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Archived News:
The Poptop Software Website (thanks Frans)
outlines plans for a demo for
Shattered Union, the turn-based wargame: The holidays are closing in,
and we'd like to wish everyone a fun and safe holiday season. We hope that some
of you will have enough time on your hands to give our new game, Shattered
Union, a try. We don't have a demo for it yet, but if you keep your eyes open
you should be seeing one in the not-so-distant future.
Bam! The first patch for the PC edition of Madden NFL 2006 is now available,
offering roster updates for the football simulation. Separate North American and UK editions
of the 5.45 MB patch are available on the
EA Sports Website.
Thanks Alistic.
This
Atari Support Page offers downloads of a new patch for Indigo Prophecy,
updating the North American edition of Quantic Dreams' adventure game also known
as Fahrenheit to version 1.1. The update addresses a handful of bugs. Thanks
Frans.
- Battlefield 2: Special Forces
The
Battlefield 2: Special Forces Q&A on GameDaily (thanks Frans) is a brief
Q&A with Michael Doran about the Special Forces add-on for DICE's military
shooter sequel: "Again, I think that the biggest change to the game will be
the zip line and grappling hook. The great thing about these features is
that their usability is only limited by how creative the player is.
Grappling hooks can be used to reach higher areas of maps that are
especially effective perches from which to launch the zip line. Using both
the zip line and grappling hook in conjunction with each other fits very
well with squad based gameplay, which is a focus of Battlefield 2 /
Battlefield 2: Special Forces."
- DOOM The Movie
id
Software's CEO Talks Up Doom the Movie on TwitchGuru (thanks Ant)
hears from id CEO Todd Hollenshead about the DOOM movie: "Well the rights
for the movie option were licensed for the very first time back in '94-'95.
Following the success of Doom 2, there was Hollywood interest in making a
movie out of Doom 2, but there were a number of circumstances that
frustrated the process. There was Columbine, which was an issue; there was
an issue of us not having the right people engaged in the process from a
producer standpoint. There were some initial scripts that weren't very good,
and I think a lot of that had to do with the fact that when you look at Doom
and Doom 2, especially from a Hollywood viewpoint, and try to figure out
what the movie's going to be from these games, it's a much larger leap than
looking at a game like Doom 3 and thinking about what the movie could be
based on that game."
- Roma Victor
MMORPG.COM's
Roma Victor Q&A, Part I talks with RedBedlam's Nick Witcher about their
Roman Empire MMORPG: "We have never claimed to be historically accurate;
rather historically authentic. I think the balance has a lot to do with
getting the level of realism correct. You won't see mirror-finish shields
and characters will not sport stylized, cartoon-like or even 21st Century
physiques. Amongst other things you're bound to see a lot of mud and dirt.
The species of animals and wildlife are appropriate for their region and
period, the armour, equipment, structures and even all of the trade skills
and crafting activities have all been extensively researched. We believe
this type of authenticity really adds to the experience. I think we've
incorporated all the features that make an RPG fun and we want to involve
the players and encourage role-playing the era. Activities in the game from
the quests to hunting wild animals or gathering the resources to build your
house will be deeply compelling."
- Galactic Civilizations II
The
Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords Audio Interview (Part 2-4) on
Apolyton Civilization continues this audio interview with Stardock
designer Brad Wardell about their upcoming space sequel. Topics "include but
are not limited to regrets regarding the promotion of the first GalCiv for
the PC, muddled media references to the series or Stardock itself, the
Altarian Prophecy expansion pack and the impact of North American publisher
Strategy First's bankruptcy protection."
- Dark and Light
MMORPG.COM's
Dark and Light Q&A #7 discusses the final phase of beta testing for
the upcoming MMORPG that will serve as the game's "prequel" (prologue):
"Despite what some people can say, we really wanted at least to respect our
promises to our community. We’ve been postponing the release several times,
we didn’t communicate regularly, we understand very well that even the most
faithful could doubt of Dark and Light being a vapor ware or a fake. As we
are small team, we are doing small marketing, dedicated first to our
community. We decided to create a specific offer and we prepared it with the
feedbacks of the Dark and Light community. What it adds: proof to our
community that we are working to try to reach their demands all the time."
- Albatross18
RPG
Vault's Albatross18: Realms of Pangya Q&A discusses plans to bring this
Korean online golf game to western audiences: "The interesting thing is, the
fantasy RPG aspect of Albatross18 is also a key element in terms of its free
gameplay. You see, most fantasy RPGs are item-based games, meaning leveling
up to purchase higher level items to be able to defeat higher level enemies.
Albatross18 borrows this same concept, but instead of gaining items to
defeat enemies, the items acquired in Albatross18 are used to get a better
golf score - allowing you to score better points by giving your base
character better power, spin, accuracy, control or curve. And although most
of these items remain free within the game (purchasable with experience
points), a few premium items will be offered for sale. This is obviously
where our revenue model is based."
