Astraware has released Astraware Boardgames for Symbian S60 and UIQ smartphones. Astraware Boardgames consists of eight different board games including Reversi, Chess, and Backgammon.  All of the boardgames have been designed for casual play and contain three different levels of game play. New players can start out easy and work their way up to the harder levels.

Astraware Boardgames  allows players to play their way, either against the computer or against their friends. Players can also customize the rules of the game. If you have come accustom to playing checkers a certain way, then you can keep playing that way and not have to change your playing habits.

Astraware Boardgames is available from www.astraware.com for $19.95.

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PopCap Games has hired Ben Rotholtz as the VP of marketing. VP of marketing was a newly created position and Mr. Rotholtz did not replace anybody. Mr. Rotholtz will be in charge of all of the marketing facets PopCap Games has in place, such as the Web site, advertising, public relations, marketing and promotional efforts.

“Building a marketing team at PopCap is one of those dream opportunities that come along once in a lifetime, if that,” stated Rotholtz. “This is a highly creative and gifted company with superb, quality products that have succeeded thus far on word-of-mouth and non-stop positive critiques from the media. The challenge of raising the profile of PopCap and its games worldwide is truly inspiring and energizing – I can’t wait to get started!”

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The following games are available from Game Du Jour this week. The games are all offered a significant price cut, which is represented by the percentage after the game name.

Monday March 31 Asea 60%

It’s not easy to navigate through river streams and high seas in a paddle-boat when the whole water surface is covered with lilies. Do your best to make lily combos disappear and to get your cargo delivered on-time. Improve your combo-making skills while going through enthralling quests and solving puzzles.

Tuesday April 1 Atomaders 2 60%

We thought invaders were gone forever… Until the day your patrol fighter discovered a strange object proved to be a warp gate leading to the unknown sector of the galaxy. Now you are to fight cyborg army preparing to launch an invasion unheard-of in history. Make use of enemy weaponry, find vulnerable spots of colossal command ships, take control of enemy teleportation system – defend the human race by any available means.

Wednesday April 2 Fluff ‘em Up 60%

They are cute, they are fluffy, they are ready to accompany you in an unforgettable adventure. Make these colorful birdies come into combos to fill the whole vial with the magic dust and advance on your path across the fairy kingdom. Make friends with a thousand waggish fluffies in Fluff ‘em Up – extremely addicting and entertaining puzzle game.

Thursday April 3 Boom Voyage 60%

Are you ready for a journey beyond your imagination? Then it’s time to start your Boom Voyage – unforgettable arcade adventure all around the world and time. Direct a bouncing ball with your paddle to blast off all the blocks on the level and proceed through 6 different epochs from ancient Egypt to Wild West. Catch helpful power-ups, make use of friendly machines and avoid baddies in your block-breaking adventure.

Friday April 4 Alien Sky 60%

It’s not easy to survive under the alien sky when there’s always someone to burst you with his weaponry or overcome with his tactics. However you have to. Cause you and your ultramodern space-fighter are the only chance to prevent alien invasion which is almost ready to start, turning your homeworld into ruins.

Saturday April 5 Real Jigsaw Puzzle 60%

Fond of solving jigsaw puzzles? Ever wanted to turn your favorite photo into a jigsaw puzzle and share it with your friends? Or may be thinking of your own virtual 3D picture-gallery? Wait no longer: it’s just the time to download Real Jigsaw Puzzle – the most feature-rich and handy puzzle game you’ve ever seen.

Sunday April 6 After The End 60%

Your patrol cruiser received mayday signal from a research base on a suburban planet “Rydon 7″. The dropship directed to investigate the situation was hit and damaged, and you are the only survivor. Do you dare to go out of the ship and see what’s outside? Cut your way through locations filled with mutants in your attempt of getting replacement units for your dropship and discovering the source of the evil raging all over the planet.

If you see a game you like, head over to Game du Jour on the right day and pick up the game dirt cheap.

The World’s Hardest Game is a flash based game that really is difficult to play.  I played for about a half hour and still was not able to pass the first level. The goal of the game is to get your red square from the beginning of the level to the end of the level without getting hit by the blue balls.

The game text said you are suppose to collect yellow rings on your way to the exit, but the first level does not contain yellow rings.  I am sure the yellow rings make the game even more difficult, but I can’t say that for sure since I couldn’t even make it past the first level.

You may be wondering why I bother to cover a game that I can’t even make it past the first level. I am writing about The World’s Hardest Game because it is challenging and a bit funny.  I love a good challenge and this game provided that. I also thought it was a funny that the game is called The World’s Hardest Game and the entire time you are getting ready to play the game they keep warning you how hard the game is and how you don’t know what you are getting into.  I kept thinking to myself it can’t really be that hard, but it was.

If you are looking for a good challenge, checkout The World’s Hardest Game.

Paramount has announced the expansion of its interactive department team, as well as a slate of games they intend to develop or publish. The games will be based on Paramount film properties or titles from their back catalogs.  Paramount will be looking to invest in all types of video games, but they are especially interested in casual games for hand held and mobile devices. The hand held games can be developed for a much cheaper price tag than PS3 or Xbox 360 games.

“We are entering into deals now where we will be publishing games this year,” said Sandi Isaacs, Paramount’s senior veep of interactive and mobile. “There’s going to be a slate where in some cases we’re publishing, in some cases we’re co-publishing, or in others we’re funding development and another publisher buys it. It’s important for us to have a flexible model.”

Paramount is only the second studio to make the shift into developing video games instead of just licensing the video games. Warner Brothers is the other studio. Paramount is a huge force in the movie industry and only time will tell if they can be just as big a force in casual games.

Thanks Variety