News

Reviews

Previews

Features

Classic

Archive

Contact

Voice Module

In Memory
Sean Pettibone

News | Headlines & Information

MYSTICGD ANNOUNCES EMOTION FX 3.5 FOR SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT'S "PLAYSTATION(R)3"

ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - July 25, 2007 - Mystic Game Development, a pioneer in real-time character animation middleware, today announced that its latest next-gen product, EMotion FX 3, the real-time character animation SDK for next-generation multi-core processor systems is now available for game titles developed for Sony Computer Entertainment's "PLAYSTATION(R)3."

"We are pleased to join Sony Computer Entertainment's Tools and Middleware program for 'PLAYSTATION(R)3.' The next generation EMotion FX, which was released last year, was specifically designed to take advantage of the latest advances in next-generation hardware focused on parallel processing. Now that EMotion FX 3.5 is available on PLAYSTATION(R)3, we are looking forward to seeing what game developers will do with it," said John van der Burg, Development Director of MysticGD.

"The EMotion FX product has been meeting the character animation needs of game developers since 2001, and our clients are driving the changes that we make to the EMotion FX product. They wanted next-generation performance, memory efficiency and cross-platform support, as well as clear focus on reducing the artist effort required to deliver high-quality next-gen character content in their games."

EMotion FX 3.5 features include: - Real-time motion retargeting - Tight integration with 3D Studio Max and Maya using new and improved plug-ins - Multi-processor and Multi-core support, Multi platform support - All the motion blending features you can imagine - Facial animation and high-quality automatic lip-sync generation - Advanced Inverse Kinematics and Look-at controllers - A powerful motion event / trigger system - Easy character customization down to per-bone level - Over 50 API programming examples - Very detailed tutorial-style documentation as well an API reference

About Mystic Game Development Founded in 1999, Mystic Game Development is a Nederland-based pioneer in real-time character animation middleware used in the creation of interactive online and next generation console games. Used by leading game developers such as Mythic Entertainment, Sigil Games Online, Webzen, SimBin, IMC Games, Piranha Bytes, EGN Co., and DragonFly GF Co., the company's latest product was built from the ground up to harness the power of multi-core and multi-cpu consoles and PCs. Detailed information for EMotion FX 3.5 is available at www.emotionfx.com.

"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Xbox LIVE is Bringing Comic-Con Home, Starting Tomorrow 

Are you going to be in San Diego this weekend for Comic-Con? If not, fear not!

Xbox LIVE and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group are Bringing Comic-Con 2007 Home to all Xbox 360 owners. To enjoy the show, gamers can connect to the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network and bring everyone together in the living room to enjoy Comic-Con 2007, the preeminent comic, animation and gaming enthusiast event.

From July 26 to August 7, Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com/comiccon will feature full access to all of Warner’s Comic-Con featured game trailers, show panels, movie and TV trailers and sneak peeks, celebrity interviews, show exclusives and customization themes for Xbox LIVE. Plus, action film and comic book fans will have access to an array of exclusive themes from 300 and DC Comics available for download.

Additionally, 300 fans who are attending Comic-con this year are in for two special treats. Warner Bros. will be hosting a special screening of the movie at Petco field for 6,000 conference attendees, all of whom will be entered to win one of ten custom limited edition 300-themed Xbox 360 Elite consoles.

Check out Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE Marketplace for new content arriving on the service.

2K Sports Presents the First-Ever Nighttime, Outdoor Motion Capture Shoot for NBA®2K8

Chris Paul and the NBA’s rising stars show their basketball skills at NYC’s Rucker Park

Today publisher 2K Sports proudly announces that they will hold the first nighttime, outdoor motion capture event for NBA®2K8 on Wednesday, July 25, 2007. The event is co-hosted by the Entertainers Basketball Classic (EBC) and will take place in New York City at Harlem’s famed Rucker Park. Featured athletes include NBA 2K8’s cover athlete Chris Paul, as well as other NBA stars such as Andre Iguodala, Gerald Green, Gerald Wallace and Rudy Gay.

“Our talented motion capture team can adapt to almost any environment,” said Greg Thomas, President of Visual Concepts, a 2K Sports studio. “With our advanced motion capture technology, we’re delivering the next generation level of realism to our sports titles and to have a motion capture shoot conducted at a real basketball venue adds even more authenticity to our game.”

