game, two Stray Sheep bar-themed coasters, a Catherine poster that  is exclusively available in this edition, all served in a pizza delivery box from the Stray Sheep Bar as  packaging) and as a standard edition. The “Stray Sheep Edition” of Catherine will have a price of EUR 69,99, the standard edition will be available for EUR 59,99.

Catherine will be released in PAL territories for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Catherine will feature localized text in French, Italian, German and Spanish.

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San Francisco, California – January 13, 2012 – Leading casual games publisher G5 Entertainment today announced that its immensely addictive, burger-flipping time management game, Stand O’Food 3, will land on Kindle Fire on January 26, 2012. This award-winning game has topped all major casual game charts and is perfectly suited for the Kindle Fire platform.

Stand O’Food 3 is a fast-paced time management sequel to the most popular burger flipping challenge in which Ronnie the Chef extends his operations to Tinseltown. There, he meets Nikki and Mr. Clarence and disrupts Mr. Torg’s plans for revenge. Open restaurants around Tinseltown, and serve clients fast and healthy food in 25 restaurants under his management. Improvise refining recipes with different flavored sauces like curry, chocolate, spice or blueberry. Keep in mind that customers now have different food preferences and plan your moves in advance. Do your best and you’ll be able to purchase various items: buy new and better French fry machines, soda fountains, jukeboxes and extra plates. Play over 75 levels and 12 bonus levels to unlock over 33 achievements and obtain expert status. An exciting and fast-paced time management/puzzle game, Stand O’Food 3 will definitely entertain and challenge you! The game is developed and published by G5 Entertainment.

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Herograph is a new superhero photogame, challenging players to snap and share photos in response to questions, and then battle for the top spots in each category. Players can unlock superhero-themed powers and badges based on participation.

Herograph has implemented two Next Island challenges, which reveal more of the MMO’s science fiction backstory, while challenging players to take and share hilarious pictures. Two new badges are available to Herograph players who’ve completed the Next Island challenges.

“Next Island’s players respond in hilarious and creative ways to our screenshot competitions,” Meg Stivison, who works on quests and community engagement for the MMO, says of the joint project, “and who doesn’t love superheroes?”

“In Herograph, players complete real life photo challenges and then compete in mobile photographic battles with their friends! With this collaboration between the two studios, players can experience the exciting world of Next Island by taking on real life photo challenges” the Herograph team of super hero lovers explains.

Herograph is available for the iPhone at http://herogra.ph/ and Next Island is available for the PC at http://NextIsland.com Both games are free to download and play.

About Next Island:

Next Island is a free-to-download and free-to-play virtual world developed on the Entropia Universe platform. Founded in New York by David Post, Next Island attracts casual online gamers and passionate MMOG players alike with its unique blend of gameplay, story and real cash economy. For more information please go to NextIsland.com, find us on Facebook.com/NextIsland, or follow us on Twitter @nextisland.

About Herograph:

Herograph is a photosharing game that makes real life more exciting. Take on a slew of photographic challenges–from striking your most heroic pose to doing a handstand in public. Then use your “herographs” to battle head-to-head with other players. Win points, collect powers, and stand out among Earth’s mightiest heroes. Herograph was designed in New York City and developed in Columbia, MO. Follow us on twitter @herograph

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After much chanting and summoning of dark forces, indie developer Red Wasp Design announced that the stars will be right for the release of Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land on the 30^th January 2012. To seal this pact with expectant gamers they have accompanied the date announcement with a slew of never-before released High-Definition images.

Call of Cthulhu: The Wasted Land is a turn-based strategy RPG based around the works of cult horror writer H.P.Lovecraft. The game is set in the midst of the First World War and pits a team of soldiers and investigators against an insidious cult intent on using the slaughter of the Great War to open the doors to an invasion of eldritch horrors.

Announced in May this year and set to launch initially on the Apple iPhone® and Apple iPod touch® (both SD and HD versions), Red Wasp Design then later plan to infect other platforms such as the Apple iPad®, Android™, PC and game consoles with their World War One themed turn-based strategy horror. The game has been developed in co-operation with Chaosium, the purveyors of the cult horror role playing game based on Lovecraft’s work, Call of Cthulhu. The much loved RPG marked its 30th year of publication in 2011 and continues to grow in scope and reputation.

Red Wasp Design can also be followed on Facebook, Twitter (@redwaspdesign) and on their site at redwaspdesign.com

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