Nexon America’s popular MMO racing game gives racers Tricks and Treats for upcoming holiday

Los Angeles, CA – October 23, 2007 – Nexon America Inc., the U.S. division of Asia’s leading online game company Nexon Group, is serving up a special batch of Halloween treats for KartRider players. KartRider, the free-to-download, free-to-play online multiplayer racing game, has already surpassed enormous open beta expectations. Now it sends its “riders” off to the races with special Halloween-themed events and releases. The combination of thrilling competition and Halloween spirit promises to be a potent mix for all gamers. More information can be found at www.kartrider.com or http://kart.nexon.net.

KartRider plans to release a spooky new area, Creepy Hollow, showcasing two new themed tracks, ‘Fright Fight’ and ‘Hidden Monastery.’ Creepy Hollow’s new courses feature winding trails through eerie forests, twisting cliff roads, long dark corridors, and even a ghostly cemetery. These new additions will be welcomed by racers who have already exhausted the numerous available tracks through sheer KartRider addiction.

Keeping up with the Halloween theme, Nexon also plans to release its specially designed Pumpkin Racer E2 Kart in conjunction with the release of Creepy Hollow. As the first kart being released in the E2 series, the Pumpkin Racer E2 will have the distinction of being the highest level kart currently available. The kart’s quirky appearance complements the game’s cartoon theme and is one of the more powerful karts offered. The popularity of the holiday and enthusiasm of users assures Pumpkin Racer E2 karts will invade KartRider courses in high volumes.

KartRider also expands its quest options with the addition of a Halloween quest assigned by one of the more popular non-player characters in the game. ‘The Pumpkin Chase’ is a thrill-a-minute scavenger hunt in which users race to collect Jack o’ Lanterns scattered around various courses. Users able to collect enough pumpkins within a certain time frame will have earned themselves a special reward at quest’s end. Let’s just say that KartRider is literally giving its users a chance to be a pumpkinhead!

KartRider fans can check on www.kartrider.com for more news and weekly updates regarding the game. Nexon plans a pedal to the metal onslaught of promotions, contests, and events in coordination with KartRider’s launch schedule to “drive” this title to success!

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According to my ‘follow-up’ email from E For All Expo’s media connection – the show was considered a smashing success! This was a first time show and a revival of sorts of the ‘old’ E3 except instead of just media – all types of gamer fans were allowed to come play. I saw plenty of young adults between the ages of 16-25 going around checking out the latest games and that was a good sign.

Some of the bigger and cooler booths there was Nintendo, Konami, THQ and EA. Konami highlighted the show with their first ever playable (in the U.S.) demo version of the hotly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4 title. Nintendo had an amazingly large booth and showcased Super Smash Bros Brawl with a giant stage and arena for winning prizes and also plenty of demo areas for Mario Galaxy and Guitar Hero on the Wii. Conan was playable inside the THQ booth and EA’s booth was littered with games like The Orange Box, The Simpsons Game and Rock Band. Speaking of Rock Band – the tour bus was there with a huuuuuuge stage and was one of the highlights of the show indeed! Also dead center was Guitar Hero 3 and tons of free guitar picks and stickers to be had for all who passed through their booth.

In addition to playing games there was plenty of shopping to be had – I picked up an Atari 2600 flashback 2.0 edition for cheap and our friends at Mimobot and Messiah Entertainment were showcasing their products as well. Another cool highlight was the Video Games Live concert which took place on Friday evening next to the Los Angeles Convention Center at the Nokia Theater. Not only were fans treated to an awesome array of musical compositions from video game scores but there was also a ‘meet and greet’ of talents from all over the video game spectrum.

Final verdict – a good show overall for a first time out – but low attendance and
lack of celebrity hype really hurt what could have been an amazing show.

More info: http://www.eforallexpo.com

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Halo 3 reviewed on The Reboot – also Manhunt 2, Sony’s backwards compatibility issues for the PS3, Microsoft bundles up for the holiday season and Toyota jumps into the game!

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In the tradition of the best-selling 2007 Nerdcore™ calendar, this 2008 edition reunites famed photographer Cherie Roberts and designer/artist Jason Adam, and features tasteful, giant photography of nude girls in heroic and villainous settings. Featuring geek goddess Justine Joli, former Playboy “Cyber Playmate” Jessica Kramer, and 2007 Nerdcore™ cover girl Karlie Montana, and many other beauties.NERD DATES - Regular and nerdy holidays, including over one hundred important holy days for geeks, including:

• Major movie releases like Iron Man, Speed Racer, The Dark Knight, Indiana Jones 4, Harold and Kumar 2, and The Incredible Hulk.
• Conventions like San Diego Comic-Con, Alternative Press Expo, etc.
• Anniversaries for Night of the Living Dead and more cult classics.
• Birthdays for Stan Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Jean Luc Picard and others
• Even Sarah Connor’s assassination, the morning Oceanic Airlines Flight 815 departed, and the day Marty was sent back to the future.

OVERSIZED DIMENSIONS- 12 inches wide x 18 inches tall (much larger than standard calendars), with a spiral binding for easy flipping and hanging.
QUALITY - Printed on heavy, archival-style paper stock, as well as a glossy, UV coating, giving the calendar an extended lifespan long beyond 2008.
PRICING & AVAILABILITY – $25.00 (US), available on November 15, 2007. And yes, we will ship internationally.
PRE-ORDER BONUS - All pre-orders of the 2008 Nerdcore™ calendar via www.totallynerdcore.com will receive an exclusive promotional poster.

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Panel on violence includes Thompson, Lorne Lanning and Moral Kombat movie creator.

Earlier this week, the VideoGame Expo (VGEXPO) announced its lineup for a controversial video game violence debate to be held at the Philadelphia-based event. Ensuring a healthy level of controversy, anti-gaming advocate Jack Thompson and Moral Kombat director Spencer Halpin will attend the event.

Halpin’s full-length documentary, which will premiere during the event, examines the issue of violence in video games by talking to game industry figures (including Thompson), legislators and activists. While the film’s intent was to present a fair perspective of the issue, gamers have debated the movie’s balanced view based on a trailer that was posted on YouTube last year.

(Read full story here)

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Here is the lastest episode of The Reboot. The topic: Women in Gaming and their role in the industry as gamers and professionals. Interviews were done with a number of people (male and female) from the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle, WA and the Austin Game Developers Conference in Austin, TX.

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Of the many people that have been interviewed by Twin Galaxies, one of the most important ones had been overlooked – until now. Todd Rogers, Twin Galaxies Senior Referee, is one of the most successful gamers of all time. Todd is the world record holder on the 1980 arcade game Gorf, and his record score of 653,990, set on November 24, 1982, has stood unbeaten for 25 years.

Todd has garnered many nicknames, such as “Mr. Activision” and “The King of Video Games”. Well, today he’s getting a new nickname – “The Stalwart”. Anyone that can persevere in the face of the ridicule of his peers as a teen for being a computer hacker, flourish as a kick boxer and bench press 400+ pounds as an athlete, volunteer for Twin Galaxies as one of the premier gamers in the world, overcome the death of a spouse and cheat death himself in a car accident has truly earned the nickname!

Link to full interview with Todd Rogers

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Video game themed outfits really stand out! So when we saw this Pac-Man themed costume we just had to share! More of these sexy outfits can be found at 3wishes.com. If I see any ladies wearing this one at a party it’s game over!

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COIN-OP TV LIVE episode 202 archive: Nelson and Natalie
from ACHIEVEMENT JUNKIE guests on the show. Also a video skype
review of Namco Museum for the Nintendo DS and a farewell to Renee the IM girl!

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