World Cyber Games Announces Official Titles For 2006 Competition
Contest will feature two Xbox 360 games, six PC games
New regional championships in Europe, Asia, and America also announced
SEOUL, Feb 15, 2006 - The World Cyber Games Committee today announced the eight titles that will serve as official games for the 2006 World Cyber Games. The six PC games and 2 console games includes: StarCraft®: Brood WarTM (PC); Warcraft®?: Frozen Throne (PC); Half-Life®: Counter-Strike 1.6 (PC); Warhammer® 40,000: Winter Assault (PC); FIFA Soccer 06TM(PC); Need for SpeedTM: Most Wanted (PC); Dead or Alive® 4 (Xbox 360) and Project Gotham Racing® 3 (Xbox 360).
These will serve as the official events at the 2006 Grand Final in Monza, Italy this October. Organizers are particularly excited by the inclusion of Project Gotham Racing on the Xbox 360 since the Grand Final event will be held at the world famous F1 Autodromo in Monza, known throughout the racing world as the premiere racing facility on the Formula 1 circuit.
In addition, the Counter-Strike competition has been changed from 'Source' to '1.6' to facilitate better operation of tournaments leading up to the Grand Final. This move comes as a result of player feedback on the World Cyber Games website following last year's successful event in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the World Cyber Games Committee also announced the staging of WCG Pan-regional Championships in Europe, Asia and the Americas, to promote the spread of the e-Sports industry globally. Following the success of the WCG Euro Championship staged during CeBit 2005 in Hannover, Germany last year, WCG Pan-regional Championships are planned for each region. This will allow gamers to participate in and enjoy marquee events with the World Cyber Games throughout the year. With e-sports growing each year, these events will also serve to enhance brand awareness for the World Cyber Games among IT industry watchers in each region.
The WCG 2006 Euro Championship begins March 9 at CeBit 2006 with about 200 gamers from 20 European countries. The WCG 2006 Asian Championship is scheduled to debut at the PC Show 2006 in Singapore, the biggest IT Exhibition in the region, in June and WCG 2006 Pan-American Championship is slated for the Electronic Gaming Show 2006 in Mexico, the largest game show in Central and South America.
The World Cyber Games Committee will soon announce the official rules and regulations in addition to official maps for the preliminary rounds in each country's respective national championship.
The WCG 2006 Grand Final will be held October 18th through 22nd at F1 Autodromo, in Monza, Italy.
About the World Cyber Games
The World Cyber Games (Co-Chairmen Chung, Dong-chea & Yun, Jong-yong, www.worldcybergames.com) is a global game culture festival that was founded in 2000 to promote global harmony through e-sports. The event started in 2000, and has been running annually ever since (this will be the sixth year). With the slogan "Beyond the Game," the World Cyber Games has truly developed into a global game phenomenon with arguably the largest prize amount at stake. The World Cyber Games prides itself on leading the "Digital Entertainment Culture." The WCG 2006 will be held on October 18th to 22nd in Monza, Italy, which is famous for Formula 1.
WCG 2006 Official Games
PC: 6 Games
1) StarCraft®: Brood WarTM - RTS
2) Warcraft®?: Frozen Throne -RTS
3) Half-Life®: Counter-Strike 1.6 - FPS
4) Warhammer® 40,000: Winter Assault - RTS
5) FIFA Soccer 06TM - Sports
6) Need for SpeedTM: Most Wanted - Sports (Racing)
Console: 2 Games
7) Dead or Alive® 4 (Console /Xbox 360) - Action
8) Project Gotham Racing® 3(Console /Xbox 360) - Sports (Racing)
WCG 2006 Official Games
StarCraft®: Brood WarTM (PC)
Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)
Released: 1997
StarCraft®: Brood WarTM is a real-time strategy game in which players control any of three different species battling for domination. Commanding Terran, Protoss or Zerg forces, players must complete a series of missions while managing resources, amassing armies and defending their base. Each race is truly distinct with unique units, technologies, attributes and abilities. In multiplayer, up to eight players can compete head-to-head in a variety of game types including Melee, Capture the Flag and Free for All. Gameplay can be customized using StarCraft's campaign editor, which allows players to edit unit attributes and create missions and campaigns.
