|
|
 |
Archived News:
New
Counter-Strike Source Map Coming Soon on the Steam Website (thanks
Voodoo Extreme) has
details on plans to release a new Counter-Strike map via Steam, Half-Life 2
deathmatch updates, and a high dynamic range lighting feature for the source
engine: Over the next month or so there will be a couple of interesting
releases via Steam, in addition to the upcoming Counter-Strike map cs_compound.
First, we'll be releasing an update to Half-Life 2: Deathmatch that will include
the Slam, Stunstick, and the Crowbar. We're not ready to release the contest
winning maps just yet, but we will be releasing a new map we've built at Valve
to tide people over while we sort out the contest winners. There will also be a
release to Counter-Strike: Source around the same time that will address a few
minor issues.
One feature that we'll be adding to the Source engine in the coming months is
high dynamic range lighting. To showcase this we've taken a part of the Highway
17 chapter of Half-Life 2 and worked it into a single level that incorporates
HDR along with some new gameplay. We're calling this short level "The Lost
Coast," and it will be made available free of charge to Half-Life 2 customers
that meet a specific set of high end hardware requirements. We'll be publishing
those requirements soon.
Below are a few early concept sketches of the level early in its
development...
The
Digital Jesters Forums (thanks Frans) now offers downloads of a beta of the
upcoming TrackMania: Sunrise demo. The beta demo requires a TrackMania CD to
run. There is additional information in the post for those interested in
participating in some additional bug-squashing with the team.
Rata-tat-tat.
- Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
A new Brothers in Arms:
Road to Hill 30 movie is now available, part four in the recent series
featuring Randy Pitchford and John Antal discussing Gearbox Software's
upcoming World War II shooter. The movie is available on the
Brothers In Arms
Website and mirrored on
3D Gamers and
Worthplaying.
- Cold Fear
The
U.K. Cold Fear
Videos Page now features a new trailer for Darkworks' upcoming chilling
horror game.
- Still Life
A
Still Life Teaser is
now available with new footage from this upcoming adventure game from
Micröids. This movie is mirrored on
Tiscali Games.
- Atriarch
The first Atriarch movie in some time is now
available, showing off player species and gameplay from World Fusion's
upcoming MMORPG. This pre-alpha trailer is a 47 MB download, which can be
found on the
Atriarch Downloads Page and mirrored on
3D Gamers and
Worthplaying.
- Pro Rugby Manager 2
A new Pro Rugby Manager 2 movie is now
available, showing highlights of a simulation of the upcoming Wales vs
England match. The 28 MB movie is available on
3D Gamers,
Gamer's Hell,
and Worthplaying.
The
Star Wars Republic Commando Designer Diary #4 on GameSpot covers the topic
of squad communication, courtesy of senior engineer (and founding father) John
A. Hancock. Also, the first entries in the new
Shrapnel Games Blog
introduces a few of the players over there, and will keep us informed about
goings-on going forward.
- Aerial Strike
Make
the First Strike and Make it Count in Aerial Strike: The Yager Missions on
GameZone is a Q&A about the North American release of the game also
known simply as Yager: "There are several different weapons to collect. Most
of the weapons have a secondary weapon, which adds even more depth. For
example, the missiles can either be fired as single, unguided "speed
rockets" (primary weapon) or as a single shot, guided missile (secondary
weapon). The rapid-fire laser is the main weapon of the Sagittarius, but it
also has a secondary weapon. The laser will overheat if it is fired
continuously but will cool down quickly and if you hold down the fire
button, it will charge and fire a "shotgun" shot."
- Guild Wars
Fansite
Friday #31 on The Guildwars Tome (thanks
Guild Wars Slovenija) is the
latest installment in this nomadic weekly series discussing Guild wars,
ArenaNet's upcoming MMORPG.
Planetwide Games has launched the open beta for RYL: Path of the Emperor, their
MMORPG, while also announcing lifetime RYL Founders Guild Membership
opportunities: (PRWEB) February 4, 2005 – Planetwide Games announced
today a historic event of epic proportion, that after Seven Years of
Development, the “RYL: Path of the Emperor” Massively Multiplayer Online
Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) went into Open Beta phase for North America.
