Tagged With: Game

Thinking about a career inthe game development industry? Well, pick up a copy of GAME DEVELOPERmagazine's July 2002 issue to read the results of its annual gamedeveloper salary survey. The survey indicates that the gamedevelopment industry has remained healthy despite the downturn in theoverall U.S. economy. According to GAME DEVELOPER, the average gameprogrammer's salary is $66,000 and a technical director with six ormore years experience earns an average of $104,000. On average, game

London's Mill Lab has been commissioned by BBC Interactive (BBCi) to create a new interactive game for SO, BBCi's Website for teens (www.bbc.co.uk/so). Based on the "Magic 8-Ball" game, ASK THE DJ was formulated by Mill Labs James Stone and John Sunter, and allows players to "ask the DJ" yes or no questions. This cool game, set in a nightclub, features a female house DJ and a male devil DJ who are battling each other for control of the turntables. The player chooses the style of music that gets played, from death metal to house, thereby deciding who wins and who gets kicked off.

THQ Inc. has released STAR WARS: EPISODE II "ATTACK OF THE CLONES" for Game Boy Advance, the first game that follows the storyline of the latest prequel in the STAR WARS saga. Players assume the role of three different ATTACK OF THE CLONES heroes: Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi, while commanding Republic gunships, speeders and Jedi starfighters in space combat. Players must also wield their lightsabers in side-scrolling lightsaber battles against Jango Fett, Count Dooku and other enemies.

Neighborhood friends ED, EDD N EDDY will soon be searching for jawbreakers on Game Boy Advance. Los Angeles-based videogame publisher Crave Entertainment has signed a licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to develop a Game Boy Advance title based on the Cartoon Network series. The title is anticipated to ship in Fall 2002. The game will mirror the three friends' television quest to make money to buy jawbreakers. The object of the game is to help the Ed's win a contest whose grand prize is, of course, a lifetime supply of jawbreakers.

Just one month after slashing Xbox prices in Europe and Australia, Microsoft has followed suit in the U.S., marking down its Xbox game console to $199, $100 less than it was originally priced. Sony and Nintendo have also announced discounts to their next-generation consoles. Sony's PlayStation2 will be available for $199 (down from $299), while Nintendo's GameCube, always the lowest priced of the three, will now be priced at $149, $50 less than before.

Interactive entertainment software publisher Majesco has signed a licensing agreement with Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to develop and publish a line-up of Game Boy Advance games based on several of Cartoon Network's television properties. Under the terms of the agreement, Majesco will publish three titles for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance system using select characters from the series' COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG, COW AND CHICKEN, ED, EDD N EDDY, I AM WEASEL, JOHNNY BRAVO, MIKE, LU & OG and SHEEP IN THE BIG CITY.

Interactive software publisher TDK Mediactive, Inc. and DreamWorks SKG have extended their exclusive video game license agreement for the SHREK franchise, including the SHREK sequel. The agreement is worldwide for all current game platforms. According to TDK, the worldwide sales of SHREK interactive titles have been highly successful, exceeding 1 million units across four platforms (Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color and PC CD-ROM). Additionally, most of the titles are available in six languages and are currently available in North and South America, Europe and Australia.

Design studio B1 Media has moved its headquarters to a new facility in Studio City, California, more than doubling the size of its previous space, and has added several new staffers to its growing talent base. Previously partnered in multimedia company Barbed Wire, Joshua Hatton has moved to B1 as an animator involved in 2D and 3D animation and motion graphics working on DVD, broadcast design and games. Game producer Jason Friedlander joins B1 from MTV's ROAD RULES where he was responsible for developing and writing game competitions.

Interactive entertainment publisher Infogrames, Inc. will ship its first DRAGON BALL Z video game for Game Boy Advance, DRAGON BALL Z: LEGACY OF GOKU on May 14, 2002. The popular DRAGON BALL Z series airs in the U.S. on Cartoon Network, averaging more than 1.5 million viewers per show. The new game encapsulates the show into an interactive experience that puts the DRAGON BALL Z world under control of the player. Developed by Webfoot Technologies, Inc., DRAGON BALL Z: THE LEGACY OF GOKU will be available nationwide on May 15, 2002 for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Game publisher THQ has been named the worldwide exclusive interactive game licensee for some of Marvel Enterprises' most popular comics properties including CAPTAIN AMERICA, THE PUNISHER and NICK FURY. The all-inclusive relationship grants THQ rights to all classic TV and film versions of each of the properties for every viable game system as well as PC, through 2007. The two companies also announced they will collaborate on the upcoming comic book series, THE CALL.

The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has announced the recipients of the 2nd Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, game development's highest honors. The awards were presented Thursday, March 21, 2002 during a ceremony at the San Jose Civic Auditorium as part of this year's annual Game Developers Conference (GDC). The celebration honored innovation as well as technical and artistic achievement in interactive entertainment.