EA Brings For Dummies to PC and Nintendo DS Providing a New Way to Learn and Master Popular Games

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A fresh way to learn exciting new games and activities emerges today as the Casual Entertainment Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announces a series of For Dummies® games for the PC and the Nintendo DS™ inspired by the world famous For Dummies brand. In collaboration with developer Beanbag Studios, under license from Wiley Publishing, Inc., the publisher that has printed more than 200 million copies of For Dummies books, EA will launch For Dummies PC games in US, Canada and the UK, and a Nintendo DS game will follow in the fall in North America and select countries across Europe. To get the fun started immediately, the first game in the series,Poker For Dummies featuring Texas Hold'Em, is available now for download on EA's online gaming destination, Pogo™, at www.pogo.com!

Through an easy to navigate interface, the For Dummies titles teach players the skills to master a variety of exciting games and activities, from Poker and Solitaire to brain training and Sudoku. Poker For Dummies features tutorials and game play for Texas Hold'Em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud, andis sure to entertain and educate poker novices and enthusiasts alike. In the coming months, other For Dummies titles will become available via PC download including Solitaire For Dummies in September, Brain Training For Dummies in October, Sudoku For Dummies in November, and more into 2009. Poker For Dummies and Brain Training For Dummies will also be available for PC at retail stores in October 2008.

In November 2008, casual gamers will be able to learn, practice and play on the go when EA launches Travel Games For Dummies for the Nintendo DS. Travel Games For Dummies will feature tutorials and game play for three popular pastimes: Solitaire, Sudoku and crossword puzzles, all in one game.

"For Dummies offers an entirely fresh take on the world's most popular games," said Robert Nashak, vice president of EA Casual Studios. "By teaming up with the most recognized name in the area of self-improvement, we can provide not only fun games, but also everything it takes to learn and master them."

The For Dummies series of games allows casual gamers to comfortably and easily learn how to play, improve, or find better ways to play their favorite games. Players begin learning the basics, such as rules and vocabulary, through a simple tutorial mode. Then, they participate in practice mode where a coach guides them along offering tips and advice. Finally, when they are ready, players engage in game play on their own, putting their new skills to use!

"We are very pleased to have partnered with EA and Beanbag Studios to help develop a great line of games and bring the trusted For Dummies brand to the PC and Nintendo DS gaming space," said John Hislop, Associate Director, Brand Licensing of Wiley Publishing, Inc. "For years, people around the world have turned to For Dummies books and products to learn new skills, acquire knowledge efficiently with an accessible and fun format, and to improve their way of life. We hope the For Dummies games will reach new users and provide existing users with an exciting new way to learn."

Poker For Dummies is rated "T" for Teen by the ESRB and has an MSRP of $19.99 for both the downloadable and the retail version. Additional For Dummies games have not yet been rated by the ESRB and PEGI. For more information, visit http://www.ea.com. For assets, visit http://info.ea.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is the world's leading interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, cellular handsets and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA SPORTS Freestyle ^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2008, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $3.67 billion and had 27 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

For Dummies®

With near universal name recognition, more than 200 million books in print, and more than 1,300 topics, For Dummies is the world's bestselling reference series. With loyal customers around the globe, For Dummies enriches people's lives by making knowledge accessible in a fun and easy way. Described by the New York Times as "more than a publishing phenomenon, but a sign of the times," For Dummies span every section of the bookstore, covering everything from health to history, music to math, self-help to Spanish language, technology to travel, and more. The Dummies brand has expanded into new products and categories with language audio sets; and an extensive licensed product line, including art sets, craft kits, GPS navigation, fitness and hobby DVDs and more. For more information, visit Dummies.com. For Dummies is a branded imprint of Wiley.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS Freestyle, and POGO are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. For Dummies and the Dummies Man logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Wiley Publishing, Inc. Used by license. Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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Project Beauty coming to Nintendo DS

Project Beauty coming to Nintendo DS

Videogame Company Sega is collaborating with cosmetics giant Shiseido to launch a new title for the Nintendo DS gaming console.

This gaming application has been named Project Beauty and it would go on sale later this year.

The application would require a scanning device which feeds in user photos to the game. The game then analyses the shape and position of the eyes, lips and other parts.

The application would ship with the scanning device and the package would retail for 6,090 yen.

After scanning the application would show two images on the screen. One without makeup and the other one with the proposed makeup.

Sega spokeswoman Rei Sugiyama spoke about this new title for the Nintendo DS: "The same user can have a variety of make-up tips for different occasions such as business, dating or formal gatherings. You would find colors that are good on you but you never realized before. The new software targets women in their 20s and 30s including children, elderly people and women who were not considered core game players."

From : http://games.techwhack.com/

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GTA for Nintendo DS - rumoured new features

GTA Chinatown Wars was the only real surprise to come from Nintendo at this year's E3. No further details were given about this GTA spin-off, which should be out exclusively on the Nintendo DS. The most asked question in the handheld gaming universe at the moment though is: how will this Rockstar game fare technically on the DS touchscreen? This heated discussion still divides gamers. The first details about GTA Chinatown War's content seem to be trickling through.

