Psychonauts now on Steam

Majesco Entertainment Company and Valve, maker of the Half-Life series, announced today that Psychonauts, Tim Schafer and Double Fine Production's award winning, mind-bending comedic action/adventure, is now available on Steam, Valve's PC game download service. For those of you who haven't heard of Tim Schafer, he's the genius behind the classic Lucasarts adventure/puzzle games Full Throttle and Grim Fandango. Schafer, deciding to put his two cents into the press release, said, “So for the press release… uh… man, it’s tough because every single ‘steam’ related play on words has already been done. Double Fine and Valve: with a love this hot, you know there’s gotta be STEAM! How about that?” Psychonauts is now available for download on Steam for $19.95 USD at www.steamgames.com and is still rated T for Teen.

Introducing: The ECA (Entertainment Consumers Association)

Its slogan is “Give your passion a voice” and its name is the Entertainment Consumers Association. The ECA, not to be confused with the ESA (Entertainment Software Association), is a newly formed web-based consumer organization looking to offer gamers the chance to rally for their favourite pastime. Its advocacy efforts include consumer rights, anti-games legislation and other public policy concerns. The ECA was founded by industry veteran and advocate Hal Halpin, and is a non-profit membership organization designed to give gamers the resources to stand up for their gaming rights “while taking advantage of exclusive membership and affinity benefits.” The press release continues on reading, ”The mission of the ECA is to give gaming consumers a voice and ensure that state and local politicians hear their concerns and appreciate their demographic power. The organization is designed to be an advocate for the interactive entertainment consumers who represent nearly fifty percent of the population, whose average age is 33, and spends $10 billion annually on gaming, yet are continually overlooked by politicians and the mainstream press. Gaming fans must make themselves heard, and the ECA gives them a vehicle to do so.”

Membership, which will cost $19.99 USD annually, will allow entertainment consumers to connect with like minded gamers, and probably some non-like minded gamers, stay on top of industry issues and events, explore career and educational opportunities in gaming and voice their opinions on issues. Membership benefits will also include subscription discounts from industry partners, savings on game purchases and rentals, access to industry events and more. Currently, the ECA is running a contest for all people who sign up, giving them a chance to win a Playstation 3. The ECA is also considering adding career assistance and guidance, scholarships and financial aid and, as strange as it may sound, “low-rate affinity credit cards, and even low cost comprehensive individual health and life insurance for members.” For more information, or to join the ECA, go to www.theeca.com.

AEGIA to show off pre-release PhysX titles

AEGIA Technologies will have a booth at this year's DigitalLife show, and if you're lucky enough to be there you'll get to see an exclusive sneak preview of a series of upcoming games, which were designed to be powered by the company's PhysX system. The list of titles to be shown include CellFactor, Infernal, Black-Out Saigon and Stoked Rider: Alaska Alien. There will be other, released titles to be playable at AEGIA's booth including Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, City of Villains and Bet on Soldier: Blood of Sahara. As if that wasn't enough, AEGIA will also be showcasing RealityMark benchmark, Dark Physics toolkit, more of the latest in its game physics feature enhancements, daily presentations on the futures of advanced physics gaming in the DigitalLife Theater and will host a “celebrity appearance” on Sunday, October 15^th. DigitalLife 2006 is being held at the Javits Center in New York City, October 12^th to the 15^th. For more information, go to www.digitallife.com.

Activision goes Over the Hedge

Activision announced that it started shipping Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! for Game Boy Advance today. The game, which will also be releasing in varying versions for Nintendo DS, on October 24^th, and PSP, in November, features thirty levels in which players can play as nine different characters and are equipped with boomerangs, golf clubs and other backyard items. In the Nintendo DS version, players help Hammy and other woodland creatures explore neighbourhood homes for items that will help them get revenge on Dwayne the Exterminator. The PSP version will be completely 3D, with new characters, environments, wireless multiplayer gameplay and the “Hammy Time” feature, which will allow Hammy to race around and overcome opponents in the blink of an eye. For more information on the game and its different versions, go to www.activision.com. Over the Hedge: Hammy Goes Nuts! Is available today for Game Boy Advance, for $29.99 USD/$34.99 CAD. The Nintendo DS version will be $29.99 USD/$39.99 CAD, and the PSP version will be $39.99 USD and CAD. Each of the versions will be rated E for everyone.

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