News / Press Releases 2006

Computer Games Magazine to Launch New MMO Publication

3-16-06

Computer Games Magazine, published by the media division of theglobe.com, today announced it will publish MASSIVE Magazine, the first print publication dedicated solely to massively multiplayer online (MMO) games. It will provide avid online gamers a new source for the latest news, features, and previews.
More info...

IGDA Board of Director Elections - 2006

3-14-06

We have thirtenn brave people who have stepped forth as nominees for the IGDA Board of Directors. Two of the nominees are Florida members: Dusin Clingman and Marc Mencher. Each candidate has provided a brief statement of candidacy which can viewed by clicking on their name (in alphabetical order). More info...

Kevin Bachus Joins Nival Interactive As Firm Expands

3-14-06

Representatives from Russian developer Nival Interactive have announced that the company is to establish its global headquarters in Los Angeles, California and that Kevin Bachus is to join its executive management team as CEO. More info..

2006 IGF Student Showcase

3-10-06

Follow the link for a feature the profiles the team behind technicolor platformer Colormental , a final project for Full Sail Real World Education's (Winter Park, FL) Game Design and Development program which earned a spot as a Student Showcase winner. More info...

Alienware at CeBIT 2006

3-06-06

Alienware, the leading manufacturer of high-performance notebook, desktop, media center, and professional systems is set to invade Cebit this year with an almighty new range of notebook, desktop and entertainment systems. The prototype Area-51 5400 entertainment system with Intel Viiv will be unleashed at the Intel stand (Hall 2, stand C46). More info...

Theglobe.com Announces Online Editor For CGOnline.com

3-01-06

Theglobe.com today announced the hire of Jonathan Trevisani as Online Editor within the company's media division, overseeing all web content as well as other gaming media properties. More info..

Ex-Gizmondo Exec Crashes $1 Million Ferrari In LA

2-22-06

According to news reports, former Gizmondo executive Stefan Eriksson has been involved in a high-profile accident in Los Angeles which destroyed his $1 million Ferrari Enzo sports car, following a crash at more than 120 miles per hour during an alleged street race. More info...

Hand-held games console firm Gizmondo in Liquidation

2-21-06

Begbies Traynor and David Rubin & Partners, joint liquidators of Gizmondo Europe Limited, a subsidiary of US-listed company Tiger Telematics Inc., which entered into liquidation after making net losses estimated at around £140 million in the nine-month period to September 2005 on sales of £1.4 million, are to hold a meeting with creditors following the subsidiary's collapse earlier this month. The company had previously lost £49 million on turnover of £400k in the year ended 31 December 2004. More info...

Video-game firm expands -- and we're not talking EA

2-20-06

Most all the talk you hear about video-game makers in Orlando concerns Electronic Arts. That's understandable. EA is by far the largest, employing more than 700 people, even with a recent layoff. And the next largest in town? That would be n-Space, which employs 50 folks now. Look for them to expand. More info...

Prospectus details how would-be PC-game-console-maker lost $62.7 million in three years--and is putting the Phantom on hold.

2-20-06

Theoretical Phantom Game Service and current Phantom Lapboard creator Infinium Labs, which recently announced that it has received a $5 million dollar funding commitment from Golden Gate Investors, has filed a share prospectus with the SEC, featuring more details on the firm's current status. More info...

Gizmondo's Texas development offices have been closed

2-13-06

According to a post on the Viridian Games weblog, Gizmondo's Texas development offices have been closed as part of the company's ongoing breakdown . The Gizmondo title Hit & Myth was in development at the studios, and was completed, but may not now ever get an official release, as a worker for the team mentions: "Hit & Myth went gold in late October, but Gizmondo didn't have the necessary cash to publish it. They didn't even have the cash to pay for the XForge library we had used to create the game, requiring us to spend another month rewriting the game to work without that library." Lead designer Wynne McLaughlin, who has also been updating his weblog with news of the change, has already shifted to a new position at NCsoft, working on Tabula Rasa.

