Crave Entertainment and Colorado-based international bull-riding organization Professional Bull Riders (PBR) announced today a new video game title named after the said organization.

It will be released on platforms Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360, Games for Windows, and on the PlayStation Portable as a downloadable game. Professional Bull Riders Game offers different gameplay modes that test players' skills in either staying on for at least eight seconds or bucking off the rider before his time is up.

There's also a Season Mode that will allow gamers to unlock certain riders and bulls. It was said that Professional Bull Riders Game will be available October 2008.

More details after the jump!

We're hoping you guys saved up enough money for this week's releases. There's quite a lot of eye-catchers hitting the shelves and every single major platform out there - PS3, 360, Wii, PC, PSP, and DS - has at least one good title to offer.

Those who were able to try out the demo of BioShock can finally dive into the full game. Don't forget to take your daily dose of plasmids when you're there. Meanwhile, GRAW 2 will roll out for the PS3 and PSP as well. Tactical shooting has never been this orgasmic.

Handheld gamers get a heavy dose of RPG treatment with the release of Jeanne d'Arc and Dragoneer's Aria for the PSP. Whether you want to go for turn-based or SRPG, we'd still suggest you get both. DS owners get some bite-sized fun with more Brain Age 2 training and Turn It Around - another "mini-game collection" title that'll surely get heads spinning.

Let's get ready for the plunge! On Shelves This Week include...

BioShock. Take a dive into the not-so-dead underwater city of Rapture as you FPS your way through the horror of Big Daddies and Little Sisters. Hone your skill on controlling the destructive powers of the plasmids to fight for your survival.

• Xbox 360, PC - August 21, 2007
• US$ 59.99 (Xbox 360), US$ 49.99 (PC)
  
• ESRB M (Mature 17+)
• 2K Boston/Australia and 2K Games

Jeanne d'Arc. Another RPG heading to Sony's handheld platform, but this time in the form of a tactical RPG. The game is a historical-fiction retelling of the times of Joan of Arc. And because we know Milla Jovovich reincarnated the said heroine on the silver screen, this title will probably also have some of us awake at night seeing holy visions.

• PSP - August 21, 2007
• US$ 29.99
  
• ESRB T (Teen)
  
• Level-5 and Sony Computer Entertainment

More titles behind the Full Article link below!

* Originally posted at 06:34 AM, August 20, 2007

Here's the first E3 trailer video of Crave Entertainment's pinball title Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for the the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii platforms. The video game is scheduled to become available this Summer and is a follow up to Gottlieb Pinball Classics also for the above mentioned consoles.

Anyway, just like the name implies, The Williams Collection features a total of eight classic tables including the first ever talking pinball machine Gorgar, 1984 wonder Space Shuttle, and even the table named Black Knight which introduced Magna-Save and Bonus Ball.

If you want to know more, just watch the video clip below as it also reveals some of Pinball Hall of Fame's added features. The Wii version will be priced for US$ 29.99 while the PSP version will be sold for US$ 19.99.

Game publisher Crave Entertainment is letting the word out via press wire that they'll be hosting an open house this Thursday, June 28 in New York. Among other things, the presentation will have the company showcasing their line-up of games being prepared for the Wii, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, and PSP:

• Brunswick Pro Bowling
• Napoleon Dynamite
• George of the Jungle
• Spelling Challenges and More
• Crayola Adventures
• Dave Mirra BMX Challenge
• Pinball Hall of Fame: the Williams Collection

Lunch and snacks are expected to be served at the event. Crave Entertainment's press day is expected to take place on the sixth floor of the Millennium Broadway Hotel, 145 West 44th Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues), in New York City, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Here's another trailer video for upcoming title Dave Mirra BMX Challenge. Basically, the clip below is similar with all the previous trailers released for the title: It shows Dave Mirra doing his thing interspersed with in-game footage, most possibly to show the similarities between BMX Challenge and the real thing.

Anyway, more than for North American fans, this promotional video is for those in UK as the title will be arriving there on June 15. Dave Mirra BMX Challenge first arrived in the U.S. back in November 2006. It was developed by Oxygen Entertainment and will be published by Crave Entertainment.

It should be remembered that BMX Challenge didn't quite rate well in North America. It would be interesting to know what reception PSP owners in other markets are going to give it.

   

It really took Oxygen Entertainment a long while before delivering Dave Mirra BMX Challenge in UK. It should be remembered that the video game title had several release date reschedules beginning April to May. Maybe IGN's words really got in the way and Oxygen as well as Crave Entertainment took the time to polish the game.

Anyway, if all things go well, fans in UK should finally find BMX Challenge in retail stores starting June 15. Despite the delays and many road blocks, the star Dave Mirra still sounded excited about the game as he said, "this game is the closest thing to reality without the cost of the bumps and bruises."