Using the latest in motion capture technology, 2K Sports will record the NBA players’ signature moves for inclusion into NBA 2K8. As soon as the sun sets, the invited NBA athletes will show off their best moves as they dribble, pass, shoot and dunk on the Rucker Park basketball court.

“Rucker Park is the stage for NBA greats to face off in head-to-head streetball, making it the perfect place to hold 2K Sports’ motion capture event,” said Greg Marius, CEO and founder of EBC. “We’re excited to have Rucker Park be the playground where the moves of these NBA stars are captured forever in NBA 2K8.”

NBA 2K8 is the highly-anticipated next installment of the 2K Sports’ top-rated basketball simulation franchise*. NBA 2K8 will feature incredible graphics, unmatched gameplay and exciting new features to provide the most comprehensive and realistic basketball experience ever created for gamers.

NBA® 2K8 will be available this fall for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.

Civilization comics and animated shorts to commemorate the launch of the biggest Civ expansion pack ever 

Today, in honor of the launch of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, the biggest Civ expansion pack ever, 2K Games and Firaxis have partnered with several celebrity web comic creators popular in the gaming community to create and showcase comics and animated shorts set within the Sid Meier’s Civilization universe.

As the game that launched the “God Game” strategy genre, Civilization has allowed players to direct great armies in battles and bring warring factions together in dazzling feats of diplomacy. Every player experiences the ultimate thrill of being in command and leading a nation. Yet, we’ve always wondered what it would be like to hear from the units and characters inside the game – to give them a voice. What if life inside a game of Civilization was real – real, at least, to the characters inside the game’s universe? What would the units inside a game say to each other? What would they say about you – the game’s “God” – and the decisions you make and strategies you employ?

To celebrate the release of Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword, 2K Games and Firaxis Games have challenged several of the most beloved creators of “web comics” to give a voice to the characters in Civ through a series of comics called Civilization Daydreams. Starting on July 24 and ending August 10, 2007, these Civilization-themed web comics from the artists behind 8-Bit Theater, Control-Alt-Delete, Dueling Analogs, GUComics, MyExtraLife and PvPOnline, as well as animated shorts from the executive producer and collaborators behind the Over the Hedge comic and animated film, will debut on a combination of the comic creator websites and Civ fansites including www.apolyton.net, www.civfanatics.com and planetcivilization.gamespy.com. The kick-off comic drawn by Woody Hearn of GUComics can be found at www.civilization.com/daydreams, which will also be updated weekly with all of the Civilization Daydreams comics and animated shorts.

And it doesn’t stop there! We know Civ fans have great imaginations, so if you have your own Civilization Daydream that you’d like to enter into the Civilization Daydreams Fan Art and Comic Contest, check out the rules and entry form at www.civilization.com/daydreams. Five winners will each win an Xbox 360® Wireless game controller and Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series sound card while five runner-ups will receive an Xbox 360® Wireless Gaming Receiver. The winning submissions will then be displayed at www.civilization.com/daydreams.

Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is available now, as is Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Gold Edition – featuring both Civ IV and Civ IV: Warlords plus an exclusive fantasy poster by Greg Hildebrandt. To download the official Beyond the Sword trailer, visit:

YUKE'S ANNOUNCES NEVES FOR THE NINTENDO DS

Unique Puzzle Game Coming To The Nintendo DS(TM)

CHICAGO, IL - July 25, 2007 - Yuke's Company of America, subsidiary of Japanese game publisher Yuke's Company Limited , today announced NEVES for the Nintendo DS(TM), a unique puzzle game that challenges players to think critically as they align pieces and build figures that correspond to a silhouette. Each puzzle features seven wooden blocks, requiring the player to combine them to form specific figures ranging from simple items like a sword or key to more complicated ones such as birds or airplanes.

Targeted towards a more mature audience, NEVES still appeals to anyone who enjoys challenging puzzles. And because of the unique stylus controls of the Nintendo DS, controlling the puzzle pieces in NEVES is a cinch; tilting, flipping, and moving the blocks is as simple as dragging and tapping. But be careful, just because controlling the pieces is easy doesn't mean the puzzles have to be. With over 500 different puzzles to choose from and four different modes including puzzle mode, count mode, time mode, and versus mode, players will have countless hours of fun solving puzzles of varying difficulty.

