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| Vivendi Games Mobile Unveils Its Line-up for First-Half 2007 Vivendi Games Mobile has announced its line-up of mobile game titles for the first half of 2007, with an emphasis on casual games and the introduction to mobile gaming of two additional gems from the iconic Sierra games catalog. The publisher, fresh from its end-2006 series of title awards (Spike TV's Best Mobile Game Award of 2006 for SWAT Force; Airgamer's Best Strategy Game of 2006 award for Caesar; and a Gold Award from Mobile Game Faqs for Spyro Legend), announced a 2007 line-up that widens its published range of game genres and gameplay styles, and introduces new titles from its Centerscore studio in San Mateo, which became part of VGM in September 2006. Currently launching on carrier decks is Crash Bandicoot Party, a series of 14 intuitive, one-button mini-games which can be played solo or alternatively in hot-seat mode. The title, which is the mobile version of the Crash Boom Bang title recently released on Nintendo DS by VGM's sister company Sierra, was developed in-house at VGM's studio in Meudon, France, and is already a top seller on leading carrier decks in Europe. It will be on sale with U.S. carriers in the first quarter of 2007. Launching in February simultaneously on mobile and PSP will be M.A.C.H. Air Combat, an adrenaline-fuelled mix of jet racing and aerial dogfights in which players need to negotiate their rocket-powered aircraft through a mid-air obstacle course, with enemy fighters in hot pursuit. One of VGM's biggest releases of the first half of the year will be The Incredible Machine, marking a return to the market for the Sierra hit PC game from the 1990's. Consisting of 80 brain-teasing levels, The Incredible Machine requires players to manipulate 44 different everyday household objects to achieve the objective of each level, constructing, in the process, the world's most incredible contraptions. Destined to be a strong VGM franchise over the years, due to the infinite number of variations possible with the game design, The Incredible Machine will be launched in March with considerable marketing support, including press, online, consumer competitions, and radio spots. Also launching in March will be Office Wars, a life-simulation game re-creating all the politics, tensions, and mind-games of the typical office environment. Another VGM internal production, Office Wars features high-quality isometric graphics; five office locations in which players can try to evolve their character from lowly entry level to Boss of the enterprise; and a range of neurotic characters to choose from, including an absurdly ambitious trainee; a stoic secretary; an irritable union activist; and a bombastic manager. VGM will introduce one of the more innovative puzzle games in mobile gaming with the April launch of Shock Blocks. Based on a surprising twist to classic match-block gameplay, Shock Blocks is predicted to become an instant "evergreen" title and is designed to appeal equally to gamers across the demographic spectrum. Marketing for the title will focus on heavy media investment and creative executions mirroring the title's innovative gameplay, which will be previewed to carriers and mobile gaming journalists in coming weeks. Rounding out the first-half titles announced today is Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail, a "return to its roots" for the Larry franchise in that it is the mobile re-production of one of the six original Leisure Suit Larry PC adventure games released by Sierra from 1987 to 1999 (the series has the distinction of being the first humorous PC game franchise ever). With Larry Lovage trying his well-worn chat-up lines in situations ranging from airplanes to cruise ships to casinos, Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail affords multiple opportunities for interaction with the game setting environment and finally answers the demand that mobile gamers have been expressing for years : for Larry to return in a mobile adventure title true to the original series. write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Game News :: home page |