Frogwares Studio has revealed new details behind Dracula: Origin, an upcoming adventure game. Here’s the scoop:

Young, charming and devout, but emotionally broken since the suicide of his wife, Count Dracula has been transformed into a monster, with an insatiable thirst for blood and vengeance, cursed to eternal damnation.

In the game, you play the role of Professor Van Helsing, the celebrated vampire hunter, on the hunt for Dracula, while Dracula himself is on a quest for a mysterious manuscript which will give him the power to raise the dead.

Your goal is to prevent Dracula from finding and using this manuscript, but also to kill him, in order to liberate the souls of all those who have had the misfortune to cross his path.

Using conventional point & click gameplay, Dracula: Origin is a superb adventure supported by impeccable graphics and a rich storyline, which takes you to London, Egypt, Austria, and of course, to Transylvania, in the famous castle of the great vampire. With a subtle combination of 2D environments and animated 3D characters, the game faithfully reproduces the world imagined by the celebrated author Bram Stoker, with all its associated motifs (horror, love, blood, crucifixes, stakes, garlic, etc.), in a disturbing, finely-realized and absorbing Gothic atmosphere.

They also released three screenshots from the game, showing off various environments:

Ever wonder why MMO players are so… extremist? One such case comes from Brazil, where a gang used a girl to set up a date with the top scorer of online game GunBound, who they then proceeded to threaten with a gun to transfer his online score to them.

Thankfully, police have caught the culprits. As for the score itself, it is on sale on a website for 15,000 reals (approximately US $8,000).

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is now available on the PlayStation Network as a $9.99 download, playable on both the PS3 and PSP. It is currently the highest priced game on the store where most games top out at $5.99.

The game will also be available as an unlockable in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (PSP), an enhanced remake of the PC Engine game Castlevania: Rondo of Blood.

Ascaron Entertainment sends along a fact sheet for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel, the highly anticipated sequel to one of the most successful RPGs ever, revealing that the game will be released during Q1 2008 for PC and Xbox 360.

The official website is up, offering more details and media from the game. Further information can be found after the jump.
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A worldwide preview event for Fury, Auran’s upcoming PvP MMO, is coming up on July 27 and will run up to July 29. The servers will be open for 60 hours from midday Friday July 27 and up to 200,000 login accounts will be issued on a first-come-first-serve basis. You have to visit this link to get your very own beta key for the period.

“After the fantastic press demos last week in LA, and the great feedback we’ve seen from the closed beta testers, we believe it is now time to unleash Fury upon the broader public,” said Harry Miller, Head of Development at Gamecock, the publisher of Fury in North America. “We love indie developers because they innovate, and sometimes the best way for people to discover more about exciting new games is simply to let them experience it first-hand.”

“This Beta Preview Event will allow new players to experience Fury’s unique combat and multiple game types as well as the challenge of mixing and matching more than 400 abilities to create their ‘perfect’ incarnation,” said Adam Carpenter, Fury’s Lead Designer. “In addition, our existing beta players can see the progress we’ve made in the past weeks with improvements to matchmaking, player training and starter ability selections. And of course with all the extra players, there will be shorter wait times and evenly matched battles for everyone.”

Rockstar Games has announced that it will release Bully: Scholarship Edition on Wii and Xbox 360 this Winter. The game will retain the gameplay of the PS2 original, but will boast additional new content, though the nature of the content was not disclosed.

Bully, before its release, had its fair share of controversy, with Jack Thompson going as far as to have a gameplay session in front of a judge to ban the game. His attempt failed, thankfully. The game has since then gone on to garner awards and achievements, putting players in the role of a 15-year old as he experiences Bullworth Academy, a boarding school.

No further details or media were revealed.

The classic MMO-themed South Park episode Make Love, Not Warcraft has been nominated for Emmy in the outstanding animated program category. It is up against The Simpsons, Robot Chicken, SpongeBob and Avatar.

The winners will be announced during a live broadcast on September 16.

This week’s European Virtual console offerings include Metroid (NES), Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (SNES) and Silent Debuggers (TurboGrafx). Here’s the deal:

Metroid, originally available back in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, is a combination of action adventure and platform shooter, players assume the role of Samus Aran, a space bounty hunter, who is set the mission of saving the universe from the spread of ‘Metroids’, the most dangerous creatures in the galaxy. Using Samus’s trademark Morph Ball ability, players must search every nook and cranny of the planet Zebes and defeat the leader of the Space Pirates, Mother Brain, to restore peace to the galaxy once more. Available for 500 Wii Points, Metroid is out of this world and available now on Virtual Console.

Next up on Virtual Console this week is the much-loved Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting for Super Nintendo. Following the highly successful Capcom title Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting, originally released in 1993, boasts faster game play than its predecessor, as well as new and upgraded moves for each of the fighters. It also gives players the opportunity to fight as powerful bosses including Sagat, Balrog and M. Bison! So make sure your moves are ready for ultimate combat as Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting launches on the Virtual Console for 800 Wii Points!

