Velvet Assassin - Female Character

Replay Studios and publisher Gamecock has announced the official name change for ’Velvet Assassin’, their upcoming stealth-action title formerly known as ‘Sabotage’. The title is of interest to female gamers because it features a female protagonist in the form of real life hero Violette Szabo, a World War II Allied secret agent.

Velvet Assassin uses the clandestine art of sabotage Violette Szabo championed during the war period. The real story of Szabo is an amazing one--she coordinated sabotage attacks against the Germans and was a true war hero. Captured at a road block she was interrogated (including rape, torture techniques and brutal assaults). She was eventually executed in Feb 1945 at the age of 23.

SOE G.I.R.L. - Gamers In Real Life

Gamers in Real Life is a new initiative by SOE to "help girls get their game on". SOE has set up a progressive new scholarship program with The Art Institutes designed to educate and recruit more women into the video game industry.

The official SOE G.I.R.L. -- Gamers In Real Life -- scholarship is the first of its kind with The Art Institutes to encourage students toward career paths in the creative and applied arts, ultimately resulting in the development of games that are more interesting for women to play.

"It's no secret to female gamers: Women are out there in significant numbers, playing MMOs, action games, first-person shooters, etc. What is lacking in the equation are women behind these games and we hope G.I.R.L. can help support this program," said Torrie Dorrell, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, Sony Online Entertainment. "SOE's program is a key component of our G.I.R.L. initiative because the scholarship will be the gateway for one student into this field of expertise; I invite other publishers to join us in supporting this initiative."

This is awesome news for young women wanting to get into the industry. Be sure and check out the official G.I.R.L. website for more information.

Fable 2 details

Peter Molyneux has dropped a few more tidbits about Lionhead's upcoming title Fable 2. First and most importantly, Fable 2 will feature co-op play where you and pals can jump in and out of the singleplayer game and whatever happens in there goes home with you to your own game (say if you accrue money or whatever). Molyneux was speaking at the GDC when he made the announcements, which also included news that a gambling mini game will be released via XBLA a few weeks before Fable 2 releases.

This is sounding more and more interesting all the time, especially as you can now choose a male or female playable character. Here’s hoping it lives up to the incredible hype that is only going to build as the release draws nearer (presently scheduled for November 15).

Gears of War 2 - teaser

Gears of War was a splendid title on the Xbox 360, albeit with an ending that sort of left us sitting there going “is that the end of the game”. Anyway the boys in Delta Squad will be heading back our way this September. Sadly we’re not expecting any cool female soldiers to have joined Delta Squad given it’s uber-macho ridiculousness, but we have contacted the developer just to clarify.

In the meantime though, why not whet your appetites on this new trailer for the sequel, it’s red, black and squelchy.

Fatal Hearts a cute adventure

Fatal Hearts is a replayable adventure game by Hanako Games and it seems at least to be pretty girl gamer friendly. In Fatal Hearts you take on the role of a teenager named Christina, she’s having some weird dreams lately and young girls are being murdered in her town.

You can download a preview of Fatal Hearts HERE. Some of the puzzles are a little out there, but if you can get through that, you might actually enjoy this little adventure.

Mario Kart Wii controls

If you’re one of the people that was worried the steering wheel controller for Mario Kart Wii wasn’t going to cut it for you with regards to controlling the title, fear not, Nintendo have your butt covered. According to reports coming out of GDC08, Mario Kart Wii will be compatible with pretty much all the Wii controllers. This means you’ll be able to zoom around the circuit using the Wiimote Steering Wheel gizmo, the Wiimote and Nunchuk together, the classic controller and even the good ole GameCube controller.

This is great news for retro fans who were worried the magic of Mario Kart was going to be squelched under the hoof of wireless motion sensing. Other Mario Kart news includes the addition of motorbikes and according to some sources the previously nixed Baby Peach will appear after all.

Hello Kitty MMO goes beta

Gaming is subjective, let's get that out of the way right now. This title makes me personally cringe as a female gamer, not least of all because it works on the assumption that ALL female gamers love the pink and frilly (argh). Still I realize there are those female gamers out there that are going to love this, so this one's for you.

Sanrio Digital has announced the closed beta launch of "Hello Kitty Online", a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) based on the famous Sanrio characters. Hello Kitty Online allows players to explore and adventure in Sanrio's fantasy world, a magical land that has recently fallen under the influence of a mysterious and malevolent power.

You can subscribe to the closed beta at Hello Kitty Online, assuming you survive the glee filled music and overall rainbow filled, candy smelling stench of the thing (it didn't really smell like candy, but if I had smellovision I know it would have!).

Spore by Will Wright finally gets release date

Spore finally has a release date and it is September 5 for Europe and September 7 for the USA. Shocking isn't it, PAL sectors are getting a massive title a couple of days before the US. Don't feel bad USer's, look at the bright side, you'll have had RockBand 6 months to a year before PAL regions and most other games earlier too. We can but assume the EU date will be the same for Oz.

