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Archived News:
Half-Life 2 Goes Episodic on GameSpot reveals that Valve has changed the
roadmap for Aftermath, saying the Half-Life 2 expansion is now to be released in
an episodic form. Apparently the first release will now be called Half-Life 2:
Episode One. Update: Several comments point out it looks like I have
misinterpreted what is simply a renaming of Aftermath to Episode One, rather
than a breaking up of Aftermath into episodes. Apologies for any confusion this
has caused.
El Matador Product Section
now carries an updated release window for Plastic Reality Technology's upcoming
tactical action game (thanks Frans). The site formerly listed Q2 2006 as a
release date, but this has been updated, and now reads Q3 2006. Coincidentally,
Cenega Publishing and Creative Labs today announce a cross-promotion agreement,
highlighting the EAX Advanced HD support in El Matador.
This press release announces the winners of the 9th AIAS award winners. God
of War was both Console and Overall game of the year winner, while the PC game
of the year was Battlefield 2.
The
Official SÖLDNER: Secret Wars Website offer downloads of a new patch
bringing Wings Simulations' first-person shooter to version 33668. The
multilanguage patch will update SÖLDNER: Secret Wars, SÖLDNER: Reloaded, and
SÖLDNER: Marine Corps, and there is a corresponding updated dedicated server.
A new Battle of Europe Website
is online as the Flash home to Blackbean Games' upcoming World War II combat
flight simulator. Also, a new Dragon Age
Teaser Website replaces the old site, offering some wallpapers and links to
the forums. Thanks Frans.
- Prey
Five new Prey movies are online, offering a multiplex
for the upcoming first-person shooter in the works at Human Head Studios.
The movies are available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, Gameguru Mania,
and Worthplaying.
- Dungeons & Dragons Online
Three new Dungeons & Dragons
Online: Stormreach movies are now online, showing off the Barbarian, Cleric,
and Fighter classes in Turbine's upcoming D&D MMORPG. The downloads can be
found on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers, FileFront,
GameSpot, and
Worthplaying.
- Auto Assault
A new Auto Assault movie is online with yet
another clip from NetDevil's upcoming road rage MMORPG. The clip is on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, and
Worthplaying.
- Face of Mankind
There is a new Face of Mankind movie with
a look at Duplex Systems' upcoming MMORPG. The clip can be found on the
official FoM website, and additional mirrors of the nearly five minute
movie are on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers.
- Rush for Berlin
A pair of new Rush for Berlin movies show
off more of the upcoming World War II RTS game in the works at Stormregion.
The clips are available on
the Rush for
Berlin Website. Thanks Frans.
- Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War
A Rise & Fall:
Civilizations at War movie is taken from Midway's upcoming historical RTS
game. The high-resolution movie is available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, Gamer's
Hell, and
Worthplaying.
A new Blitzkrieg: Mission Kursk patch is now available, updating the World War
II RTS expansion to version 1.31. The download is available on the
CDV
Software Website, where there is a complete change list. Thanks Frans.
The
LockOn: Modern Air Combat Website now offers a new patch to update the
Flaming Cliffs expansion for the modern combat flight simulator to version 1.12 (thanks Lerx). The update
includes a lengthy list of tweaks and fixes.
- Medal of Honor: Airborne
A new
Medal of Honor: Airborne Q&A on GameSpot talks with Patrick Gilmore
about the next installment in the WW2 shooter series: "Medal of Honor
Airborne will follow the same story arc of the 82nd Airborne division on
each platform. The core concept behind Medal of Honor Airborne is strong
enough to support all platforms. Additionally, the next generation of
consoles will allow us to simultaneously create content suitable for all
platforms. More clearly, we no longer have to worry about reducing fidelity
in order to fit on a console. The best way to develop the next MOH is to
take advantage of what each platform offers. Given this, we will be
designing the current-gen and next-gen products (including PC) with separate
teams, each focusing on the strengths of each platform. We will be getting
into more detail on platform differentiation closer to ship."
- EverQuest II: Kingdom of the Sky
MMORPG.COM's
EverQuest II: Kingdom of the Sky Q&A #2 continues to converse with Scott
Hartsman about the upcoming expansion for the MMORPG sequel: "One of the
first dungeons that people will likely encounter is the Sanctum of the
Scaleborn, home to the Scaleborn Droag, servants of the dragon priestess
Harla Dar. (The capital is actually the Temple of Scale) It’s an underground
sanctuary found beneath the Temple of Scale on the jungle-covered lands of
Tenebrous Tangle. (Many of the areas inside of it actually the interiors of
the great Ziggurats outside.)"
