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Archived News:
This press release and
Totalwar.com (thanks Frans) have news
that Medieval 2: Total War is the next installment in Creative Assembly's Total
War RTS series, confirming recent rumors ( story). The
Medieval 2: Total War
Website is online with information and screenshots and
the official
product section is online as well. Here's a bit from the announcement:
LONDON & SAN FRANCISCO (January 20th, 2006) - SEGA® Europe Ltd. and
SEGA® of America, Inc. today announced 2006's most highly anticipated PC title,
Medieval 2: Total War™. The Total War franchise is unmatched in ambition and
scope, receiving widespread critical acclaim and a multitude of awards across
the globe whilst selling a staggering 3.5 million units to date. This, the 4th
instalment of the franchise, takes the strategy genre to a whole new level with
the most epic and cinematic 3D battles ever seen on PC.
Medieval 2: Total War™ is the latest release from the highly acclaimed
developer, The Creative Assembly, who SEGA made headline news by acquiring in
2005. The game boasts an impressive array of new graphical and gameplay
enhancements, including the capability for a massive 10,000 dynamic characters
to be taken into battle at any one time. On top of this, The Creative Assembly
have implemented a fully redesigned multiplayer mode that offers a dynamic
multi-battle campaign bolstered by an unprecedented level of visceral combat
choreography that reflects the brutality of medieval warfare.
Sega of America
announces that Phantasy Star Universe, previously slated for release this spring
( story), is now due in the Fall. This revelation comes in the
form of a new release date, there is no accompanying announcement or
explanation. Thanks
GameGossip and Frans.
Star Wars Collector of
War on IGN announces plans for a collector's edition for Star Wars: Empire
at War, Petroglyph's Star Wars RTS game. Among the CE's extra content will be
five new skirmish maps, screensavers, wallpapers, special packaging, and more.
The Might and Magic Website
now offers the new schedule for the open beta testing of Heroes of Might and
Magic V, saying simply: The open beta for Heroes of Might and Magic V will
start this Monday at 6PM UK time.
Stay tuned for more details and thanks very much for your patience.
- Godfather
Two new movies from The Godfather are now
available, showing off the upcoming mob game. There's a new trailer on
GameSpot and a new Mob Face clip on the
Electronic Arts Germany Website. One or both clips can be found mirrored
on 3D Gamers,
FileFront, and
Worthplaying.
- Ford Street Racing
Empire
Interactive offers a new movie from Ford Street Racing, the upcoming
blue oval/no oval racing sim. Thanks Frans.
- City Life
This
page on the
framed
French City Life Website now offers a new movie from Monte Cristo's
upcoming city management simulation. The high-resolution clip is a 26.9 MB
download.
- Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
Four new trailers from Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents
Under Pressure are now online, with more of the upcoming graffiti-decorated
urban action game. The clips can be found on
3D Gamers and
GameSpot.
- Medieval 2: Total War
IGN's
Medieval 2: Total War Q&A discusses the newly announced installment in
Creative Assembly's RTS series with Bob Smith: "We're particularly proud of
the huge strides we've made when it comes to the combat animation. We've
captured 1000's of mo-capped animations, which allows us to create
synchronized attacks with defenses and fatalities. Sequenced attack combos
also allow the soldier to string together attacks to cut a swathe through
his opponents. As an example, a swordsman might do a swing to the left, a
swing to the right, followed by a stab to the stomach knocking his opponent
down. He might then spin around, and deliver a merciless finishing strike to
the enemy while he's lying helpless on the ground."
- Supreme Commander
The
Supreme Commander Q&A on Computer and Video Games talks with Chris
Taylor of Gas Powered Games about their upcoming RTS game: "I think
they're going to be pleasantly surprised about how ambitious we were - we
did not cut the ambitious aspects of the design at all. I would really be
horrified if they were disappointed with any of it. We've added the modding
so that the community can get in there and be creative, the AI system is
fully scriptable, the unit control system not only is fully scriptable but
we've got a complete scripting debugging system. The map editor that we
include in the game, the mod management - we've gone overboard with what
we're providing to the community. I would be broken-hearted if they were
disappointed with the game."
- Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
MMORPG.COM's
Vanguard: Saga of Heroes Q&A talks with Sigil's Brad McQuaid about their
upcoming MMORPG: "It’s all about balance, I think. On one end we want to
escape from the monotony of overly-simple crafting systems seen in previous
MMOGs. At the same time we don’t want to make it all so complex that it
requires only hard-core crafters to participate in or to enjoy crafting. Of
course our ultimate goal is to make a game that is fun and we’re working
hard on our crafting system as we speak to ensure that it has the right
balance."
- Godfather
gameSlave's
Godfather Mobface Q&A talks with David De Martini about character
customization in the upcoming mafia game: "As you progress through the game
you are managing two commodities, Respect & Money. As you partake in the
various opportunities New York City offers (extortion, racketeering, bank
heists, etc...), you will earn money. With that cash you can visit the
tailor shop and edit your characters appearance. A mobster who doesn't spend
money appears to be struggling so in buying apparel upgrades (not to mention
other 'lifestyle' items such as safehouses, explosives and weapon upgrades)
you increase your characters Respect Level, which is the key to becoming the
Don of NYC."