EA SPORTS Crowns King of Madden NFL 06 at 2005 EA SPORTS (Madden Challenge Finals)

2-13-06

Thousands entered regional tournaments across 32 cities, but only one could thumb his way to the title.  The 4th annual EA SPORTS Madden Challenge Tournament from Electronic Arts, congratulates Jarvis Thompson, the National 2005 EA SPORTS Madden Challenge Champion on Madden NFL 06 .  Winners from each of the Madden Challenge Regional Tournaments, which were played using the Xbox video game system, were flown to the Marriott Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii for the ‘Finals' competition on Feb. 10, 2006.  Thompson, 18, the Minneapolis regional winner from Upper Marlboro, Maryland defeated Haarwun Brown, 18, the St. Louis regional winner from Mobile, Alabama, with a the final score of 42-18 using the Philadelphia Eagles. More info...

Alliance Of Professional Game Industry Recruiters Announce The Formation Of PEER (Professional Electronic Entertainment Recruiters)

2-9-06

An alliance of the interactive entertainment industry's leading recruitment firms today announced the formation of PEER (Professional Electronic Entertainment Recruiters), a trade association created to establish and maintain ethical work standards and optimum recruiting service for game industry developers, publishers, and related industry companies. PEER launches with eight charter members: Digital Artist Management, Entertainment Technology Source, Exclaim Recruiting Agency, GameRecruiter.com, International Search Partners, Mary-Margaret.com, Premier Search, and Prime Candidate, Inc. More info...

Games-Florida Executive Director and Game Attorney, Tom Buscaglia will be speaking at Microsoft Meltdown 2005

2-8-06

Tom Buscaglia, Games-Florida Executive Director, traveled to Tallahassee Florida to speak in opposition to House Bill 647, a bill related to violent video games being presented for consideration to the Business Regulation Committee . More info..

EA Ships All-New Arena Football Videogame Today

2-7-06

Electronic Arts announced today that Arena Football, the newest game under the EA SPORTS brand, has shipped to stores nationwide. With Arena Football, gamers can now experience the excitement of the indoor gridiron with fast-paced, high-scoring offenses and the ability to send players over the walls. More info..

Gizmondo Europe Officially Liquidates, U.S. Options Mulled

2-7-06

Following the recent news that Tiger Telematics subsidiary and handheld game hardware company Gizmondo Europe has filed for bankruptcy in the United Kingdom, a UK court hearing has officially put the European division of the firm into liquidation. More info...

Area-51 7500 and Aurora 7500 Systems Equipped with Radeon X1900 for Dramatically Enhanced Visuals

1-27-06

Alienware, the leading manufacturer of high-performance notebook, desktop, media center, and professional systems is now featuring the new ATI Radeon X1900 graphics card on select desktop systems, including the Area-51 7500 and Aurora TM 7500. Loaded with features like ultra-threaded architecture and 90-nanometer technology, the Radeon X1900 elevates the performance of previous-generation Radeon solutions to ensure the highest levels of gaming and digital content creation on Alienware systems. More info...

Heroes of Might and Magic Community Sites Launch SaveHeroes.org

1-26-06

A group of Heroes of Might and Magic community Websites today launched a collaborative effort to persuade Ubisoft executives to delay the launch of their highly anticipated title Heroes of Might and Magic 5. SaveHeroes.Org is a concerted community effort to further that cause. More info..

Infinium Gets $5 Million Funding Commitment

1-25-06

Theoretical Phantom Game Service and current Phantom Lapboard creator Infinium Labs has announced that it has received a $5 million dollar funding commitment from Golden Gate Investors. More info...

IGE, Alibaba Announce Chinese MMO Item Deal

1-23-06

According to a Marketwatch report, Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba, which is 40% owned by Internet giant Yahoo!, has officially announced a parntership with MMO in-game item trading firm IGE to offer IGE-sourced items on Alibaba's Taobao online trading platform. More info...

