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Archived News:
The Final Hours of Half-Life
2 on GameSpot offers the promised behind-the-scenes epic look at development
of the highly anticipated shooter sequel, offering an incredible amount of
detail on the project, including the whole September 30 debacle: So what
did happen? As Newell and the team have explained, by July it was obvious that
Half-Life 2 would not be finished in time for a September 30 release. So why was
Valve still telling the public in late August that the game was on schedule? "We
were paralyzed," Newell says. "We knew we weren't going to make the date we
promised, and that was going to be a huge fiasco and really embarrassing. But we
didn't have a new date to give people either." In other words, Newell didn't
want to announce the delay until he had a new official date to announce. It's
that simple. "So I decided we should just stay quiet," he says.
Still, there's a difference between staying quiet and confirming a ship date
that you know to be incorrect. Newell says that, in retrospect, he may have made
the wrong decision on this front. At the time, however, he didn't want to
announce the delay until he had something better to tell the fans. "I didn't
want to go to 'when it's done' or announce 17 different dates over the next few
months," he says.
- AC2: Legions
HomeLAN
Fed's Asheron's Call 2 Legions Q&A talks with Eric Heimburg of Turbine
about their upcoming MMORPG expansion: "The Asheron’s Call franchise’s back
story has many legends and stories related to Knorr, and the content
designers have always wanted to tell these stories. But Knorr is a massive
continent, and it’s not something that we could easily put into a monthly
episode – the scope is too large. So the expansion pack gave us the chance
to present Knorr in the way that we’ve always wanted to: epic, grand, and
complex."
- You Are Empty
The
You Are Empty Q&A on
Sector talks with Digital Spray Studios about their upcoming shooter:
"No, not another Bruce Willis that saves the entire world. Main character is
a common citizen. At least at begin of this story. He wakes up in a hospital
room but understands almost nothing of what is happening around. World in
one moment became a creepy place. And than more he moves by a story line,
the more details he explores."
- Rise of the Hidden Sun
A
Chat With Josh Roberts Of Chapter 11 Studios on DIY Games talks about
development of Rise of the Hidden
Sun, an upcoming
Adventure Game Studio project.
The European edition of the new version 1.01 Evil Genius patch is now available.
The update can be found
on Sierra Entertainment's FTP server (direct link) and mirrored on
3D Gamers.
The Official BloodRayne 2 Website now
offers downloads of a BloodRayne 2 demo, showing off the upcoming PC edition of
Terminal Reality's Vampiric action sequel. Word is: "We previously released the
Meatpacking level for Xbox players but you PC gamers get a special treat--a new
level unreleased in demo form. Now you can experience the Mansion where Rayne
dons her vampy black dress from the game's cover art." The site requires
registration for downloads, but the 476 MB demo is also now mirrored on
3D Gamers,
ActionTrip,
Boomtown (registration required),
FileFront,
Filerush (torrent),
FileShack (registration required), Gameguru Mania,
Gamer's Hell,
GameSpot
DLX (registration required), and
Worthplaying.
A Multiplayer Bonus Pack for Men of Valor is now available, adding five new maps
to 2015's Vietnam War first-person shooter. The 14 MB download debuted on
GameSpot DLX (registration required), and a mirror is also available on
3D Gamers,
ActionTrip,
FileFront, Gameguru Mania,
and Worthplaying.
Another new Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell movie is now online, showing
off more of People Can Fly's imminent shooter expansion. The 17 MB "Loonypark"
movie can be found on
3D Gamers,
Filerush (torrent),
Gamer's Hell, and
GenGamers. Also, a new clip is now available for The Settlers: Heritage
of Kings, showing off more of the fifth installment in Blue Byte's strategy
series. You can find the 48 MB download on
3D Gamers. Finally,
the Project Three
Interactive Website now offers downloads of a new trailer for Alida,
setting the premise for this upcoming adventure game set on an island
shaped like a guitar where there's always something to fret about. The movie
also shows off some of the special features on the DVD edition of the game.
The Arena Wars
Community Site features a new non-beta version 1.2 patch for exDream's
real-time strategy game (thanks Frans). Version 1.2 introduced client/server
multiplayer games as well as a bunch of other enhancements. In addition to the
new patch, there are also new Arena Wars Demos on
this page,
including a pared down version that removes some assets for a smaller download.
The Kult: Heretic
Kingdoms Website now features a new patch updating Project Three's action
RPG to version 1.2. The new patch also incorporates all the fixes from the
version 1.1 patch and can be installed on any language edition of the game. Word
is: "The patch fixes several minor graphic problems and some occasional
crashes."
This
Ground Control II News Story announces the availability of the latest
version of the SDK to assist in the creation of modifications for Massive
Entertainment's real-time strategy game (thanks
Shacknews). The
download is 7.6 MB.
This ATI Driver Download and Installation Page now features new version 4.11
CATALYST reference drivers for ATI accelerators (thanks Thomas).
The
release notes have details on the new drivers, which are recommended for use
with WinXP Service Pack 2.
The final EverQuest II trailer marks the release of the MMORPG sequel,
the 66 MB download can be found on
3D Gamers and
Worthplaying.
Also, still another Prince of Persia: Warrior Within movie is online,
showing off more of the artist known as Prince from the country formerly known
as Persia. The clip is up on
3D Gamers and
Worthplaying.
Finally, a new Road
to Fame movie is now available, introducing the premise of 576 Media's
upcoming street racing game. The 48 MB movie is up on
3D Gamers and
Worthplaying.
