Budding game developers out there might be interested in finding out what Infinity Interactive and D3Publisher did to make Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, DS, Wii, PC, Mobile) successful. If that's the case, head on over to the full article by clicking on the "read more" link below.

If you're one of those people who think Dark Sector (Xbox 360, PS3) is just going to be another Gears of War (Xbox 360, PS3) clone, Associate Producer David Kudirka is more than willing to argue that point. He explains what makes the game stand out and also details its in-house game engine as well as the possibilities of creating a PC or Wii version for Dark Sector. To find out more about this, you can read the full article for more information.

We can't have a whole slew of QuickJump QuickPeek special editions without having QuickList's own fanfare, now can we? As one of QJ.NET's mainstay features that crop up every now and then, this QuickJump QuickList special edition will be especially special to be redundantly descriptive. We're compiling a unique list of games from 2007 that we here in QJ.NET believe aren't worth missing out on. On to the list at the full article!

The European division of D3Publisher has polished up its titles for maximum exposure at the vast Leipzig Business and Convention Center, Germany. And in the Games Convention Developers Conference (GCDC) fast approaching in less than a month, gamers are assured that the presence of Dark Sector, Ben 10: Protector of Earth, Ed, Edd and Eddy: Scam of the Century, and Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire will be felt throughout the four-day European-centric event.

 

The Leipzig Convention will be the first event to feature playable, early versions of Dark Sector (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC), a third-person horror, action adventure combining bio-weapons and morphing to truly recreate a plague-ravaged Eastern Europe.

And right off from the Cartoon Network, Ben 10: Protector of Earth (Wii, DS, PSP, PS2) will have players wielding the Omnitrix as Ben Tennyson, fending off the evil Kevin 11 and arch-enemy Vilgax. The game is planned to extend the cartoon adventures straight to accessible consoles, including popular handhelds.

Ed, Edd and Eddy: Scam of the Century (DS) will pit the triple misbehaving E's against their own neighborhood, after Captain Melonhead gains possession of their book of schemes and distributes it to everyone. The adventure game will have gamers scouring for the book through puzzles and the trio's collection of skills, before each of their schemes can be used against them.

Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire (Wii) will also be featured at Leipzig. This "massive" RPG was designed especially for the Nintendo Wii and its pair of trusty controllers, allowing players to control movement and attacks through the Wiimote and Nunchuk. The plot and storyline was penned by none other than "DragonLance" creator Richard A. Knack himself, and the game will be available for hands-on demonstration at the event.

Check out the D3Publisher Europe stand, labeled K37, at the first Hall of the Business Center starting August 22-28, 2007.

It was a hit on the Nintendo DS and the Sony PSP. It's even coming out on Xbox Live. Like it or not (though we're sure you like it), Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a phenomenal success, thanks to its addicting combination of casual gameplay with RPG elements. Puzzle Quest is really making itself known, and the only way to let more people know about this great game is to take it into new territory.

That's right, folks. The big news in Puzzle Quest land is the official announcement of Wii, PS2, PC, and mobile versions of the game. D3Publisher has confirmed the game's release on those four platforms, promising to bring even more puzzle-based RPG gameplay to the masses.

According to their recent press release, Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is slated for a fall release on the Nintendo Wii, Sony PS2, and PC. Mobile users need not fret, however, as a version made specifically for them will also be coming out sometime in early 2008. We'll keep you updated on the latest news regarding these new versions of Puzzle Quest, but for now, be happy at the news of the game's expansion.

A recent press release by D3Publisher of America has announced that they have just entered an agreement with Vicious Cycle Software, where the makers of the Vicious Engine for consoles, handhelds and PC platforms shall become a subsidiary of D3PA after the agreement pulls through.

 

D3Publisher was signed up as Vicious Cycle Software's publisher for Dead Head Fred for the PSP, but it appears that D3Publisher wishes to extend their relations with the North Carolina-based developer studio for a much longer time. And Vicious Cycle will be marked their first true internal developer studio as soon as the share acquisition agreement is successfully concluded.

"Having worked with D3PA for the past few years, we know the company shares our passion for creative excellence and our commitment to quality," said Eric Peterson, president of Vicious Cycle Software. He added that they are excited to be part of the D3Publisher family and providing their skills and talents to D3PA's game portfolio.

Details of the agreement seems to affect nothing throughout the management of Vicious Cycle, as the current leadership will not be changed nor shall the studio be moved from North Carolina. That said, financial figures pertaining to the acquisition have not been revealed, however.

Vicious Cycle Software, founded back in 2000 by former MicroProse game developers, is a developer for titles for a broad range of customers, including educational titles for children and action games for the mobile gamers. Their works include titles that were released on the Sony PS2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube. They have recently focused a development effort toward the Windows platforms.

However, since the release of their Vicious Engine middleware solution, they have delivered a cross-platform edge for games on both the next-gen and current-gen consoles. The Vicious Engine was conceptualized back in 2005, but recent improvements to the software allowed the engine to be the first to extend toward the Wii and the PSP.

 

If you've been wondering how the holy heck D3Publisher's Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords' (PSP, NDS) combination of puzzle gameplay with RPG and strategy works out (because trying to imagine it is driving us up the wall), the chance has come with the publisher releasing a demo of the said puzzle-RPG-strategy game.

But it's not an EBOOT, it's not a flashcart, it's not a mailed UMD. It's a demo for the PC.

Not even the Pocket PC. Well, there goes the in-the-pocket, on-the-go testing. But it is a sneak peek at gameplay nonetheless. The Read link below takes you to D3Publisher's website where you can download the 34MB demo and install it to the PC. The game's set for release later in March.

According to a recent news article by 3D Gamers, Digital Extremes has announced that the development of the PC version of Dark Sector has been stopped. The statement was made after some people noted the absence of the PCCD logo on the official site and the D3Publisher's silence about the issue.

This is a bit of a shocker especially for those awaiting the PC version of the game, but hey, at least not all of the versions will be cancelled. Maybe the devs didn't need to be distracted from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions?

Dark Sector, a sci-fi 3D game running on the "Sector Engine", is set for release on the mentioned next-gen consoles on Q3. Hayden Tenno and the cool looking glaive that grows back would soon be gracing the consoles in a few months.