India's new export: video games

India's new export: video games: "With multiple limbs and each hand wielding a different weapon, the fearsome Indian warrior-goddess Kali is a natural video-game character. And next year, Kali will be coming to game consoles, PCs, and mobile phones around the globe.

Indiagames, a Mumbai-based company, is currently working the goddess into the first original, Indian-themed game for international audiences.

Kali is appearing in the forthcoming Emperor Ashoka (pronounced 'Ah-shoke,' with the 'a' silent), which recreates battles from the life of a legendary Indian king who lived in the third century B.C. The game allows players to engage in bloody historic battles based in ancient temples and other antique environments.

Some mythical creatures are also thrown in -- in addition to Kali, there are gargoyle-like interpretations of the voluptuous female statues that adorn sacred buildings in India, who come alive and fight. "We wanted to have an edge," says Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal. "It's a storyline that hasn't been seen before."

Preorder keys now available for Roma Victor

Game News : "RedBedlam Ltd declares the pre-order phase open for its Roman Empire based MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) Roma Victor. The first 1, 500 account keys are available from the Roma Victor website. Pre-ordering will also ensure immediate access to the ongoing Commercial Test phase so participants will have the opportunity to join the ranks of current testers helping to balance the game.

Additionally, pre-order participants and the game's veteran testers will enjoy exclusive access to the post-launch game world on the Ides of March 2006 - a full 2-weeks in advance of the full launch."

"Roma Victor is based in the Roman Empire, circa 180AD. Most of Europe is in the clutches of the Roman Empire. Commodus has succeeded his father Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher Emperor and is exerting tyrannical influence. The Praetorians keep a strict and oppressive rule over the entire Empire, which is defended and (outside Rome) largely policed by the Legions. Many Barbarian outposts and enclaves exist peacefully outside Imperial rule particularly in Britannia, Gaul and Germania. These people however always live in fear of the Legions, which threaten their culture and their very existence. If they stand united, they may just hold them off.

Roma Victor® is the pilot project of RedBedlam Ltd., a Brighton-based development company set up with the express purpose of building compelling and exciting virtual worlds. Since it's inception back in May 2001, RedBedlam's ethos has been one of community involvement, with the belief that the best products are those that are built with the player in mind. To this end, each and every aspect of this game's development has taken place with direct participation from the online gaming community."

Titan Quest rather shallow RPG

Although "Titan Quest" is set in the ancient world and has impressive graphics, I couldn't see much of a narrative to the gameplay. I watched a video clip and it showed a character hacking and slashing a hoard of satyrs then, when the enemy was joined by a huge Cyclops, the character magically grew to "titan" size and crushed them all. The game was produced by a new company headed by a former founder of the company that released "Diablo". I realize Diablo was a hit in its time but for the more history-driven player, Diablo's relative is not going to offer much in the intellectually stimulating department. I think I'll pass on this one when it is released in 2006.

CDV Software Entertainment Strikes Deal with Enlight Software for "Glory of the Roman Empire"

CDV Software Entertainment AG: "CDV Software Entertainment AG ('CDV', Prime Standard, ISIN DE0005488126), one of the leading German publishers and distributors of computer and video games, today concluded an important agreement with Enlight Software Ltd. on the development and global marketing of three PC games with the working titles 'Glory of the Roman Empire', 'Hotel Empire' and 'Seven Kingdoms: Conquest'."

Prince of Persia The Two Thrones Now Available

Designtechnica: "Video game publisher Ubisoft last week announced they had made available the latest installment in the long standing Prince of Persia video game franchise. Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones is available now for $49.99 and a ?M? for Mature rating for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube and PC.

Prince of Persia The Two Thrones, said Ubisoft, finishes off the Sands of Time trilogy by creating a storyline which ends up making the Prince possessed by a dark spirit. This possession allows players to play as one of two distinct characters, engaging enemies in a free-style combat system which allows for a variety of different combat options. Other features in Prince of Persia The Two Thrones include running battles through ancient Babylon, a dramatic storyline, story drive puzzles and the ability to manipulate time to execute powerful attacks."

Nibiru: Age of Secrets

Martin Holan, a linguistics and archeology student, has been contacted by his uncle to examine a mysterious World War II tunnel unearthed while building a new highway in Bohemia.

A friend of Martin?s uncle is supposed to meet Martin upon his arrival to brief him on the mysterious discovery, however when he arrives in Prague he discovers she has been murdered.

What begins as a short expedition to Prague to examine an enigmatic tunnel turns into a dangerous and thrilling mystery.

Murder, deception, the deep dark secrets of the Nazis, and the demise of the Mayan civilization, have our hero reeling into the heart of an exhilarating adventure.