Aspyr announces that they've picked up the
North American publishing rights for The Guild II, and they will be
releasing the medieval real-time strategy sequel in Q2 next year: AUSTIN, TX (December 6, 2005) - Aspyr Media today announced it has acquired
the North American distribution and publishing rights from JoWood to publish The
Guild II. As the successor to the highly rated medieval life simulation, The
Guild II offers players the opportunity to control the fate of generations of a
large dynasty during the Middle Ages. Developed by 4 Head Studios, The Guild II
will be released in the spring/summer of 2006 for the PC at a SRP of $39.99.
For players who can’t wait until Spring for more Guild action, Aspyr released
The Guild Gold in November, which features the original game plus its expansion
pack. Gothic II Gold is available for an SRP of $19.99.
Game Boss Shelley Day Jailed on Next Generation (thanks Hump) has news that
Shelley Day has been sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding the Asia
Europe Americas Bank of Seattle out of over $1.5 million loaned to her based on
her assertion that her children's game publisher Hulabee was being purchased by
Vivendi. Day rose to prominence at LucasArts before going on to co-found
Humongous Entertainment with Ron Gilbert. Humongous was subsequently sold to GT
Interactive and then Infogrames/Atari.
The Darwinia Website (thanks
Frans) has a new beta patch for Introversion's adventure game. The update adds
the game's German language support, and they are therefore imploring those who
understand German to check out the patch and help determine how well the
translation has turned out.
The T72 Balkans
On Fire Mission and Mods Downloads Page now offers a new patch to update
Battlefront.com's armored combat game to version 1.3. The update offers a
handful of bug fixes and other improvements.
We did a little holiday shopping at the nearby mega-mall today, and mega it is.
I recall seeing somewhere that the Palisades Mall is actually the second largest
in the land... I don't know if that's true, but the place its pretty big, but
more importantly it offers something that even the larger and more impressive
Mall of America does not have, which is a Fat Burger. This is just one of a
small scattering of these west coast mainstays in the northeast, and the only
one in New York State. I was told today that more of these are on the way in the
greater NY area, but in the meantime, what bills itself as "The Last Great
Hamburger Stand" (and I'm not going to argue) is one of the best enticements to
subject oneself to the mall I've ever found.
A new patch is now available for Need for Speed Most Wanted, updating the street
racing sequel to version 1.3, addressing a bunch of bugs and other issues. The
download is available on
the EA FTP
server (direct link), and mirrored on
3D Downloads,
3D Gamers,
Boomtown (registration required),
Computer Games,
FileFront, Gameguru Mania,
GameSpot (registration required), VGPro, and
Worthplaying.
A manual patch is now available to update World of Warcraft to
version
1.8.4 ( story) for those able to play the MMORPG but for some
reason cannot use its automatic updates. The patch is available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, FileNuts,
GameSpot (registration required), VGPro, and
Worthplaying.
Futrix Studios
announces Future Killer, an upcoming first-person shooter in the works at this
studio formed by former Ritual designer Thearrel 'Kiltron' McKinney. Here's a
bit on the game, which we have confirmed is targeting the PC platform:
Set in a futuristic earth setting, you are the only survivor of a failed
genetic experiment. The experiments were developed by the government to produce
work clones in an attempt to build a New Earth as their means of escaping a
dying world from an alien invasion. The engine being used for the game is being
kept under wraps until further development.
This Sims 2:
Open For Business Product Section officially introduces the next expansion for The Sims
2 (thanks Tiscali Games) first revealed in September ( story), that adds new career tracks to the get a virtual life game. As
implied by the title, Open for Business offers the opportunity to get in touch
with your inner entrepreneur and open your own small business (hopefully not to
get devoured by someone playing a Wal-Mart sim). As
noted here, the
Sims Zone has the first couple of
screenshots as well as
a teaser
video. Here's a bit: Now your Sims can create their own
businesses. They can design their own clothing boutique, beauty salon, florist,
high-end electronics shop, bustling restaurant chain, or virtually any other
type of business. Hire your staff as the business grows and put talented Sims to
work making toys, running the register, crafting floral bouquets, giving sales
pitches, or manufacturing robots. But watch out for slacker employees and be
prepared to fire them on the spot. From clever tinkerer to master craftsman,
develop your Sim’s talents to best suit your business needs. Will they build a
thriving business empire or become eccentric entrepreneurs designing the next
big thing?
Following the release of the first screenshots,
Napoleon
Games announces Mutant, an upcoming third-person shooter: Mutant is
third person 3D shooter. The main hero is able to use several special abilities
where most significant one is presence of two more hands that are placed in two
hollows in his jacket directly under the arms. Mutant can hold different guns in
different hands and he can fire to different targets at once. The player can
control one of the hands or several hands at once while they aim to common
target. Other hands are automatically seeking space around Mutant for any
enemy.
The Roma
Victor Website targets April '06 as the launch date for RedBedlam's Roman
Empire MMORPG. With the launch a third of a year off, they are ambitiously
accepting preorders beginning December 15, offering those who preorder a leg up
on those who wait for the game's completion: Brighton, UK. RedBedlam Ltd
is pleased to announce the release dates for its Roman Empire based MMORPG Roma
Victor®. The first 1,500 accounts will be made available during a 'pre-order'
phase, beginning on the Ides of December. The accounts, costing £14.98 each,
will come complete with £5 worth of in-game currency (sesterces).
The game's full commercial release will take place on the Kalends of April '06
when the price of an account becomes £19.98 (which will include £10 worth of
sesterces).
Pre-order players and veteran testers of the VERM® (Virtual Economics Revenue
Model) will be able to gain access to the game world on the Ides of March - a
full 2-weeks in advance of the public offer.
The unofficial version 1.9 patch for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines that
was released the other day ( story) and turned out to be corrupted
is now available in working form. As always, this patch is an unsupported
third-party release to address outstanding bugs in the Source-engine RPG
following the demise of developer Troika Games ( story), so this
is an at-your-own-risk proposition. The download can be found on
3D Gamers,
Bloodlines,
FileFront, and
Worthplaying.
A new
Call
of Duty 2 Linux Dedicated Server (direct link) is online (thanks Frans). The
updated server was actually released several weeks ago, but went unnoticed prior
to now. The version 1.0a Linux server requires data files from the retail
Windows edition of the Infinity Ward's World War II shooter sequel.
A SWAT 4: The Stetchkov Syndicate movie is now available, offering the first
look at Irrational Games' upcoming expansion for the latest installment in the
tactical police shooter series. The clip offers about a minute of in-game
footage for a 10.1 MB download, available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
Boomtown (registration required),
FileFront, and
Worthplaying.
- The Witcher
The
Witcher Q&A on TotalVideoGames talks with some of the folks from CD
Projekt about their upcoming first-person RPG: "The best thing about The
Witcher is its completely fresh approach to the genre. Any RPG fan will find
all the elements that they look for in an RPG in The Witcher – but each one
will be treated in a slightly different and interesting way. The most
important elements here are: the intriguing storyline, the exciting combat
and the unique idea of the main character. Of course ideas alone, even the
best ones, are not everything – implementation of these ideas is also
important, which in The Witcher is also something that is at a very high
level."
- Auto Assault
Gaming
Steve Episode 29 offers an audio Q&A with Scott Brown and Ryan Seabury
of NetDevil discussing Auto Assault, their upcoming MMORPG of vehicular
mayhem. Topics include cars, weapons, beta testing, and more.
- Horizons
Gamecloud's
Peter S. Beagle Q&A talks with the author about his upcoming
contribution to Horizons as the writer for Tulga's MMORPG: "That’s what I’m
going to find out. All I know at the moment is that everything is always
different from everything else in this trade. Writing a script isn’t at all
like writing a play, for instance, and writing an opera libretto, which I’ve
done, isn’t like either of those. Everything teaches you, in a way that
transfers to another aspect of your work. So there are things I’ve learned
writing scripts that have transferred very helpfully to writing fiction. And
I’m sure that what I learn working for Tulga will have its ramifications in
everything else I do. And, I hope, vice-versa. I hope that what I’ve learned
in other disciplines can transfer successfully to Istaria."
- Ankh
The
Ankh Q&A
on Quandary talks with Jan Klose of Deck 13 about their RPG: "The game
is targeted at a very broad audience. Everyone who just likes to smile and
be entertained should have a look at Ankh. It's definitely suitable for
children, but some jokes will only be understood by adults. Still, in no
place does the game get too violent or obscene. Nevertheless, in my opinion
it's important for a humorous game to be satirical and a very tiny little
bit politically incorrect. Comparing it with movies, you'd find more of
Dreamworks' Shrek in Ankh than Disney's Aladdin."
- Game Attorney
Gamecloud's
Game Attorney Q&A talks with attorney Thomas H. Buscaglia about his work
in the game industry, touching briefly on the work of the anti-gaming
attorney: "I think that Jack Thompson is sort of like the Organ Grinder’s
monkey without the Organ Grinder. He is just dancing around for attention
and doesn’t seem to have much concern for whether what he is saying is true
or not, he just wants people to listen to him. I think the really sad thing
about him is that he has been pretty much a laughing stock in the Legal
Community in South Florida for years since he was back attacking 2 Live Crew
and anybody else that he doesn’t think meets his standards as far as Pop
Culture. But frankly the main thing that does bother me about Jack Thompson
is that anybody listens to him at all."
I got off to a lazy start today, thanks to the oddly narcotic effects of an
overnight snowfall. Not wanting to pressure my neighbor into shoveling my walk
again, I did get out there first thing, but this turned out to be more of a
dusting than anything, and while I (literally) scraped the surface with my
shovel, the sun is actually taking care of more of the job than I did (maybe I
can still convince my neighbor we're even now?). Now where do I place a request
that the rest of this winter's storms leave such an easy clean-up behind?
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