Rockstar did not give up this information too willingly though. According to the online portal Game|Life, the gamer blog "URO" carried out a survey titled "GTA Chinatown Wars details revealed" about the new "GTA to go". New features were revealed in this survey, and then the article suddenly disappeared. Now there is just an empty page in its place. This hasn't stopped details about this new feature spreading like wildfire through the internet.

The first piece of news was related to the open world aspect of the game. Besides the huge world waiting to be explored there are reportedly also brusque changes in the weather conditions. The streets should be as bustling as ever, and the police as on hand as usual in GTA Chinatown Wars trying to maintain law and order on the streets. The story should be quite similar to that in GTA San Andreas. The reports state that in this Nintendo DS version the player is a small time criminal who finds himself in the middle of a bloody internal gang war. The URO game blog stated that GTA Chinatown Wars will include more than 70 missions and a playing time of at least 20 hours. For the first time in GTA history, players will also be able to start missions which have already been completed again, giving the game added playability.

As seen in extracts of the URO article, this game is true to old school GTA. Amongst other missions players will find the classics such as auto theft and eradicating people through snipers. The multiplayer aspect of the game hasn't been forgotten either. Thanks to WiFi handheld gamers can play with or against others in up to four different modes. This includes a racing mode with seven different tracks. The game should also feature a co-op mode. We will only find out if all of this is true or just speculation when GTA Chinatown Wars reached the shops. Rockstar Games' developers are keeping a tight lid on the details for the moment. As of yet there is no official release date for the Nintendo GTA.

From : http://news.idealo.co.uk/

Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton to front Nintendo ad campaign

Dancing on Ice host Holly Willoughby and TV and radio presenter Fearne Cotton are fronting a TV campaign to promote a new Nintendo DS video game, Girl Band, that lets girls become a part of a virtual rock group.

The TV ad, created by ad agency Audacity for Ubisoft, the videogame publisher behind Girl Band, breaks on August 9 targeting six- to 12-year-old girls.

In the TV ad Willoughby and Cotton are engrossed in the game and auditioning for parts in the virtual bands they are creating on their Nintendo DS handheld devices.

Willoughby, who is taking over from Cotton to present the ITV2 behind-the-scenes show The Xtra Factor when the show returns later this month, then reminds Cotton that she has completely forgotten about an interview she is meant to be doing with a real-life wannabe girl band.

A spin-off online campaign will give girls the chance to win a competition to have a song recorded, take dance lessons at the famous Pineapple Studios and do a photo shoot with their best friends for an album cover.

The pair have been signed by games maker Ubisoft to front a series of TV ads to promote a range of girl-targeted titles it makes under the Imagine brand for Nintendo DS.

Ubisoft's launch TV campaign, supported by a £2m ad spend, will be followed by another commercial breaking at the end of the month for the game Imagine Teacher.

Three more Ubisoft ad campaigns featuring Willoughby and Cotton will launch in the run-up to the key software sales season at Christmas.

Two of the ads will also be used in a cinema campaign targeting family films, such as High School Musical 3, City of Ember and I-gor, running from late October to early December.

Other Ubisoft titles to launch will include Dream Weddings and Movie Star.

Mark Slaughter, marketing manager at Ubisoft, said the company has developed a marketing approach based around the aspirational concept of "Live your dreams".

"Fearne and Holly were specifically chosen due to their complete fit with this territory and positioning," Slaughter added.

"They are great friends, are fun, friendly and positive role models. They also exist in the area of aspirational media."

Media planning and buying for the Ubisoft campaign has been handled by media agency Maxus with digital advertising by Candi International.

From : http://www.guardian.co.uk

Thailand Halts Grand Theft Auto Sales After Murder

A Thai video game distributor halted sales of "Grand Theft Auto" on Monday after a teenager confessed to robbing and murdering a taxi driver while trying to recreate a scene from the controversial game. "We are sending out requests today to outlets and shops to pull the games off their shelves and we will replace them with other games," Sakchai Chotikachinda, sales and marketing director of New Era Interactive Media, told Reuters. "We are also urging video game arcades to pull the games from service," Sakchai said. An 18-year-old high school student, now in custody pending further investigations and a trial, faces death by lethal injdeo games, and urged parents to pay closer attention to what their children played. "This time-bomb has already exploded and the situation could get worse," Ladda Thangsupachai, director of the ministry's Cultural Surveillance Centre, told Reuters. "Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owner." The ministry has been pushing for tougher regulation of video games such as Grand Theft Auto, including the imposition of a rating system on sales and restriction on hours that youngsters can play the games in public arcades. A multi-million dollar lawsuit was filed in the U.S. state of Alabama against the makers and marketers of Grand Theft Auto in 2005, claiming that months of playing the game led a teenager to kill two police officers and a 911 dispatcher. The blockbuster Grand Theft Auto games are published by Nasdaq-listed Take-Two Interactive Software.

** FILE ** In this April 29, 2008 file photo, a customer rushes in to purchase a copy of the game...

** FILE ** In this April 29, 2008 file photo, a customer rushes in to purchase a copy of the game Grand Theft Auto IV at a Best Buy store in Mountain View, Calif.. Grand Theft Auto IV raked in more than $500 million in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide, said the video game's publisher, Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., on Wednesday, May 7, 2008.