- Chronicles of Spellborn
GamerGod's
Q&A with Coen Neessen from Chronicles of Spellborn discusses the
upcoming MMORPG: "There will be several of such events that can only be
completed once. These events take place in the persistent world and cannot
be repeated. However, players will not miss out on the content – these
events can be replayed when players go back in time through Ancestral
Quests. Only one character, group or guild will be able to receive the
statue related to the event in the persistent world. These events do not
require endless grinding but require skillfull [sic] playing. Casual or
hardcore players have the same chance of ‘winning’ such an event as long as
they have the skill to do so."
- Seal of Evil
The
Seal of Evil Q&A
on GameZone discusses Object Software's action/RPG: "We should say the
storyline is linear, but there are many interesting side quests for players.
Players’ choices will affect the end of the game. For example, the game
player’s choice will decide the fate of Liang Hu, which will later decide
the ending of the whole game."
So long Arrested. The show ended on quite a high note with four very funny
episodes.
R.I.P.:
Actor Who Played 'Jeffersons' Neighbor Dies.
Get set to use the Farce once more, as LucasArts announces The Empire Strikes
Brick, as production of LEGO Star Wars II is underway: SAN FRANCISCO, CA –
Friday, February 10, 2006 – Just in time for the American International Toy Fair
2006, LucasArts and TT Games today announced their plans to release LEGO® Star
Wars II™: The Original Trilogy [working title], the sequel to one of the
best-selling video games of 2005. Created by TT Games and developed by
Traveller’s Tales, LEGO Star Wars II is slated for release this fall across
seven platforms. May the Force build with you on PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system, Sony PSP™, Xbox® video game system from Microsoft,
Nintendo GameCube™, Nintendo DS™, Nintendo Game Boy Advance™ and Windows.
With a comical take on the Star Wars Trilogy that revolutionized pop culture
forever (Episode IV A New Hope, Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Episode VI
Return of the Jedi), LEGO Star Wars II follows the Rebel Alliance’s battle to
dismantle the Galactic Empire and rebuild a galaxy in pieces. From Darth Vader’s
pursuit of Princess Leia aboard her Blockade Runner to a showdown on the
reconstructed Death Star, the game includes even more of the family-friendly
LEGO action, puzzles and humor that earned the original LEGO Star Wars such
popularity and acclaim.
And much more new to offer, it still has. For the first time ever, levels
feature vehicles and creatures that players can ride or exit at will. Also, in
LEGO Star Wars II’s Free Play mode, gamers can customize more than 50 new
playable characters by mixing and matching body parts, to build their own LEGO
Star Wars heroes. And on certain platforms, a game save from the first LEGO Star
Wars can unlock as many as 56 additional characters for Free Play – that’s more
than 100 characters total, plus millions of possible creations! Other exciting
additions include the ability to Free Play with vehicles, cool new
character-specific attacks and maneuvers, playable mini-kit vehicles, an
optional advanced mode for experienced players and more.
“Whether it was your first gaming experience or you’ve played everything
released since Pong, the first LEGO Star Wars was one of those rare video games
that everyone enjoyed,” said Jim Ward, president of LucasArts. “With LEGO Star
Wars II, LucasArts is working with TT Games and Traveller’s Tales not only to
set players loose through the original three chapters of the Star Wars Saga, but
also to make this feel like the true sequel our fans have been clamoring for.”
“TT Games is delighted to have formed a partnership with LucasArts for LEGO Star
Wars II,” said Tom Stone, managing director of TT Games. “The first game was an
absolute joy to work on, and we’re excited to deliver even more fun and
creativity, this time with more features to work on and the original trilogy as
the game’s focus.”
Distributed by Eidos Interactive, the original LEGO Star Wars was the No. 13
best-selling video game of 2005 (according to NPD Funworld) with over 2.5
million copes sold worldwide, and also won its fair share of awards. A few of
the most notable include G4 Videogame TV’s Best Adaptation of 2005 at the
G-Phoria Video Game Awards, IGN.com’s Best Platform Game, GameSpot.com’s Best
Use of Creative License, and it was one of 1UP.com’s Hidden Gems of the Year. To
date the first game has sold more than 3.3 million units worldwide.
For more information on LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, please visit
www.lucasarts.com.
Eidos Interactive confirms the release date for Commandos: Strike Force, saying
Pyro Studios upcoming World War II action game "will be released on April 4th,
2006 on PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Xbox® video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft and PC in North America." Accompanying the
announcement is the release of the full motion video opening trailer from the
game, available
on this
page.
Moore Pledges PC Games Renaissance on Next Generation (thanks
Firingsquad
and Ant) relates some of what was discussed at Peter Moore's session today at
the DICE Summit, with Microsoft taking responsibility for allowing the PC games
market to decline. He goes on to say they are poised to reverse that trend based
on a reorganization, and an optimistic view of how Windows Vista will help:
He said that Microsoft's recent reorganization would help the company
"focus on the games business as a standalone business."
"Previously, we operated under separate units," he said. "Everything is now
being brought together to build truly cohesive, integrated marketing."
"The future is about PC games and Vista is at the vanguard of that."
He said that Vista would drive PC upgrades which would help game sales, and gave
an impressive demonstration of how Vista improves the gaming experience through
better file organization.
Moore once again put the pressure on his own company to push game sales. "We
have seen years of decline in PC games retail sales. As a platform holder, we
need to drive sales."
As promised ( story), the
Day of
Defeat: Source Free Weekend is now underway. All that's needed to sample the
World War II shooter is a Steam account. Word is: "Day of Defeat: Source is
the latest version of the WWII online action game from Valve®. This weekend,
everyone is invited to try DoD: Source for free. Join the ranks as Axis or
Allies troops located in Western Europe during the height of the war in 1944."
After
travelling around the world, hell-tech announces that “Crashday” went gold
is the press release announcing that
Crashday is gold, and the stunt/racing game is racing to stores, though the
only territories this announcement applies to are Greece, former Yugoslavia, and
South Africa. A Crashday demo is available ( story) for those
looking to sample the game.
Colossai Studios announces
development of Frontline Nation, a modern turn-based strategy game set in Europe
in the not-too-distant future. There are screenshots of the Torque-engine game,
which is due on Windows, Linux, and Mac in the second half of this year. Here's
a bit: Frontline Nation is a modern, turn-based strategy game situated in
a near future Europe. The map is rendered in 3D and is divided into 45
countries, each containing a differing number of regions and cities.
Frontline Nation consists of two different gameplay levels, a strategic and a
tactical. The strategic level is where the player manages production, diplomacy,
research and coordination of military forces. The tactical level is where the
battles take place. It offers the player full control of its military units in a
dynamically created hexagon-based battlefield. The battles are fast-paced but
different terrain types combined with a dynamic weather system and a day-night
cycle adds an almost countless number of tactical possibilities. If the player
wishes, the battles can also be resolved automatically.
A new unofficial patch for Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines is now available,
updating the Source-engine RPG by now-defunct Troika studios to version 2.1. As
always, this is an unsupported update to address outstanding bugs. The download
is available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, Gameguru Mania,
Gamer's Hell,
VGPro, and
Worthplaying.
The
Quantic Dream Q&A on working-title is a Q&A with Quantic Dream COO Guillaume
de Fondaumiere about various topics, learning along the way that Infraworld has
been cancelled. Nothing has been heard of this project since it was first
revealed last summer ( story), and the brief answer to the
question about the game indicates it failed to inspire interest from publishers.
Lionhead back
in acquisition talks with key publishers announces that the developer is
engaged in talks over a potential acquisition, though the reports are
unofficial, attributed to "sources close to" the company. The story goes on to
suggest that Microsoft and Ubisoft are said to be the most interested suitors,
but that market leader EA has ruled themselves out as a candidate to pick up
Lionhead.
Atari Reports Fiscal
2006 Third Quarter and Nine-Month Financial Results (thanks Frans) has
financials, discloses Near Death Investigation as the subtitle of the upcoming
Alone in the Dark game ( story), and reveals plans for PC
editions of both that game and of Test Drive Unlimited.
Hope
Fading at Atari analyzes the company's position in what sounds like another
near death investigation, announcing the resignation of CFO Diane Baker, and
painting a dire picture of the company's future. Also,
Capcom bucks
market trend with massive revenue increase (thanks Mike Martinez) has further fiscal
news. Finally, Majesco
Entertainment Announces Changes in Management, Its Board of Directors and Other
Disclosures has all that and a bag of chips.
This
Guild Wars Press Release (thanks
Guild Wars Slovenija)
announces plans to open up beta testing of the upcoming Factions expansion for
Guild Wars on March 24. Testing will be open to all current owners of ArenaNet's
MMORPG as well as those who participate in the Faction preorder program.
The Pacific Fighters
Website now offers a new patch to update the World War II aerial combat game
to version 4.03 or version 4.03m, depending on whether it is the merged or the
stand-alone versions of the game being patched.
A new version 1.33 of the Far Cry dedicated Linux server is now available,
bringing penguin-powered servers in line with the most recent client patch for
Crytek's first-person shooter. The download is available on
Ubisoft's FTP server (direct link). Thanks Frans.
Thanks Frans.
- Neverwinter Nights 2
A new Neverwinter Nights 2 movie is
now available, offering the first such look at Obsidian's upcoming D&D RPG
sequel. The clip is available on
3D Gamers,
Gamer's Hell, and
Worthplaying.
- Dreamfall
As noted on the
Dreamfall Website and
this
press release, this FTP
Directory offers downloads of a new Dreamfall trailer in four formats.
The "final" clip from Funcom's upcoming adventure game sequel runs
for about two minutes.
- RF Online
Three new RF Online movies show off CCR's MMORPG
that will launch soon in the west. The clips can be found on
3D Downloads,
3D Gamers, FileFront,
Gamer's Hell,
and Worthplaying.
- Galactic Civilizations II
The Galactic Civilizations II:
Dread Lords intro movie is now available, celebrating the gold status of
Stardock's space strategy sequel. The download is available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers, and
Worthplaying.
- The Secrets of Da Vinci
The Secrets of Da Vinci: The
Forbidden Manuscript movie is now available, showing off the upcoming game
based on the works of the artist/inventor, or thereabouts. The clip is
available on 3D
Gamers,
Factornews, Gamer's
Hell, and
Worthplaying.
- Star Wars: Empire at War
Star Wars: Empire at War is one
of the subjects of the new PC
Gamer Video Podcast, as they talk with Chris Williams, Producer on the
Star Wars RTS game.
This Press
Release announces the banning of over 700 accounts for actions related to
"Real Money Trading," or RMT. The art of farming for game currency and selling
it for real cash had caused near runaway inflation in the game, but as a result
of what Square Enix describes as RMT Countermeasures, over 300 billion gil has
been removed from the game's economy, and item prices have begun to
subside. Perhaps Alan Greenspan has become a game master since retiring from the
fed.
- Red Orchestra
The
Red Orchestra Q&A on Game Informer Online (thanks BicycleRepairMan)
talks with John Gibson about the move to turn the Red Orchestra modification
for Unreal Tournament 2004 into a retail game: "There are a lot of rumors
about Red Orchestra, and one of them is that we were a bunch of evil money
grubbers that got together for the sole purpose of winning the MSU contest
and that was all we cared about. Couldn’t be farther from the truth. We had
probably eight or nine months of development on the game before the contest
was even announced. When it was announced we all had a meeting and said,
'Should we enter this thing?' And everybody’s like, 'Yeah, let’s just do
it.' It wasn’t one of those things where we looked at each other and said,
'Yeah, we’re going to win this thing. Let’s do it.' Our thought was that
there was probably going to be lots of other really good mods, but we’re
going to do this thing just for fun."
- Star Trek: Legacy
The
Star Trek: Legacy Q&A on GameSpot talks with Mad Doc's Ian Davis about
the upcoming game that boldly goes where other games have gone before:
"We're thrilled to be developing a Star Trek game, and we're especially
thrilled to be developing this Star Trek game. Fans have been
clamoring for us to deliver another great title for some time... We've been
bombarded with requests. We've always wanted the chance to make the Star
Trek game fans want, so I'm really looking forward to bringing Star Trek:
Legacy to life for them. With Legacy, we want to capture the core Star Trek
fantasy, while moving the franchise forward, giving it a fresh spin."
- Manifesto
The
Greg Costikyan Q&A on StrategyZone OnLine gets the manifesto from
Manifesto games: "We will overthrow the existing order and establish a
brilliant new future of innovation, gaming goodness and public virtue, in
the process building a company with revenues exceeding that of the US
treasury. But what else would you expect an entrepreneur to say?"
- Music
The
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter Q&A on GameSpot talks with
composer Tom Salta about the news that he will be producing the soundtrack
for the next installment in the tactical shooter series.
- Game Head
Gamecloud's
Game Head Q&A talks with Geoff Keighley about the game-related Spike TV
program, and the world of gaming on television in general.
A post on the Lost Contact
F.E.A.R. Fansite (thanks Ant) quotes the VUG Community Manager as saying
the upcoming F.E.A.R. patch will unlock the special content received by those
who preordered the game. These bonus items include special insignias and models.
The
Official SÖLDNER: Secret Wars Website now offers a new Söldner Strategy
Guide with tips on Wings Simulations' first-person shooter in either English or
German. Thanks Frans.
Well the Olympics start this evening, but that holds no interest for me. There
is the two hours of Arrested Development to look forward to, but of course this
is accompanied by the sadness of knowing this may be the end of the road for the
show.
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