"We're greatly excited to bring NEVES to the Nintendo DS," said Shane Takahashi, CEO of Yuke's Company of America. "The game's modern aesthetic and design should appeal to more discerning gamers while its portability and approachable gameplay should interest almost anyone."

"NEVES offers simple yet stimulating entertainment, providing a challenging experience for players of all ages," said Jim Ireton, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Atlus USA. "We are happy to work with Yuke's Company of America in bringing a classic puzzle game like NEVES to the Nintendo DS."

About Yuke's Company of America A wholly-owned subsidiary of Yuke's Company Limited, Yuke's Company of America is developer and publisher of D1 GRAND PRIX for the Playstation(R)2. The company is based out of Roselle, Illinois and is a fully licensed publisher and developer for Sony Computer Entertainment of America, Nintendo of America, and Microsoft.

For more information on Yuke's Company of America, please visit: http://www.yukes.us

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc. Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is a publisher of compelling video games for a variety of platforms, including the Nintendo DS(TM), PSP® (PlayStation(R)Portable) system, Wii(TM), Xbox 360(TM), and PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system. Atlus U.S.A, Inc.'s library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, Trauma Center: Second Opinion, Magna Carta: Tears of Blood, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series.

2K Games Releases Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the SwordTM – the Largest Civilization® Expansion Pack Ever!

New York, NY – July 25, 2007 – 2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the SwordTM, the latest expansion pack for the critically acclaimed Civilization IVTM series, is now available. Developed for the PC by the Company's world-renowned development studio Firaxis Games™, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword sets a series milestone by showcasing the largest amount of expansion content in the history of the Civilization® franchise.

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the second expansion pack for Sid Meier’s Civilization IV - the 2005 PC Game of the Year and a major commercial success, selling over 1.5 million units worldwide since its October 2005 release. This expansion focuses on the late-game time periods after the invention of gunpowder and delivers eleven challenging and decidedly different scenarios created by the development team at Firaxis Games, as well as members of the Civilization Fan Community. Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword also includes ten new civilizations, 16 new leaders, five new wonders, and a variety of new units that will offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization’s power as they strive for world domination.

“Given the overwhelming critical and commercial success of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV, we were inspired to provide these loyal fans with the series’ most robust expansion pack ever,” said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. “By featuring more content than any other Civilization expansion pack, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is a must-have for all Civilization fans and will set a new industry-wide bar for expansions.”

Key features include:

Expanded Epic Game: Firaxis Games delivers a massive increase in new units, buildings, and technologies to the epic game with additional focus on the late-game time periods. New Game Scenarios: The expansion will deliver 11 new scenarios, many containing themes never before included in the Civilization series, custom designed by the team at Firaxis and select members of the Civ Fan Community. Stand-alone downloadable demos available for the space-themed Final Frontier scenario and the historical Charlemagne scenario are available at http://www.2kgames.com/civ4/beyondthesword/.

New Civilizations: The expansion pack includes ten new civilizations, such as Portugal, Babylon and Netherlands and their associated unique units and buildings.

More Civilization Leaders: Sixteen new leaders including leaders for the ten new civilizations, as well as additional leaders for existing civilizations. Abraham Lincoln, Boudica, Hammurabi and Sitting Bull are just a few of the new leaders.

Corporations: A new gameplay feature allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources.

Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government’s secrets.

Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper.

New Wonders: Five new wonders await discovery including the Statue of Zeus, Cristo Redentor, Shwedagon Paya, the Mausoleum of Maussollos, and the Moai Statues.

Expanded Space Victory: Winning the race to Alpha Centauri will now require more strategic planning and tactical decision making.

Apostolic Palace: An ancient version of The United Nations, the Apostolic Palace will become available earlier in the game, providing a way for players to win a diplomatic victory more quickly. New resolutions will also be added which will expand the available diplomatic options.

Advanced Starts: A major fan request; this new feature will enable players to “buy” components of a custom-tailored empire and begin play in the later part of the game, allowing them to experience many of the new features of the expansion pack in a shorter amount of time.

