Gamertell

The British gave us the TV show The Office and now Americans are giving us the casual game The Office. You’ll have to decide for yourself this Fall (2007) which is the better gift.

The Office game, based on the Emmy-winning American TV series, is being developed by MumboJumbo in partnership with Universal Digital Platforms Group for online download and PC, PSP and DS systems.

The Hollywood Reporter quotes Mike Suarez, vice president of product development at MumboJumbo, as saying the The Office will be a task-management game like Diner Dash. Gamers will play as Jim Halpert and interact with other characters like Pam Beesly and Michael Scott. Suarez also expects video and audio clips to be incorporated.

Expect to see sequels if this game does well.

Site [MumboJumbo] Read [Softpedia] Also Read [Variety]

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Nintendo DS Disney gamers will be able to interact with one another via DGamer, to launch in North America in May 2008, Disney Interactive Studios announced today at E3 2007 (July 12, 2007). DGamer uses the DS’s wi-fi connection and the DGamer Channel on Disney.com to allow players to chat, make friends, trade items and vote in polls. They can also create a personal avatar, view their friends’ high scores and vote in polls.

DGamer will first appear in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Spectrobes II and Hannah Montana 3. In each of these games, players can customize their…

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The award-winning Orcs & Elves game is coming to the Nintendo DS and mobile phone for Christmas 2007, Electronic Arts announced today (July 12, 2007).

Orcs & Elves is a first-person fantasy RPG that was redesigned from the original mobile phone game to use the dual screens of the DS. It has higher graphical fidelity and more levels, items and monsters. The game is one of the first developed for mobile that has crossed to a gaming platform. It won numerous awards including IGN’s Best of E3 2006 award in the best wireless RPG category and Mobile Game of the Year at the 2007 Interactive Achievement Awards.

Orcs & Elves II for mobile continues the story of its predecessor. As a novice thief, you must fight the evil that has spread through the land after the fall of King Brahm at Mount Zharrkarag. Players are assisted by Ellon, the legendary magic wand, and a mouse companion.

Orcs & Elves and Orcs & Elves II were created by id Software and developed exclusively for EA by Fountainhead Entertainment.

Read [Eurogamer] Also Read [GameShark] Site [Orcs & Elves]

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D3Publisher of America announced today (July 11, 2007) its game lineup, which includes titles based on Cartoon Network’s Ben 10 and the anime series Shonen Jump Naruto.

• Dark Sector (Q1 2008, PS3, Xbox 360)
• NARUTO: Clash of Ninja Revolution (Fall 2007, Wii)
• NARUTO: Path of the Ninja (Fall 2007, DS)
• Dead Head Fred (August 28, 2007, PSP)
• Ben 10: Protector of Earth (Fall 2007, Wii, DS, PSP)
• Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire (Wii, Fall 2007)

Click through for descriptions of each game…

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Australia’s Krome Studios announced today (July 11, 2007) at E3 that it is working with Microsoft Game Studios on the next Viva Pinata game, called Party Animals. This is the first time the two companies have collaborated.

Viva Pinata: Party Animals is set on Pinata Island, where up to four players take part in a reality show on the island and compete in party games. Gamers play – either in person or via Xbox Live – as live pinatas with names like Paulie Preztail and Fergy Fudgehog. The Xbox 360 game is scheduled to ship Winter 2007.

Site [Krome Studios] Read [GameZone]

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Two new Dance Dance Revolution games were announced by Konami Digital Entertainment today (July 10, 2007):  Dance Dance Revolution Universe 2 and Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA 2.

The second, “universal” version of DDR includes new gameplay options, songs from the ‘70s to today, online play, downloadable music and enhanced graphics. New to Universe2 is Freestyle Mode on the Xbox 360, which lets players dance without using the trademark arrows and an improved Quest mode where players build their a character and complete missions. The Workout Mode is still there, allowing dancing dieters to keep track of calories burned.

The soundtrack spans four decades but those who want more music can use Xbox Live to download new songs as well as compete with others and access DDR-related items.

SuperNOVA2, which will be available for the PS2,  includes the new Hyper Master Mode and the old favorites. Up to four people can play online and the game supports the PS2’s EyeToy USB Camera.

Release dates and box art were not provided for either game but we’ll post ‘em when we get ‘em.

Read [GameZone]

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Konami Digital Entertainment today (July 10, 2007) announced the voices behind characters in the game tentatively titled Hellboy The Science of Evil.

Ron Pearlman, Selma Blair and Doug Jones will be Hellboy, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien, respectively, as they were in the 2004 movie. Director Guillermo del Toro will give creative guidance and Hellboy creator Mike Mingnola will be on hand to make sure the video game adaptation is faithful to the character.

In the game, players use Hellboy’s supernatural powers to overcome a Nazi scheme. The massive Right Hand of Doom is used to crush enemies and the game’s environment for rubble to use as weapons. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will allow cooperative online play.

Hellboy will be released Fall 2007 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PSP and is being developed by Krome Studios.

Site [Konami] Read [VideGamesBlogger]

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Electronic Arts announced today its soundtrack for the singing, dancing and music video-creating game Boogie, which will be released for the Wii on August 7, 2007, in North America and August 31, 2007, in Europe. The 38 songs span four decades from “ABC” by the Jackson 5 to recent pop hit “Fergalicious” by Fergie.

Boogie will ship with a microphone and has a suggested retail price of $59.99. The game is rated E10+ by the ESRB and 3+ by PEGI Europe.

Click through to get the full list of songs with the artist who made each song popular…

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EA Sports today (July 10, 2007) announced a new licensed football game, NFL Tour, will be available for Xbox 360 and PS3 in January 2007.

The arcade-style football game takes players on a fictional NFL road show with real NFL players for teammates. Your team crosses the country to play NFL teams in newly designed stadiums, with the winner one step closer to a NFL contract. Maker EA Tiburon – which also created the Madden and NCAA football games – promises the game will have “intuitive controls, fast-paced gameplay and visually stunning graphics.”

For all those wondering where the non-EA NFL games have gone, EA signed an exclusive, five-year agreement with the National Football League and the NFL Players Inc. in 2004, granting the company sole rights to the NFL’s teams, stadiums and players.

Product Page [NFL Tour] Read [DailyGame]

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