We visited my dad for lunch today and as always enjoyed the antics of Hudson the
wonder dog and Gunnar with their beloved Uncle Sparky... a dog day afternoon of
sorts.
This
Codemasters Press Release announces plans to bring ArchLord to North
America, another Korean MMORPG (along with RF Online) slated for such a
transplant. The ArchLord Teaser Website
is online as well as an
ArchLord Product Section (thanks Frans) that features screenshots from the
translated version of the game. Here's a bit: ArchLord is the creation of
NHN Games, one of the biggest Korean MMO developers and publishers. When it
launches in Q3, 2006, ArchLord will deliver a unique competitive premise to MMO
gamers: the opportunity to rise to become the game world’s supreme ruler. Every
month, one player will take control of the world and with it the opportunity to
wreak havoc on their cowering enemies as the player gains control of supreme
global Archlord powers!
David Solari, Director of Codemasters Online Gaming, commented: “ArchLord is an
incredibly important signing for Codemasters Online Gaming and NHN has delivered
an amazing world and a unique player objective. This incredible feature, where
players compete to become the Archlord and personally shape the game world, has
never been seen before in any MMO. It’s sure to capture the imaginations of
Western gamers and make Archlord a landmark MMO launch for 2006.”
The Might and Magic Website
(thanks Frans) has word that the open beta for Heroes of Might and Magic V is
delayed. Word is: "The open beta for Heroes V has been delayed, to make the
experience as smooth as possible for all those involved. Keep an eye out for a
new beta launch date, and all the news that goes with it."
A new Rome: Total War Gold
Edition Product Section (thanks Frans) reveals plans for a new bundled
edition of the large-scale RTS game slated for release on March 3, 2006:
Rome: Total War Gold Edition brings together the multi-awarding winning
Rome: Total War and its critically acclaimed official expansion, Barbarian
Invasion. Available in one great value pack, this is the perfect opportunity for
armchair generals to conquer and control the greatest empire ever known by man.
In Rome: Total War you must guide one of three noble Roman families on a
century-spanning quest to seize control of the Roman Empire.
In Barbarian Invasion witness the decline of Rome as it suffers attack from
Barbarian Hordes and a bitter internal struggle between rival factions.
A new Crime
Stories Product Section is online, revealing the North American title for
the game also known as Martin Mystère.
Word is the game will begin shipping in North America on March 14, 2006. In
Crime Stories, the player will "Take on the role of Martin Mystère, a brilliant
young F.B.I. agent, who has just been called upon to investigate the brutal
murder of the highly reputed scientist, Professor Eulemberg."
- The Regiment
A new The Regiment movie is now available,
showing off Kuju Entertainment's upcoming squad-based shooter.
The movie can be found on
3D Gamers and
Worthplaying.
- War Front: Turning Point
A new War Front: Turning Point
movie is online, offering a look at Digital Reality's upcoming
alternate-history World War II RTS game. The clip is a 39 MB download,
available on 3D
Gamers,
GameDaily, Gamer's
Hell, and
Worthplaying.
- Faces of War
Worthplaying's
Faces of War Q&A talks with BEST WAY director Dmitriy Morozov about the
Physics in the upcoming squad-based shooter: "The player will encounter
physics the whole gameplay through. Our game is not a simulator, but even
vehicles behave according to laws of physics: a turn of tank on the place is
accompanied with inertia; a flat tire of a car will make it give down on the
specified point; if a car looses its wheel on the run, the car can turn
down. The ships in ‘Faces of War’ go according to the laws of physics as
well. The vessels have compartments, which would be flooded, if there is a
leak in the hull and the ship is lopsided. When the hull damages are
critical, it would drown."
- City of Villains
Boomtown's
City of Villains Statesman Q&A talks with Cryptic's tight-lipped Jack
Emmert about their MMORPG: "We might be instituting a system where players
can't be "one shotted", but that wouldn't be particular to any Archetype.
The Assassin's Strike is in fact just one power among many that leads to one
shots in PvP."
- Casual Friday
Gamecloud's
Sandlot Games Q&A talks with Daniel Bernstein about this casual games
developer and publisher.
- Help Wanted
Day1Studios
now lists a bunch of new job openings they are looking to fill in their
Chicago, IL or Hunt Valley, MD offices.
- Overlord
Overlord
version 1.0 is a project management web-application designed for game and
mod developers.
Another movie opens today that I have hopes of catching in the theaters, but
given the recent history of such hopes, will likely not catch Underworld:
Evolution until after it comes to DVD or satellite. I really enjoyed the
original Underworld, and while the reviews suggest this should be a
guilty pleasure, the fact that it inspired a sequel must mean I was not the only
fan of the vampires versus werewolves movie. Of course if the movie had no plot
or action at all it still might be worthwhile to see Kate Beckinsale in that
leather outfit again anyway.
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