Enhanced AI: The AI has received many enhancements, making it tougher to beat on the higher difficulty levels. The ways in which the AI will attempt to achieve victory have also been expanded. Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword requires the full version of Sid Meier’s Civilization IV and is now available for PC for $29.99. The title is rated “E10+” for Everyone 10 and older. For more information please visit http://www.civilization.com/.

About Sid Meier’s Civilization® Franchise

Created by industry legend Sid Meier in 1991, Civilization instantly set the standard and defined a new genre of empire-building strategy games. An addictive blend of building, exploration, discovery and conquest, the original Civilization is still recognized as one of the greatest games of all time, and Civilization IV was named 2005’s PC Game of the Year.

About Firaxis

Firaxis Games™ is one of the world’s premier game development studios, and home of legendary designer Sid Meier. Firaxis has developed some of the most successful and award-winning computer and video games on the market today including; 2005 PC Game of the Year - Sid Meier’s Civilization IV™, the expansion Civilization IV: Warlords™, the blockbuster Sid Meier’s Civilization III™ series, Sid Meier’s Pirates!™ (PC, Xbox® and PSP®), Sid Meier’s SimGolf® and Sid Meier’s Railroad Tycoon®. Firaxis legacy titles include the Sid Meier's Civil War Series!™ (Gettysburg!, Antietam!, and South Mountain), and the Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri® series. In 2005, Firaxis Games was acquired by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., joining its 2K publishing label.

About Take-Two Interactive Software

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation® game console, PlayStation®2 and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox® and Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Wii™, Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™ and Game Boy® Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games and 2K Sports, and Global Star Software; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

> July 24, 2007

Playstation 3 sales surge
Ubisoft grabs Avatar rights
Curse releases V4 for MMOs
CSI: Hard Evidence turns up
Gods & Heroes assets released

PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) SALES PICK UP STEAM, INCREASE BY MORE THAN 135%

On the heels of a strong showing at E3, today Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) announced retail growth for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) in July. Based on preliminary internal data, PS3 sales have increased by more than 135% at the company’s top five retailers since the new $499 price was announced two weeks ago on July 9th. During this same two-week period, total PlayStation hardware sales have increased by 161%, software by 15% and peripherals by 60%.

Also, according to NPD sales data released today for the month of June, PlayStation sales increased prior to E3, as well. Overall, the PlayStation brand continued to exhibit solid growth evidenced by a 21% increase in total retail dollars generated year-over-year in North America with total sales of $393 million. PS3 sales were up 21% over May’s figures, with 98,469 units sold at retail. Furthermore, PSP® (PlayStation® Portable) witnessed an impressive increase, up 31% year-over-year, selling 290,108 units at retail, while PlayStation® 2 (PS2) once again remained one of the best-selling consoles on the market, with unit sales of 270,763 for the month.

"The new price on the 60 GB PS3, coupled with our very strong software showing from E3, is certainly paying dividends in terms of impressive sales across the board at retail," said Jack Tretton, president and CEO, SCEA. "This jump in sales bodes very well for us heading into the fall as we launch an impressive arsenal of hardware and software, leading off with the new 80 GB PS3 in August along with the unveiling of highly anticipated games such as Lair and Warhawk. That will be followed by Heavenly Sword in September and six more exclusive first-party PS3 games in October, including Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction."

CURSE INC. BRINGS MASSIVE RESOURCES TO MMO PLAYERS WITH V4

Portal Offers MMO Players a Complete Resource for Social Networking, Content Creation and New Partnership with Wikia Inc. Provides Comprehensive Gaming Databases

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JULY 24, 2007 – Curse Inc., the premier gaming portal dedicated to massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) and their fan communities, today officially launched V4 of Curse.com. Formerly known as Curse-Gaming, Curse provides the most complete online resource for all MMOGs, and V4 is the ultimate destination for user-created content, communication tools, updates, add-ons and community news for MMOG players. Through a new partnership with Wikia, Inc., Curse now offers the most in-depth MMOG databases available anywhere. V4 is now live at www.curse.com.

