Newsbriefs: Puzzle Quest Dissecta, Ubisoft _Jam_ming, Touch the Dead

Author: by Staff

[UPDATED: 3:49pm PST] Today's regularly updated newsbriefs include an upcoming lecture and Q&A with Puzzle Quest developers Infinite Interactive, Ubisoft bringing Plato's virtual DS guitar to the West, and esteemed comic artist Arthur Suydam covering Touch the Dead. - Regular Australian video game and industry forum Dissecta has announced that its April 24th meeting will be headlined by Steve Fawkner and his team from Infinite Interactive. The developer has come into the spotlight with the recent release of its chart-topping DS and PSP game Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. The team will discuss the game anad how it "exemplifies the new era of opportunities available with today's handheld consoles," as well as take aprt in a Q&A, give away signed copies of the game, and take part in a complimentary networking drink-session after the meeting. More information on attending Dissecta can be found via the organization's website. - Publisher Ubisoft has announced that it will soon be launching Nintendo DS music titles Jam Sessions this summer. Developed by Japan based studio Plato, and originally known as Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06 in that region, the game lets players strum a virtual guitar via the touch screen, with face buttons controlling chord progressions, to make music through the portable. The game will include a performance mode, letting players play along with popular songs, free-play, where they can compose their own tunes, and tutorial mode, where they will learn to play the virtual guitar. The game also features full recording and playback options, creating what Ubisoft calls a "virtual notepad for players to write, play and save their original music anytime, anywhere." - Eidos' Secret Stash Games has announced a collaboration with famed comic artist Arthur Suydam to create the cover of its upcoming DS zombie shooter Touch The Dead. Suydam has gained acclaim as the cover artist for Marvel's "Zombies" series, as well as a number of other publications from graphic novels to magazines. Secret Stash's Touch the Dead, expected to hit North America this spring, lets players 'point-and-shoot' their way from a prison "teeming with the undead" using the DS' touchscreen and stylus, and the developer says Suydam's "artistic technique brings a more mature graphic-novel inspired look" to the game's artwork. The cover will be the artists' first work in the games field. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sister alt.gaming weblog GameSetWatch include a comprehensive look at the Leisure Suit Larry series, an interesting blog post on UI design, and Mizuguchi's mysterious new project with global implications. - The latest updates on Gamasutra sisterwebsite Game Career Guide include a new feature taking a look at machinima, the art of making animated films within real-time virtual environments. - Also updated today: the latest Gamasutra job postings, including openings from Concrete Games, Kush Games, NCsoft, Rainbow Studios, Stormfront Studios, Sucker Punch Productions, Ternary Software, Vigil Games, Walker Digital Gaming, YAGER Develpment, and Zipper Interactive.