Christmas game wars

Latvian blockbusters could outsell Halo 3, reports Benjamin Meister-Chef

Just when it looked like Halo 3 was the ultimate game of 2007, its ascendancy could already be under threat. A slew of new titles from Latvian developer Spongy Studios will be arriving just in time to take Christmas by storm.


Spongy’s first volley will be Puritan Territory: Quaker Wars, another title using the Dumb 3 engine. This innovative Enormously Multiplayer Online Role-Playing First-Person Real-Time Strategy Shooter (EMORPFPRTSS) gives you the choice of two teams. The Global Persecution Force gets powerful guns but must stay within the Old World. Alternatively, you can join one of the five classes of Puritan, none of which are allowed to use weapons, but have the ability to run away to the New World.

Based on the HP Sauce engine, TIM Fortress 2 is also shaping up to be a classic. You must defend yourself against the evil Netburst aliens, . It’s a challenging game, and will focus on personalised single-player action (PSPA) rather than online play.

‘There’s no “I” in “Team”, but there is in “TIM”’, explained Spongy’s Rodrigo Tarmac.

HellCatflap Ibiza is set in a post-apocalyptic Spanish holiday resort, which has been invaded by drunken English tourists. In this role-playing game with first-person shooter elements (RPGWFPSE), you play a Spanish shopkeeper trying to defend the tranquillity of the island from marauding British demons. The action is set to a heady dance remix by Pete Tong, and comes with a free six-pack of lager.

Spongy has even created a special Yuletide episode of its current money-spinner Crisis, with a story based on AMD’s recent product launches. With so many titles on the market, it’s sure to be ‘game on’ for Spongy Studios this Christmas!