“Curse’s V4 is the most comprehensive MMOG community anywhere on the internet, increasing interactivity and user-created content possibilities for players everywhere,” said Hubert Thieblot, founder and CEO of Curse Inc. “MMO gamers can come to one destination for Web 2.0 applications that were designed by MMOG players with the global community in mind.”

Introducing a multitude of new and unique features, V4 marks a concerted effort on the part of Curse to offer fans of MMOGs everywhere more social networking options, enhanced interactivity and innovative new tools for creating and sharing user-created content. V4 is currently available in five languages – English, German, French, Spanish and Mandarin – with more coming soon.

In addition to V4’s updated design and features, Curse’s partnership with Wikia, Inc. provides users with access to the most comprehensive MMOG-related wiki databases in existence, including the extremely popular WoWWiki.com. Curse will offer all of Wikia’s MMOG databases, complete in every language Curse supports, with instantaneously up-to-date content.

V4 features include: * MyCurse – The ultimate social networking resource for MMOG players and guilds, MyCurse provides users with the ability to blog, connect with friends, share hardware profiles, and upload user-created video and screenshots * Streaming Video Posting – V4 introduces streaming video posting, enabling the MMOG community to tag, rank and share user-created videos for the first time * Curse Client – Available via download on the Curse homepage, the Curse Client is a downloadable program that syncs with Vanguard and World of Warcraft allowing players to capture and post screenshots from the game client. Additionally, the Curse Client uploads character information automatically to the user’s MyCurse profile * Social Bookmarking – Users can rate any content that’s relevant to them – news, forums, blogs, items and more - shaping the collective opinion of the global audience * Mini-Portals – If you play it, Curse has a portal for you. Curse.com features a portal for every MMOG imaginable, providing even niche gamers with a resource for news, add-ons and updates for their favorite game * MMO Wikis – Thanks to a partnership with Wikia, Inc., Curse now offers its users access to the most exhaustive MMOG wikis in existence. Users can find all of the content from Wikia’s extensive databases, including the comprehensive and frequently updated WoWWiki.com.

To visit V4 and download the latest client, please visit www.curse.com.

About Curse Inc. Launched in 2005, by founder Hubert Thieblot of the renowned Curse guild, Curse was built by a young team of creative, innovative, tech-savvy gamers to help develop a one-stop-shop for all MMOG add-on needs. Formerly Curse-Gaming.com, Curse has grown to become the most visited user-generated MMOG content portal in the world. Offering gamers an unparalleled social experience revolving around their favorite games, Curse is the only portal offering video and screenshot sharing, wikis, databases, add-on downloads, social bookmarking, blogging, forums, and guild website hosting. Curse’s direct relationships with developers and publishers provide users with in-depth game resources, and add value for the community. Curse is an invaluable resource for MMO gamers.

About Wikia, Inc. Since Wikia's launch in November 2004, more than 750,000 articles on 2,700 topics have been created and edited by over 100,000 registered users in 70 languages. In addition to working on open-source search, Wikia is currently home to several popular gaming-related communities such as World of Warcraft at http://www.wowwiki.com, Final Fantasy at http://finalfantasy.wikia.com and Halopedia at http://halo.wikia.com .

Wikia enables groups to share information, news, stories, media and opinions that fall outside the scope of an encyclopedia. Jimmy Wales and Angela Beesley launched Wikia in 2004 to provide community-based wikis inspired by the model of Wikipedia -- the free, open source encyclopedia founded by Jimmy Wales.

Wikia is committed to openness, inviting anyone to contribute web content. Authors retain their own copyrights and allow others to freely reuse their content under a variety of GNU and Creative Commons Licenses, allowing widespread distribution of knowledge and ideas.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO NEW GODS & HEROES: ROME RISING(TM) ASSETS

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - July 24, 2007 - Perpetual Entertainment and Platform Publishing today released new screenshots and videos from Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising. Aspiring legionnaires will discover what awaits them in their struggle to preserve Rome with assets showcasing the iconic champion of Rome, the gladiator, as he emerges from the arena and puts his combat prowess to the test against terrifying creatures of myth. Visceral videos and screens are available now for download.

Gamers are also invited to meet and learn about Fortuna, goddess of luck and one of the patron deities of choice for Gods & Heroes' gladiators. A video interview with Stieg Hedlund, Design Director for Gods & Heroes, gives players an inside look at what Fortuna's godly role may be as they seek their fortune -- or misfortune.

***The gladiator screens and video can be downloaded by clicking on the following link: http://www.kohnkecomm.com/dl/perpetual/ign_gladiator.zip ***The Fortuna video can be downloaded by clicking on the following link: http://www.kohnkecomm.com/dl/perpetual/gs_fortuna2.zip

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, the upcoming massively multiplayer online game from Perpetual Entertainment, lets you take on the role of a son or daughter of an Olympian god. Featuring an innovative squad combat system and attack animations that keep players in the heat of battle through a wide variety of special combat moves, Gods & Heroes challenges players to overcome and conquer the enemies of Rome. Along the way, players will battle iconic enemies including the Gauls, Greeks, Samnites and others along with the Cyclops, Minotaur, Hydra, Medusa and other creatures from Roman mythology. Each player will command the powers of the gods and their own custom squad as they fight to preserve Rome. For more information, visit www.godsandheroes.com.

About Perpetual Entertainment, Inc. Perpetual Entertainment is a San Francisco-based producer, publisher, and operator of networked multiplayer and massively multiplayer games for the PC and next-generation video game consoles. Perpetual Entertainment was founded and is staffed by industry veterans dedicated to the vision that playing games together is simply more fun, more challenging, and more rewarding than playing alone.

About Platform Publishing(TM) Based in San Diego, CA, Platform Publishing is a cross-platform publishing, distribution and marketing label, with an exciting library of interactive entertainment products from third-party developers and content providers for personal computers, game consoles and mobile devices. The label puts talented developers and publishers together with Platform Publishing's high caliber suite of services and support, including top-notch distribution, marketing and technology resources. Platform Publishing is a DBA of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. For more information, please visit www.platformpublishing.com.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, Perpetual Entertainment, and the logos for each are trademarks of Perpetual Entertainment, Inc. (c) 2007 Perpetual Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Platform Publishing and the Platform Publishing logo are trademarks of Sony Online Entertainment LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

UBISOFT AND 20TH CENTURY FOX TEAM UP FOR VIDEO GAME BASED ON JAMES CAMERON'S "AVATAR"

SAN FRANCISCO – July 24, 2007 – Today, Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that it will develop and publish the video game based on Twentieth Century Fox's "Avatar,” the upcoming feature film written and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker James Cameron, whose previous films include "Titanic,” "True Lies,” "The Abyss,” "Aliens,” "The Terminator” and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day.”

"Avatar” is the story of an ex-Marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on an alien planet filled with exotic life forms. As an Avatar, a human mind in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. More than ten years in the making, Avatar marks Cameron's return to feature directing since helming 1997's Titanic, the highest grossing film of all time and winner of eleven Oscars® including Best Picture. The "Avatar” cast includes Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Sigourney Weaver. Academy Award-winning visual effects house, WETA Digital, renowned for its work in "The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy and "King Kong,” will incorporate new intuitive CGI technologies to transform the environments and characters into photorealistic 3D imagery that will transport the audience into the alien world rich with imaginative vistas, creatures and characters.

"Ubisoft is excited to partner with 20th Century Fox and James Cameron on this important project. 'Avatar's' rich scenario, onscreen action and special effects will provide a wealth of inspiration to create a unique interactive experience," said Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft. "True to their reputation, Ubisoft's creative teams are looking forward to recreating Cameron's high definition 3D environment in a compelling game for film and game fans."

James Cameron commented: "For the movie 'Avatar' we are creating a world rich in character, detail, conflict and cultural depth. It has the raw material for a game that the more demanding gamers of today will want to get their hands on -- one that is rich in visuals and ideas, and challenging in play. I told the Ubisoft team I wanted them to be free to do their very best work, and not think of this as a movie-based game. They responded with a fully realized presentation which captured the soul of the world and the characters, while promising to be a knockout game on its own terms. Their passion inspired my confidence that they are going to do something transcendental."

