Archive for March, 2009

505 Games Launches Discovery Kids Pet Simulation

Ponies and Kittens and Dolphins, Oh My! Owning, Raising and Caring For a Pet Has Never Been More Fun

Discovery Communications and global videogame publisher 505 Games announced their line of Discovery Kids-branded pet simulation games have shipped to retail outlets nationwide. Exclusive for the Nintendo DS™, the new titles include Dolphin Discovery, Puppy Playtime, Pony Paradise and Kitten Corner. All four titles have an MSRP of $29.99 and rated “E” for Everyone.

”It is a privilege for 505 Games to work with such a prestigious brand as Discovery Kids,” said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games U.S. “Our new line of pet simulation games serves up the perfect combination of entertaining game play and pet-care problem solving skills that make this new series a great extension of the Discovery Kids experience.”

Dolphin Discovery invites kids to plunge into training and caring for one of the most awe-inspiring animals in the ocean.  Players need to earn the trust of their pet dolphin in order to teach them amazing tricks by using the DS Stylus. Mastering a wide selection of tricks will fully prepare their dolphin for performing in front of huge crowds of appreciative spectators. Players can gauge their success by the reaction of the audiences watching the shows at the aquatic park, and are rewarded with even more dolphins to train. The game features realistic scenery that changes with the time of day, offering clear blue skies, spectacular sunsets and dreamy night views.

The life of a rescue dog is much more than fun and games!  In Puppy Playtime, players raise and train their very own rescue dogs to eventually take on more than 30 missions alongside the police force, fire department and lifeguards.  Three of the most popular rescue dog breeds are featured in the game, including the Dalmatian, German Shepherd and beloved Labrador Retriever.  Players train their puppies from two months to one-year-old through a series of 20 mini-games, helping them become the best rescue dogs they can be!

Pony Paradise gives kids the unique chance to care for and train a pony from birth to adulthood. Players can choose from four realistic horse breads to groom, feed and take on rides in five different 3D environments, including the meadow, forest, circus, pony school and stables. More than 60 special items can be collected and used to customize the ponies, making them the most stylish in the stables.

In Kitten Corner, kids can own and raise their very own kitten.  Players can select from a variety of favorite feline breeds and through 35 unlockable features, customize their adorable new friend with distinctive coloring and markings.  Playtime begins as soon as the game begins, with 20 different mini-games, and 15 unique and challenging levels.  Players care for their kitten with trips to the veterinarian center for check-ups, making sure it is in good health for entering contests and competitions.

To learn more about each of the games, visit http://www.DiscoveryKidsGames.com for game overviews, video, and even downloadable activities.

EA And Starz Media Go To Hell Together With Animated Movie Based On Dante’s Inferno

Feature to Complement EA’s Highly Anticipated Game, Taking Players into All Nine Circles of the Epic Poem’s Depiction of Hell

Electronic Arts Inc. and Starz Media’s Film Roman announced the start of production on an animated movie based on the immortal epic Dante’s Inferno™. The feature-length project will expand on the story in EA’s new, must-have game coming out for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in 2010.

Just as the poem and game take players on a stunning journey through the nine circles of Hell, the “Dante’s Inferno” animated feature will also follow Dante as he travels through limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, anger, heresy, violence, fraud and treachery in search of his true love, Beatrice. Both are based on part one of Dante Alighieri’s classic poem, “The Divine Comedy,” better known as “Dante’s Inferno.”

To give added distinction among each of the nine circles, EA and Film Roman (co-producers on the “Dante’s Inferno” project) are taking the innovative step of commissioning unique visions from multiple studios with experience creating some of the top anime in the industry to tell this classic story. Film Roman’s Joe Goyette (“Dead Space™: Downfall”) is the producer on the project, Victor Cook (“The Spectacular Spider-Man,” “Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron”) is directing and Brandon Auman (“Iron Man: Armored Adventures”) is writing.

“This is like nothing else out in the marketplace right now – a visually stunning project based on one of the most powerful stories ever told,” notes Jay Fukuto, Head of Studio for Film Roman. “It could only happen with a partner with the vision and creativity of EA. They were great collaborators on ‘Dead Space: Downfall,’ and we expect another very rewarding experience with this new feature.”

“The animated feature will be a great companion piece to the game,” said Jonathan Knight, Executive Producer and Creative Director for Dante’s Inferno. “The feature will explore aspects of the poem that the game does not, and will provide more insight into the characters and the unique story adaptation that the game has established. It’s a very cool project, and we are having a blast collaborating with the talented team that Starz has assembled.”

“Dante’s Inferno” marks the second such collaboration between the leading video game company and the premier traditional animation studio. In 2008, Film Roman produced “Dead Space: Downfall,” an animated feature prequel to EA’s award-winning video game Dead Space, both of which were both worldwide successes.

Starz Media will introduce the “Dante’s Inferno” animated feature to the international television community as it continues global sales of “Dead Space: Downfall” at the MIP-TV market, March 30-April 3 in Cannes, France. Anchor Bay Entertainment will hold exclusive worldwide home entertainment distribution rights to “Dante’s Inferno,” while Starz Media’s Worldwide Distribution group will handle international television and domestic syndication sales and Starz Digital Media will be responsible for all digital distribution globally.

The Dante’s Inferno game is being developed at EA Redwood Shores. For more information about the game, please visit www.dantesinferno.com.