Alienware Opens Download Store

1-23-06

Alienware, manufacturer of gaming-centric PCs, has opened a digital download store where gamers can purchase anything from games to strategy guides. More info...

Gizmondo Europe Files For Bankruptcy Re-Organization

1-23-06

Following its continued and highly publicized issues, at the close of business on Friday January 20, 2006, Tiger Telematics subsidiary and handheld game hardware company Gizmondo Europe filed a High Court application for administration in the United Kingdom. More info...

Virtual Currency Pioneers to Join Forces

1-22-06

Internet Gaming Entertainment, Ltd. (www.ige.com), the worldwide leader in the market for buying and selling virtual property used in multiplayer online games, announced today that it has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Yantis Enterprises, Inc. (www.mysupersales.com). More info...

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Creators Lend Their Voices to DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: Stormreach; Legends Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson ( Zeitgeist Games ) Sign On For Turbine's Highly Anticipated OG

1-18-06

Turbine, Inc. and Atari, Inc. announced today that Messrs. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, the legendary co-designers of the world-renowned fantasy roleplaying game DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, have agreed to provide some of the voiceovers for DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ONLINE: Stormreach. As creators of the original pen and paper game, they will provide the game's first celebrity "Dungeon Master" voiceovers for certain in-game adventures. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is under license from the Hasbro Properties Group, the intellectual property development arm of Hasbro, Inc. More info...

Gizmondo may hand over Smart Adds Inc. to repay $21m debt

1-16-06

Tiger Telematics, the US parent company of struggling handheld console firm Gizmondo, has revealed that it has offered the stock, IP and patents of its Smart Adds subsidiary as equity on a $21.2 million loan from two shareholders. More info...

Freeverse to Bring Ubisoft's Heroes of Might and Magic V to the Macintosh

1-12-06

Freeverse announced today that it will be publishing Heroes of Might and Magic V for the Macintosh, under exclusive worldwide license from Ubisoft. Currently in development for the PC by Nival Interactive, Heroes of Might and Magic V brings the popular and long running strategy franchise into a new era with cutting-edge technology and a breathtaking, fully 3D animated world. More info..

Florida Gaming Bill Passes Senate Committee Hearing

1-12-06

The first step toward passing Senate Bill 492, legislation introduced in October that would make it illegal to sell violent video games to minors, has been taken: the bill has passed the Florida Senate Commerce and Consumer Services Committee hearing by a vote of 7 to 1. It's not certain yet what the bill's next move is, but it must still be voted on by the full Florida Senate before it's enacted. More info...

Aurora 7500 Systems Empower Users to Get More Done with Extreme Multi-tasking Performance of New AMD Athlon TM 64 FX-60 Processor

1-11-06

Alienware, the leading manufacturer of high-performance notebook, desktop, media center, and professional systems is now featuring the new AMD Athlon TM 64 FX-60 processor on its range of Aurora 7500 desktops. More info...

New Innovative Area-51 Desktops Allow Users to Take Complete Control of Their Home Entertainment Experience

1-09-06

The Area-51 3550 delivers the integrated functionality of a CD player, DVD player, media server, digital video recorder (DVR) and more while enabling quick and easy distribution of digital media content that can be distributed throughout the home. More info...

Virtual Currency and Goods Go Global! IGE Retains Themis Group for Worldwide Marketing Campaign

1-05-06

Internet Gaming Entertainment Ltd., the worldwide leader in the market for buying and selling virtual property, announced today that it has retained the Themis Group to develop and implement a worldwide marketing campaign for IGE's portfolio of MMORPG services. More info..

It's not a Happy New Year here at Smiling Gator Productions

1-05-06

Florida-based games developer Smiling Gator Productions has begun the New Year by ceasing all operations, having failed to secure additional funding to continue its MMO game development. More info...

Archive 2005