Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box also officially marks the launch of PassionFruit Games and represents a unique moment in the history of gaming. Although a market for romance themed video games has existed abroad for years, these games are essentially unknown in the U.S. Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box will be one of the first romance casual games to hit the U.S. market when it goes on-sale in April 2010.
In discussing PassionFruit Games’ decision to launch their company with Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box, Melissa Heidrich, Studio Director, expressed her enthusiasm for reaching out to romance readers: “The majority of casual gamers are women aged 25-65, who report they play casual games mainly to escape. Interestingly, those same attributes apply to romance novel readers – so it’s surprising that there are currently so few romance casual games on the market. That’s why we’re excited to bring Tiger Eye to life as interactive entertainment.”
For Marjorie M. Liu’s fans, it will be a great chance for them to experience a game written by, designed by, and created for women. Mari Tokuda, one of the designers translating Marjorie’s novel into game form, says: ““There just aren’t many romance games in today’s market. And, for many women, romance novels are not interactive enough. That’s where we come in – we are giving players a chance to experience the romance through fun gameplay and sensual cut scenes that further the relationship. This game will really appeal to players who want a storyline and those who want to BE the smart, down-to-earth romance novel heroine. And of course, we’ll have a sexy leading man heavily featured in the game. A game like Tiger Eye is one of the most engaging ways for readers to experience characters’ relationships.”
Fans will also be able to experience things that weren’t in the book and to search for hidden objects, play minigames, listen to a film quality soundtrack, and solve puzzles, all the while following the storyline as the main characters’ relationship deepens emotionally and grows in intimacy, though there will not be explicit sex scenes.
PassionFruit Games acknowledges the challenges of turning a popular book into digital entertainment and of adhering closely to the book’s storyline. In their quest to stay true to the novel, all members of the team—from artist to programmer—read Tiger Eye, as well as other novels in the Dirk & Steele universe, to get a feel for the “essence” of the game. The producer and lead designer held regular video conferences with Marjorie to go over the latest design ideas and Marjorie herself wrote the script for the game and is involved with the game every step of the way, giving input on scene art, character design, and voice actor selection.
Says Marjorie, who is well known for her New York Times bestselling Dirk & Steele and Hunter Kiss series and for co-authoring the hugely popular Dark Wolverine Marvel comic book series, about playing the game’s early build: “I was amazed by the beautiful cinematic cut scenes and the way players could actually experience things my characters had done. It’s an incredible feeling to not only see favorite characters brought to life but to experience life through their eyes as you progress through the game.”
The Tiger Eye novel, which Publishers Weekly praised as a “first-rate debut” and “a striking paranormal romance,” tells the story of Dela, a woman with psychic abilities who buys a riddle box in Beijing’s Dirt Market and opens it to find an ancient warrior, Hari, bound to serve as a slave to the person who has opened the box. The action moves between China and the U.S. and PassionFruit Games will mirror this international scope through two games, the first to take place in China and the second in the U.S. PassionFruit games also plans to involve readers in the release of Tiger Eye: Curse of the Riddle Box with the chance for a select few fans to be Beta testers and with fan voting on looks for the character, Long Nu.
Just in case you don’t have enough time-wasters on Facebook (I’m looking at you, FarmVille players), here’s something new to try:
The Konami code, named after the Japanese company behind classics like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series and the Nintendo Contra classics, is one of video-gaming’s most storied cheats. During development of the 1985 Konami arcade game Gradius, a programmer found the game to be too difficult and programmed in a key sequence — up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A — that, if entered, gave the player a set of the game’s power-ups. As word of the shortcut spread, other programmers aped his cheat, working the same sequence into their own games. The Konami code works in nearly 100 video games now, including Frogger and Dance Dance Revolution.
And now it works for Facebook. Try it for yourself — log in to Facebook and type the code: up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, enter. It doesn’t matter where you type it: just have the Facebook page open and active. The result? Lens flares — those groovy circles that appear when pointing a camera into the sun — appear on your page with every click of the mouse. Useful? Not in the slightest. But they’re easy enough to get rid of — logout and they’re gone.