Spore gives players their own personal universe in a box. Create and evolve life, establish tribes, build civilizations, sculpt entire worlds and explore a universe created by other gamers. Spore gives players a wealth of creative tools to customize nearly every aspect of their universe: creatures, vehicles, buildings, and even UFOs. Players can then seamlessly share their creations with the world or explore infinite new galaxies created by other gamers.

Here's hoping this turns out to be as amazing as people seem to think it will be and not one massive hype filled let down. You can check it out at www.spore.com

PSP concept makes us drool

This is so awesome when we saw it we had to share it. This is a PSP concept drawing done by a very clever PSP fan. The only problem we can see with it is the same issue the present PSP models have, a lovely big shiny screen open to the elements.

There are rumors aplenty that a new PSP model is already in the works, so time will tell what it looks like. Here's hoping Sony are paying attention to concepts like this one and perhaps paying this talented gamer to help out with the new PSP design.
Via [Gizmodo]

GGAU Wii-kly Virtual Channel Update

The two games joining the lineup this week are considered cult classics, yet they deal with topics as varied as farm management and shooting enemies to the strains of heavy-metal tunes. Just don't get the two mixed up, since most livestock don't like heavy metal and it takes more than turnips to defeat fire-spewing sea serpents.

Nintendo adds new games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Harvest Moon (Super NES, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone, 800 Wii Points): You bought the farm, so now it's time to roll up your sleeves and try living off the fat of the land. Fresh air and the beauty of the outdoors will be fulfilling, but a successful farm needs a lot of working capital as well. There are buildings on your property, but they are in need of livestock. You have a modest house, but if things get lonely in the field, it's going to take a remodel to woo a female farming companion. Your challenge is to dig in and build your life as a farmer from the ground up. How you manage will determine the outcome, but remember: You always reap what you sow.

Lords of Thunder (TurboGrafx-16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Lords of Thunder is a side-scrolling shooter that has you take on the role of a legendary warrior, blasting enemies to heavy-metal tunes. Your enemies are plotting to revive Zaggart, "The Dark One," who was sealed beneath the six continents of Mistral. It's up to Landis, descendant of the heroic Dyu, to stop them. Choose the order in which to attack the six stages. Before each stage, select one of four magic armors and use crystals you've collected during your battles to buy items. Selecting the right armor for each stage is the key to your ultimate victory. Then get ready to face awesome enemies like a fire-spewing sea serpent or a giant insect. Whether it's the fast-paced shooting or breaking into the fortress of a stage boss, you'll be blown away by the intensity of Lords of Thunder.

A Vampyre Story - PC adventure

Hell-tech, the leading Greek Adventure-Publisher, has announced that it has secured the publishing rights to critically acclaimed PC-based, Adventure “A Vampyre Story” developed by Autumn Moon Entertainment and “The Abbey” developed by Alcachofa Soft.

“We are pleased to announce this partnership with Crimson Cow. The agreement is a logical step for us, as Crimson Cow shows the same enthusiasm for great adventures like we do.” said Christos Triantafyllou, Managing Director of hell-tech.

ABOUT A Vampyre Story:
This graphic adventure game, with traditional point-and-click gameplay, tells the tale of a beautiful gifted opera singer Mona De Lafitte, whose life is brought to an abrupt end by a vampire baron named Shrowdy Von Kiefer. Henceforth, she is doomed to a miserable existence as a creature of the night in Von Kiefer's gloomy castle in Draxsylvania. Confronted with her seemingly hopeless fate, she decides to run away and try to fulfil her dream of singing at the Paris Opera. Accompanied by her mischievous bat Froderick, Mona must face a number of challenges in her odyssey and learn not only to accept her vampire nature, but also to use the abilities she has acquired to her advantage.

A Vampyre Story was penned by Bill Tiller, the founder of Autumn Moon Entertainment. A former employee of Lucas Arts, Tiller won himself a place in the hearts of adventure fans through his work on titles such as Steven Spielberg's The Dig, the legendary The Curse of Monkey Island, and Indiana Jones. A Vampyre Story combines modern 3D animation with the qualities of classic 2D adventure design and a unique graphical style.

BOOM BLOX by Steven Spielberg & EA

EA has announced that BOOM BLOX, the first game developed in collaboration between EA and director and producer Steven Spielberg, is set for a May 2008 release for Nintendo Wii. This high-energy game features more than 300 levels, a cast of more than thirty wacky characters, and an easy-to-use in-game editor that allows players to express their creativity.

“I am a gamer myself, and I really wanted to create a video game that I could play with my kids,” said Steven Spielberg. “BOOM BLOX features an enormous amount of fun challenges and cool scenarios for your kids to solve or for you to master together.”

Fun for kids and the entire family, BOOM BLOX offers action-packed interactive activities that takes Wii play to a new level of creativity and fun with single player, co-op, and versus gameplay. Players can experience the visceral gameplay - perfectly suited for the Wii’s interactive motion-sensitive controls - through brain-twisting challenges. They can interact with entertaining characters such as the block-laying chickens or baseball-throwing monkeys across four themed environments - Tiki, Medieval, Frontier, and Haunted.

ELF Online RPG

I can't believe we're even highlighting this press release to our female readership, but let's look at this as humorous, for numerous reasons shall we. Okay firstly there's the bad English in this press release, secondly there is the ridiculous notions it spouts. Here's a direct quote:

"According to a survey in game, most of girls do not choose the dated swords, huge axes and falchions. They prefered these creative weapons that are unique in Elf Online (http://elf.happymmo.com/) such clothes rack, fishing rod, ferule, strap and some other strange items that makes them special in game. To some extend, what girls compete in game is not only who gets the most powerful weapons but also who get the most peculiar one."

Fair enough, I know I'd rather do some damage with a clothes rack than a bastard sword *cough*, how about you guys?

Spandex Force - PC & Mac puzzle title

Spandex Force is a new title by KarjaSoft for the PC and Mac and if you like Puzzle Quest you might want to give it a look. Our friends over at LesbianGamers.com pointed this one out to us and highly recommended it, so we went and took a look and sure enough it was a load of fun.

Spandex Force is a puzzle game wehre you take on the role of a superhero at the beginning of her (or his) career. As with Puzzle Quest you play color matching puzzle sequences to build up your powers before smiting the enemy. We believe in supporting the smaller develoeprs out there, so get over to the Spandex Force website and download the demo.

GDAA - Australian Games Industry Event info

GDAA will be hosting a private invitation only Australian Games Industry Business Networking Event in conjunction with Austrade on 21st February during the GDC conference and expo in San Francisco. This will be a major marketing event for the export focused game developers in Australia.

“We are limiting the invitation to around 50 – 60 key CEOs and decision-makers (publishers, investors, game developers etc) to the event at which real business can be conducted in relaxed and corporate environment” said Greg Bondar, CEO of the GDAA.

Australian Game Developers will be showcasing their capabilities at the business session.

“GDC is a world class event and an important event on the Australian game developers’ calendar and GDAA will be making the point to all international investors, publishers and game developers that making games is a serious business in Australia” added Greg Bondar.

Tomb Raider Underworld - looks good

Tomb Raider Underworld is a new adventure for Lara Croft that will be available on the PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, PSP, PC, DS and PS2 Christmas 2008. Tomb Raider Evolution will be set around the mystery of an ancient Mayan calendar and rumor has it the story may involve Lara searching for her Mother, which would make sense given the storyline of the previous Tomb Raider title Tomb Raider Legend.

Developer Crystal Dynamics has stated Lara has now been done with full motion capture, lending a more fluid and realistic nature to her moves. The motion capture was done using a champion gymnast. The above image is one of the first screenshots to appear for the new game. We can't wait!

Silent Hill Origins headed for PS2

Konami Digital Entertainment has announced that its hugely popular Silent Hill Origins title is to be released for PlayStation 2 in May following its enormous success as a PSP title.

Due for release in May, Silent Hill Origins acts as a prequel to the popular horror series, and follows troubled truck driver, Travis Grady, who gets stuck in the terrifying town while making a routine delivery. He quickly discovers that all is not well in the fog-smothered town, and that its shrouded streets hide grotesque creatures and dark secrets. Moreover, as he explores the seemingly abandoned town, Grady is confronted by crippling memories from his troubled past and it becomes clear he must escape from Silent Hill while resolving the memories that have plagued him since childhood.

The PlayStation 2 version offers a visually enhanced version of the PSP game, with a host of elements that are new to the franchise and provide the player with an enhanced sensation of isolation. While the game retains the cinematic experience of the previous games, it also has an intuitive ‘Cineractive System’ that allows players to face down horrifying monsters while the control scheme changes intuitively for each situation.

Silent Hill Origins will be released for PlayStation 2 in May 2008.

Back after a break

Hey gamers,
we've been away, working on different projects, but now we're back and we'll be bringing you gaming news from now on. Anything related specifically to girl gaming or Australian gaming will appear here. This will include girl gamers Australia news, Female Gamer News in general, general news relating to video gaming in Australia and a few quirky posts we think might be of interest to you, be it a cool game store review, movie review you might want to pop in your PS3 or general geeky news.

We're part of the Female Gamer Network, which includes the very funky Lesbian Gamers .com and Lesbian Geek .com, both sites will be sharing relevant news with us here also, so thanks to them too.

Let's get to it shall we!