Lava Kroft sounds a bit like a blue title, but in fact it's a new mobile game from Singaporean company Ozura Mobile. Its numerous similarities to the Tomb Raider series has caused Eidos to raise an eyebrow, and the publisher says it's considering legal action:


Ozura's website contains details about the mobile game. Lava Kroft is described as "a new age woman with [an] exceptional thirst for adventure", and an "addiction to danger, myth and man". Much like Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, Lava is a treasure hunter who inherited her father's estates after his death, and has a similarly "stunning beauty and figure".

Depending on what Eidos thinks about all these striking similarities, we may hear more about Lava in the future, and not just on our phones.

Far Cry mod gets patched

With all the hype and fanfare that surrounded the release of Far Cry, it came as a surprise to many observers that the mod community never really took hold and thrived. However, one mod that did make a name for itself amongst Far Cry fans was the Assault Coop mod, turning the regular Assault mode into a deadly struggle between human players and AI enemies.

Far Cry fans rejoice, the Assault Coop 1.1 patch has finally been released:


An incredible amount of time and energy has been invested into Assault Coop 1.1 by its lone developer flameknight7 - a quick glance over its extensive change list is testament to this fact. Given that Far Cry can now be found lurking in bargain bins for under twenty dollars, it's fair to say that this mod would go down a treat at your next LAN session.

For more information on Assault Coop, check the mod's profile on ModDB.com.

US politicians continue to put pressure on the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), with the introduction of a new bill called the "Truth in Video Game Rating Act". Prompted by recent controversies involving GTA: San Andreas and Oblivion, Republican Congressman Cliff Stearns, in cooperation with Democrats Jim Matheson and Mike McIntyre, have proposed legislation designed to "prohibit deceptive conduct in the rating of video and computer games".

If the Act becomes law, the current practice of rating games based on the publisher's voluntary disclosure of the content would be illegal. Instead, the ESRB would be required to play games in their entirety before rating them. That would makes things very difficult for the ESRB when dealing with lengthy games like Oblivion, or games like The Sims which have no clear endpoint. It would also muddy the MMOG waters, since developers are constantly adding new content.

The Act would also prohibit companies from withholding content from a rating board, and make illegal "gross mischaracterization of content".

In addition, the Act would initiate a study into the rating system. The study would aim to determine the ESRB's effectiveness, whether an independent system would do a better job, and whether a universal system applying to films, TV and games is feasible.

You can see the text of the bill, labelled HR5912, here.

UK-based developer Viperante hopes to inject some new life into the point-and click-adventure genre with its latest title, Restless.

Restless follows the tale of a young hotshot lawyer named Kate Jones. Through a series of explosive events, Kate is progressively whittled down to a shell of her former self. Whilst in an alcohol-fuelled depression, she finds herself haunted by images of a woman in her dreams, only to wake up one day with an envelope on her pillow containing a news clipping about the missing dream-lady, and a message imploring her to save herself by saving the stranger.

This mystery draws Kate into a web of intrigue involving:


The developers describe Restless as "a journey into the human soul, an examination of right and wrong, responsibility and retribution, and an exercise in just what it would take to evolve one person's entire personality completely."

Restless is slated for a Q4 2007 release. Find out more at the game's official website, as well as Viperante.

GameDaily BIZ has the news that EA has extended its licensing agreement with the PGA Tour another six years, through to 2012. The agreement is already 15 years old and shows no sign of ending.


Earlier this year, EA also extended its agreement with Tiger Woods for the same six year period, so we can expect to see Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2012. At this rate the Tiger Woods games will outlast the man himself.