Strategy First and Stardock announce that the Altarian Prophecy expansion for
Galactic Civilizations is now available: GALACTIC CIVILIZATIONS: Altarian
Prophecy SHIPS
Montreal, Canada. November 12th, 2004. Publisher Strategy First Inc. and
developer Stardock are pleased to announce that Galactic Civilizations: Altarian
Prophecy Expansion Pack has shipped to retailers nationwide.
If you enjoyed Stardock’s award-winning space strategy game Galactic
Civilizations, then prepare your fleet because its world has expanded. Galactic
Civilizations: Altarian Prophecy is an expansion pack adding a host of new
features, content, and other enhancements which add depth and greater
replay-ability to the original Galactic Civilizations.
“Altarian Prophecy’s new features make a great game even better” says Strategy
First Business Development Manager, Pro Sotos. “Gamers who loved Galactic
Civilizations now have new challenges to satisfy their gaming needs.”
This expansion pack introduces an all-new campaign called the Altarian Prophecy
that takes players on a multi-game journey to solve the mystery alluded to in
Galactic Civilizations. Altarian Prophecy also introduces two new alien
civilizations: the Korx and the Drath. These two civilizations hold the secret
to Altaria's past, but worse, they know the Altarian Prophecy that foretells the
destruction of the galaxy that is connected to Altaria's past.
Features
· 2 new alien civilizations: The Korx and The Drath
· A full campaign called the Altarian Prophecy
· 10 built in scenarios
· 10 custom maps
· 4 new unique ships based on the civilization’s ethical
alignment (good/evil)
· The Map Editor – a new program that allows players to
design their own galaxies
· The Scenario Editor – a new program that lets players put
together very specific game settings including teams, expansion rates, and tons
of other specific changes
· Metaverse Dimensions – Campaign support!
· New technologies that enhanced logistics and other
civilization abilities
Marvel sues two companies over role-playing game is an article announcing
the Comic Book Publisher is suing NCsoft and Cryptic Studios over City of
Heroes. No word on whether Matt Murdock is handling Marvel's case: The
lawsuit claims South Korea-based NCSoft and San Jose-based Cryptic Studios
violated Marvel's trademark characters in their game City of Heroes. Marvel
seeks unspecified damages and an injunction against the two companies to stop
using its characters.
The personal computer game enables players to design superheroes' look and
abilities and then battle against other players' characters in a virtual city.
Like similar so-called massively multiplayer role-playing games where thousands
of players can be playing simultaneously at any given time, City of Heroes
claims to offer a myriad of combinations so that no two players' characters are
exactly the same.
But in its lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Marvel argues that
the game's character creation engine easily allows players to design characters
that are virtual copies of its own superheros, including "The Incredible
Hulk."
EA workers
readying class action lawsuit against EA on GameSpot has word of planned
legal action following up on yesterday's editorial on working conditions at
Electronic Arts ( story). The story publishes what may or may
not be an authentic internal email on the topic, and describes the uphill
battle this lawsuit will have to be certified as an actual class action. Here's
a bit: Following a tip from an informed source, GameSpot contacted
Attorney Robert C. Schubert, partner at San Francisco law firm Schubert & Reed
LLP. He said that he has initiated legal proceedings to start a class action
lawsuit on behalf of a group of EA employees. "We are seeking unpaid overtime
for a good number of [EA] employees who weren't [properly] paid," Schubert told
GameSpot this afternoon. "EA contends they were exempt," Schubert said. "We
contend otherwise."
To recover the money felt owed them, said employees are trying to file a class
action lawsuit against EA seeking overtime pay. On July 29, the complaint Jamie
Kirschenbaum vs. Electronic Arts, Inc. was filed in San Mateo Superior Court.
Kirschenbaum is one of the members of the Sims 2 design team, although his
current employment status at EA could not be clarified as of press time.
Also,
No fun
for game developers is a CNET article on this situation.
Half-Life 2 already in some gamers' hands on GameSpot and
Half-Life 2 Out
Already? on IGN spread and analyze rumors and reports that Valve's eagerly
anticipated shooter sequel may be appearing early on store shelves. The stories
outline these sketchy reports, provide links to "rather convincing photographs"
of the retail box and media, as well as a reiteration of the fact that even if
one had an early copy of the game, they would still need to activate it via
Steam anyway.
The TribalWar
Forums (thanks Frans) has word that a new version 1.2 update for Irrationals
multiplayer shooter is being prepared for a December release. Included in the
update will be fixes to known "map holes" as
PunkBuster anti-cheating
support.
The Game Live Events 2004 Website
has details on which shopping malls this 12-stop gaming road show will visit
around the U.S., offering the chance to see and play with upcoming products, all
in easy access of The Sharper Image, the Sock Barn, and the Tape Store. Also,
the CCGA Website has
details on all the Vivendi Universal swag they are giving away at the next
Armageddon event on November 27 in Charlotte, NC.
The BlueTower will be Munchkinland this weekend, as we are once again taking
temporary charge of the smurfs. One of the lessons we learned the last time
around was that our fledgling child-rearing skills needed a little refining, and
that we needed to put more emphasis on outdoor activities, following the old
adage a tired kid is a happy kid (or more to the point, a happy parent). Of
course, the weather report is for arctic temperatures over the weekend, and it's
currently raining, so we may have trouble putting this plan into action.
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