The BBC has today announced 'The Doctor And The Dalek', a new online game for CBBC audiences voiced by Peter Capaldi. The game sees the newly regenerated Twelfth Doctor thrown into a dangerous quest with his most devious of enemies in a new, stand-alone story from Doctor Who and Wizards vs Aliens TV writer, Phil Ford.

'The Doctor And The Dalek' - which has been specially released to be part of the BBC's Make it Digital initiative to inspire a new generation to get creative with coding, digital technology and programming - will be available freely at bbc.co.uk/cbbc from Wednesday 22nd October.

The Doctor And The Dalek

Players join the action as the TARDIS materialises amidst a deadly pursuit through space – a Dalek Saucer bearing down on a Cyber-ship. But from that Cyber-ship emanates a distress call – from a Dalek! On freeing the battered Dalek from his Cybermen captors, the Doctor finds himself taking his new unlikely ally on a mission to save all of creation from destruction at the hands of his greatest enemies.

But why would a Dalek turn to its mortal foe for help? To find out, join the 'Doctor and the Dalek' in a new adventure spanning the Sontar homeworld and its vile Clone Chambers, which have never been shown on-screen before, as well as reintroducing the icy Cyber-tombs of Telos – last seen in classic Doctor Who episodes.

The Doctor said:

"Oi! Short and not-very-old one! I need your help - I’ve got a Dalek and we’ve got a mission to save the universe. So get on over to the CBBC website, and play 'The Doctor and the Dalek' while there’s still a universe left! Come on! Chop chop! Make it Digital on the BBC."

Introducing computing skills

A range of puzzles are featured throughout the game, where players must take control of the Dalek and program it to 'power up' its ability to perform a range of tasks, such as flying. Each puzzle unlocks an achievement that helps the Doctor build the Dalek back to full strength, ensuring it can take on increasingly difficult challenges as the game progresses.

The puzzles are linked to the new computing curriculum and are designed to allow children across the UK to pick up core programming principles as they play. Several key stage 2 and 3 curriculum points – such as combining instructions to accomplish a given goal, using variables to alter behaviour, repetition and loops, and logical reasoning – are seamlessly integrated into the gameplay and, most importantly for children, are intuitive and fun.

Resources accompanying the game will be available from BBC Learning at bbc.co.uk/schoolscomputing for teachers and parents to help children get the most out of the game. These will provide links to other resources available from across the BBC and third parties, enabling children and teachers to take their learning journeys further.

Danny Cohen, BBC Director of Television, said:

“'The Doctor and the Dalek' is a brand-new Doctor Who story and a fantastic game, voiced by the wonderful Peter Capaldi. It’s an excellent example of how a hugely popular BBC show can give fans something extra, whilst also introducing wider audiences to increasingly important skills, such as coding and programming.”

Sinéad Rocks, Head of BBC Learning, said:

“We’re really excited about the launch of 'The Doctor and the Dalek' as not only is it a really entertaining platform game for kids to play but it’s also a great introduction to some key principles of computer programming. Every puzzle has a strong link to the KS2 or KS3 computing curriculum. So we think it’s going to be a really valuable tool for students, parents and teachers.”

The Doctor And The Dalek was commissioned by BBC Learning, developed and produced by BBC Wales and Somethin’ Else in association with BBC Future Media. 

Check out a sneak peek at the game, courtesy of FamilyGamerTV, in the video player, below:
[youtube:nVW7oX9Q6Bo] 
[Source: BBC Media Centre]

Earlier this year, Topps released their new Doctor Who Alien Attax Trading Cards, and DWO recently got a chance to check them out.

The 240-card set is full of high quality trading cards featuring both the new and classic series of Doctor Who, with a broad range of Doctors, Companions, Monsters, Villains and other notable characters from the series.

You can kick-start your collection with the Doctor Who Alien Attax Starter Pack, which retails at £4.99 and includes a collector binder, game guide, game mat and a packet of cards, plus a limited edition Animotion card, to help you get straight into the action. The binder itself looks fantastic once you populate it with your cards (back to back), and serves as a great momento in this 50th anniversary to be able to look back over the many characters the show has produced over the years.

You can also get the Doctor Who Alien Attax Multipack for £5, which comes with 5 card packs and a limited edition Weeping Angel card. There's one more limited edition card available in the Doctor Who Alien Attax Tin, which includes 26 x Regular Cards, 3 x Mirror Foil Cards, 1 x Rainbow Foil Card and 1 x Animotion Limited Edition Card changing between David Tennant and Christopher Eccleson.

It's then up to you to get more packs (just £1 each for 9 cards), swap with friends and keep your eyes peeled for special promotional cards in places like Doctor Who Adventures Magazine.

