Thought last week's game releases were a bit on the sparse side? This week should brighten you up especially if you own a Nintendo Wii or a Sony PlayStation Portable. A handful of releases have come out on each platform to keep owners busy. The Nintendo DS, as usual, has another crop of light games, while next-generation consoles Sony PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360 also have something to share. What exactly? See for yourself in this week's list.

* Article originally posted Dec 03, 2007 at 12:10AM

After months of hype for the New Line Cinema film to hit these holidays, Sega has shown 10 screenshots of The Golden Compass' (PS3, Wii, Xbox 360, PSP, DS, PC) game tie-in. These screens are looking nice and true to the franchise, but are they hiding a darker undertone? Some QJ.NET users think so. Read on and find out why.

With the movie version coming out very soon to theaters near you, and with the game version clearly almost finished, it is no surprise that people would want to know more about The Golden Compass . Acting on their curiosity, IGN had a little chat with the game's lead designer to get more details on how the game's progress is moving along. Check out the full article for the scoop.

Young talents Dakota Blue Richards and Freddie Highmore will grace the upcoming multi-platform video game The Golden Compass by sharing their voices to breathe life into the game's main characters. Richards plays as protagonist Lyra and Highmore assumes the role of Pentalaimon, Lyra's Daemon.

This is Dakota's first major voice-over acting job, while Freddie has prior experience in similar roles before. "I do find it quite difficult, but I also find it fun," comments the young star as she compares the challenge to acting in front of the green screen for the film tie-in.

On the other hand, Freddie says "I have performed voice over work in the past," and shares "to convey the essence of a character you've got to believe in it and I think you have to get into the character, because if you don't believe in it no one else will."

The Golden Compass from Sega and Shiny Entertainment is a game based on the upcoming film of the same name which tells the story of a girl named Lyra who sets out on a quest to rescue her kidnapped friend. Along the way, she must use her wits to elude enemies and get past obstacles. She must also befriend strange creatures who can help her in her cause.

Just about every gamer will have a chance to join Lyra in her journey when it becomes available on the PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation Portable, and Nintendo DS.

Buy: [ The Golden Compass (PS3) ]

Buy: [ The Golden Compass (360) ]

Buy: [ The Golden Compass (Wii) ]

Buy: [ The Golden Compass (PSP) ]

Here's the latest gameplay video and screenshots for the Playstation Portable version of upcoming title The Golden Compass. Developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Sega, this video game should come out some time in December (PSP, DS, PS3, Wii, PC, Xbox 360, PS2) to coincide with the movie launch.

Both Sega and Shiny Entertainment have promised that the game will remain as faithful as possible to both the movie and the novel. In this game, players follow the adventures of Lyra Belacqua as she tries to save her uncle in prison and look for her kidnapped best friend.

You will receive help from several in-game characters such as the spirit demon Pan, the armored bear Lorek, and of course the Golden Compass itself. Without this piece, every effort and attempt to discover the truth will be in vain.

See the gameplay video after the jump!

Many authors of children's and young adult's fiction found their claim to fame when their books gave way to adaptations, either on the big screen or on the console platform. Phillip Pullman is no exception with the His Dark Materials trilogy. With a game based on the first book of the series, you can now keep yourselves updated on the status of The Golden Compass game on their new blog.

David Allen, Sega's official "Asset Wrangler" for the game, will be writing periodical blog entries on some of the cool stuff regarding the game. This is a job he considers "the best job in the world" as he tells his background and the reason behind his role in enticing readers in anticipation for the game's release.

For instance, he had this to write about why Sega thought him as the best candidate for this job:

I think they asked me to do this job because I’ve worked in TV so I’m used to working on sets and I know you need to turn your mobile phone off before they shout "action." I must have done something right somewhere because I secured the gig and was packed off to the set to meet producer Deborah Forte.... When I wasn’t stuffing my face with a beautifully prepared three course meal or buffet, I was there to make sure SEGA received what it needed from the film production team for The Golden Compass video game. It’s really about acting as the on-set eyes and ears for the developer, Shiny Entertainment.

The Golden Compass is set to be released alongside the movie this December and will be coming out for the PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii and DS.

 

A new batch of screenshots for Sega's The Golden Compass is out. Faithfully created to match the feel and sensibility of the movie, The Golden Compass is about Lyra Belaque and her quest to rescue her uncle in prison and her kidnapped best friend. Travelling with her on her quest is Pantalaimon, a daemon, and Iorek, the armored bear. The Golden Compass is her one true way to lead her on her journey.

The Golden Compass will be released in time with the movie on December 2007 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PC.

PS3 Screenshots:

Wii Screenshots:

Epic-looking exploration and some very detailed background joy coming your way with these new batch of screenshots from Sega's The Golden Compass for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS and PC.

We get you the latest on the game about little Lyra Belacqua's mission to rescue her uncle and her best friend. As usual, the graphics are looking pretty solid and sharp. The environments are painstakingly detailed, and they really give you a sense of scale in terms of playing as a little girl out to explore the world on her own.

Lyra's personality looks to be successfully conveyed with her character's animations, such as how she holds her hands out for balance or while riding her polar bear. Very cute, if we may say. In any case, we'll leave you to enjoy the eye candy. Updates as we get them!

See the other screenshots after the jump!

Buy: The Golden Compass (PS3)

Buy: The Golden Compass (360)

Buy: The Golden Compass (Wii)

Buy: The Golden Compass (PSP)

Well, we promised you more details as soon as they arrive. Sega has released the latest trailer for The Golden Compass, featuring how the video game was created right alongside the movie. It provides an exciting look into the dynamics of the game from its atmosphere and background settings to gameplay and graphics. It also shows some of the steps the developers of the movie and the video game took to keep both mediums in tandem with each other.

The video game will be released for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PC, and PlayStation 2, with the movie released about the same time.

  

The people at Sega have a big third and fourth quarter ahead of them this year. With the release dates of 7 titles all falling within weeks of each other, they've got a lot of eager fans to please.

At least 3 PSP titles are set for release in the month of September. Alien Syndrome and Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars have been slated for September 7, while Sega Rally has its debut on the September 28.

November 30 is the day being eyed for the release of Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games on the DS, as well as the DS/PSP tie-in game for the movie based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials novel series: The Golden Compass.

In terms of unknown release dates, we have two. Sonic Rivals 2 for the PSP is expected to hit sometime in autumn, while Sonic Rush Adventure for the DS is due sometime in September.

Sega has a daunting task to accomplish later this year. We certainly hope they pull it off. In the meantime, we'll keep you posted as the story unfolds.