Planetwide Games will operate Open Beta for a limited time only until the Golden
Launch date of March 1, 2005. “RYL: Path of the Emperor” currently has over 8.2
million online players worldwide. In 2003, 88 million people played online games
worldwide and 198 million are expected to be playing online games by 2008.
RYL Founders Guild
North American “RYL: Path of the Emperor” online players who participate in the
Open Beta only during the month of February have a rare and limited time
opportunity to become a RYL Founders Guild Member. RYL Founders Guild Members
will receive the chance of a lifetime to receive unique and special privileges
when they choose from four different offer packages. Some benefits of becoming a
RYL Founders Guild Member include locked-in, discounted “for life” subscription
rates, MP3 Players, and additional months of game play for free.
Interested players for Open Beta can view a trailer of the game and download the
“RYL: Path of the Emperor” game for Free at our home page
http://www.RYL.net.
A new patch for the Macintosh edition of Call of Duty: United Offensive is now
available, updating the World War II first-person shooter to the same version
1.5.1 as the most recent PC patch. The 319 MB update can be found on
3D Gamers and
MacGameFiles.
Yahoo! sues
Xfire for patent infringement reports that the gaming messenger application
Xfire is the subject of a Goliath versus David lawsuit filed by Yahoo! The
article describes Yahoo!'s case for patent infringement, while suggesting that
this may all be an overture towards buying Xfire (reminiscent of how young boys
punch the girls they like). Former pro gamer Dennis "Thresh" Fong is one of the
co-founders of Xfire.
DreamCatcher announces that Aerial Strike: The Yager Missions, the North
American edition of the airborne combat game also known as Yager, has landed in
stores: Toronto, February 4, 2005 - DreamCatcher Games today announced
Aerial Strike: The Yager Missions, a futuristic aerial 3D combat/action game, is
now available for Windows® at retailers across North America.
Despite all of the superior technological advancements of the future, security
on Earth remains at risk. In Aerial Strike: The Yager Missions, players assume
the role of Magnus Tide, pilot of one of the deadliest machines in the galaxy:
the fighter ship Sagittarius. Taking control of Sagittarius’ multiple weapons
and capabilities, players enter a world of extreme fighter pilot action, forcing
futuristic rivals to pay the ultimate price in a daring quest to save the world.
This radical action game offers intense aerial combat, combining dog fighting
missions and ground attack objectives. Players will soar through 22 huge levels,
adapting their strategies around multi-faceted terrains, including deep canyons
and enormous mountains. They will maneuver a wide range of crafts, from agile
fighters to huge battleships and carriers. Outside of the Sagittarius, players
apply a more hands-on approach to fending off enemies when they get behind the
controls of a gun turret.
Aerial Strike: The Yager Missions is developed by Yager Development. It has an
ESRB rating of ‘T’ for Teen and retails for a suggested price of $19.99 USD. For
more information visit
www.dreamcatchergames.com.
Eidos announces an "upgrade" for the
Project Snowblind Website
with all manner of newness for Crystal Dynamics' imminent first-person shooter, including a pair of new movies.
Also, the
Chaos
League: Sudden Death Product Page is online, publisher
Digital Jesters' home for the upcoming fantasy-themed sports expansion.
Finally, the Die Siedler:
Das Erbe der Könige Website is live, the German home for the upcoming
Settlers add-on that's so far only been announced for Germany
( story). The site includes
the first five
screenshots from the project (thanks Frans).
Game Factory
Interactive and Russian developer
Secret Sign announce plans for RattHunter, an upcoming first-person shooter.
Here's the deal: RattHunter is a traditional first-person shooter set in
a hi-tech environment. It does not push the envelope or bring something fresh to
the genre, since we feel that there is little place for innovation in today's
action games market. It is, however, solid, polished and smart. Developers lay
the emphasis on original ideas in visualization and gameplay design.
The action takes place on a remote planet, which is located in a G-class star
system. Its gravity, atmosphere and other conditions are pretty much the same as
on Earth. The planet is rich in minerals, and the low depth of occurrence allows
for strip mining.
The main character of the game is a freelance reporter who started an
independent investigation in order to expose the truth behind the disappearances
of workers of a corporate facility. The installation, located on a remote
planet, is a primary research site for ROOM, a highly potent "miracle drug".
During the game, players will have the chance to use various mechanisms
(turrets, cranes) and drives vehicles such as bikes and buggies.
RattHunter features traditional, by-the-book gameplay, which does not wander
into the realm of tactical shooters such as Rainbow Six. Players will have to
overcome different obstacles and solve various puzzles in order to get to the
next level. They will also get to shoot monsters, but there is no goal such as
"Kill everyone"; the adversaries are just a device to maintain the tension and
further the story. The advanced physics engine used in the game allowed us to
create a highly interactive environment.
Features run-down:
– 8 weapon types (a great help in a serious investigation!);
– More than 20 locations filled to the brim with dangerous enemies;
– A wide assortment of adversaries, ranging from horrible genetic mutants,
cyborg sentries and corporate mercenaries, each differing in behavior and combat
tactics. Some of them hunt in packs, the others may try to outflank or perform a
sudden attack;
– Numerous objects showcase the advanced physics engine. They can be thrown,
overturn, moved or used for various means (for example, a barricade);
– A thrilling story with sharp plot turns, insidious betrayals and unexpected
allies. Dive into the haunting memories of the past and discover the
jaw-dropping truth about your real identity;
– Objective-based levels;
– Travel by foot or use bikes, buggies or hovercraft.
Minimum Configuration
Windows 2000/XP, DirectX 9.0с
1.5 MHz Pentium III/Athlon
256 MB RAM
Quad-speed CD- or DVD-drive
DirectX 8-compatible graphics card
DirectX 9-compatible sound card
Matrix Games announces plans to publish Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar, the next
installment in Koios Works' wargame
series that began with a game focusing on Alexander the Great. Here you go:
Hail Caesar, Master of the World!
Matrix Games Signs Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar, Releases New Screenshots!
Staten Island, NY, Feb 4th, 2005 - Matrix Games (www.matrixgames.com)
announced today that they have signed Koios Works’ (www.koiosworks.com)
latest title in the Tin Soldiers series, Julius Caesar. Using the same general
play style of Tin Soldiers: Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar makes massive
improvements to the graphical engine along with numerous game changes to
correctly mimic the change in armies and army tactics for the time period.
David Heath, Director of Operations for Matrix Games said, “We’re very pleased
to continue to bring this series to the fans of historic war games. We have high
hopes for the Tin Soldiers series to become a dominant player in strategy
gaming, both with fans of miniatures and with a larger audience who prefer
easy-to-learn but difficult-to-master strategy games.”
Tin Soldiers: Julius Caesar brings a completely new 3D engine into the battle,
allowing users to zoom in, out, and rotate the map for a better view of the
battlefield. The artwork overhaul features over 100 different replicas of
hand-painted miniatures, including the fearsome legions of Caesar himself. On
the inside of the game the AI has been overhauled as well to support a variety
of battle formations while the legions of Caesar have been expanded from the
normal block of four units to a more powerful block of six. This allows you to
replicate the power and strength the Roman legions possessed.
The campaign mode features two distinct campaigns that no longer occur in linear
order. You must defeat the Gaelic campaign and the final showdown against the
combined forces of Gaul at Alesia and then proceed to the Roman civil war, where
you will conquer Rome itself. By keeping many of the aspects that made Tin
Soldiers: Alexander the Great popular and improving it in many areas; Tin
Soldiers: Julius Caesar will be appealing to both existing fans and newcomers
alike.
For more information, check the main Matrix Games page at
http://www.matrixgames.com for future
press releases and discussions.
- Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
The
Splinter Cell: Chaos
Theory Q&A on Computer Games Magazine talks with Mathieu Ferland about
the next installment in the stealthy Splinter Cell series: "Actually, we
find that we have too many features we want to include each time we revisit
the series. Ubisoft Montreal began working on Chaos Theory right after the
first Splinter Cell was finished, while Shanghai and Annecy worked on
Pandora Tomorrow, and we started the project with a number of ideas. That’s
one of the benefits of a creative, collaborative team – and we had several
new members, as well as lots of people who worked on the first game, so it
was a great combination of fresh faces and seasoned veterans. The co-op
gameplay is just one good example of something completely new that keeps the
franchise fresh and innovative. It’s a two-player mode that requires trust
and cooperation between players in a way that hasn’t been seen yet in
videogaming."
- SWAT 4
There's
a SWAT 4 Q&A on
10-David that chats with Chris Klein about Irrational's next installment in
the SWAT series of police games: "Listening to the SWAT community has been,
at various times, encouraging, interesting, frustrating, and infuriating.
But in general it’s great to see so many people be passionate about the
game, whether or not they agree with all of our design decisions. Once the
full game is out and people can play the single-player campaign and the
other multiplayer modes (including co-op), I hope that a lot of our design
decisions will be well-received."
- Anarchy Online
First
Sights on 2005 with Morten Byom on Anarchy Online Hell concludes their
conversation with Funcom about Anarchy Online, their MMORPG: "Yes there are
plans for new expansion for Anarchy Online. At this point it is too early to
go out with any further details on this. Only thing that I can say is that
we will continue to add new features to the game enriching the game with
both more depth and width."
- Fallout 3
Duck
and Cover's Todd Howard Q&A talks with the Bethesda Softworks designer
about their upcoming Fallout game: "Outside of the obvious flavor and
setting, the number one thing is stronger characters. Fallout really set the
standard for me on believable people, good dialogue, and character choice
and consequence. With Elder Scrolls, we do aim for something enormous, and
we simply can't focus on say - 20 to 40 really deep strong characters and
just do them. With Oblivion, we're doing a much better job than we've done
before, but the scale of game is so different that without sacrificing some
of what makes The Elder Scrolls what it is, I don't think we'd be able to
have the same level of characterization in NPCs Fallout did. So with Fallout
3, that's something we want to do well, a limited number of super-deep
NPCs."
- MVP Baseball 2005
MVP’s
Ben Brinkman steps up to the plate to talk about the 2005 edition of the
EASports franchise on GameZone is a Q&A with Ben Brinkman about MVP
Baseball 2005: "The biggest challenge is and always will be nailing all the
details fans of baseball have come to expect and deserve in a baseball
videogame. This is more than having fancy cutscenes where players sign
autographs and throw balls into the crowd. This is more about enhancing the
gameplay experience and giving the user something tangible to take away from
the game, not fluffy bells and whistles. There are so many different
scenarios that can and will occur in a baseball game, and accounting for all
of them is a tall order."
- Scratches
The
Agustin
Cordes Q&A on Experience Gaming discusses Scratches, the upcoming
horror/mystery game in the works at Nucelosys: "Scratches is a classic
point-and-click adventure game, which will be experienced in a first-person
view. There’s the need to clarify exactly which kind of adventure it is,
given the ’Adventure’ tag covers a wide range of games nowadays. People can
expect to solve deductive and inventory based puzzles in order to overcome
the obstacles they will find in the game. These obstacles will make sense,
never feeling out of place. Some should be quite challenging. We’ve decided
to define the game as ’Horror/Mystery’ given that just ’Horror’ can be
somewhat misleading. Scratches will be primarily about the mystery (that
doesn’t mean there will be downright scary sequences!)."
- Star Wars Republic Commando on
Prophecy.
The chUmbaLum sOft wEbSiTe
now offers a new version 1.7.4 of the MilkShape 3D modeling program. Thanks
Frans.
The Team17 Forums
(thanks Frans) outlines a few new openings at the developer behind the Worms
series. They are seeking experienced console programmers, game programmers, and
artists (Maya experienced modelers, animators) for their U.K. head office in
Wakefield, Yorkshire. These positions are being offered exclusively to residents
of the U.K./E.U.
In another phishing scheme... Nah, just kidding, I won't put you through that
again. The annual Groundhog Day extravaganza has come to a close.
I got the BlueTruck back from Dr. Goodwrench. After an inflated estimate based
on the amount of time it took to diagnose the broken switch in the first place
(which he should be embarrassed about to start with, considering the number of
people who correctly guessed that to be the cause without even seeing the
truck), he then tried to charge me double that, because after installing the
switch, the truck start blowing fuses, and further time was required to trace
down a bad wire. I pointed out that it wasn't really reasonable to expect me to
think that the fuses were blowing due to some pre-existing condition, since I
had never once blown a fuse before this. I got him to agree that since it was
obviously his grease monkey mis-wiring something that lead to the fuse dealie,
that I wasn't going to pay for that part.
So I walk out having paid probably twice what the job was worth, feeling like I
got a bargain. Dr. Goodwrench is no dummy.
|
Twitter 