DWO caught up with Topps' Entertainment Marketing Manager, Anup Dave to talk about the series:

How have you found the reaction to your new Doctor Who Alien Attax Trading Card series?

In a word: Fantastic! The response has been phenomenal, so much so that we sold out of the Doctor Who Alien Attax Collector Tins online and have since had to rush around to see if we can get our hands on as much stock as possible. It’s the fastest selling tin product we have had and at retail, sales have been strong. In fact, upon its launch, Doctor Who Alien Attax was the number one selling entertainment title in several retail chains. 

We have hugely positive feedback on the quality of the collection, from consumers as far away as Australia. The trading card collection is colourful, vibrant and not many product lines can showcase the fact that they feature 50 years of Doctor Who in one complete set.

Topps have had a long and respected reign as producers of trading cards, how did the Doctor Who license come about and did the company ever wish to produce Doctor Who cards before now?

Topps has previously produced the Doctor Who Sticker Collection, from which we launched four fantastic collections, so it was a natural progression for us to seize the opportunity to work with such a renowned, and of course iconic, British show and be able to bring to market an all-new, exciting and compelling trading card game. You could say it was on the cards!

Are there any plans for future additions to the series?

Yes! It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Doctor Who TV show this year, so definitely stay tuned. We would love to reveal more, as we are very excited about the 50th Anniversary, but we are currently at the planning stage to make things happen for a very compelling and exciting product….watch this space!

Fancy winning one of 10 Doctor Who Alien Attax Starter Packs? Head on over to the DWO Competitions section!

+  For further information about the Doctor Who Alien Attax cards, visit www.toppsdirect.com.

[Sources: DWO; Topps]

Today sees the worldwide release of one of the finest Doctor Who games to date; The Eternity Clock - so what can we look forward to in the game?

You can play as the Doctor and River Song as they race to save the universe and time itself, whilst trying to unravel the mystery of The Eternity Clock and stop its deadly path of destruction before it’s too late.

Equipped with the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver, River’s Blaster and other fantastic gadgets, journey through four London time periods and a number of alien locations in search of the answers. Face up to the most fearsome monsters including Silurians, Cybermen, Daleks and the Silence.

Outwit and destroy foes, solve puzzles and make the right choices in an epic action-adventure to save the future.

Other great gameplay features:

•  Explore the universe of the Doctor, across 4 distinct 'London' time periods.
•  Play as the Doctor and River Song to solve the riddle of The Eternity Clock.
•  Collaborative multiplayer - play together simultaneously and in different time periods.
•  Time travel gameplay mechanics - changes to one time period affect the layout of another, solve puzzles across the centuries.
•  Innovative 2D to 3D camera switch play.
•  Experience 'being the Doctor' - face challenging decisions and puzzles.
•  Cross platform play between PS3 and Vita game.
•  An intriguing, expansive and yet simple plot developed in collaboration with the team behind the TV show  - set across 600 years of history and into the alternate futures of earth.

DWO are offering our visitors a chance to win a Download Code to get the game for FREE. Simply pop over to our Competitions page and answer the question to enter.

[Source: BBC Games]

BBC Worldwide have sent DWO another video for the upcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock video game, focusing on making an interactive episode, introduced by Simon Harris (Executive Producer) and Nick Dixon (Design Director).

The Eternity Clock launches on 23rd May for PS3 and 13th June for PS Vita on the PlayStation Network.

[youtube:LWyFuklyRp8]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

BBC Worldwide have sent DWO another video for the upcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock video game, focusing on the monsters featured in the game, introduced by Simon Harris (Executive Producer) and Nick Dixon (Design Director).

The Eternity Clock launches on 23rd May for PS3 and 13th June for PS Vita on the PlayStation Network.

[youtube:OOc7ULEuoVk]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

BBC Worldwide have sent DWO a video introduction featuring interviews with Simon Harris (Executive Producer) and Nick Dixon (Design Director) for the upcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock video game.

The game will be launched on 23rd May for PS3 and 13th June for PS Vita on the PlayStation Network.

[youtube:_1H8AotHo5g]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

BBC Worldwide have confirmed that the forthcoming Doctor Who: The Eternity Clock computer game, will be released globally on 23rd May.

The game via be available via the PlayStation Network and will see a physical release [box-art to the right] follow shortly after on the 25th May. 

[youtube:cE0QV8HpEZ0]

[Source: BBC Worldwide]

DWO are thrilled to announce the launch of our own Minecraft server, aimed solely at Doctor Who related builds.

Minecraft is a popular online game that enables players to build objects and source materials within an online virtual world.