Reading this made me immediately made me tab over to Facebook and type in XYZZY to see what would happen
I don’t often post press releases in their entirety (and I get a bit annoyed with publicists who think I should) but I loved this one and wanted to share. The games aren’t bad, either.
Santa Claus Presents The Indie Video Games Advent Calendar 2009
Santa’s Office, North Pole (December 3, 2009) – Santa Claus announced today the indie xmas advent calendar is available for every merry indie gamer out there. Santa’s official advent calendar is featuring unique and innovate indie video games at www.indiexmas.com
The Indie games advent calendar features 24 doors, which can be opened one-by-one. Behind each door, gamers find one or more fun indie game to play, and trailers or demos to watch. Naturally, the indie advent calendar is only available in Christmas time.
When Santa was asked about the fun factor of these games, he replied with a warm “Ho ho ho!” laughter and continued eating porridge.
To follow the Santa’s official indie advent calendar, please visit www.indiexmas.com.
About Santa Claus:
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle or simply “Santa”, is a legendary figure who, in many Western cultures, brings gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of Christmas Eve, December 24.
Monkey Island is back, both as a remake of the original game AND as a new series in the Monkey Island world.
LucasArts and Telltale Reveal Series of New Monkey Island Adventures Coming Soon!
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif – June 1, 2009 – LucasArts today announced that the original hilarious pirate adventure is back, with two new projects underway based on the classic Monkey Island franchise. Beginning in just a few short weeks, Telltale will premiere the Tales of Monkey Island™ game series, delivering a completely new epic storyline and swashbuckling flair that will unfold across five monthly episodes on PC and WiiWare™. The Monkey Island celebration continues later in the summer when LucasArts publishes The Secret of Monkey Island™: Special Edition, a completely re-imagined version of the first game in the series that adds updated high definition graphics, a re-mastered musical score, and full voiceover to the classic adventure game originally launched in 1990. The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition will be made available on Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and PC.
Can’t wait to see what kind of insults the Swordmaster has for GuyBrush Threepwood this time!
I’m so jealous of everyone heading to E3! I’m sure I’ll be going too, once I become a famous games journalist, but for now, I’m just looking on enviously at all the new games and announcements of upcoming games.
I’m pretty excited about LEGO Rock Band, even though a lot of people are complaining that it’s slapping the LEGO name on just another Rock Band game, or slapping the Rock Band name on just another LEGO game. To me, this is a bit like complaining that mint chocolate chip ice cream has MINT and CHOCOLATE CHIPS.
Target announced today a new reservation program that offers guests a chance to reserve the biggest and most popular video game titles. Beginning April 19, Target guests can purchase a collectible reservation card, only in stores, for $1. When they bring the reservation card back within seven days of release to purchase their game, they will receive a $5 Target GiftCard to put toward a future purchase.
So you pay $1 to reserve the game, then when you come in and buy the game, you get a $5 gift card. Not bad!
via VerticalWire.
BioWare – the company behind the upcoming Star Wars: The Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights, and others,promises a sequel to the popular sci-fi game Mass Effect.
Guildford, UK– March 17, 2009– Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today officially announced the development of Mass Effect™ 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the multi award-winning 2007 hit, Mass Effect. The Mass Effect trilogy is a masterful science-fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren’s evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril…
“We’re going to surpass the extraordinary gaming experience we brought our fans in Mass Effect by delivering intensified combat and expanded weapon options as well as increased depth of planet exploration, all while delivering a powerful, emotionally engaging story,” said Dr. Ray Muzyka, General Manager and CEO, BioWare and General Manager and Vice President, EA.“Mass Effect 2 is shaping up to be an unforgettable RPG-shooter experience, taking players on a non-stop roller-coaster ride filled with stunning plot twists and no-holds-barred action.”