WarCraft® III: The Frozen ThroneTM (PC)
Publisher: Vivendi Universal Games
Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
Genre: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)
Released: 2003
Warcraft III expansion pack, detailing more of the story as new factions arise, and old heroes are transformed. Players return to war-ravaged Azeroth months after the defeat of the Burning Legion, to face a new threat. Each race features an added hero with new abilities and spells. New shops, which the player can build for specific races, keep units supplied with items. Multiplayer modes have been extended to include new clan and tournament support, among other new games. Neutral Heroes can be persuaded to join in the fight and add new abilities and magic spells to the player's arsenal.
Half-Life®: Counter-Strike 1.6 (PC)
Publisher: Sierra Studios
Developer: Valve Software
Genre: FPS (First Person Shooter)
Released: 2003
Counter Strike is a fast-paced shooting game pitting some of the world's top elite forces against terrorists. The game is oriented mainly toward multi-play and has a training mode where the user can become familiar with the features of the game. Though Counter Strike is categorized as an FPS game, the main distinction of this game is that team play and working as a team is the key factor to success rather than just pure individual ability. This game offers a strong, almost unsettling, sense of realism, which makes it that much more exciting to play and watch.
Warhammer® 40,000: Winter Assault (PC)
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Relic
Genre: RTS (Real-Time Strategy)
Released: 2004
Ten thousand years have passed since the treasonous acts of Chaos toppled the Golden Age of mankind. Fires burn brightly throughout the galaxies, illuminating carnage and slaughter as mankind defends itself from ancient enemies. Hardened forces collide with one goal in mind, the complete extermination of their opposition. Control one of four unique races in head-to-head or cooperative multiplayer action, where faith, skill, and strategy are requisites in ruling the universe.
(Source : IGN, http://pc.ign.com/objects/620/620554.html?fromint=1)
FIFA Soccer 2006TM (PC)
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports
Released: 2005
For the 06 version, the developers at EA Canada have jammed every detail of every team and player into the game, making it the most thorough, most accurate representation of FIFA football we've seen yet. Knowing Thierry Henry's birthday however is only so much fun. The good news for FIFA fans is that the 06 version is an improvement over its predecessor with a more functional manager mode, refined gameplay controls and a new "party mode' for those who want to battle their friends quickly and easily.
(Source: IGN, http://pc.ign.com/articles/672/672813p1.html)
Need for SpeedTM: Most Wanted (PC)
Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Canada
Genre: Sports (Racing)
Released: 2005
Need for Speed "Most Wanted" is the most recent game in the popular Need for Speed series by EA. What it attempts to do is combine the best parts of every other game in the series, and when you have a series of around 10 games on your hand, this can get tough. The new speedster in EA's successful series combines the tuner customization of Need for Speed Underground with an expanded take on the police chases of the Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit series. The game will feature a Rap Sheet option that works hand in hand with a player's street reputation as they move up from the "Black List" to the A-List. Users will also be able to go head-to-head with their opponents while simultaneously trying to avoid more than six different police cars at once through a dynamically changing open-ended world.
(Source: IGN, http://pc.ign.com/objects/740/740902.html)
Dead or Alive® 4
Publisher: Tecmo®
Developer: Team Ninja
Genre: Fighting
Released: 12/29/2005
Taking advantage of the superior technology of Xbox 360TM, Dead or Alive® 4 offers the defining gaming experience on the next-generation console. The game encompasses all that Xbox 360 has to offer, giving you the most rewarding digital fighting to date on any videogame console.
Dead or Alive 4 once again raises the bar in both online and offline fighting. By utilizing the advanced technology of Xbox 360 hardware, the game redefines 3-D high-definition graphics and sound, creating one of the most visually beautiful and realistic-looking video games available. Unsurpassed online capabilities via Xbox LiveTM, incredible new interactive stages, an all-star lineup of old and new favorite characters, and a complex DOA countering system all combine to create a must-have video game for Xbox 360.
(Source: Xbox, http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/d/deadoralive4/default.htm)
Project Gotham Racing® 3
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Bizarre Creations
Genre: Racing
Released: 11/29/2005
Project Gotham Racing® 3 creates the ultimate roster of the hottest supercars in existence, introduces them to the high-definition era, and drops them into a completely new gaming world, where style rules the road. Define and create individually customized gameplay; race on or offline; and drive what you want, where you want. Drive with style and daring to earn Kudos in front of large crowds, and win badges to reward your skills in all areas of the game. With a whole host of new racing modes, PGR 3 takes advantage of the online advances Xbox 360TM has to offer.
(Source: Xbox, http://www.xbox.com/en-ca/games/p/projectgothamracing3/)