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Pojo's Friday News Page
for August 13th, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Funimation is your anime oasis at Wizard World Chicago!

Come join us this weekend at Wizard World Chicago, in Rosemont, Ill at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center. That's right, it's held at the same location as Anime Central if that helps you out with location.

It's Al's first trip to Chicago so come by and check him out! We'll be giving away posters, and Wizard World marks the debut of our Case Closed poster! Now don't think that means we're leaving the others at home, we're bringing a ton of Fullmetal Alchemist goodies to give out as well!
We've had lots of new title announcements this year, so come by and check out trailers for some of our new titles and what's going on with your continuing favorites. If you're cosplaying at this con, please come by our booth! We love cosplayers and if you're dressed as a character from one of our titles...we love you even more! How much more?! Well, how about putting you in a drawing to win 5 dvds or a boxset of your choice, how's that sound?

Could it get any better? Did we mention that Atari's bringing a sweet setup of Yu Yu Hakusho: Dark Tournament for the PS2 and DBZ: Buu's Fury for the GBA! Not only that, but be there for their unveiling of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 for the PS2! They're also packed to bursting with lots of goodies and the information you've been craving about these games.

Now why settle for just seeing the characters on our collective screens, when it's just a quick trip to the Score Entertainment booth to meet the actors behind the voices of Yuusuke Urameshi (Justin Cook), and Kuwabara (Chris Sabat) from Yu Yu Hakusho, and then from DragonBall GT , Trunks (Eric Vale) and Vegeta (that Sabat guy again!).

Once you tire of the comic books and stormtroopers, head for the FUNimation booth for your anime and gaming fix.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPPER DECK ENTERTAINMENT VS. SYSTEM $1 MILLION PRO CIRCUIT MAKES DEBUT IN INDIANAPOLIS AT GEN CON 2004

Top Winners to be Awarded with $250,000 in Cash Prizes at Tournament Event

Pro Circuit Tournament to Take Place Friday, August 20 to Sunday, August 22 in the Indianapolis Convention Center

CARLSBAD - August 12, 2004 - Upper Deck Entertainment races into Indianapolis in August with the new Vs. System $1 million Pro Circuit. The first of four stops, the Pro Circuit tournament at Gen Con Indy will allow savvy super hero trading card game fans to put their skills to the test and compete for $250,000 in cash prizes. The main event will run on Friday and Saturday, August 20 and 21, with the finals running on Sunday, August 22, at Gen Con Indy 2004 in the Indianapolis Convention Center.

The winner of the Vs. System Pro Circuit tournament will be awarded $40,000, while the remaining top finishers will earn cash prizes ranging from $750 to $22,000. Every player and judge who participates in the Pro Circuit Tournament will be given a special extended art promotional card.

Players in the Pro Circuit Tournaments are qualified entrants, who have won a previous Pro Circuit Qualifier Tournament at the local level. Players can also earn a spot by becoming a top ten player at an Upper Deck Entertainment Vs. System $10,000 Convention Championship, receiving courtesy invites from Upper Deck Entertainment; or winning one of the "Last Chance Tournaments"
(Thursday, August 18).

The new $1 million Pro Circuit currently supports the Vs. System -- UDE's new and unique game engine designed specifically to support super heroes in traditional one-on-one competition. The game engine appears in Upper Deck Entertainment's new super hero trading card games, retains excitement in multiplayer format, and is designed to support sealed pack and booster draft formats. Development of the game included testing by top professional TCG players from around the world to ensure that the Vs. System is carefully balanced for high-level competition, as well as casual play.

For more information on the Vs. System $1 million Pro Circuit, additional tournaments, or Upper Deck products, please log onto http://www.upperdeckentertainment.com/
 

About The Upper Deck Company, LLC.
The Upper Deck Company, LLC is a premier sports/entertainment publishing company which delivers a portfolio of relevant, innovative and multi-dimensional product experiences to collectors, sports and entertainment enthusiasts. Founded in 1988, The Upper Deck Company, LLC is located in Carlsbad, Calif.

About Gen Con
Gen Con, LLC and The Best Four Days in Gaming* are wholly owned by Peter Adkison, former CEO and founder of Wizards of the Coast. Now in its 36th year, the Gen Con Game Fair has become the largest annual consumer fantasy, sci-fi and adventure game convention in North America. Each year, game enthusiasts converge to share a common enthusiasm and a long weekend of interactive play, to participate in hobby-related events and meet celebrity guests. With more than 23,000 attendees each year and more new product introductions than any other consumer game convention in the U.S, Gen Con is an annual destination for fans of adventure games, fantasy and science fiction. This year marks Gen Con's debut in Indianapolis, IN.

Wizards of the Coast's newest addition to the Dungeons & Dragons game

The creator of the Eberron campaign setting joined the crowd at Turbine Nation 2004 to share his thoughts and answer questions about Wizards of the Coast's newest addition to the Dungeons & Dragons game which will also be the setting for Dungeons & Dragon's Online.

Keith Baker prefaced his talk with a few statements and questions:

"Dungeons & Dragons has been around for thirty years and is finally coming online." Full Story

Neverwinter Nights 2 Announced - Scheduled Ror Release In 2006

Atari Interactive, Inc., Obsidian Entertainment and BioWare Corp., under license from Hasbro, Inc., have announced plans for Neverwinter Nights 2, the sequel to BioWare Corp.'s best-selling and genre-defining role-playing game set in the popular Dungeons & Dragons Forgotten Realms 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. Full Story

Artesia Becomes RPG

ARCHAIA STUDIOS PRESS TURNS ARTESIA INTO ROLEPLAYING GAME
Critically acclaimed and award-winning series to debut as RPG in December.

Archaia Studios Press (ASP) is pleased to announce that for the first time ever the award-winning graphic novel Artesia will come to life as a fully realized roleplaying game called Artesia: Adventures in The Known World. Based on ASP’s Artesia comic books and graphic novels, Artesia: Adventures in The Known World (ISBN: 1-932386-10-6, Stock# ASP1010, $29.95, 192 pages, full-color, 8.5" x 11") is slated for a December 2004 release. A sneak peak of the cover can be found here. Full Story

The veteran developer talks about BioWare, Neverwinter Nights 2, KOTOR II, and Fallout 3.

Last spring, Feargus Urquhart left Black Isle Studios, the internal studio at Interplay he founded in 1998. At the time, his departure looked like an ignominious end to a storied career. While at Interplay, Urquhart helped craft some of the most acclaimed role-playing series of the late 1990s, including Fallout, Baldur's Gate, and Icewind Dale. Full Story

Gran Turismo for PSP a Straight Port of GT4 from PS2?

SCE has posted an interview with Gran Turismo producer Kazunori Yamauchi on its official Japanese site, revealing that the PSP version is planned to have the same amount of content as the PlayStation 2 version. Although the game is essentially a port from the PlayStation 2 version, the company will trim and alter the game for the PSP's handheld format.

"Currently, we are testing to see what needs to be chiseled off to bring GT4 to the PSP," said Yamauchi. "In terms of volume, it is carrying the GT4 name so we are planning to have the same volume of content as the PlayStation 2."
Full Story

ESPN NFL 2K5

If you keep trying harder, sooner or later, you’ll reap the rewards. Each season, Sega’s ESPN NFL series has been making steady progress in its quest for video-game football stardom. This year, the design guys at Visual Concepts have turned ESPN NFL 2K5 into the most entertaining show in video-game football.
Full Story

Gametrak's PS2 and PC motion-tracker prepares for launch
In2games' intriguing new peripheral

As insatiable games journalists eagerly await Nintendo’s promised peripheral revolution and the curious ‘Manebito’ camera gadget, In2Games has confirmed that it will be unveiling its own revolutionary motion-tracking system for PC and PS2 at Gamestars Live this September. Unlike standard camera technology such as Sony’s Eyetoy, Gametrak can measure forward and backward motions as well as lateral ones. This innovation opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. Full Story

'Yu-Gi-Oh!' brings its anime magic to the big screen

Kids may worry about monsters under their beds, but they love to master the beasts in "Yu-Gi-Oh!"

The outrageously successful anime series, which began airing on the Cartoon Network in the U.S. in 2001 — two years after it began in Japan — is about to leap to the big screen with "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie," opening Friday. Full Story

Lexington artist wins big with Pokemon

You might say that May Do has a special connection with Pokemon.

The 11-year-old Lexington Middle School student has left a permanent mark on the well-known children’s characters. She is one of five students from across the country to become Pokemon Trading Card Game illustrators after being named a grand prize winner in the Kids WB! Pokemon Card Creator Contest.

May won for her drawing of the character Torchic. Her illustration, along with those of the other winners, will be printed on game cards and produced into special Kids’ WB! Pokemon booster packs. Each winner’s name will be listed on the card as an illustrator. Full Story

Nintendo DS: 64 titles confirmed

Major Japanese developers have announced significant backing for Nintendo DS, the innovative portable video game system from Nintendo that will revolutionise the video game industry. Some 32 companies, including Sega, Capcom, Konami, Square Enix and Namco, have a total of 64 games in development for Nintendo DS. Full Story

Exclusive Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 Interview

We recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Daisuke Uchiyama, the producer for Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 at Bandai. While Budokai 2 was known for its dramatically upgraded visuals that brought the look closer to the animated series, Budokai 3 will attempt to bring to life the feel of the fight in the comics and anime to the latest installment. Full Story

First Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3 Video Goes Live Tomorrow

The time is fast approaching for Atari's unveiling of Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3. The game will be showcased at the Wizard World Convention in Chicago, but you'll also be able to see the video in its entirety only here on Gamepro.com, on Sat, August 14, noon.

While the jump from Budokai 1 to 2 was primarily an aesthetic face-lift, the developers have heavily tweaked the core gameplay, emphasizing the element of warping behind enemies, even having the ability to dodge special attacks. In addition to the movie characters, the game also promises "more weird characters" as well as characters players thought should have been in the first installment. Full Story