Mass Effect 2 is coming to PC and the Xbox 360 video game system in Early 2010. To see the exclusive new Mass Effect 2 teaser trailer check out the website here: www.masseffect.com
LOS ANGELES, Calif.– March 17, 2009 – Independent video games developer Zombie Studios has reached an agreement with Fox Atomic, a unit of Fox Filmed Entertainment, and production company Union Entertainment to develop its military action franchise “Blacklight” as a feature film, comic book series and video game. The announcement was made jointly by Zombie CEO Mark Long*, Fox Atomic President Debbie Liebling, and Union President Richard Leibowitz.
An original property created by Zombie Studios,“Blacklight” is a covert military action epic set twenty-five years in the future. The three companies will work together on a movie and comic book series to be produced by Fox Atomic and a multi-platform video game that will be produced by Zombie.
Both the film and the video game will be written by Jason Dean Hall, a veteran writer whose latest film, SPREAD, sold at Sundance to Summit. He is also writing projects for DreamWorks and Universal.
“We are excited by the huge potential “Backlight” has to succeed across multiple platforms — theatrical features, comics books, and video games,” said Liebling,“it offers us a remarkable franchise opportunity for film.”
“From the start, I have envisioned’Blacklight’ as a story that spans all of the forms of media I enjoy most,” stated Long.“It’s an ambitious project and I’ve been fortunate to find partners at Fox Atomic and Union who share that same vision. We are cooperating on the comic, game and movie at levels that are unprecedented in the industry.”
“’Blacklight’ plays to Union’s strengths as a film and game production company, allowing us to help bring a great property to consumers in both media,” added Leibowitz, a producer on the project.
Richard Leibowitz will produce and Dmitri Johnson and Dan Jevons will executive produce for Union. Mark Long, in addition to developing the video game, will serve as an executive producer on the feature. Zak Kadison and R. Eric Lieb will oversee for Atomic.
The“Blacklight” film, video game, and comics will feature the same characters and high caliber military action, but with unique, intersecting storylines that complement each other. No release dates for any of the properties have yet been announced.
*Is it just me, or would “Zombie CEO” be one of the best titles ever?
High Voltage Software is celebrating their new website, and 16 years of game development by giving away T-shirt and a Wii. They say:
Only one entry per person please. Be sure to include your full name and address so we know where to send the package to the next lucky winner. Just email merchandise@high-voltage.com and you will be automatically entered through the magic of the Internet.
Gamertell talks about the proposed videogame warning labels:
I read the report posted on CNet by Don Reisinger which indicates that on January 7, 2009, Joe Baca, a democratic representative of California, introduced the H.R.231: The Video Game Health Labeling Act of 2009 bill to 111th Congress requesting to make it mandatory that video games that have received a rating for violence to display the following warning:
WARNING: Excessive exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.
I thought it was funny. At first. Then again, (according to a report card published by the Nation Institute on Media and Family in 2008) if we can’t get parents to read the labels that are already displayed on the packages now, how would this be any different?
I don’t believe videogames provoke violence or aggressive behavior — I think the cause goes the other way, that aggressive teenage boys are attracted to blowing up pixels, not that blowing up pretend people makes you want to blow up real people.
It’s the same thing as when people worry that Barbie is going to give little girls warped self-esteem. Um, Barbie is pretend. Videogames are pretend. I hope that kids can sort out the difference between real and pretend, and it seems like a gross failure of parenting if they can’t.
So, warning labels are a total waste of space. Good parents talk to their kids about what they’re playing, and don’t need it, and bad parents probably wouldn’t be swayed by a little warning sticker.
Ok, Grand Theft Auto gets a lot of trouble for encouraging kids to violence. I don’t really believe that videogames encourage violence, I think if someone’s going to actually commit crimes because they saw that in a game, well, they’ve got more problems than gaming!