A must have for this week is Silent Debuggers This unique first-person action adventure, released on Turbografx in 1991, is set in a time when space has been conquered and peace prevails. However, small criminal factions, known as ‘Bugs’, threaten the new found harmony. As the latest recruit of a crack team of ‘Debuggers’, players must explore the highly dangerous space station ‘Gane’, a place no Debugger has ever visited and returned from! This nail biting adventure is yours for 600 Wii Points!

On GameDaily is word that Silicon Knights is suing Epic Games over “inadequacies of the Unreal Engine 3 code”. Apparently, this comes from a E3 2006 demo showing of Too Human, which had “technical problems and generally unpolished appearance,” with Silicon Knights claiming that Epic withheld a “very usable version” of their engine for its own purposes, delivering a fully functional version of the software in November last year, roughly eight months after the deadline. Here is a message from Epic’s Mark Rein on the matter:

This morning we were served with a lawsuit by Silicon Knights. We believe the claims against us are unfounded and without merit and we intend to fully defend against them. We’d love to tell you more about it but unfortunately our lawyers want us to save our comments for the courthouse so we’re going to do our best to comply with their wishes. In that vein we’d appreciate if our friends in the industry and media would refrain from asking us about the suit because we’re only going to say ‘no comment.’ We just wanted to share the news directly before the rumor mill starts churning.

Silicon Knights is looking to negate the original licensing agreement, the unrestricted legal right to alter the engine, and, most significantly, forfeiture of all profits gained through sales of Gears of War to the studio in the form of awarded damages.

We stand behind everything in our complaint and believe it is highly unfortunate that Epic forced us into this situation. We would rather spend our time focusing on making great games, but as stated in our complaint, Epic simply refuses to acknowledge the inadequacies of the Unreal Engine 3 code it provides to its licensees, and refuses to accept the fact that its code has caused serious damage not only to Silicon Knights, but a number of other developers in the industry. We look forward to successful resolution of our claims in this court proceeding.

Microsoft has denied any involvement in the legal battle, as they are affected neither by Epic’s engine nor by Silicon Knight’s work.

A Microsoft representative has confirmed to GI.biz that X07, the company’s annual games event, has been cancelled. The rep has told in a podcast that Microsoft is going to “figure out” some way to hold a “different type of programme” sometime next year.

This “programme” has been revealed by another spokesperson. As per this report, the UK will get its own gaming event, however, timing is “still to be confirmed”, though he does state that it will be held before Christmas. This event will be exclusively from a UK point of view, he points out, saying that it won’t apply to Europe as a whole.

The fifth annual GC Developers Conference was announced today, along with a full speaker list. One of Europe’s most important platform for developers, the three-day conference will feature speakers from more than 35 countries around the world. This year’s speakers include Peter Molyneaux, Mark Rein, John Smedley and many others all of whom are listed below:

• Julian Eggebrecht (USA)
  
• Peter Molyneux (UK)
  
• Michael Capps, Epic Games (USA)
  
• Mark Rein, Epic Games (USA)
  
• Mark Morris, Introversion Software (UK)
  
• Ken Ralston, Big Huge Games (USA)
  
• Cathy Campos, Panache (UK)
  
• Doug Whatley, Break Away (USA)
  
• Michael Lewis, Cryptic Studios (USA)
  
• George Bain (UK)
  
• Christopher Schmitz, 10Tacle Studios (Germany)
  
• Dr. Michael Wimmer, The University of Vienna (Austria
  
• Alexander Fernández, Streamline Studios (The Netherlands)
  
• Amir Taaki, Crystalspace (Finland)
  
• Jeff Strain, ArenaNet (USA)
  
• Vlad Ihora, Telia Sonora (Sweden)
  
• Barbara Lippe, Avaloop (Austria)
  
• Pamela Kato, The GamerX (USA)
  
• Uwe Nikl, Level 3 (UK)
  
• Matt Firor, Ultra Mega Games (USA)
  
• Konstantin Ewald, Osborne Clark (Germany)
  
• John Smedley, Sony Online Entertainment (USA)
  
• Cindy Armstrong, Webzen (USA)
  
• Jennifer MacLean, Comcast Interactive Media (USA)
  
• Chris Mottes, Deadline Games (Denmark)
  
• Jeff Hickman, EA Mythic (USA)
  
• Jeffrey Steefel, Turbine, Inc. (USA)
  
• Don Daglow, Stormfront Studios (USA)
  
• Jason Manley, Massive Black (USA)
  
• Patric Palm, Hansoft (Sweden)

To showcase 2K Sports’ All Pro Football 2K8, the company has announced a coast-to-coast tour that will feature DJ Z-Trip, one of the most celebrated DJs and producers who has also worked on the game’s soundtrack. Joining him for roughly two dozen dates are Aceyalone and Gift of Gab, both of which appear on the game, the CD of remixes, mash-ups and original material that DJ Z-Trip produced for the game.

