Get on the movie carousel

We played Yoostar2 when we visited Blitz Games Studios in October and rather enjoyed its unique mixture of movies and karaoke, so it's good news all-around that the game will reach a sizeable European audience thanks to a distribution deal with Namco Bandai Partners.

While the deal doesn't pin down a particular release date it does pencil the game in for release in the first quarter of this year, so you should be able to engage in a little ham acting before April rolls around.

We'll have more news on Yoostar2 in the run-up to its launch later this year.

Yoostar Entertainment Group Signs European Distribution Agreement With Namco Bandai Partners

  • ‘Yoostar2’ Coming to Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 Across Europe in Q1 2011 -

LYON, FRANCE – 6 January 2011 – NAMCO BANDAI Partners S.A.S. today announced that it has signed an agreement with Yoostar Entertainment to distribute Yoostar®2 for Kinect™ for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®Move across Europe.

Available in Q1 2011, Yoostar2 is a revolutionary game which uses the advanced camera technology of the Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor and the PlayStation®Eye to place players within famous movies and TV scenes. For the very first time, anyone can become part of their favourite movies or TV show, either acting alongside or replacing Hollywood’s biggest stars.

“This is the most innovative use of camera technology we’ve seen to date,” said Alberto González Lorca, VP Third Parties, NAMCO BANDAI Partners. “The moment you see yourself on screen in Yoostar2 is the moment you fall in love with it. We’re convinced this will be the next social gaming sensation and we’re delighted to have secured the rights to distribute the game throughout Europe.”

“We have no doubt that this fantastic product will capture the imaginations of everyone who sees it,” said Olivier Comte, VP Marketing, Sales & Publishing at NAMCO BANDAI Partners. “Yoostar2 is a brilliantly simple idea, but one that demanded specific advances in gaming technology. Now that technology has arrived and we can’t wait to get the game into people’s hands.”

“To say there has been considerable interest in the distribution rights to Yoostar2 would be an understatement,” added Gregory Fischbach, CEO, Yoostar Entertainment Group. “Almost every major player has been keen to sign the game, but in the end, we felt Namco Bandai’s European muscle won out, and we’re thrilled to be working with them on what will be unquestionably one of the biggest releases of the year.”

Yoostar2 will be released in Q1 2011 for both for Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 Move. Advanced social media features will allow players to share their videos with their friends. Players can stick to the script or create brand new scenes using the game’s hysterical ad-lib feature, which will allow everyone to create personalised content based on some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

Yoostar2 is developed by Blitz Games Studios. Blitz Games Project Director Steve Stopps added: “ We are all really excited to have Namco as a partner. It’s great to work with a team who are as passionate about Yoostar2 as we are. ”

More specifics on the game will be revealed soon.