But this kid was clearly influenced by GTA in some way:
A 6 year-old boy in Virginia missed his school bus so he decided to take his parents’ car to school. During his time behind the wheel, he passed some cars, made a couple of 90º turns and ran off the road a few times. He eventually crashed after driving almost 6 miles, but suffered only minor injuries. His parents were then charged with child endangerment when it was found that his mom was asleep during the incident. The funny part of the story was that he told police he learned to drive while playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam.
So mom was asleep and the little boy just hopped in the car without her noticing? I think we can use this as a valuable lesson about not leaving children unattended.
As Playfeed points out, this little boy must really like school!
January 11, 2009 — Platinum Arts Sandbox is an open source easy to use standalone 3D Game Maker and 3D Game Design program currently being used in many schools throughout the world that allows kids and adults to create their own video games, worlds, levels, adventures and quests, even cooperatively! The goal is to make it accessible to kids but also powerful enough for full game projects. Now features new game modes such as sidescroller, machinima, kartmode, RPG, and more! Our homepage is http://Kids.PlatinumArts.Net
I love to play car racing video games as much as I like racing in real times. Some of my favorites racing franchises are Need for Speed, Project Gotham Racing, Burnout, Test Drive, Moto GP etc. One of my favorite car racing game franchise on the Playstation platform is Gran Turismo. In this post I will review Gran Turismo 4. Gran Turismo 4 is the latest in the series. It was released by Sony American in-house game development studio and polyphony digital in 2005.Gran Turismo 4 is a GT Street racing game and its ESRB rating is Everyone. It is one of the best driving games on the PS2. There are alot of different cars and types of races to choose from. It also features some of the best graphics that i have ever seen on the PS2. This game is sure to provide you entertainment for months. However, the AI is not very clever and it is not very difficult to leave them behind. Overall, it is a superb game. If you are looking for a racing game then go for this one.
Big Blue Bubble is proud to announce that Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion is scheduled for release on all major portals and is available now at www.bbbarcade.com! Crime of Fashion is the first in a series of hidden object games that will appeal to fans of the genre and anyone who loves a good murder mystery!
The New York fashion world is turned upside down when Detective Carrie Chase discovers that a famous Fashion Designer has been murdered. She soon comes to the frightening realization that a serial killer is at large with an eye for design and a thirst for murder. Masters of Mystery: Crime of Fashion is a thrilling, hidden object game with a twist. Using interactive forensic tools, the player will solve cunning puzzles to ultimately uncover the horrifying truth behind these brutal crimes.
Key Features
- A COMPELLING MYSTERY TO SOLVE
- STUNNING, PHOTO-REALISTIC SCENES
- HUNDREDS OF UNIQUE OBJECTS TO FIND
- ENGAGING MINI-GAMES AND PUZZLES
- INTERACTIVE FORENSIC TOOLS
With over 30 high profile games in its portfolio, Big Blue Bubble Inc. is one of Canada’s leading video game developers. Each of company’s divisions (Console and Casual) is dedicated to making the best possible games by combining innovative designers with top calibre artists and industry leading programmers. By maintaining a strong focus on the development of technology and showcasing it through award winning games, Big Blue Bubble will continue to lead the way in becoming a cornerstone of the casual gaming world.
For more information on Big Blue Bubble and its ongoing projects, please visit www.bigbluebubble.com.
A few days ago i review God of War 2. Now i am going to review the original God of War which gave birth to the God of War series. God of War is a fantasy action adventure game which was released by Sony’s American in-house game development studio in 2005 and its ESRB rating is Mature. God of War is one of the best games that the video game industry has ever seen and if you miss this game you are going to regret it for your life. The combat system in the game is very impressive and intense. In the beginning you only have one weapon which is a sword attached to a steel chain which is helpful for attacking enemies from a distance. The main character looks great and it matches and blends with the story. There are alot of great characters in the game. The story of the game is great with alot of twists and turns. Overall it is a great game and you anyone having a ps2 shouldn’t miss this game. I will give it 9.5 out of 10.