In addition to the above artistes, Rakim and M-1 are also expected to make guest appearances along the tour route. Tour stops will also include kiosks with the game and a multimedia component to DJ Z-Trip’s performance that integrates some of the game’s most intense plays.

Below are the tour dates:

• Jul 23 Harlow’s Nightclub Sacramento, California
  
• Jul 24 The Independent San Francisco, California
  
• Jul 25 Hawthorne Theatre Portland, Oregon
  
• Jul 26 Last Supper Club Seattle, Washington
  
• Jul 28 Suedes Park City, Utah
  
• Jul 29 Fox Theatre Boulder, Colorado
  
• Jul 31 Logan Square Auditorium Chicago, Illinois
  
• Aug 01 Blind Pig Ann Arbor, Michigan
  
• Aug 02 Middle East Cambridge, Massachusetts
  
• Aug 03 Theatre of Living Arts (Filmore) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  
• Aug 04 Sonar Baltimore, Maryland
  
• Aug 05 Highline Ballroom New York, New York
  
• Aug 06 Konkrete Jungle Richmond, Virginia
  
• Aug 08 Higher Ground Burlington, Vermont
  
• Aug 09 Agora Cleveland, Ohio
  
• Aug 12 Shambhala Festival Salmo, British Columbia
  
• Aug 15 House of Blues Los Angeles, California
  
• Aug 16 Rialto Theatre Tucson, Arizona
  
• Aug 18 Elysium Austin, Texas
  
• Aug 19 Granada Theater Dallas, Texas
  
• Aug 21 Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, New Mexico
  
• Aug 22 Brickhouse Phoenix, Arizona
  
• Aug 23 The Grove Anaheim, California
  
• Aug 25 Southern Comfort Festival San Diego, California

Hoping to cash in on the upcoming live action film, Atari has announced details of Asterix at the Olympic Games for PS2, PC, Wii and DS. The game is scheduled for release this Winter, ahead of the film’s release in early 2008.

Developed by Etranges Libellules in close collaboration with Asterix licensor Les Editions Albert René and with film production company La Petite Reine, the game follows Asterix, Obelix and the faithful Dogmatix as they travel to Greece in aid of their lovesick friend Alafolix. Their journey takes them to the Olympic Games where they find themselves pitted against the athletic might of the Roman Empire. Adventure and hilarity ensue as Asterix and friends compete to get the better of Brutus, his muscle-bound champion, and their long-time nemesis, Julius Caesar himself.

In Asterix at the Olympic Games players can choose from three playable characters, Asterix, Obelix and Dogmatix, in an original story which takes a parallel course to the film and the comic book. Our heroes must stop Brutus who has opened the gates between the worlds of the book, the film and the game while still finding time and energy to triumph at the Olympic Games themselves. The mini-game mode lets players compete in Olympic challenges with their chosen character, while two-player multiplayer lets friends go head to head in a series of hilarious contests.

No media or screenshots were released. More information on the movie itself can be found on IMDB.

2K Games has announced that Chris Paul, starting point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, has been named as the cover athlete and official spokesman for NBA 2K8, the upcoming entry in the basketball franchise.

“It’s a great honor to be a part of the best NBA video game title, let alone the guy on the cover,” said Chris Paul. “I’m a big time video gamer and it’s a dream come true to be on the cover and represent the next NBA 2K game, NBA 2K8.”

Here’s the deal on the man:

Chris Paul has made an immediate impact in the NBA. Following two All-American seasons at Wake Forest University, the Winston-Salem, NC native was the fourth overall selection by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2005 NBA Draft. During his rookie season, Paul led all rookies in points, assists, steals, and minutes en route to earning Rookie of the Year honors, receiving the most votes (124 of 125) since David Robinson in 1990. The only unanimous selection for the 2005-2006 NBA All-Rookie First Team, Paul continues to evolve as one of the most exciting players on the USA Basketball Senior National Team that represented the United States in the 2006 World Championship of Basketball, playing in all nine of the USA’s games, and averaging 7.0 points and 4.9 assists per game. The 2007-08 season looks bright for Paul as he will lead the Hornets’ return to New Orleans and continue to prepare for his expected participation on Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

One of the top-rated NBA simulation games in the market, the next entry in the series will see the studio building and expanding on the Signature Style feature, as well as adding new moves, animations and more. NBA 2K8 will be available for the PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 this Fall.

In more BioWare news, the company has licensed Perpetual Entertainment’s online technology platform for an upcoming unannounced MMO title.

“We evaluated numerous technology solutions to serve as the service backbone of our first MMO title and feel Perpetual’s online platform is the best fit,” said Gordon Walton, Co-Studio Director of BioWare Austin. “The Perpetual team has years of experience building infrastructure and tools for online games and we are thrilled to be working with them.”

The Pepertual online platform offers modules necessary to deploy and operate any modern online game, as well as a collection of in-game features and services, including player management, billing, load-balancing, community management and more.