Updated: Jul 04, 2009 11:23 am Eastern Daylight Time (GMT -04:00)
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Saturday, Jul 04, 2009 Happy Independence Day (US)

Old School LucasArts Announcement Monday

The Lucasartsgames Twitter Feed indicates LucasArts has an announcement planned for Monday (thanks GamingShogun/VG247). Though one of these tweets mentions this will be "awesome news for our old school fans," the most recent post clarifies that "It doesn't have to do with any specific intellectual property..." Here are the relevant updates:

Amazing news coming Monday! Super excited! You have no idea how tough it is not to start yelling about it! But it's secret! Until Monday!

I don't want to tease, it is just tough not to say anything! I might be tempted, however. Have to think about it over the weekend. ;)

Okay, we will do hints. It is awesome news for our old school fans. (anything more direct might get me in trouble)

Monday, early, actually. I suppose if the president of the company messages me to leak it I would. Til then, it is teasing. Sorry guys.

@TTU_VAPOR It doesn't have to do with any specific intellectual property...

Steamships Ahoy - Virtua Tennis 2009

Steam News announces the release of Virtua Tennis 2009 through Valve's online marketplace allowing you to get in touch with your inner McEnroe Federer (almost showed my age there). Word is: "Create your own player and join the new World Tour where you are trained by a real-life legend of tennis to compete for the #1 ranking against the biggest stars. Then take your character online and prove you're the best with the new online ranking system! With brand new courts, a new roll call of tennis stars to compete against and even more court mini-games, Virtua Tennis 2009 is set to be the #1 tennis title once again!"

Americas Army 3 Patched

Steam News announces the availability of another new automatic update for America's Army 3, the first-person shooter from Uncle Sam and the American taxpayer. The new version improves console help, adds clan support, and addresses a large list of bugs.

Borderlands DLC? Yes, Demo? Maybe

The Borderlands Interview on Shacknews spoke with Mikey Neumann of Gearbox back in the old days of E3 about their upcoming cel-shaded shooter/RPG. They discuss the game's art design, dynamically-generated foes with baby arms, and his feelings that not all of today's game designs place the proper emphasis on fun. His comments on the current state of Borderlands seem a bit confusing, as at one point he indicates the game is currently in certification preparing for an October release leaving developers with nothing to do but work on DLC plans, and at another he says: "We would love to promise a demo, we can't quite yet, we just want to get the game done."

Frozenbyte: Trine Pricing "A Big Mess"

Eurogamer chatted with the developers at Frozenbyte about the varying price points for Trine, the action/platformer that will cost more on PCs than consoles, and will possibly be priced differently in Europe and the US. Frozenbyte admits the situation is "a big mess," through they remain confident that all purchasers will get a good value for their money. The confusing situation is apparently due to the number of parties involved in the decision-making process, with spokesperson Joel Kinnunen saying: "We would love to have the game sold at the same price point across all platforms and methods, but these things are sometimes unbelievably complex when there's so many partners involved. The same goes for the EUR/USD disparity, it's just out of our hands." He admits they ran into no such problems with the release of Shadowgrounds, and say they will be better prepared in the future. Meanwhile, they are also sorting through confusion over a PSN release date and whether the game will be released on XBLA, "Trine as a project is a big mess," says Kinnunen. "As opposed to Trine as a game, which is pretty sweet. Ultimately it's the game part that really matters and helps us sleep at night, though."

No HL2 Ep 3 News: Ha Ha; L4D2 Movies

There's an Interview with Doug Lombardi on Joystiq talking with the Valve rep (who gets an assist from Chet Faliszek) about a variety of topics, including PS3 support and quite a bit on Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. They kick things off by asking about Half-Life 2 Episode 3, the final installment in the episodic shooter expansion that was intended to shorten the wait for further Half-Life 2 content. Doug's response was to laugh and say, "Stay tuned! No news on that today." There's also an interview with Doug on Computer and Video Games accompanied by Exclusive Left 4 Dead 2 footage in the form of three gameplay clips.

Lord of the Rings Online Interview

Turbine chats about LOTRO: Mines of Moria Book 8 and beyond on VG247 hears from Aaron "Rowan" Campbell, Turbine's live producer for their LOTR MMORPG. Topics of the detail-oriented conversation include plans for the upcoming Book 8 update, Mines of Moria looting rules, economic swings, raids, and more.

Direct2Drive Sales

Some weekend sales are listed on Direct2Drive where they are offering Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for 30% off, Call of Duty: World at War for 30% off, the Company of Heroes Complete Bundle for $20.00 off, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for 50% off, Oblivion Game of the Year Deluxe for 50% off, and ArmA: Combat Operations for 50% off.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Movie

A new "inside the asylum" developer diary movie from Batman: Arkham Asylum offers another look at the upcoming game based on Batman's pleasant visit to Gotham's hospital for the criminally insane. The clip features gameplay and developer commentary setting the stage for the "worst night of Batman's life" (not counting that kegger where he had to hold Catwoman's hair for hours while she threw up). The movie can be found on ActionTrip, AtomicGamer, and Gamer's Hell.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis Movie

Divinity II: Ego Draconis is showcased in a new cinematic movie taken from Larian Studios' upcoming RPG sequel, the first of three clips setting the background story for the game. Word is: "In a couple of new videos, mysterious Dragon Knight Talana (voiced by Sally Wallis) exposes, why Dragons and Humans are at war with each other and how evil Damian, after his original defeat, managed to reunite his forces to again threaten the world of Rivellon. If you look carefully, you may even pick up on some secret details about Talana’s very personal role in that whole story..." The clip is posted on the official Divinity 2 website and mirrored on ActionTrip and Gamer's Hell.

Gratuitous Space Battles Movie

A new movie from Gratuitous Space Battles shows off Positech's science-fiction strategy game that's planned for release sometime this year. The clip is available on the YouTube, and here is a refresher on the game: "Gratuitous Space Battles may look like an RTS game, but it's design is closer to 'tower-defense' than a conventional RTS. The player designs his ships from modules, arranges them into fleets, and deploys them (complete with some AI-orders) and then watches them fight against enemy AI fleets. Although the battles themselves do not allow direct control over the ships, there is an element of multiplayer to the game. Players can upload a challenge to the GSB server, complete with their best fleet and a taunt for their enemies, and other players can download that fleet and fight against it with their own."

The Old Republic Movie, Comic

The tenth issue of Threat of Peace kicks off the second chapter in this online comic series relating the back story for Star Wars: The Old Republic, the Star Wars MMORPG under construction at BioWare. Also, the latest holorecord (video) from the game voiced by actor Lance Henriksen is online: "Continuing his investigation, Master Gnost-Dural delves deeper into the history of the galaxy after discovering that the blockade that Hylo Visz helped end was a result of the actions of the new Mandalore." The "The Return of the Mandalorians" clip is on the Star Wars: The Old Republic Website and mirrored on ActionTrip and Gamer's Hell.

New HL2 Zombie Panic

A new version 1.61 of the Zombie Panic modification for Half-Life 2 is now available. The new version offers a few fixes as described in the change log. Thanks Ant and Half-Life Fallout.

Saturday Screenshots

Saturday Consolidation

Saturday Tech Bits

Mobilization

Metaverse

Legal Briefs

Safety Dance

Hardware Reviews

etc.

Out of the Blue

Happy Independence Day! Hopefully even if you're not in the U.S. you're enjoying some independence today, and if you are in America, hopefully you are enjoying your 4th of July festivities while avoiding any related mishaps. We'll be having a little cookout ourselves, but as usual will be laying pretty low and hopefully providing some comfort for Hudson the wonder dog, who gets panicky at fireworks. By the way, if you have a dog that suffers similarly, please be sure to make sure all escape routes from your house or yard are especially secure, as many pups go missing every year after giving in to the instinct to try and escape from the explosions.

Explosive Links: Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play: Legend Wars Castle Defense.
Pirate Launch.
Thunder Devil.
Links: 557,000 miles on her Chariot. Thanks Neatorama.
Top 10 Barbecue Recipes By Huffington Post Commenters. Thanks Acleacius.
Stories: The Next Generation of Fireworks May All Be Green.
U.S. parents think twice about sending kids to camp.
The Man Who Shook Up Vegas.
Science: Blind man sees wife for first time after having a TOOTH implanted into his eye.
Fewer Homicides in New York City on Rainy Days, Analysis Shows.
Auctions: How One Man Spent $17,500 On A Video Game. Apparently by PayPal.
Images: LIFE on the Fourth. Thanks Digg.

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Friday, Jul 03, 2009

Two Worlds II Announced

TopWare Interactive and Reality Pump announce Two Worlds II, an RPG sequel planned for release for Windows, Mac, and consoles this winter. The Two Worlds II Website is online, here are a few screenshots, and here's the announcement:

Karlsruhe, 3rd July 2009 – in the coming winter, the role-playing world of Antaloor will once again open its portals to PC, Mac and Next-Gen consoles. Following the fantastic worldwide sales success of the game’s famous predecessor, TopWare Interactive will once again open a radically new chapter in the fantasy world of Reality Pump.

“Two Worlds II” presents a totally new gamer experience, one in which 2 years of intensive development has enabled quantum leaps in all spheres: completely overhauled AI and balancing standards, experienced authors, the active combat system and the brand-new engine all combine to provide an unforgettable experience where excitement, sheer enjoyment and graphics rule. “Two Worlds II” simply sets new technical benchmarks in the RPG genre, thanks not least to its seemingly unlimited number of dynamic light sources, micro-detail Parallax Mapping, 24 Bit HDR Post Processing, Space Ambient Occlusion and Human Eye Accommodation.

The story of “Two Worlds II” is staged a couple of years after Part 1 - and it will lead you into hitherto unexplored parts of Eastern Antaloor where you'll find many brand-new locations packed full of atmosphere - from dusty deserts to awe-inspiring temples.

Alexandra Constandache, the Executive Producer of TWII commented, “We intentionally opted for a completely independent game with radical new technology. This was the only way to ensure that we harness the enormous potential and experience gained from the making of the first “Two Worlds” project - and make full use of the further technical development of internal Reality Pump tools that has been on-going since the first “Two Worlds” was developed. This new release window gives us enough time to systematically implement both our own requirements and the feedback of the “Two World” fans, enabling us to create a breathtaking RPG experience.”

AND - we'll shortly be bringing out the next version of your hotly-awaited ““Two Worlds” magazine, the “Antaloor Post” - and in it we'll tell you all about the latest developments direct from the developers at Reality Pump! If you want to be on the inside track when it comes to having inside info about Antaloor, go to www.twoworlds2.com and register for the newsletter - you won't regret it!

Section 8 Beta

The Section 8 Beta Testing on FilePlanet is now open to all FilePlanet users, so you can now join in with a free account, though this is only open to US and Canadian players for now. Here's word on testing TimeGate's upcoming first-person shooter: "This event is a staggered beta with keys distributed first come, first served with limited access. Beta keys will be distributed on a regular schedule."

TweetCraft

TweetCraft is an in-game Twitter client that works in World of Warcraft for your tweeting pleasure. Word is there are also plans for a version to work within Champions Online. Thanks Frans.

Blood Bowl Patch

Another new patch for Blood Bowl is now available to update the fantasy-themed sports game to version 1.0.1.3. There's no word on what the new patch does. The download is available The Patches Scrolls.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Patch

Another new unofficial patch for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is now available with further homebrew support for the Source-engine RPG from defunct developer Troika games. If you are curious, this is the 43rd unofficial patch for the game by our rough count, which is not counting the unofficial patch that actually came out before the game's single "official" patch. The new English-only version 6.3 addresses some minor issues, suggesting this third-party patching marathon may be approaching the finish line. As always, the patch can be found on its official home at The Patches Scrolls.

EVE Bank Robbery

Billions stolen in online robbery reports a huge bank robbery is the latest cataclysm in EVE Online, CCP's sci-fi MMORPG where such intrigues are intrinsic to the game (thanks Mike Martinez). The story outlines a run on one of the game's largest banks after a virtual robbery, which apparently spooked depositors. The robber turns out to be the player who had been chief executive at the bank, who has now been expelled from the game, not due to the robbery, which is "legal" within the ruthless context of the game, but because he then traded the virtual currency for real cash, a violation of EVE's terms of service. The robber then apparently used the cash for medical bills and a deposit on a house. "I'm not proud of it at all, that's why I didn't brag about it," the robber tells Reuters. "But you know, if I had to do it again, I probably would've chosen the same path based on the same situation."

Gatherings & Competitions

Morning Previews

  • CrimeCraft on Ten Ton Hammer.
  • Global Agenda on MMORPG.com. Developer blog on the coming beta.
  • Natural Selection 2 on IGN. Meet the Onos. Ono you didn't!

Morning Screenshots

Morning Consolidation

Morning Tech Bits

Mobilization

Metaverse

Legal Briefs

Safety Dance

Game Reviews

Hardware Reviews

etc.

Out of the Blue

Well, the Fourth of July holiday is clearly underway, as the fireworks were going off in force around here last night, freaking out our poor Hudson the wonder dog but good. There's more on the way, so we'll just have to batten down the hatches. Boom!

Explosive Links: Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez.
Play: Fragger.
2600Online.com.
Links: Fallout 3 Cosplay - Brotherhood of Steel Power Armor. Thanks No Mutants Allowed.
12 Guilty Pleasures that Are Actually Good for You. Thanks Dark Roasted Blend.
Top 10 Ironic Ads From History. Thanks Neatorama.
Stories: Staff strip naked to improve morale. Thanks Slashdot.
Pet owner spots her lost cat on TV. Thanks Neatorama.
Survivor still haunted by 1971 air crash. Thanks Mark.
Science: NASA Suggests Nano Robots To Explore Mars.
Carnivorous Clock Kills Insects to Tell Time. Thanks theAntiELVIS.
Two Centuries On, a Cryptologist Cracks a Presidential Code.
Images: Solid Zombie Snake Vinyl Figure. Thanks Roland.
One shot- Bob Dylan's Sims-life.
Media: LOLrio Kart - 45mph shopping cart. And about a 45 IQ to ride it with no helmet.
Multiple-Reality-Cat Blows Dog's Mind.



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