Magic the Gathering

Dragon Ball Z

Yu-Gi-Oh!

Pokemon

HeroClix

NeoPets

Yu-Yu-Hakusho

Duel Masters

Pojo's Friday News Page
for August 6th, 2004

Duel Masters: Sempai Legends

The Darwinian process continues unabated as trading-card games vie for their survival. Teaming up with Atari, Wizards of the Coast has opened up a new assault against Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, and the omnipotent Magic franchises in the form of Duel Masters: Sempai Legends. Full Story

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Atari Announces Neverwinter Nights 2
Obsidian Entertainment to Develop Sequel to BioWare's Revolutionary Product

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 4, 2004--Atari Interactive, Inc., Obsidian Entertainment and BioWare Corp.(TM), under license from Hasbro, Inc., have announced plans for Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2, the sequel to BioWare Corp.'s best-selling and genre-defining role-playing game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons(R) Forgotten Realms(TM) universe created by Wizards of the Coast. Atari, Inc. will publish the title. Originally developed by BioWare, Neverwinter Nights has set a new standard in the role-playing genre with a deep and engrossing storyline; immersive character development; stunning graphics; and, an expansive multiplayer experience like none other.

"Neverwinter Nights is one of the most beloved RPG's of all time and we're pleased that Obsidian has taken on the challenge," said John Hight, executive producer, Atari. "Feargus and his team at Obsidian Entertainment are the best people on the planet to take up where BioWare left off and bring this great game to new levels. They are intimately familiar with what makes Neverwinter Nights special, they know what it takes to make a great game and they have the respect of the RPG community."  Full Story

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Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone
Exclusive: Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone Q&A

From the creators of The Two Towers, we get the lowdown on Demon Stone…

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone, which is scheduled for release in late 2004, is set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons world created by Wizards of the Coast and is being developed by Stormfront Studios. In the game the player directs a party of three characters - Fighter, Sorcerer and Rogue - switching control between characters on the fly. It will also feature the extraordinary talents of actors Patrick Stewart and Michael Clarke Duncan, who will lend their voices to two prominent roles in the video game which is already looking and sounding a real gem of a game. Full Story

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Paradox Grabs Avalon Hills Titles
The company takes over what Atari started.

August 04, 2004 - Paradox Entertainment announced today that they will be publishing and developing new PC titles based on the Avalon Hills games, Diplomacy and Squad Leader after acquiring the rights from Atari, Inc. and Hasbro, Inc. Previous Paradox titles include Europa Universalis, Hearts of Iron, and Crusader Kings. Full Story

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Fantasy gamers find Gathering place
Cape Cod, Mass. store a haven for youth entranced by computers, cards

Seth Lovely's hands glide across the keyboard as he hunkers down in the Bunker.

The Bunker is the computer game room at The Gathering, a store filled with computers and tournaments for "Yu-Gi-Oh!" "Magic" and other card games.
Full Story

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Fake Dragon Ball Z imports end on dump

Cape Town - The fight against the trade in counterfeit products, estimated at R600 million per annum, yesterday received some relief with the destruction of counterfeit branded confectionery worth R1.8 million.

The process of confiscating the counterfeit sweets started in March when the customs authorities in Cape Town informed Bowman Gilfillan, which acts on behalf of the proprietors of the Dragon Ball Z trade mark, that sweets with the same name were being imported into South Africa.

After confirming that these goods were counterfeit, Dragon Ball Z immediately filed a complaint with customs not to release these goods to the importer. This was followed by a cease and desist letter to the importer, after which a settlement agreement was reached. Full Story

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Dragon Ball Z Game Review

After the horrid experience that was Taiketsu last year, I wasn't exactly looking forward to a new Dragon Ball Z fighting game on the GBA. Luckily, Supersonic Warriors is about a thousand times better than Taiketsu, but that isn't really saying much. Supersonic Warriors does a few things that we haven't seen in DBZ games before, such as tag team matches, and also features the best flying and midair combat in any DBZ game to date. It is, however, still a simplistic button masher at heart.

Supersonic Warriors packs a ton of characters and a bunch of modes to use them in. Goku, Frieza, Buu, Gohan, and pretty much everyone else you could want are on hand to duke it out DBZ style.  Full Story

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Philly Eagles Safety a DBZ Fan

The Saiyans are a race of aliens in Dragon Ball Z, the cult Japanese cartoon. The Saiyans are unique because they grow stronger every time they lose a battle.

"That's the way I try to be," said Eagles safety Quintin Mikell, an obsessive Dragon Ball Z fan. "Once you make a mistake, you learn from it. Mistakes are OK as long as you get something out of them. Every time somebody passed on me or looked down on me, it made me work harder. It made me stronger."
Full Story

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Microsoft to buy Nintendo?
German magazine’s bizarre claim

A GERMAN financial organ, WirtschaftsWoche has created a stir by reporting that software maker and convicted monopolist Microsoft is planning to buy Nintendo. Full Story

Which Nintendo Denies: Other Story

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Nintendo Target Female Gamers

Nintendo announce the release of a “Pink” edition GameBoy Advance SP…

After the success of the Tribal Edition and the Limited Edition NES Edition, Nintendo today set its target towards female gamers with confirmation of a new ‘Pink’ model, in a move that is likely to anger as much as please the female gaming contingent.

That said the GameBoy Advance SP has found itself appealing to the female market with its sleek “compact” design; whilst we’ve always found ourselves fancy to a bit of Pink.

The GameBoy Advance SP “Pink” Edition is scheduled for release on October 29th. Article Source

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Nintendo Delivers a Bundle of Badass: Get Metroid Prime and a Bonus Disc -- Free! Learn How to Fight Like a Girl - a Butt-Kicking, Bounty-Hunting Girl

One of the toughest characters in the video game universe is about to become part of a powerful new package deal. Starting Aug. 15, Nintendo's Metroid(R) Prime Bonus Bundle gives consumers a Nintendo GameCube(TM) system and not one but two free discs. (Photo: Business Wire)

The great value of the bundle builds on the already-strong interest in Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and carries the enthusiasm into the holiday season. The bonus disc features a wealth of information about the Metroid franchise, such as:
Full Story

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"No new Xbox in the next year"

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has told a financial analyst meeting at the firm's Redmond headquarters that there will be "no new Xbox in the next year," prompting new speculation over the release date for the system. Full Story

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About 7,400 Pokemon plush toys recalled after tips of sewing needles found in stuffing

About 7,400 Pokemon plush toys -- more than a dozen different colorful characters in the form of dolls, beanbags and key chains -- are being recalled after tips of sewing needles were found in the stuffing.

New York City retailer Pokemon Center NY has received no injury reports, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Friday. The toy's Japanese maker, TOMY Co., announced a recall earlier this week of 626,000 of the popular dolls, almost all sold in Japan, after a needle was found inside a toy. Full Story

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The best question comes from a third-grader

I've been thinking a lot about interview questions lately, having recently gone through a stimulating interview process to be a K-8 principal. You have to answer a lot of questions in order to be a school principal, and I love a good question - better than a good answer, sometimes.

They did not, however, ask me the most important question: "Do you know what Pokémon is?" Full Story

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Star Wars Battlefront - Designer Diary #6 (PS2)
Documentation from a galaxy far, far away.

In this installment of our Star Wars Battlefront series, Jens Andersen (lead designer) discusses his philosophy on creating the design document for the game. Andersen is disappointed with the process in general and wanted to do something very different for Battlefront. Full Story

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