Speaking of the new venture, DWO Editor; Sebastian J. Brook had the following to say:

"This is a fantastic new area for fans of both Doctor Who and Minecraft to come together and get creative in our online virtual sandbox. There's so much creativity amongst fans, and already within the first 24 hours, we've noticed some truly amazing builds within our world. We are extremely excited to watch the world grow and to interact with our visitors in Minecraft, and have a few building ideas of our own…"

Do you have a particular build you want to create? Perhaps a monster, set or prop from the show? Why not create it for FREE in the DWO Minecraft world!

+  The DWO Minecraft Game Server can be reached at the following address: 37.59.160.199.

+  Download the Minecraft software.

[Source: Doctor Who Online]

The BBC has announced that a new Doctor Who Adventure Game – The Gunpowder Plot – will be available to download via the Doctor Who website from 31st October 2011.

The Doctor Who Adventure Game: The Gunpowder Plot features a star-studded cast, including Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Arthur Darvill, Ralf Little as Guy Fawkes, Phil Daniels as Town Crier, Emilia Fox as the 14th Plotter and CBBC presenter Chris Johnson as Barnaby. It will offer players a unique experience of one of the most important and memorable moments in British history.

Ralf Little, who plays Guy Fawkes in the game, says: "It is a way of bringing the story alive to, probably, millions of kids who are aware of the name Guy Fawkes because of November the 5th, but not actually really understand what the historical significance is behind it."

Written by Phil Ford, voice directed by Gary Russell and produced by a team drawing on the very best talent from TV and the games industry, the Adventure Game was executive produced by Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger, Beth Willis and Anwen Aspden, alongside Charles Cecil, one of video gaming's most revered creators. The game is being developed by independent UK game development studio Sumo Digital Ltd.

Commissioned by Victoria Jaye, Head of IPTV and TV Online Content, BBC Vision – in collaboration with Controller of BBC Learning, Saul Nassé – the game provides audiences with a unique way to learn about one of the most significant periods in British history, through an interactive experience of one of the UK's best-loved programmes. The last four-game series, released in 2010, exceeded all expectations with more than 2.8m downloads requested so far.

Victoria Jaye says: "We're always looking at ways to bring Doctor Who stories to life for the audience beyond broadcast television, seizing the creative potential of digital platforms to delight fans with new ways to engage with characters and story worlds."

The game will be available for UK households on PC and Mac as a free download from the Doctor Who website.

[Source: BBC Press Office]

The BBC have confirmed the new Adventure Game will be released this October and is called The Gunpowder Plot.

It's the most ambitious Adventure Game to date and stars Matt Smith as the Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy and for the first time, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams. This new, dazzlingly epic story gives you the chance to battle aliens in London, 1605. But as well as extra-terrestrial monsters, you'll meet Guy Fawkes (visualisation above) and really get a feel for what was happening at this incendiary moment in Britain's history. It's your chance to virtually step back in time, chat to famous figures and participate in one of the most notorious plots the world has ever known.

The BBC Doctor Who website are delighted to say that The Gunpowder Plot also sees the return of two old enemies... more about them soon! Right now they can confirm that this, the fifth Adventure Game, was written by Phil Ford (Doctor Who: The Adventure Games, The Sarah Jane Adventures and co-writer of The Waters of Mars) and produced by Gary Russell. The executive producers are Steven Moffat, Piers Wenger, Beth Willis, Anwen Aspden and Charles Cecil.

The Gunpowder Plot will be the most advanced of the Adventure Games so far. Gamers will be able to play as the Doctor, Amy and Rory, exploring the immersive environments of this historic period. The adventure will feature multi-linear gameplay, even more sophisticated puzzles, and a complex lighting system specifically designed to recreate the atmosphere of 17th Century London. And for the very first time, the introduction of portal technology will enable gamers to experience for themselves that the TARDIS really is bigger on the inside...

To accompany the game, BBC Learning will be offering teachers an online resource pack containing unique, downloadable assets to support History and Literacy in the classroom. And in the adventure itself you'll be meeting not just the main figures from the plot, but everyday Londoners who lived through an exciting, dangerous and fascinating era.

The Adventure Games have received over 2.6 million download requests since the launch of the first adventure, City of the Daleks, which SFX called 'the best Who game to date.' The series was a finalist at the Develop Awards and nominated at the Banff World Media Festival for Best Branded Entertainment.

As always, the Adventure Game will be free in the UK and we'll be giving you more information soon. The Gunpowder Plot explodes in approximately three months time. It may not rhyme, but remember, remember... October!

[Source: BBC Doctor Who website]

Doctor Who Star, Matt Smith, recently got to grips with the Doctor Who: The Mazes of Time game for iPhone and iPad.

The BBC have released a video of Matt (who is clearly impressed), playing the game.

[youtube:fZ401hU2TyI]

In the latest update to the game, there are brand new levels, including The Weeping Angels, as well as a new level creator.

+  Download The Mazes of Time app from the App Store.

[Source: BBC Worldwide]