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PopCap Games releases Zuma’s Revenge! trailer

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Casual, PC, Trailers

PopCap Games just released the trailer for their upcoming Zuma sequel, Zuma’s Revenge, which will be available for download at PopCap.com on September 15th. If you were a fan of the original, it looks like there is more of the same Zuma goodness here, but with some very interesting tweaks to up the challenge. Yeah, we can’t wait either.


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Nokia Takes Another Stab at the N-Gage

Posted by Paul Hamilton Categories: Hardware, Portable/Mobile

Nokia N-GageApparently is nothing if not persistent. This week Nokia plans to introduce a third cell phone to bear the name and try yet again to gain some traction with its cell phone/game device hybrid. This time they spent some time with the design firm Ideo to research what consumers wanted in such a device and think they have it right this time. “The graphics problem has been removed. And phones today are always connected and you always carry them with you. Phones are now the perfect device for gaming,” says product manager Tomi Huttula.

Most curious perhaps is the decision to stick with the name N-Gage, which at this point carries some pretty negative baggage. The idea of a cell phone that plays half decent games isn’t particularly bad on the face of it but the Finland-based company learned the hard way in 2003 that gamers, who are likely to be the early adopters and initial market for such a device, won’t jump on board just because an idea has potential but lacks proper execution. There’s no reason to stick with the brand name when it has already failed twice.

Still, Nokia seems undaunted by past disappointments and is focusing this time around on the multiplayer features and streamlining the experience to be more attractive to casual gamers. Also Nokia isn’t focusing on a single model this time around but will offer N-Gage games on a few of its Series 60 smartphones, presumably as a trial run, before gradually expanding to all Series 60 models. The prices have yet to be announced, but more details should be available later in the week.

Read More | New York Times via Game | Life


E3 2007: Super Smash Bros. Brawl Still Not Confirmed To Have Online

Posted by Chris Pereira Categories: Action, E3, Fighting, Internet, Nintendo, Rumors, Wii

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

1UP is reporting on the omission of any mention of online gameplay when the subject of Smash Bros. Brawl came up at Nintendo’s press conference earlier this week. Of course, online is a feature that’s probably probably the number one item on every gamer’s wish list when it comes to Super Smash Bros. So it really raises an eyebrow when Nintendo discusses its dedication to online gaming but fails to mention anything about Brawl being online.

It’s suggested in the 1UP story that Nintendo may simply want gamers to focus on the concept of Mario Kart Wii’s online play. And, of course, there is the Tokyo Game Show where Nintendo could make the announcement. Given that this press conference seemed heavily focused on Nintendo’s mentality of expanding the market with casual games, an announcement of Smash Bros. Brawl being online would have drastically diverted attention from that focus.

We’ll keep you up to date on this situation; in the meantime, let’s keep our fingers crossed and all hope that Nintendo knows what it’s doing.

Read More | 1UP

Apple Releases PacMan, Tetris, Zuma for iPod: $4.99 a pop

Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Corporate News, Hardware, Portable/Mobile, Retro

iPod PacMan

Well, it looks as though all of those rumors of Apple trying to hire games industry professionals may not have been all that far off. Today, during the “It’s Showtime” keynote at the Yerba Buena center in San Francisco, Apple announced that they will be releasing iPod-compatible versions of Tetris, Zuma, Mah-Jong, Texas Holdem, Cubis 2, and other games on the iTunes store for $4.99 a piece.

It’s not clear whether these games will only be compatible with the iPod phat yet, or if they’ll also work with the nano. However, Steve J did mention that all of the games should be compatible with the 5G video iPods y’all already have. This is good news, since Apple also announced during their presentation that they’re updating the whole iPod product line - including a “5.5G” video iPod with 60% brighter screen, iPod nanos in colored aluminum enclosures, and a re-designed iPod Shuffle. We’ll update this story with more information as it becomes available on the Apple website.

UPDATE 1: Apple’s website has been updated, indicating that the iGames are compatible only with the 5G iPod or the newly-released 60% brighter 5.5G iPods. iPod nanos are not supported. We’ve downloaded some of these games from the iTunes Store (went very smoothly - this is Apple after all) and will have full reviews up shortly. It’s looking like at least some of these are worth the $5.00 download.

Read More | AppleInsider

PopCap teams with Square-Enix to Deliver Casual Games to Japan

Posted by Michael Cardiff Categories: Casual, Corporate News, Internet, PC, Portable/Mobile, Square Enix

PopCap LogoTalk about strange bedfellows… Who would’ve thought that one of the most tightly-lipped, hardcore RPG game producers would ever team up with a relatively open-sourced semi-indie casual game developer? Well, that’s exactly what’s happened thanks to a new agreement between Square-Enix and PopCap. Through the agreement, classic PopCap titles including Bejeweled 2, Chuzzle, Insaniquarium and Heavy Weapon will hit the Japanese shores via Square-Enix’s web portal.

Evidently, PopCap feels it needs a Japanese presence to truly penetrate the market. Although with the brisk sales of many recent DS titles, it’s evident that the Japanese have a taste for simple casual games.

Read More | GamesIndustry.biz

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