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Thursday, Jul 12, 2007

  

Disney Acquires Junction Point

Disney Interactive Studios announces the acquisition of Junction Point Studios, the Austin, TX-based development house founded by industry luminary Warren Spector that's currently at work on an unannounced "next generation" project.:

BURBANK, Calif. — (July 12, 2007) — Disney Interactive Studios today announced that it has acquired Austin, Texas-based Junction Point Studios, a video game development studio led by industry luminary Warren Spector. Junction Point Studios will create new video game franchises and will also bring some of Disney’s most beloved franchises to next generation gaming platforms. The studio is currently working on a yet to be announced next-generation development project.

“Warren Spector’s unique talents as a leading creative force in the world of video games, his knowledge and passion for Disney, and his legacy of story telling and character development adds a unique creative dimension to our portfolio,” said Graham Hopper, general manager and executive vice president, Disney Interactive Studios. “Our shared visions on creativity, innovation and storytelling will allow us to touch individual players in ways never before possible.”

A lifelong Disney fan, Spector recognizes the opportunity to overlay Disney content and resources on top of exceptional game design to create unique experiences for players. Junction Point Studios’ creative team brings to Disney a powerhouse of gaming talent.

“I believe that the creative talents of our two companies and our shared ambition to bring distinctive, compelling experiences to gamers make this an ideal alliance,” said Warren Spector, president, Junction Point Studios. “We look forward to bringing exciting, innovative and entertaining new experiences to gamers and Disney fans alike.”

Junction Point has become the fifth studio in Disney Interactive Studios’ growing portfolio of development creative centers of excellence. As a talent hub for video game development, Austin adds another region to Disney’s internal development studio growth strategy.

Update/correction: Err, Warren Spector, not Sid Meier (yeesh!).

Avernum 5 Announced

Following a recent mention of Avernum 5 in a Q&A (story), Spiderweb Software now officially announces the next installment in their cross-platform RPG series, saying Avernum 5 will be released for Macintosh by the end of this year and for Windows towards the beginning of next:

July 11, 2007 - Spiderweb Software, Inc. announced today the development of Avernum 5, the latest game in the award-winning Avernum series. Avernum 5 is set in the world of Avernum, an enormous series of caves far under the surface of the world. Explore this enormous, alien environment, meet multitudes of interesting characters, and rampage through many unique dungeons and hostile cities.

The surface world is ruled by the Empire. Its power is absolute. Its control is unchallenged. And, as a soldier of the Empire, you have a good, comfortable life ahead of you. But then a rebel named Dorikas tried to assassinate the Emperor, and everything went wrong for you.

The villain fled somewhere into Avernum, an underworld nation of eccentrics, misfits, and barely civilized monsters, most of whom hate the Empire. And that is where you are going. You must find Dorikas, while dealing with spies, betrayal, and assassins at every turn.

The enemy is waiting for you. You will only survive his attention with the help of these strange cave dwellers. If, of course, they don’t kill you first.

Screenshots and more information are available at

http://www.avernum.com/avernum5/index.html

Avernum 5 is the newest game in the popular and long-running Avernum series. Explore a gigantic world, with hundreds of quests, multitudes of side dungeons, and many hours of adventure. Avernum 5 has a fascinating storyline, full of betrayal, mystery, and unexpected turns. The game features clever enemies and dozens of interesting scripted encounters. Learn over 50 spells and battle disciplines. Hunt for hundreds of magical items, or find the materials to craft new, unique equipment. Avernum 5 will be out for Macintosh in late 2007 and Windows in early 2008.

It Came from E3 2007, Part 8

Kings Bounty: The Legend Movie

The Kings Bounty: The Legend E3 trailer is now available on the King's Bounty Website. The clip, showing off Katauri Interactive's upcoming strategic RPG. The download is mirrored on FileNuts.

The Time of Defiance Patched

The Time of Defiance Website is offering a new client for Nicely Crafted Entertainment's frequently updated MMORTS game, bringing it to version 5.453.0. Word is: "This is a minor maintenance release that adds a few cool new features and addresses some minor issues relating to the new camera tracking code." Those interested in sampling Time of Defiance can check it out via a seven-day free trial.

Evening Q&As

  • id Software
    id Into the Future on IGN is a Q&A with Tim Willits about Wolfenstein, Tech5, and their new IP: "And also we're working on that internal game which we'll talk about at QuakeCon. And John is, of course, working on Orcs & Elves still with Fountainhead. We also have some other things going on that are pretty secret that we're very busy with as well. So yeah, we're just moving along. Our big focus internally right now is to build up our technology for licensing and to develop our internal title. As you know, we're a very small company. We've added some new people but we're still under 40. Aside from that we're focusing on helping Splash Damage finish up Enemy Territory."
  • Jumpgate Evolution
    The Jumpgate Evolution Q&A on MMO Gamer talks with Hermann Peterscheck, producer on Netdevil's upcoming MMORPG remake/sequel: "This is a tricky question. I guess as long as we end up with a good game I’m not that focused on what we call it. The thinking behind it was like this: Original Jumpgate was a really cool game that never reached its full potential. Why was this? We took a lot of time answering those questions and Jumpgate Evolution is the answer. On the one hand it is a substantial enough remake that it could be considered a new product; however it retains enough of the original that it could be considered a major update. This is why we decided to not call it Jumpgate 2. We want to be careful not to misrepresent the product. At the end of the day, however, if the game is fun to play and people think it’s great, I don’t think it will matter so much what we call it."
  • Obsidian
    The Obsidian Q&A on WarCry talks with Feargus Urquhart, focusing on profiling the Obsidian CEO: "I still get a chance to play computer, console and boardgames from time to time. It's tough to make the time to play as many computer and console games as I should, but if all else fails I'll play a game for a couple hours to get a feeling for what it does well. From the standpoint of boardgames, we have a #boardgames mailing list at Obsidian and we try to play a game every Wednesday. I also host a game at my house every couple of months on a Saturday so that we can play longer games. This Saturday we are playing Twilight Imperium."

Evening Previews

♫ Intermission ♫

Op Ed

Evening Consolidation

Evening Tech Bits

Evening Mobilization

Evening Metaverse

Evening Legal Briefs

Evening Safety Dance

etc., etc.

Into the Black

Silent Hunter 4 Patch

A new patch for Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific is now available, updating the submarine simulation sequel to version 1.3, following speculation there might not be another patch for the game (story). The download can be found in this forum post along with the patch notes, and the patch is also mirrored on FileNuts, Gamer's Hell, and The Patches Scrolls.

Ships Ahoy - ThreadSpace: Hyperbol

Iocane Studios announces the release of ThreadSpace: Hyperbol, saying the futuristic strategy/shooter is available online via Steam and ATARI. A demo for the game was recently released on Steam (story). Here's the announcement:

YORBA LINDA, CA – July 12th 2007 - Iocaine Studios has announced the online PC release of ThreadSpace: Hyperbol, the team’s first game. Taking place in the distant future, Hyperbol puts players in control of a tank-like ship capable of firing a large variety of weapons and defenses in online battles with up to 16 players.

Developed by four friends with no outside funding, the team at Iocaine spent three years working on Hyperbol in their spare time while working full-time jobs to pay their bills. “We have been working in my dad’s dining room for as long as we can remember. It’s nice since it has easy access to the kitchen and some sofas for naps. I guess you could call us dining room developers!” said Jason Fader, president and master chef of Iocaine. “Being able to work with close friends on a project we’re all passionate about is awesome. Actually finishing that project is difficult, but we pulled it off and have big plans for our next one.”

ThreadSpace: Hyperbol is available on Steam and Digital Downloads from Atari.com/us for $19.95USD. For the demo, videos, and screenshots, please visit http://www.Hyperbol.com

It Came from E3 2007, Part 7

Gold - Combat Mission: Shock Force

Paradox Interactive announces that Combat Mission: Shock Force is gold, and the next installment in Battlefront's strategy series will be available in stores and for online purchase on July 27:

New York, USA (July 12, 2007) – Paradox Interactive announced today that their big summer release - Combat Mission: Shock Force, has gone gold.

Shipping to stores worldwide on July 27, this tactical military simulation has strategy fans all over the world in suspense. Combat Mission: Shock Force is the latest installment in the Combat Mission series developed by Battlefront and has been referred to as their flagship title.

"Earlier entries in the Combat Mission series have earned their place as ground breaking in their own genre and Shock Force will be no exception, said Fredrik Wester, Executive Vice President of Paradox Interactive. "This is a much anticipated title among wargamers and strategy gamers alike and we are very excited to bring them what we believe is Battlefront's best work to date".

"We've poured all of our skills and earlier learnt lessons into this project and are more than proud of the end results, said Martin van Balkom, President of Battlefront.com. "With Combat Mission: Shock Force, the series has taken a quantum leap and we are thrilled to work with Paradox Interactive to ensure the game reaches gamers all over the world.

The game has been rated for Teens by ESRB, 12 by PEGI and 16 by USK. It will retail for $39.99/€39.99 and will release simultaneously for digital download on GamersGate.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Announcement

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl Website now offers the official announcement for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, the just-revealed (story) shooter follow-up. The announcement includes four screenshots from the project, and a teaser website is online, offering a Flash presentation for the project, which is indeed a prequel to the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Here's word:

GSC Game World announces S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky for PC, the official prequel to the most atmospheric game of 2007 – Survival FPS S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl.

The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky brings the players one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 2011.

A group of stalkers has for the first time reached the very heart of the Zone – Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of a catastrophe. An immense blowout of anomalous energy changes the Zone. There are no more reliable and relatively safe roads. The entire levels vanish in the outbursts of anomalies. Stalkers and even expeditions die or end up sealed on the lost territories. New areas, which remained unknown since the time of the Zone emergence, appear on the Zone map. The Zone continues to shake with blowouts. The Zone is unstable. The anomalous activity is at its maximum.

Changes of the Zone map known to stalkers shake the fragile balance of forces in the Zone. Among the groupings, there flare up hostilities for the new territories, artifact fields and spheres of influence. There are no more old enemies or friends – now everyone is for himself. The Factions War has started between the groupings.

The protagonist is a mercenary who appeared at the edge of the opposition between stalker factions, Strelok and even the Zone itself. The main character will have to play the key role in the events, which led to creation of the Zone up to the point from which the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game begins.

What’s waiting for stalkers in the opened depths of the Zone? Which new challenges bear in the new territories? Why blowouts continue shaking the Zone? Why did the Zone change? How to remove its instability? Which faction will take the upper hand in the clan opposition? Why did Strelok end up in the death truck? What happened to Strelok prior to that? Was there any other choice to make? These and many other questions will get answered in the official prequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.

Experienced stalkers and newbies! Get ready for the new challenges in the exclusion zone in Q1 2008.

Game features:

        • Atmosphere of the Exclusion Zone
        • Research of new depths of the Zone – Red Forest, Limansk, Pripyat Undergrounds and more.
        • A-Life-driven War of the Factions
        • Possibility to play and lead any faction to victory
        • Advanced A-Life system
        • Varied behaviour of NPC stalkers in the A-Life world
        • Advanced spectacular storyline scenes
        • Improved AI of computer-controlled characters
        • Skirting around dynamic obstacles by NPCs
        • Use of grenades by NPCs
        • Fast Travel
        • Improved concept of detectors, artifacts and anomalies
        • New system of upgrades for weapons and armor
        • Weapons and armor repair
        • Reworked HUD and PDA
        • New version of the game engine - X-Ray 1.5.
        • DirectX 10 renderer
        • Improved DirectX 9 renderer - parallax bump, soft particles, depth of field, motion blur, eye adaptation effect.
        • Cutting-edge and detailed game graphics (normal map)
        • Inverse kinematics
        • New animation engine

It Came from E3 2007, Part 6

NVIDIA Beta Vista Drivers

New NVIDIA BETA Vista Drivers are available (thanks Gem). There are version 162.22 drivers for the GeForce 6, 7, and 8 series under the 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Vista, and there are also new version 163.11 drivers for the GeForce 8 series under 32-bit and 64-bit Vista that are specifically for the World in Conflict beta.

DiRT Q&A

Turbo-charged audio in DiRT on Sound Blaster Gaming hears from Simon N Goodwin of Codemasters about the audio in DiRT, their rally racing sequel: "There was also a strong legacy of system code from Jon Mitchell, Colin McRae Rally 2005 game audio programmer. None of the old game code was used, but before he left Jon wrote much of the audio system framework which we've used on new platforms and the OpenAL implementations. That greatly benefited from his experience working on the old version even though we chose to do it differently this time. And four OpenAL programmers at Creative should be considered honorary members of our team: Pete Goodwin, Ian Minett, Dan Peacock and Carlo Vogelsang, for their contributions to the Xbox 360 and PC."

Morning Previews

Morning Screenshots

Morning Consolidation

Morning Tech Bits

Morning Mobilization

Morning Metaverse

Morning Safety Dance

Thursday Hardware Reviews

etc.

Out of the Blue

I've seen reports that have called this year's E3 anticlimactic, but I don't know, it seems pretty hopping from the amount of news the show is generating. Maybe attending leaves one with a different impression.

Hopping Links! Thanks Ant.
Play: Little Loki Escapes from Hell. Thanks User Friendly.
Link of the Morning: Video: Indy Arrives. Thanks Ant.
Stories of the Morning: In Messy Divorces Who Gets the Pet? Thanks Mike Martinez.
Burned jogger shows lightning, headphones don't mix. Thanks Mike Martinez. Um, or lightning and jogging?
For Parking Space, the Price Is Right at $225,000 (registration required). Thanks j.c.f.
Science!: Going Green: Fad or the Future?
Robot unravels mystery of walking. But can it chew gum at the same time?
Joke Comprehension May Decrease With Age. huh? I don't get it.
Media: Real Life Kwik-E-Mart (videos).
News reporter Chuck Storm on the Scene.
Don't Drive a Hovercraft Over a Road Grate.

Wednesday, Jul 11, 2007

Site Seeing - Stranglehold Website

The official Stranglehold Website is online as a multilanguage home that hopes to woo potential players of the upcoming game featuring the return of Inspector Tequila from Hard Boiled. The Flash site features new screenshots, trailers, concept art and more, with the promise of future updates that will offer new game information and assets. Also, a new 1C Publishing Website is online, as home to the publisher's various projects. Currently there is information on several games, and going forward they promise to offer online game sales in the near future (their online store is already live, but at the moment the links just redirect back to the main page).

It Came from E3 2007, Part 5

Hellgate: London Trailer

The Hellgate: London E3 trailer offers over two minutes of high-definition footage from Flagship Studios' upcoming action/RPG. The movie is available from FileFront and Gamer's Hell.

Evening Previews

Evening Screenshots

Evening Consolidation

Evening Tech Bits

Evening Mobilization

Evening Metaverse

Evening Legal Briefs

Evening Safety Dance

etc., etc.

Into the Black

Crysis in September

EA has updated a press fact sheet for Crysis with a release date for Crytek's eagerly anticipated first-person shooter. With no related announcement, this is subject to change, but as of now they are projecting a September 14, 2007 release. Thanks Gamer's Hell, where they have posted the gallery of E3 Crysis screenshots.

Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars Trailer

The E3 trailer for Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars is now available, offering a look at the gameplay and spiffy visuals in the multiplayer shooter in the works at Splash Damage. The clip is posted on FileFront and Gamer's Hell.

It Came from E3 2007, Part 4

Spider-Man: Friend or Foe Announced

Activision officially announces Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, another game based on the movies and comics starring the wall-crawling superhero, slated for release this fall on PCs and consoles. The game's teaser website has been online for some time, and here's word:

Inspired by the Spider-Man film trilogy and the classic Spider-Man™ comics, Spider-Man™: Friend or Foe challenges players to defeat and then join forces with notorious movie nemeses including Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Venom and Sandman, and embark on an epic quest to overcome a worldwide evil threat. Throughout the game’s original story and thrilling battles, fans control Spider-Man and one of numerous Super Hero or Super Villain sidekicks and master unique fighting moves and styles while switching between characters to execute team combos and defeat foes. For the first time ever in a Spider-Man game, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe features a unique co-op mode in which a friend can join the game at any time and take control of Spider-Man’s sidekick as they battle through the game side-by-side and replay favorite levels.

KEY FEATURES:
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe allows players to choose a sidekick from Spider-Man’s allies – Pick from a long list of Spider-Man’s powerful allies, like Blade and Iron Fist, and swap between the web-slinger and the chosen sidekicks at any time during gameplay. Each sidekick, good or evil, features their own unique attributes and powers that will assist Spider-Man throughout the game’s challenges.

Fight against movie Super Villains and then alongside them in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe – Using an innovative combat system, face off against and defeat some of the Spider-Man movies’ most notorious Super Villains such as Doc Ock, Sandman and Green Goblin, and then convert them to join Spidey’s list of potential sidekicks.

In Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, gamers team up in two-player co-op – A unique co-op mode lets friends join the game at any time and take control of Spider-Man’s sidekick. Playing in two-player co-op mode allows gamers to discover new ways to overcome obstacles and enemies. As players progress through the game, battle arenas are unlocked where raw one-on-one brawling with any Super Hero or Villain can take place at any time.

Come back for more, again and again, with Spider-Man: Friend or Foe – Replay the game or experience Versus mode with a different sidekick and eventually play as Black-Suited Spider-Man (Spidey’s darker, more aggressive persona) featuring unique powers and abilities. Throughout the different worlds, a host of secret areas containing special tokens can be discovered in the first play through, which players can go back and explore at any time. Gamers can also uncover a variety of hidden items scattered throughout the game which unlock collectables, powers and mini-games.

Publisher: Activision, Inc.
Developer: Next Level Games (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2)
Artificial Mind & Movement (NDS, PSP)
Beenox (PC)

Release Date: Fall 2007

SRP: TBD (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, NDS, PC)

ESRB Rating: “RP” (Rating Pending)

WoW Patch Plans

The WoW-Europe.com Forums (thanks Ant and WoWBreak) have word on some balance changes in the next World of Warcraft content patch:

Some of you already found the info, but here's an official post from us :)

In the next major content patch, the combat rating, resilience, will also reduce the damage dealt by damage over time (DoT) effects. As it currently stands, each new tier of equipment adds to the amount of damage DoT abilities have, yet that damage is not mitigated through combat ratings found on typical equipment. This change will help ensure that DoT effects do not scale too well compared to other damage mechanics.

The amount of damage reduced will be equal to the critical chance reduction effect that resilience grants.

Battlestar Galactica Details

Sierra Online has issued a fact sheet for the Battlestar Galactica game, filling in some of the blanks about the TV tie-in that's due in the third quarter of this year:

Publisher Sierra Online

Developer Auran Games

Category Action

Platform Xbox 360 – Live Arcade and PC Online

Overview/Storyline
Battlestar Galactica is an action-packed top-down space combat game set in the universe of the hugely popular sci-fi television show. Sign up to defend the Galactica, or play as the ruthless Cylons as they seek to remove the human menace from existence. Take part in enormous multiplayer space battles – up to 8 players online – or play through the single-player campaign.

Game Features
Single-Player Campaign – Pilot various ships and complete memorable missions from the TV series. Multiplayer Game Mode – Play online with 8 players in this relentless space-based action shooter in Firefight, Skirmish and Domination modes. Legendary Spaceships – Fly 4 Human and 4 Cylon ships from the Viper II to the Cylon Raider, each with unique weapon capabilities. Special Weapons – Coordinate attacks with a gallery of destructive weapons including the missiles, guns and more. Realistic Effects – Full 3D graphics to show off the detailed ships and cosmic environment. Defensive Maneuvers – Avoid annihilation with the barrel roll, quick turnabouts and other aerial moves. Availability Q3 2007

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Revealed

New S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game revealed on Computer and Video Games has word that GSC Game World has plans to go nuclear (nucular?) again in a follow-up to their first-person shooter to be released in the first half of next year. The revelation, excerpted from the print issue #184 of PC Zone magazine (on sale July 19), offers some details on the game, set in a more hostile environment than the original, here's an excerpt:

PC Zone explains that Clear Sky's game world consists for 50 percent new territory and 50 percent twisted renditions of what you've played before.

Sitting comfortably with the main storyline is an AI-driven stalker war. Players will be able to ally themselves with any of eight factions and work with them to seize control of important locations and ultimately assault enemy faction bases.

Even though you may think you're a stalker god, the factions think otherwise until you prove your worth. So, you start out as a rookie and have to climb up the ranks. At the top of the ladder you'll be handed missions more intrinsic to winning the war.

It's explained that players are not forced into joining factions, but apparently the destruction of one of the primary groups is necessary to open up the main 'path' to the heart of Clear Sky's main event.

On the fixing/tweaking side, work's being done on the interface and the PDA (they need it), with AI receiving a general overall buff too to boost immersion along with physics. New monsters are a definite, and GSC's even said to be slaving away to provide a DirectX 10 version of the game, although it's not promising this will actually materialise.

Gears of War for XP & Vista

Gears of War PC was announced by Microsoft at their E3 media briefing last night, rolling out CliffyB to present the news to the press. PC gamers get the welcome news that the game will include PC-specific content in the form of five new single-player missions (which will support co-op) as well as a level editor. Perhaps more welcome is the news that the game will run under Windows XP as well as Windows Vista, confirming that Windows Live will not be Vista only. Epic also announced support for Windows Live in Unreal 3, and that Sega, Eidos, and THQ have all signed on to support the nascent multiplayer service. The (already leaked) trailer showing off the PC edition of the game can be found on ActionTrip. This press release covers this and the rest of Microsoft's announcements kicking off the show. Here's a bit:

“Gears of War” will emerge on Windows XP-based and Windows Vista-based PCs this holiday with five new campaign chapters, a new multiplayer mode and a new game editor that will unleash the creativity of “Gears of War” players — only available for Windows. “Gears of War” will also take advantage of DirectX® 10 graphics technology, which is only available on Windows Vista. Also today, Epic Games unveiled the addition of Games for Windows – LIVE integration to the award winning Unreal® Engine 3. This landmark announcement will make it easier than ever for game developers using Epic’s next-generation technology to take advantage of Microsoft’s online gaming network.

F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate Announced

Sierra Entertainment Announces F.E.A.R.: Perseus Mandate Expansion Pack For PC And F.E.A.R. Files For Xbox 360 announces an Xbox 360 F.E.A.R. bundle and a new expansion for the PC edition of the scary first-person shooter, scheduled to ship this fall:

LOS ANGELES, July 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Sierra Entertainment, a division of Vivendi Games, today announced F.E.A.R. (TM) Perseus Mandate, an all-new stand-alone expansion pack for Windows PC and F.E.A.R. Files, the complete stand-alone expansion pack series, for Xbox 360(TM) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Both products are scheduled to ship this fall.

F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, the second expansion pack for Windows PC, offers both seasoned gamers and those who have never played the original F.E.A.R. (First Encounter Assault Recon) the ability to jump-in and experience the fright with a brand new team in an all-new experience that presents a different perspective of the events that occur at Armacham. The campaign reveals a parallel story allowing players to take the role of a different F.E.A.R. soldier and battle new enemies that the original team never saw coming.

F.E.A.R. Files features the all-new F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate campaign, as well as F.E.A.R. Extraction Point, voted "Best Expansion Pack" by PC Gamer, delivering a double dose of chills and action.

F.E.A.R. Extraction Point kicks off where the original game ended. Once the hunter, now the hunted, the new mission is simple ... escape. All new locations, weaponry and enemies combine to take the F.E.A.R. franchise to new levels of action and suspense.

More details will be revealed about F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate and F.E.A.R. Files at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) held July 11-13 in Santa Monica, CA.

For more information, details and updates regarding F.E.A.R. Files or F.E.A.R. Perseus Mandate, please visit http://www.whatisfear.com.

PC Viva Piñata

Microsoft's E3 press release also announces a whole load of new games to be part of their Games for Windows program, and reveals PC plans for Viva Piñata, the offbeat Xbox 360 game, saying it will also be released of Vista and XP. No other details are offered at this time.

World in Conflict Beta Today

Today marks the launch of the multiplayer beta test for World in Conflict, Massive Entertainment's World War III strategy game. Here's word on how to participate (additionally, Total World in Conflict also has some beta keys to distribute):

Those interested in participating in the World in Conflict July BETA Event should visit www.worldinconflict.com/beta to sign up and receive further information.

About the World in Conflict July BETA Event:
The World in Conflict July BETA Event begins on July 11 and will run through the end of July. Gamers who participate in the World in Conflict July BETA Test Event will be able to square off in two multiplayer maps featuring Soviet and American forces, as well as a “Tutorial” mission.

In addition, gamers who have pre-ordered World in Conflict through participating retailers will receive access to a third, exclusive map featuring Soviet and NATO forces doing battle. Gamers who pre-order the game any time between now and when the BETA closes at the end of July, will immediately be given access to the additional exclusive map. To find participating pre-order retailers, gamers should visit www.worldinconflict.com/preorder.

It Came from E3 2007, Part 3

Unreal Tournament 3 Trailer

The E3 trailer for Unreal Tournament 3 offers a look at the next installment in Epic's multiplayer shooter series, the clip can be found on eXp Download, FileFront, FileNuts, and Gameguru Mania. The movie shows off combat both on foot and in vehicles.

Jericho Website

The Clive Barker's Jericho Website is now live. The Flash-heavy site requires age "verification," after which it offers multimedia puzzles to find screenshots and other information.

The Early Show

  • Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
    A Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance HD Trailer (from last week, sorry) is available on Game Informer Online, offering the first look at the upcoming RTS expansion.
  • TimeShift
    The TimeShift E3 trailer from Saber Interactive's upcoming 4D shooter is available on ActionTrip and FileFront.
  • Medal of Honor: Airborne
    A new Medal of Honor: Airborne video interview talks with composer Michael Giacchino. Available on Gamer's Hell.
  • World in Conflict
    A new World in Conflict movie celebrates today's next round of testing for the RTS game. The clip is on FileFront and Gamer's Hell.
  • Age of Conan
    Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures is shown off in a new trailer from Funcom's upcoming online RPG. The download can be found on ActionTrip, FileFront, and Gamer's Hell.
  • Speedball 2
    The first trailer for Speedball 2 shows off the upcoming remake of the Bitmap Brothers' action game. The clip is on Gamer's Hell.

RPG Q&A

RPG Vault's RPG Roundtable #7 - Part 2 continues their latest group discussion of the RPG genre. The current topic is: "Are RPGs as much fun as they could or should be?"

Morning Preview

Morning Screenshots

Morning Consolidation

Morning Metaverse

Morning Safety Dance

Wednesday Game Reviews

Wednesday Hardware Reviews

etc.

Out of the Blue

Oh thank heaven it's 7/11!

Convenient Links! Thanks Ant.
Play: Sex Toy or Baby Toy? Take the Quiz. NSFW? Thanks Enahs.
Link of the Morning: Fair Use Day. Thanks Mike Martinez and Ars Technica.
Story of the Morning: Rare giant squid washed up in Australia. Thanks Mike Martinez. I prefer mine well-done.
Media: Classic Video Game Deaths.
Otter Boogie.
How To Give Your Business Card: Trick.



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