I am a big fan of action RPG games especially those involving fantasy. Such as God of War, Max Payne, Gta, Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid. One of my favorite fantasy RPG games is Final Fantasy XII. I have a great respect for this game franchise in my heart. It is no doubt one of the best RPG video games that i have ever played on the PS2. The game has a rich cast of characters which will take you away from the real world into a totally different and magical world. The game offers a very engaging storyline with alot of twists and turns which keep you glued to your seats even after you have ended the game. The combat system is strategic and very complex. You will also get to explore a number of different environments. The graphics are also very good. Overall it is one of the best games that i have played so far and i will give it 9.3 out of 10.
LimitlessUnits.com has a post about all the things we’ve learned from videogames. With stories like this one floating around, and the constant bad press videogames get, it’s good to see that other people are getting good things out of gaming. I have to agree with Tony Huynh here, I’ve gotten much more then just enjoyment from playing games. Tony talks about goal-setting, getting over failure and recoving after a loss, decision-making and others. I’ve also written before on how beneficial multiplayer gaming can be in a relationship. Tony says:
Playing video games has taught me…
1: …to set goals and overcome challenges. Video games taught me to set goals. On the surface, the goals in most video games are clearly defined and easy to understand. When I first started playing video games, as I met the challenges of overcoming a level or a boss in a game my self-confidence grew. By setting goals to achieve and persevering to meet my goals I was learning the foundation of what it is to be successful in real life. Just like in real life, as your video game playing matures, the goals in games become more self-appointed, like climbing a competitive ladder or winning a tournament. With video games, I was given a safe place in which learn and grow and take on self-appointed challenges. I began to learn about self-reliance and being able to see the growth in my abilities and learning to trust in myself to accomplish my goals. The self-reliance and confidence in my abilities does not leave me when I turn off the game. It carries through as I set and meet goals in real life as well.
The whole things is worth reading, and possibly printing out for parents/SOs who don’t get why you spend so much time playing games.
Kingdom Hearts is one of my favorite gaming franchise and because of this franchise Square Enix become one of my favorite video game companies. This is the reason why I bought Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories soon after its release. But, to my surprise this game did not deliver what i had expected from it. The repetation of the content from the original Kingdom Hearts has somewhat decreased the excitement and intense entertainment that was the trademark of the game. This game was released id December by Square Enix and is a Action Role-Playing game. The ESRB rating of this game is 10+. The battle system of the game is very good and fighting with enemies is quite fun. Another good feature of the game is that it is fixed at a very low price. The weak point of the game is that it copies alot of materialt from the previous Kingdom Hearts and does not offers anything new. I will give this game 6.8 out of 10. If you have played the original Kingdom Hearts then this game is not for you. But if you have never played the game before then i am sure that you will like this game.
Gamervision has a post about the Twitter feed for Cliffy_B.
The satirical twitter of Cliffy_B, named after and following the exploits of Gears of War
designer Clifford Bleszinski, has been shut down by Epic games. The
page featured tweets poking fun at the Cliffy B phenomenon and his
occasionally overly machismo quotes, all the while finding time to take
the occasional jab at Gears of War 2’s faults. Two personal favorites were:
“After much testing, it looks like matchmaking is permanently broken. There are new maps though, only 800 Microsoft Points!”
“Gears
didn’t win Game of the Year because it’s NOT GotY. It’s game of the
friggin’ century! Best game in EXISTENCE! Take that GTA4!”
For obvious reasons, I think jokes about the Epic dev team and working on GoW2 are extra funny. I also am a big fan of FakeSarahPalin and other “celeb” tweeters, so of course I’m following FakeCliffy_B now!
Nintendo might be sitting pretty at the top in the console wars, but when it comes to software, Microsoft’s got the lead. The economic crisis seems to be hitting everyone but the world of video games. Anxious shoppers tossed games into their carts like they were Halloween candy. And the results are in.
