LANGHORNE, Pa., Dec. 4, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- PC games publisher eGames, Inc. announced today that an all-new installment of its Cinemaware(r) franchise, Defender of the Crown(r), will be available for purchase online in early 2007. Entitled "Defender of the Crown: Heroes Live Forever(r)", and developed entirely in Macromedia Flash(r), the game has reached the alpha stage of development, and represents the first Cinemaware Classics(tm) title for the PC. Planning to reimagine and revitalize its ground-breaking past properties such as Rocket Ranger(tm), Wings(tm), The King of Chicago(tm), Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon(tm), SDI(tm), The Three Stooges(r), It Came From the Desert(tm), and more, eGames is also in discussions with developers to explore the development of the beloved Cinemaware franchises for next-generation consoles, including the Nintendo Wii(tm).
"The great Cinemaware titles, classics by today's standards, are ideal game properties for today's burgeoning casual game consumers and growing market of next-gen gamers," said eGames Vice President of Sales and Marketing Rich Siporin. "Between the return of Defender of the Crown to PC early next year and the development of Cinemaware Classics(tm) for potential distribution through other platforms, eGames stands ready to bring back these groundbreaking, innovative titles that were so popular and fun on the early Amiga platform. The grand cinematic style and engaging game-play that made these titles so popular in the mid to late 80s qualify these properties as ideal development candidates for today's emerging platforms targeted at the mass-consumer market. Cinemaware's games were well ahead of their time and today's new emerging videogame platforms could actually unlock the full interactive entertainment potential of these cinematic experiences," added Siporin.
"The classic Cinemaware titles like Defender of the Crown, Wings, Rocket Ranger, Sinbad and the Throne of the Falcon, SDI, Lords of the Rising Sun(tm), It Came From the Desert, The King of Chicago, and even the then ground-breaking TV Sports Series(tm) of Football, Basketball, Hockey, and Boxing are titles whose unique combinations of strategy, action, and adventure would engage today's casual game players in a compelling and addictive fashion on a platform like the Nintendo Wii," said eGames Product Manager Greg Zesinger.
"Our team has personally played these great classic games on a variety of game devices," added Zesinger. "From using the controller as a sword or lance to duel and joust with Saxon lords in Defender of the Crown, maneuvering your jet pack in Rocket Ranger, to taking down mobsters in The King of Chicago or giant mutant ants in It Came From the Desert, the new technology present in the Wii and other new, exciting videogame platforms offers the opportunity to fulfill the potential and promise of these great games envisioned two decades ago by the original developers. We are excited about exploring potential development opportunities for these timeless classics with developers around the world," stated Zesinger.
Acquired by eGames in 2005, Cinemaware developed and published epic games billed as 'interactive movies' in the mid to late eighties for the Amiga and other home computing and videogame platforms. With the debut of Defender of the Crown in 1985, Cinemaware established a reputation for unparalleled graphics and gameplay. Through the new Cinemaware Classics line, eGames plans to re-introduce its classic franchises to loyal fans, and establish an all-new customer base among a swiftly growing market of casual gamers.
Featuring strategic battles, archery and jousting contests, daring raids, epic castle sieges, and a formidable quest to unite all of medieval England under a single ruler, Defender of the Crown: Heroes Live Forever will be available in early 2007 at www.egames.com and other popular online game portals.
About eGames, Inc.
eGames, Inc., headquartered in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, publishes and markets a diversified line of interactive entertainment titles which now include the eGames(tm), Cinemaware(r) and Cinemaware Marquee(tm) brands. Additional information regarding eGames, Inc. can be found at http://www.egames.com.
The Three Stooges(r) is a registered trademark of C3 Entertainment, Inc.
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