(Paul Sakuma, file/AP Photo)

From : http://www.abcnews.go.com/

Thai Ministry of Health's 10 most dangerous video games (yeah, you read that right)

No, these games are not booby trapped nor do they contain anthrax powder. These are the games which the Thai Ministry of Health have put on their watch list. Yes, the MINISTRY OF HEALTH and not the ICT Ministry! They include:

1- GTA

2- Man Hunt

3- Scarface

4- 50 Cent - Bulletproof

5- 300

6- The Godfather

7- Killer 7

8- Resident Evil 4

9- God of War

10- Hitman

So, the gist of the story is that a "good boy" up and kills a taxi driver for his money. He tells police that he wanted the money to go out (probably partying at night). Anyway, it turns out that this kid likes to play GTA and his parents, who are conveniently not always around have concluded that it must be the game's influence that cause their good boy to go astray.

I know, you must be thinking "same poopoo, different country". I couldn't agree more! People tend to find different things to blame for things that go wrong in their lives. This country is no exception. Crimes were blamed on TV, movies, and now games. They target violence in these medias as the root of all that is wrong when a kid decides to go postal. Hmm, anyone who walks past a newsstand can tell you what you see on the front page of the Thai Rath is much more graphical than the worst of these games and movies.

Since they're bothering to make a list, don't forget to include Temple Fair favorites like Whack a Mole that promotes animal cruelty, bumper cars for encouraging bad driving habits, shooting the water gun into the clown's mouth which teaches you to use guns, an a plethora of other "violent" carnival games. Sheesh! Like those idiots who spill HOT coffee on themselves and sue the store or smoke so much that they develop a terminal disease and decide to sue the tobacco companies. Be accountable for your own actions people.

Come on parents. Get your asses up from the front of that TV set and turn of those channel seven soaps! Take some interest in your children and what they do. You turn a blind eye when you need to be involved and then look for something or someone to blame when something goes wrong.

Anyway, here is the link to the MOPH's website and their original press release (in Thai).

From : http://www.moph.go.th/ , http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/

Asus confirms Wii-style Eee Stick controllers

Asus has confirmed that it will launch its own Nintendo Wii-style gaming controllers, and ship them with some models in its Eee PC line.

Called the Eee Stick, the product is actually a pair of wireless controllers that use motion sensors so people can bowl, slash swords and play other games on an Eee PC or any other PC. One handheld device is an 'activation stick' featuring seven buttons, while the other is a 'navigation stick' with a thumb-operating joystick.

Both offer vibration feedback and connect to PCs over a distance of up to 10 metres. They provide 'up to' 72 hours of continuous play on two AA batteries per stick, according to Asus.

When Asus announced the Eee Stick earlier this year, rumours suggested the device would become available in mid-August. However, no details of a UK release date have been confirmed as yet.

From : http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/

Asus Eee Stick: How Nintendo Wii Remote should look

When I first laid eyes on the Asus Eee Stick I thought it was a couple of new controllers for the Nintendo Wii. Ok so I am a little dumb, but I bet I was not the only one who thought it.

The name that Asus has chosen "Eee Stick" is a strange one as they are a couple of sticks that are mated to a wireless receiver. So what is the Eee Stick I hear you ask, well they are basically a gamepad that has been split in half. This is something that Sony had hoped to launch at some stage.

The Eee Stick has motion sensing technology like the Wii Remote; I bet Nintendo wish that they had designed theirs to look as sleek as these. Asus has said that tailored games that require the Eee Stick will come bundled in the controllers.

As yet there is no idea when the Eee Stick will be released, but Asus reps have hinted that the UK could see them sometime in September.

Asus will make an announcement in the next few weeks.

VIA : Source

ASUS Eee PC "Ultimate" S101 revealed and it's brown

We've already seen the S101 Ultimate Eee PC at the top of ASUS' Eee PC pyramid of implosion. ASUS' prez, Jerry Shen, told us earlier to expect the Atom-based netbooks to ship with a 32GB SSD, 10.2-inch, 16:9 aspect LED backlit display and battery life of about 4-5 hours. Today in Taiwan, he personally revealed the S101 prototype (pictured above next to the Eee PC 901), and it's brown (at least for now) and it's sporting the Eee logo as you'd expect. Interestingly, ASUS has apparently decided to ditch the Eee branding on the S101 when it goes production in mid-September to keep it distinct from the low-cost ultra-portable branding that the Eee PC name is (or at least was) synonymous with - a move we wholeheartedly support. The S101 will measure in at a tapering 16 ~ 21-mm and weigh less than 1KG. Seems Jerry re-enacted the ol' MacBook Air (4 ~ 19.4-mm thick) trick and pulled the S101 from an envelop to demonstrate it's thinness. Played carny tricks aside, the S101 features the same 1.6GHz Atom N270 processor and 945GME chipset found in current gen Eees with prices to range from $699 for the 32GB SSD model on up to $899 for a 40GB SSD (and possibly more). Interesting, to say the least.




[Via iTechNews]