* Gears of War 2 (Epic, Xbox 360) – 1.56 million units * Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, Xbox 360) – 1.41 million units * Wii Play (Nintendo, Wii) – 796,000 units * Wii Fit (Nintendo, Wii) – 697,000 units * Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo, Wii) – 637,000 units * Call of Duty: World at War (Treyarch, PS3) – 597,000 units * Guitar Hero World Tour (Vicarious Visions, Wii) – 475,000 units * Left 4 Dead (Valve, Xbox 360) – 410,000 units * Resistance 2 (Insomniac, PS3) – 385,000 units * Wii Music (Nintendo, Wii) – 297,000 units
The Xbox 360 managed to get 3 out of the 10 spots, including the number 1 and 2 positions, thanks to Gears of War 2 and Call of Duty. But Nintendo dominated in numbers once again, picking up half the slots. And that leaves only 2 slots for the PS3, with Call of Duty and Resistance 2. Alas, Resistance 2 was the only PS3 exclusive to make it on the list. Sorry, Sony.
I was pleased about this because someone who lives in my house works for Epic on GoW2 so it’s nice to see his work rewarded.
Jenni Lada at Gamertell has an editorial on how games encourage kids to read. As a teacher and a gamer, I’m always pleased to see someone focusing on the positives of gaming. Videogames, like anything else that entertains kids, can be a useful classroom tool.
Games based on popular books also help encourage kids to read the source material. The Harry Potter series of games often only presents a small fraction of the story from the books and, if a child plays the game and watches the movie, he or she may then be compelled to move on to the books to discover subtle nuances not found in the other adaptation.
Lada makes some great points. Jenni, if you’re reading, bonus points for seeing manga as a stepping
stone towards reading for pleasure, not going the other way, towards a generation of illiterates who can barely spell out “POW!” and “BAM!” Still, she seems a bit caught up in using game and movie spinoffs to point kids back at books. This isn’t wrong, but I think she’s skipped over all the great text-based games and story games that intergrate playing and reading. Yeah, I’m old, I remember when computer games were text. The older Adventure or Zork games were essentially choose-your-own-adventure books.
I recently played Nancy Drew: Lights, Camera, Curses! and part of the dialogue was remembering what you’d seen earlier, and choosing that option. Even games that aren’t quizzing players on their recall require reading of mission descriptions, journals, RPG clues and so many other things. Unfortunately, players determined not to read, say, WarCraft quest text can just click OK and go kill things, but this is where Lada’s point comes back. Quite a few of the hack-and-slash RPGs have spawned spinoff novels.
Role Playing Games are really a hit in video games. Whether it’s in Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 or Playstation 2. It’s nice to see your character evolve to what you want. Take for example the game Fable 2, the character evolves to what you do to him. When you always eat meat and fatty foods to replenish stamina the character physical appearance became fat. Which there is a mini game which you must pursue a girl then marry her. Your Characters Attractiveness decline when you eat that kind of replenishment. And also, the character evolves in the decisions you make. If it became evil, corrupt or good.
Even in the final fantasy game series, your character is what you make it. You can have a strong character by fighting a lot or a magical character by enhancing your magic most of the time. Level up in terms of experience, that you will get when you encounter things or in a fight. It’s really fun to see your character grow. Take for example a character in Final Fantasy VIII, my favorite game thus far. The hero started as a student in a military academy. Who has a rival student which eventually became his greatest enemy in the end. The graphics was really ahead of it’s time, the game was first introduce in Playstation 1.
RPG really is for the explorer kind of players.
I saw this on Cake Wrecks: Sunday Sweets: Cupcakes! They were posted by hello naomi to Flickr, so maybe she should get the credit, and not Cake Wrecks? Not sure how the etiquette goes here, but I’m really glad they came to my attention. How cute are these game cupcakes?
See, now this is the way to do a cupcake-cake: don’t ice them all together, and reference an 80’s video game!
bout the proposed videogame warning labels:
