Today marks the release of RAGE for OS X, as RAGE: Campaign Edition is now available via digital distribution from the Mac App Store, Application Systems London, and GameAgent. Also, though the OS X edition does not seem to be offered on Steam, there is a new automatic patch for the Windows edition on Steam, among other things, adding a new texture detail option. Here's word on that: Texture Detail: Enabling Texture Detail will improve up-close texture quality by performing upsampling with adaptive sharpening. This does not update or increase the resolution of the base textures included with the game but improves the perceived resolution and crispness of textures. This is an intensive operation and is only recommended if you have a quad-core CPU or higher. Please disable this feature if you encounter poor performance, stability issues or are given a notification that the game has run out of memory after loading a map. The Texture Detail option can be found in the Settings -> Video Menu.
Star Trek Online celebrates its anniversary, as the Trekkie MMORPG launched two years ago today. There is a new anniversary event FAQ outlining the celebrations commemorating the event. Thanks Patrick.
THQ's latest financial report has more of the bad new for the company, showing losses and inspiring the company to cut its forecast for the full year. This also has details on THQ's recently announced refocus, and also has word that: "The company also has in development two unannounced core titles for release in fiscal 2013."
Matrix Games announces Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: Don to the Danube, a new expansion for War in the East, the World War II strategy game. Here's word on the game, which is due later this month: The critically and fan acclaimed Eastern Front mega-game Gary Grigsby’s War in the East just got bigger and better with Gary Grigsby’s War in the East: Don to the Danube! This expansion to the award-winning War in the East comes with a wide array of later war scenarios ranging from short but intense 6 turn bouts like the Battle for Kharkov (1942) to immense 37-turn engagements taking place across multiple nations like Drama on the Danube (Summer 1944 – Spring 1945). Don to the Danube and the War in the East system gives players unprecedented control over pivotal operations in the Second World War like Operation Uranus, the encirclement of the 6th German Army at Stalingrad, the Cherkassy Pocket and much more. Don to the Danube also takes full advantage of the hefty number of new features and rule changes that come with the massive 1.06.00 update and incorporates a full new Editor manual as well.
The Game of Thrones: The Game Website now offers web-based quests promoting the upcoming A Game of Thrones-based RPG. There's also a new trailer for the game "that provides a brief preview of the story and struggles that await players in this disquieted river town. Both the 'Riverspring' and previously released 'The Wall' sections of the official site feature quests through which visitors can unlock exclusive media!"
- Pineapple Smash Crew on Steam. Save 10%.
- Pixeljunk Eden on Steam. Save 20%.
- Warhammer 40,000 Games on Steam. Save 66%.
Ubisoft announces plans to change facilities where servers are hosted for many of its online games, which will result in some downtime. These moves will begin on February 7th, and will impact the following PC games: Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. 2, Might & Magic : Heroes VI, and The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom for Windows, and Assassin's Creed and Splinter Cell Conviction for OS X. Thanks Computer and Video Games.
Hi-Rez Studios announces significant changes for Tribes Ascend, based on feedback from closed beta testing of this upcoming continuation of the Tribes series of multiplayer first-person shooters. Word is they are shaking up their planned class structure, and will be adding more of the flexibility players have been requesting. Here's word on the next update to the game's ongoing closed beta test, which is available to those who preorder through the Tribes Ascend Website, along with some of those who have signed up for the beta: The next update will include additional class customization and a much more polished user interface that really showcases the sci-fi, high resolution graphics of Tribes: Ascend. Hi-Rez will be collapsing the total number of playable classes from 12 to 9, but adding the ability for players to unlock new weapons for each class and further customize their loadout. Three of the nine classes will be available right away so a new player will have access to a Light, Medium, and Heavy class in his or her first match.
“We believe this system preserves class-based combat while also offering additional flexibility for players to customize classes around individual play style. It continues to provide a balanced and level playing field for all players.”
Icehole Games announces the release of version 1.9 of World Basketball Manager, adding the 2012 season to this soccer-management-style game for hoops aficionados. The link to the site is broken, so go here for purchases, downloads, and more information. Here's an overview: "World Basketball Manager 2012 has been developed as an ´old school´ sport management game for all basketball fans. The scope of the project is to include all major tournaments in the world, accurate data for tournament rules-teams-players-managers, non-linear match algorithms and attention to detail which the users will notice and enjoy." A free trial version is offered.
Wargaming.net announces details on a new version 7.2 update in the works for World of Tanks North America and World of Tanks Europe, the free-to-play multiplayer armored combat shooter(s). The new version will add a pair of new maps, substitute American heavy tanks, new U.S. tank destroyers, and a new tutorial for rookie World of Tanks commanders. "We are always happy to introduce new features and game content to our community," said World of Tanks Lead game designer Mike Zhivets. "Many more new exciting features are on their way and will be introduced in the nearest updates." This trailer shows off the new version, which they say will be released by March 31st. Here are some details: Continue here to read the full story.
The Mythos Global Website announces that open beta testing is now underway for the international take on this fantasy-themed MMO dungeon crawler. They also outline territories that are being IP blocked from the game: "Here is the list of the countries which Mythos Global won't be available (IP Block) Russian Federation, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan."
IncGamers quotes Ian Frazier from a soon-to-be-published interview with the lead designer on Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the imminent RPG from 38 Studios' Big Huge Games. He expresses the opinion that it's piracy, not the allure of console sales, that's making big PC exclusive games a thing of the past. "No, probably not. A game this big is very expensive to be blunt about it. The PC, with piracy being as rampant as it is, is really hard to make money from. My first game was Titan Quest, a hack ‘n’ slash RPG, which was PC only but the amount that it was pirated was the difference between us staying in business and going out of business," he tells them. "It’s really, really hard to be profitable by concentrating only on PC. Unless you’re an MMO."
Spiderweb Software now offers a new patch for the OS X edition of Avadon: The Black Fortress, updating it to version 1.0.4. Word is: "This upgrade fixes bugs and typos and improves performance with the Magic Trackpad. Installing this update is recommended."
Happy Groundhog Day! Let's get right to our rodent weather correspondent, as apparently Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, which is supposed to portend another six weeks of winter (or at least winter weather, the calendar remains static). This is in contrast to how mild the winter has been so far, but how could something as scientific as shadow spotting be wrong? Well, actually, according to that article, this is open to debate, as they note that while the official website of Punxsutawney Phil claims the forecaster is 100% accurate, AccuWeather says he is right about 80% of the time, while StormFax.com places his accuracy at 39%.
R.I.P.: Famed boxing trainer Angelo Dundee dies. Thanks brother19.
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