For the benefit of those who have no idea what Dave Mirra BMX Challenge has to offer, we listed down some of the game's noteworthy features:

• Dave Mirra BMX Challenge is a first to format release
• Intuitive control system, realistic responsiveness, and pumping sound track
• Ad-hoc wireless play for up to 4 people
• Trick attack, training and race playability with exhibition, novice and pro modes
• Evolving track progression
• Flips, grinds and grabs have all been implemented into the game - performing them grants speed boosts
• Create your very own customizable riders with detailed create-a-character mode
• In depth career mode
• 17 levels, nine environments and a selection of bikes to unlock and upgrade
• Earn better bikes, increase trick ability, complete gravity-defying moves
• Perform over 100 tricks
• Clothing collectables throughout the levels – gather these items to unlock extra clothing options
• Compete head-to-head with other opponents online in mini games such as Simple Race, Capture the Clown, Who's the Leader, Biggest Trick Combo and Best Score.

Crave Entertainment announced today that it will be publishing the first video game based on the Fox Searchlight film, Napoleon Dynamite. The upcoming Napoleon Dynamite game will feature characters from the cult classic including Kip, Uncle Rico, Pedro, Tina the llama, and of course, Napoleon himself.

"Napoleon Dynamite is one of the great cult classics of the past decade," said Mark Burke, senior vice president of product planning and business development at Crave Entertainment. "It's one of those films that has great memorable lines and characters, and we expect that fans of the movie will really like the game."

No news yet on a possible release date or gameplay details, but the Napoleon Dynamite game will reportedly be heading for the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS handheld systems.

Dave Mirra BMX Challenge will finally be launched in UK sometime this May. We know gaming site IGN already dubbed this title as the worst ever, but still, we believe that those who haven't played it yet should give it a fair chance.

To those of you who are not aware, BMX Challenge was developed by Crave Entertainment in partnership with Left Field Productions. One of the developers in Left Field, John Brandwood, was recently interviewed and he talked freely about the video game. He reiterated that the PlayStation Portable's (PSP) hardware allowed them to improve the PlayStation 2 (PS2) original.

We're taking advantage of the PSP's incredible power to bring a full PS2-style experience to the handheld market. The biggest thing we did was include an auto-land feature. This allows the player to rotate the bike freely in the air with minimal risk of crashing because the bike rotation didn't complete on landing.

Aside from that, Brandwood mentioned that the game's ad-hoc multiplayer modes are quite addicting. When asked about the new features present in the PSP version, Brandwood remarked that the trick-based racing to the BMX arena is actually something new. Here, the usual racing game is modified as players are allowed to get off the regular pathway and do tricks to improve their position in the race. Then he added,

This was the first time we've made levels that include two separate circuits. Players do a couple of laps around one circuit, and then the course splits into the second circuit. This makes our levels huge! As with all new features, this presented some challenges. I'm happy to report that all the challenges we encountered while doing the two circuits were overcome.

All in all, Dave Mirra BMX Challenge features nine environments in which players are allowed to either race in or ride freestyle. There are a total of 17 levels and aside from the multiplayer mode, there are Exhibition, Novice, and Pro Circuit as well.

When asked if they considered releasing it on DS platform, Brandwood just quipped,

I'm afraid that we never seriously considered the DS as a target for this project. While we're huge Nintendo fans here at Left Field Productions, the DS just isn't a suitable platform for the kind of game that we wanted to make.

Just after announcing Pinball Hall of Fame for the PSP and Wii, Crave Entertainment has made another announcement for another game they will be publishing: Spelling Challenges and More! for the PSP and DS portable game systems. The game will introduce players to a game-show-style interface where the host, Mr. Niceguy, will award players cash and prizes for every correctly spelled word they churn out.

Aside from the Spelling Challenge game show mode explained earlier, Spelling Challenges and More! features other word games built to test the player's skills and improve their thinking speed. The game increases in difficulty as players progress, and carries over 25,000 words and 100 difficulty levels for gamers to think their way through.

"Presenting these games in an entertaining, interactive format on videogame consoles is a great way to get the whole family involved in a fun activity and actually learn something, too," said Crave Entertainment's Doug Panter regarding this upcoming release.

Expect Spelling Challenges and More! to ship this summer at a retail price of US$ 19.99.

Coin-operated arcade game pinball is one of the few things that won't go away. It probably dates back to the 15th century and is still finding its way to today's video game consoles. Publisher Crave Entertainment just announced the game, Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection, a very suitable follow-up to Gottlieb Pinball Classics (Wii, PSP).

The new video game is being developed by Farsight Studios. Crave added that it is working closely with the Williams company to make sure that all tables are recreated faithfully.

The Williams Collection will have a total of eight tables including Gorgar (the first-ever talking pinball machine), Black Knight (which introduced Magna-Save and Bonus Ball), and Space Shuttle (which took the pinball industry by storm in 1984).

At the start of the game, a total of four tables will be available for players and the remaining others will be unlocked as the game progresses. In case players just want to pass time and just play, they can go with the game's quick pinball challenge. There's also a solo arcade mode as well as several challenge modes including a multiplayer feature. Rewards for the game are all going to be token-based.

There is still no word as to when exactly Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection will come out but Crave Entertainment promised that it's going to be this year. The video game will be available for platforms Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Portable (PSP), and PlayStation 2 (PS2).