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Archived News:
A Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species demo is now available, offering the chance to
sample the rare critters expansion for the zoo mogul sequel (hopefully not in
the manner depicted in the movie The Freshman). The 219 MB download is
available on AOL Games.
Likewise Microsoft Game Studios announces the game has shipped to
stores: Microsoft Game Studios announced today that Zoo Tycoon 2:
Endangered Species, the highly anticipated expansion pack to the best-selling
Zoo Tycoon 2, is now available at North American retailers for an estimated
price of $29.99 (U.S.). Microsoft also announced today that it has partnered
with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and will donate $25,000 to further WWF's
conservation work. Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species explores many of the threats
wild animals face, and the relationship with the WWF reflects Microsoft’s
continued commitment to charitable giving and community involvement. The WWF
will feature information about the Endangered Species expansion pack on their
Web site, and information about the title will be sent to the WWF's membership.
Other joint promotions will be announced in the coming months.
Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered Species adds a new chapter to the wildly popular Zoo
Tycoon 2, featuring 20 rare and exotic new animals, a new sky tram and elevated
paths with guided Jeep tours that take players closer than ever to their animal
habitats. The latest expansion introduces new building options, variations of
the theme song and a rewards system acknowledging specific player
accomplishments as they nurture a zoo over time. Guest behavior modifications
like dancing allow guests to express themselves more creatively; and new deviant
animal behaviors including animals attacking guests and each other are sure to
keep fans on their toes. For more information about Zoo Tycoon 2: Endangered
Species, please visit
www.zootycoon2.com/endangeredspecies.
Following the release of some
PC screenshots
( story) comes the announcement confirming the PC as one of the
target platforms for Pac-Man World Rally, a Namco-themed arcade racing game:
SANTA CLARA, Calif., (October 24, 2005) – Leading video games developer
and publisher Namco Hometek Inc. today announced "Pac-Man World Rally(TM)," an
original kart racing game for the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment system,
the Xbox(R) video game system from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube(TM), PSP(TM)
(PlayStation(R)Portable) system and PC. Featuring a lineup of characters,
courses, and power-ups from classic Namco games and sophisticated power sliding
mechanics, players race for the finish line at breakneck speed in the fastest
kart racing game ever. Developed by Smart Bomb Interactive, "Pac-Man World
Rally" will be released in the summer of 2006.
"Pac-Man World Rally" puts players behind the wheel as Pac-Man(R) or one of 14
other classic characters from the worlds of "Pac-Man" and other popular Namco
franchises, racing for the checkered flag while using unique power-ups and items
to prevent their opponents from claiming victory. Across the game’s many
colorful and iconic levels, players will utilize a unique power sliding mechanic
that allows them to skid around tight corners without losing speed, while
charging up Boost Bottles they can use at will to leave their opponents in their
dust. And because it’s Pac-Man, players can expect to see him do what he does
best: gobble up his adversaries along with all the Pac-Dots in sight. Players
will be able to collect Power Pellets during a race to unleash a special ability
that will allow them to take a bite out of their opponents and turn the tables
on even the most lopsided races.
“'Pac-Man World Rally' delivers the most complete kart racing experience yet
with incredible speed across outrageous and vibrant courses from well known
Namco games,” said Jeff Lujan, business director at Namco Hometek Inc. “The
refined power sliding mechanics allows for tremendous handling in any situation,
while a roster of more than 15 classic characters ensures that every race is
memorable for players of all ages.”
Players will be able to enjoy "Pac-Man World Rally" with their friends in the
game’s different multiplayer modes. Racers can test their driving skills with a
friend in time trial and grand prix competitions, or go head to head in the
game’s Battle Arena mode, using custom weapons and vehicle combat tactics to
defeat their adversaries.
For more information of "Pac-Man World Rally," please visit
www.namco.com.
This Shrapnel Games
Press Release announces the completion of development of Horse and Musket 2:
Prussia's Glory (no relation to the Prussia's Glory board game), Boku Strategy
Games' sequel to Dragoon: The Prussian War Machine. Preorders are now being
accepted for the game, which is due to ship on November 18, and here's a bit
from the announcement: Fans of the Horse and Musket 2 series will of
course still find everything they cherish about Dave Erickson's excellent design
in Prussia's Glory. The game system, which is turn and hex based, uses a command
activation system that keeps players constantly thinking two moves ahead. A wide
range of unit types, from light infantry and grenadiers, to hussars and three
types of artillery, are present. Plenty of chrome, both in the presentation and
the play, give players the type of gaming goodness they have come to expect from
Boku Strategy Games. Additionally, Prussia's Glory features extensive
multiplayer options, including the ability to play PBEM (although there is no
cross- compatibility between Prussia's Glory and Dragoon: The Prussian War
Machine).
As an added bonus to everyone who owns Dragoon: The Prussian War Machine,
Prussia's Glory ships with a special bonus scenario exclusive for that game:
Action at Burkersdor (1762).
Lara Croft firm gets
bid approach (thanks Mike Martinez) reports a jump in the share price of SCI
Entertainment after the owner of Eidos & Lara Croft was approached by
"various parties" over a possible takeover bid. Word is: SCI declined to
comment on which companies had made the approaches.
However, the Daily Mail said SCI was a target for three firms - US computer
games firms Midway and Electronic Arts, and private equity firm Apax Partners.
Earlier this year, SCI bought Lara Croft-owner Eidos for £74m. SCI now brands
its games under the Eidos name.
In lunchtime trade, SCI shares were up by 140.5 pence, or 29.4%, at 619p.
"The board notes today's press comment and confirms that it has received
approaches from various parties which may or may not lead to an offer for the
company," SCI said in a statement.
A new SunAge Website is online
(thanks Frans). Word is: "but a more final version should be online relatively
soon! In the meantime feel free to browse our screenshots, and read about the
game." Also, a new ParaWorld Website is
online as home to SEK's upcoming real-time strategy game. The note we received
about the site opening mentions Spring 2006 as the game's release date, while
the site restates Q1 2006 as the game's target, so the game has either suffered
another delay, or its release window has been narrowed down to March 22-March
31, 2006. Included on the new site is a new ParaWorld gameplay movie.
Cenega
Publishing announces that the English version of UFO: Aftershock is now
available in the U.K., and word is the German version will be released today as
well. Thanks Frans.
New unofficial F.E.A.R. German patches are now available as an end-around to the censorship
of gore from Monolith's first-person shooter by adding the game's uncut content
to the cut-down Deutsch edition. There is a patch to update the German retail
version or the version 1.01, before the German version 1.01 patch is even
available. The downloads can be found on
justFEAR.de and mirrored on Worthplaying.
German Publisher DTP announces that Terrorist Takedown: Conflict in Mogadishu is
shipping in Germany, and this value-priced first-person shooter based on the
U.S. involvement in Somalia in 1993 is now available in Deutschland. Thanks
Frans.
Running With Scissors announces plans for a movie based on Postal, good news for
fans of other game movie projects hopeful someone would keep director Uwe Boll
occupied elsewhere. Here's word on the Postal movie, slated to shoot next year
for a release in 2007: Infamous Film Director Uwe Boll Signs Suicide Pact
with Game Developer Running With Scissors
Tucson, AZ Start firing those AK-47s into the air because POSTAL (http://www.gopostal.com/),
the game franchise that politicians, parents groups, countless cowardly
reviewers and over a dozen sovereign nations don't want you to play has just
become the latest game to make the transition to the big screen.
Running with Scissors (RWS), the world's most dangerous software company, has
signed an appropriately apocalyptic deal with renegade filmmaker Uwe Boll (http://www.boll-kg.de/)
to bring the most controversial franchise in gaming history to the screen in all
its blood-drenched, ironic glory.
Despite everyone from Steven Spielberg to Microsoft announcing big money deals
involving films based on video games, this new partnership between controversial
figures in the game and film industries is destined to become the most
incendiary game-to-film deal yet.
"Uwe Boll is the perfect producer-director to make POSTAL," affirmed Running
With Scissors' CEO Vince Desi. "He understands the subject matter and has an
appreciation and affinity for controversy and political incorrectness. POSTAL
has always been about reason and insanity, violence and motivation;
producer-director Uwe Boll is simply the right guy to bring that vision to the
screen."
Comport Interactive has released the English demo for Don't Get Angry 2, an
upcoming casual family game sequel. The demo is but a 16 MB download, available
on DemoNews,
FileNuts,
Gameguru Mania,
Gamer's Hell, and
Worthplaying.
TweakGuides.com's F.E.A.R.
Tweak Guide is online with help running Monolith's first-person shooter.
Now that was some Giants game yesterday. I have always wondered how fans of
teams that make crazed last-minute comebacks can stand the suspense of the
cardiac kids syndrome, as this has never been my team's way. Now I'm getting to
find out... it's actually not that bad at all, and it certainly beats losing.
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