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Archived News:
A playable demo for Zoo Empire is now
available, offering a sample of Enlight's upcoming animal attraction simulation
that's due to be released next month. The demo is a hefty 297 MB download,
available on 3D Gamers,
Boomtown (registration required), Gameguru Mania,
and Worthplaying.
A version 1.04 Patch/"Coast to Coast" expansion for Railroad Tycoon 3 is now
freely available "as a thank you for the public support of the Railroad Tycoon
franchise over the years." The expansion adds new maps (including the namesake
Coast to Coast scenario), new locomotives, new skinning tools, as well as all
the features and tweaks in the new version 1.04 update. The Coast to Coast
add-on is a 119 MB download, available on
FilePlanet
(registration required), and mirrored on
3D Gamers and
Boomtown (registration required).
DreamCatcher Interactive sends word to expect the playable demo for Dungeon Lords
on Wednesday, September 1: Toronto, Ontario, August 19, 2004.
DreamCatcher Games today announced the long-awaited demo of Dungeon Lords will
be available for download at the game’s official site,
www.DungeonLords.com, on September 1,
2004.
This single and multiplayer demo will feature 180MB of incredible gameplay,
giving the public a taste of gaming’s first Combat RPG. They’ll test their sword
skills against ghouls, make jabs at ugly ogres and when they’re done with that
they’ll hit dark mages with blistering balls of fire. All the while exploring
incredibly detailed dungeons and stunning outdoor environments.
The
Armies of Exigo Downloads Page now features a demo for Armies of Exigo,
Black Hole's fantasy-themed real-time strategy game. The demo offers a sample of
single-player play for a 103 MB download. Details on the contents can be found
in the readme.
Rome Total War Demo
Coming on IGN describe plans for a demo for Creative Assembly's historically
themed strategy game. Word is the demo will be released on Monday, though they
say they will have a copy by tomorrow to allow them to offer some advance
impressions.
- Half-Life 2
There's
a
Half-Life 2 Interview on Planet Half-Life based on getting to visit
Valve and interrogate the developers of the upcoming shooter sequel in
person, catching up with various folks along the way: "Half-Life 2 will not
have any Terrain Deformation, but it can be enabled or used in mods. On a
side note, Team Fortress 2 will have Terrain Deformation."
- Dragon Empires
DE
Stratics' Andrew 'Andy' Shenton Q&A talks with the Codemasters gameplay
programmer about Dragon Empires, their upcoming MMORPG: "A subset of players
will always try to exploit game systems for a competitive advantage,
especially in a PVP game like DE. Since Beta, a lot of work has gone into
policing the game to ensure everyone has a positive experience at release.
In DE, as a player's 'reputation' with the server decreases they will be
subject to more and more harsh checks, so if you spend a lot of time
treading the line of exploitation and acceptable advantage, you'll need to
be very careful to ensure which side of the line you are actually on."
- Void War
The
Void War Q&A on PC Gameworld talks with Jay Barnson of Rampant Games
about the 3D space combat sim: "I think you could fill several pages with
the games that inspired me as I worked on Void War. But probably the most
immediate influences were the old arcade vector-graphics space shooters like
Asteroids and Starcastle; the wonderful ‘space sims’ of the early 90’s like
Wing Commander and TIE Fighter; and the awesome multiplayer flight combat
simulators." Thanks Frans.
- Ron Gilbert
There's
a Ron
Gilbert Q&A on Rebell.at with the English version of a conversation also
available
in German talking with the former LucasArts' mainstay: "I think that
adventure games need to evolve. It's too bad that some of the other genres
(FPS, etc) have not learned some of the important lessons from adventure
games. I don't know why LucasArts canceled S&M, my guess is that it was just
not going to make enough money. Most decisions come down to this. One of the
problems with modern adventure games is that they can cost a lot of money to
do in full 3D, and there is not the sales to back it up. But, the market
would not accept a 2D game either, so adventure games get screwed."
A new
Dragon Empires Dev Diary on the Codemasters Website is written by Daniel
Yelland, who ruminates on the topic of "Architecture, zoning and awareness..."
in their upcoming MMORPG. Also,
RPG Vault's Wish
Developer Journal #4 is online, with more on this upcoming MMORPG, as:
"World Designer Dana Massey on how Mutable Realms' three-tiered guild system
will encourage social interaction."
Egosoft and Deep Silver announce plans for X² - The Return, an upcoming
expansion for the space combat simulator: BASINGSTOKE, England (August
19th 2004) - International software publisher DEEP SILVER and German games
developer EGOSOFT are delighted to announce at Leipzig Games Convention, their
continued collaboration over the X² franchise. The launch of the new expansion
pack, X²- THE RETURN is set for FEB 2005. Enhancing and extending the gameplay
of the award winning X²- THE THREAT; the expansion pack adds many exciting new
features and involves players in a thrilling new storyline.