Elie Dekel, Executive Vice President of Fox Licensing and Merchandising added: "James Cameron's "Avatar” will re-define the movie-going experience forever. Cameron's vision and innovative approach to film-making demand that we align this breakthrough project with the most talented and creative partners in the world. As we embark on the incredible journey that is "Avatar,” we are thrilled to be collaborating with Ubisoft on the development of the video game. After an extensive review, it became clear the talented Ubisoft team is uniquely able to bring Cameron's vision into the interactive realm."

The game is expected to release in conjunction with the movie's planned opening in May 2009.

About Ubisoft Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified line-up of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of 680 million Euros for the 2006-07 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.

ABOUT FOX LICENSING & MERCHANDISING A recognized industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Twentieth Television and Fox Broadcasting Company, as well as third party lines. The division is aligned with Twentieth Century Fox Television, one of the top suppliers of primetime entertainment programming to the broadcast networks.

Ubisoft Announces CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) Hard Evidence to Launch for the Xbox 360 and Wii

SAN FRANCISCO – July 23, 2007 – Today, Ubisoft announced that it will be releasing CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) Hard Evidence for the Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo Fall 2007. This release marks the first time CSI fans will be able to play a CSI video game on the Xbox 360 and Wii. Players will be able to use the Wii Remote(TM) to navigate through a crime scene, or experience cinematic-style graphics on the Xbox 360. The user interface has been completely redone with a console audience in mind, making the game more like the show than ever. The PC version of Hard Evidence will ship simultaneously with the Xbox 360 and Wii versions.

About CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM): Hard Evidence Developed by Telltale Games, CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) Hard Evidence will continue the crime-solving experience of Ubisoft's CSI video game series. Players will join Gil Grissom, Catherine Willows and the rest of the Las Vegas cast to help solve crimes using realistic techniques and lab equipment. The game features forensic reconstructions and atmospheric crime scenes taken directly from the television show, including an all-new garage lab for analyzing large pieces of evidence, improved evidence gathering, lab mini-games and more. There are more areas to explore and increased interaction with the CSI team, resulting in a longer play experience. Game features include:

• More Crime-Solving Action Break down the evidence and bring suspects to justice in five all-new, bizarre crimes. Unravel longer cases, search bigger crime scenes and uncover hidden evidence in unique locations like never before.

• Go Deeper into the Evidence Master new forensic tools and find more evidence than ever. Use the new garage lab to examine large pieces of evidence like cars and trucks. Recreate gunfights with ballistic lasers, uncover shocking secrets with video analysis, and much more.

• The Ultimate CSI Experience Experience your very own CSI episodes as you piece together clues with the real CSI actors. Take part in dramatic interrogations, create grisly crime reenactments and explore atmospheric crime scenes inspired by the show.

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) is consistently one of the top-rated shows on network television and won the People's Choice Award for Favorite Television Drama in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and was a People's Choice Award nominee in 2007 as well. The CSI video game franchise, published by Ubisoft has sold approximately 2.4 million units worldwide since the first CSI title was released in March 2003.

About CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION and elements and characters thereof © 2000–2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc. and Alliance Atlantis Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION, CBS and the CBS eye design are trademarks of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Company logos are trademarks of their respective owners. No celebrity endorsements implied.

About CBS Consumer Products CBS Consumer Products, a unit of CBS Entertainment, manages worldwide licensing and merchandising for a diverse slate of television brands and series from CBS, CBS Paramount Network Television and CBS Television Distribution, as well as from the company's extensive library of titles. Additionally, the group oversees the CBS Retail Store and online sales of programming merchandise. For more information, visit www.CBS.com.

About Telltale, Inc. Telltale is a new breed of interactive entertainment company pioneering high-caliber episodic game publishing and development. Founded in 2004 by industry veterans with decades of experience, the company has quickly become a leader in episodic gaming by delivering award-winning interactive experiences that emphasize engaging stories, strong characters and rich worlds. To learn more about Telltale, please visit www.telltalegames.com.

About Ubisoft Ubisoft is a leading producer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment products worldwide and has grown considerably through a strong and diversified lineup of products and partnerships. Ubisoft has offices in 21 countries and sales in more than 50 countries around the globe. It is committed to delivering high-quality, cutting-edge video game titles to consumers. Ubisoft generated sales of 680 million Euros for the 2006-07 fiscal year. To learn more, please visit www.ubisoftgroup.com.