"We are delighted to be working once again with EGOSOFT and furthering the X²
franchise," commented Craig McNicol, Managing Director of DEEP SILVER's parent
KOCH MEDIA. "X²- THE THREAT was a phenomenal success across Europe, achieving
high sales positions and receiving acclaim from specialist press. The expansion
pack will further players enjoyment of this fantastic game."
"EGOSOFT are excited to continue their relationship with publisher, DEEP
SILVER," said Bernd Lehahn, Managing Director of EGOSOFT. "X² - The Return will
further extend the free roaming universe, combining it with a greatly improved,
intense storyline and innovative new game play styles. X² - The Threat took
space trading gaming to the next level. X² - The Return will give players an
even greater experience."
The Leipzig Games Convention sees the announcement of plans for Sacred
Underworld, an upcoming expansion for Ascaron's RPG: MIDLANDS, England
(August 19th, 2004) - European games publisher, ASCARON ENTERTAINMENT announce
at Leipzig Games Convention, the launch of SACRED Underworld, the first official
expansion pack for the award winning PCCD role play game, SACRED. Set for
release Q1 2005, Sacred Underworld begins directly where the original game left
off.
It continues to tell the story of the kingdom of Ancaria, which is now facing a
dreadful threat coming from its very depths. After Shaddar's demise, the player
is drawn into the depths and faces a completely new, bizarre, bright and vast
underworld. After many adventures above and below the world's surface, the hero
will finally stand before the Portal of Hell, in an intense and dramatic climax.
Confirmed features so far:
• Two new characters (Dwarf, Succubus)
• Two new stories
• World expansion of approx. 30 to 40 %
• Completely new monsters and NPCs
• New items and armor sets
• Horses can be equipped
• Special final opponents
• Improved interface
On a related note, Ascaron also announces that
Sacred Plus, the repackaged, updated version of the original game, should be
hitting store shelves in the U.K. by October 15.
The official Heroes of Annihilated
Empires Website is online,
announcing the development of Heroes of Annihilated Empires, an upcoming
real-time strategy game in the works at GSC Game World, the Ukrainian developer
that now has no fewer than four projects in the works (thanks Frans). The site
includes the first screenshots
from the project, which currently carries the general release date of 2005. Here's a
bit: Beginning with a rather ordinary man, you shall walk your path,
gathering your followers around, coming through treachery, death of friends and
leaving new hope behind. Be aware, that there are a lot of tribes that do not
interfere with war, both aggressive and friendly, they may help you in your
quest or become an enemy. Do not disregard them, as they are a strong force that
can decide the outcome of battle or be a source of side quests.
Sega announces plans for the platform action of Sonic Heroes to PCs: SEGA
TO BRING SONIC HEROES TO PC
SAN FRANCISCO (August 18, 2004) - SEGA® of America today announced that it will
publish a PC version of Sonic HeroesTM, the popular action platformer released
earlier this year on Microsoft XboxTM, Sony PlayStation®2, and Nintendo
GameCubeTM.
Sonic Heroes challenges gamers to control three characters simultaneously; each
offering the unique individual ability of speed, power, or flight. Multiple
teams follow their own unique story paths across 14 massive stages. Their
combined objective: to thwart the plans of Sonic's arch nemesis, the nefarious
Dr. Eggman.
Sonic Heroes is designed to appeal to players of all ages and skill levels as
they experiment with four unique teams comprised of classic Sonic friends and
foes for a total of 12 playable characters. Sonic Heroes also includes seven
multi-player mini-games to ensure maximum replay value.
Since its multi-platform release in January, 2004, Sonic Heroes has sold more
than 1.83-million copies worldwide. Sonic The Hedgehog® has spanned several
generations of videogame systems to appear in over 30 games that have sold more
than 35 million units of software. Consistently a top-selling franchise, Sonic
The Hedgehog continues to be a popular icon worldwide in 2004 and one of the
most recognized and celebrated video game characters of all time.
Sonic Heroes is rated "E" for Everyone and is expected to ship in November,
2004. For screenshots and artwork visit the SEGA FTP site at:
http://segapr.segaamerica.com/.
Half-Life 2 Fallout (thanks
GameSpot)
has more news from their forums as Gabe Newell made a post yesterday indicating
that today is the day Half-Life 2 assets will begin pre-loading for some
customers over Steam: HL/2 pre-load will begin tomorrow. It was ready
yesterday, but we decided to use the bandwidth to get out the VST first since I
get pelted with zillions of questions from people asking how their PC will run
Half-Life 2.
The news page on the
Ratbag Website (thanks
Frans) offers vague word on plans for an action game from the dirt-track racing
developer: "Ratbag is in full production of a Triple-A frontline action title
with Activision. Details on the title will be announced in March 2005."
A new Neocron 2: Beyond the Dome of
York Website is online (thanks Frans), dedicated to the upcoming MMORPG
follow-up in the works at REAKKTOR.
The Dark
Horizons: Lore Players Site Downloads Page now offers updated versions of
both the Mac and PC versions of the demo for this mecha combat game. The version
1.11 PC demo is a 43 MB download and the Mac demo is a 60 MB download. Also, the
Star Wraith
IV: Reviction Website now offers an updated version of the demo for this 3D
space combat simulation. Thanks Frans.
This Dark
Horizons: Lore Players Site Downloads Page features a new version
1.1.0-1.1.1 update patch for the sci-fi combat game. Also, the
Arena Wars
Community Site has been updated with a new version 1.06 patch for the space
strategy game,
here
is a list of what's changed. Thanks Frans.
The
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War Designer Diary #3 on GameSpot is a team effort
from Jay Wilson, Andrew Chambers, and Mike Echino about Relic's upcoming
Warhammer RTS game. Also,
RPG Vault's Anarchy
Online: Alien Invasion Transmission #8 is online, as "Funcom fills us in on
a key feature addition in its impending expansion pack, guild-based Gameplay on
Demand." Also,
RPG
Vault's Mourning Peek #38 is up, asking the question: "How does the team at
Newrosoft and Quad intend to implement full player versus player without
complete anarchy?" Meanwhile,
RPG Vault's The
Fall: Last Days of Gaia Diary #7 offers some sound thinking: "We hear from
Lead Designer Carsten Strehse on the music, sound and voice acting aspects of
Silver Style's project." Finally, the
Atriarch Current News
(thanks Frans) has a new diary entry finding fancy language to describe the bug
fixing World Fusion is currently engaged in for their upcoming MMORPG.
Battle out
of Hell in limbo until November on GameSpot reports a delay for the Battle
Out of Hell add-on for Painkiller, saying: "The expansion, originally scheduled
for an October 13 release, will now arrive on PCs November 10." Word is the
delay is to allow publisher DreamCatcher more time to promote the project while
providing developer People Can Fly time to add additional features.
- Epic
The
CliffyB Q&A on GameInformer
(thanks HomeLAN Fed)
talks with the Epic Games designer about UT2004, the upcoming Editor's
Choice edition of the game, and some mysterious hints about the future:
"From my position I’m pretty busy working on a new franchise right now. And
the amount of time I spend on Unreal is only a certain chunk of my day. You
know, the guy who’s spearheading a lot of that stuff now is Steve Polge."
- Monolith
The
Q&A with Monolith's
Samantha Ryan on IGN talks with the Monolith CEO about their acquisition
by WBIE: "Monolith's role after the acquisition will be much the same as it
is now. The goal for both WBIE and Monolith has always been to create the
best games possible. Game development is not easy, and we have found that
the stronger the communication between partners, the smoother the
development process is."
The
Need for Speed Underground 2 Website now features another new gameplay movie
from the upcoming street racing sequel. The new clip is entitled "The Tuner
Playground," available in low and high resolutions (thanks Frans). Also, another of those
Counter-Strike: Source movies has come forth from the beta testing of the
upcoming C-S update, available on
Computer Games Online.
The
Counter-Strike: Source Beta News Page declares that phase 2 of the
Counter-Strike Source beta test has begun, and is now open to owners of
Counter-Strike: Condition Zero and the ATI/HL2 bundle. The update also announces
various changes in the latest version of the beta.
A new Dungeon Siege II
Website is online (thanks Frans), dedicated to the upcoming action/RPG
sequel in the works at Gas Powered Games and Microsoft Game Studios.
- "The streets may never be the same again…Leading video games developer
and publisher Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that Street Racing
Syndicate, one of the most realistic, high-speed multiplayer street racing
games to date, has been approved for manufacturing. One step closer to being
on the store shelves, SRS will be available for the PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system, the Xbox videogame system from Microsoft and the
Nintendo GameCube."
-
Activision CEO predicts second PSP delay in U.S.
The Dark Age of Camelot
Roundtable Proclamation heralds plans for a fan-fest in Sin city: "This
September, on the 24th and the 25th, Mythic Entertainment will be celebrating
the third anniversary of Dark Age of Camelot in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel
- and we'd love to meet you there!"
Splash Damage Recruiting Lead Artist (thanks Frans) declares the
availability of a new opening: "You'll be responsible for providing and
maintaining a consistently high standard of art, animation and artistic
direction for our game, while working closely with our Producer and Design Team.
For full details on this position, please visit our
Jobs Page."
True to a comment the other day, I was preparing to post this news as a last
round-up on Wednesday when midnight passed, so rather than tweak the timestamps
on these stories to keep them grouped on Wednesday, I decided to rush headlong
into the future. Of course, this will come as a surprise to Frans in the
morning, but I'll get a review list from him then (along with a teasing for being
unpredictable), and we will proceed thusly from there.
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