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Archived News:
Next-Gen MMORPG In The Works on TotalVideoGames has news that Square-Enix
revealed plans for an MMORPG at a Final Fantasy XI fan-fest over the weekend.
There are no details other than the game will be for Windows Vista and "next-gen
consoles."
The Video Game Voters Network has
been launched by the ESA. The organization's initial focus will be opposing The
Family Entertainment Protection Act. Word is: The Video Game Voters
Network exists to empower Americans who play video games to take action against
threats to this entertainment medium and to stay informed about the latest
issues that could affect our choice in video game entertainment. Video games are
a modern form of entertainment entitled to the same creative and free speech
protections afforded by the US Constitution to older media such as movies,
music, and books. So join the Video Game Voters Network and speak up for games
and gamer rights.
The
Official SÖLDNER: Secret Wars Website (thanks Frans) now offers a hotfix for
Wings Simulations first-person shooter to follow the recent version 33670 patch
( story). Here's the accompanying explanation: "If you are
updating from a soldner version earlier than 33628 than it is recommenced to
install after the full update the following hotfix: If you have some problems
with mouse and keyboard settings in soldner this hotfix will help also."
- HellGate: London
Hellgate
Guru's The Hellgate: London Q&A features answers to a lengthy list of forum-submitted questions about
Flagship Studios' upcoming RPG: "I believe we're going to be doing more
outsourcing to maintain a stable, cheat free multiplayer environment in
addition to relying somewhat more heavily on our publisher. These two things
alone should greatly decrease the amount of unscrupulous multiplayer action
in our game. Additionally, we have a big internal focus on maintaining
Hellgate's multiplayer. It's a huge priority for us, whereas at Blizzard
current Flagshippers were split between expansions, other projects and
regular upkeep. We get to focus more here, basically."
- Auto Assault
NetDevil’s
Scott Brown talks about in-game client-base voice chat in Auto Assault on
GameZone is a Q&A about the voice chat in Auto Assault, NetDevil's
upcoming MMORPG: "We realized that with the super-fast combat pacing in Auto
Assault standard text chat would not work very well. Supporting voice simply
seemed like the obvious answer. NCsoft was already building an in-house
voice system so we simply implemented the system that they created. Auto
Assault will be the first game to release using this code base, so there
have been the expected bumps to iron out before we go live but we’re pretty
happy with the result. It really makes playing in convoys much easier."
- Birth of America
The
Birth of
America Q&A on Armchair General talks with Philippe Thibaut about
Birth of America, the historical war
game that it turns out is actually now available: "I have always been very
interested in that key era of world History (mid to late 18th century),
where the balance was tilting undecidedly one way or another. If fortune had
swayed the other way round, we might well be doing this interview in French
for instance. In fact, I am looking for unusual themes also to bring the
story to the forefront and try to find the fun behind the books. That’s one
of the reasons I did Great Invasions, a period of time where a good part of
the world we live in today has originated."
- The Villager's Tale
The
Villager's Tale Q&A on RPGDot talks with Jonathan Kreuzer of 3D Kingdoms
about their upcoming action/adventure game: "In combat you control the
player's movement and attacks, so it's fast action, like Fable for example.
Both better reflexes and better stats will help, the game should be winnable
whatever style you choose. We're playing with some specialty battle
situations, that work differently from the standard battle mode, but are
still fast action. A few battles, used to close off areas, will require
possessing a certain spell, or a non-fighting solution. There are ways to
avoid or ease general battles, and spells that work better against a
specific foe."
Seems the email here at the BlueTower has taken the evening off, so if you sent
something after about 6:00 pm, it's still out there in a holding pattern
somewhere. Hopefully this is a temporary situation.
R.I.P.:
Actress Maureen Stapleton Dies at 80.
SEGA announces that the PC edition of Condemned: Criminal Origins is gold, and
that Monolith's thriller is slated to meet its promised ( story)
April 11 release date: SAN FRANCISCO (March 13, 2006) – SEGA® of America,
Inc. today announced that its award-winning, first-person psychological thriller
Condemned: Criminal Origins™ has gone gold for the PC. This news follows recent
announcements from SEGA detailing a North American release date, April 11, 2006.
Developed by Monolith Productions, Condemned: Criminal Origins allows players to
experience an unnatural level of psychological tension as they use their
weapons, instincts and forensic tools to track down serial killers and bring
them to justice.
Condemned: Criminal Origins features amazingly photorealistic environments and
true to-life sound effects that transport players directly to the scene of the
crime. In addition to using guns, gruesome weapons can be fashioned from the
environment: paper-cutter handles, wooden planks and lead pipes ripped from the
walls can be used to attack the highly intelligent opponents. Enemies don’t
merely run at the player, they find an appropriately powerful weapon to strike
with and lurk in the shadows, waiting for the best opportunity to attack.
Features include:
• Sophisticated lighting, mapping, and filtering techniques
provide for environments of superior detail and visual quality.
• Intelligent enemies respond strategically to your offensive
and defensive maneuvers.
• High-level physics allow players to manipulate background
items, which respond realistically when picked up, kicked, or bumped.
• Meticulously crafted 5.1 surround-sound will cue players to
the location of off-screen enemies.
Techland announces development of a sequel to
Chrome, saying a yet unnamed
follow-up to their Chrome-engine first-person shooter is in the works for
release sometime next year: Techland officially confirmed that it’s
working on a sequel to 2003’s sci-fi tactical FPS game - Chrome.
The yet unnamed game will be based on the latest version of Chrome Engine,
presumably - ver.2007. Rumors and speculation about Chrome sequel have roamed
around since last year’s Chrome SpecForce – stand-alone mission pack release.
Pawel Marchewka – Techland’s CEO said : “We made a decision to begin production
of Chrome sequel early in 2005, however the pre-production really started in the
beginning of this year. Now, when Call of Juarez – our currently most important
project enters beta phase, part of the team may redirect its work to first
stages of Chrome sequel development. For some time now we are experimenting with
interesting concepts taken form books, comics and sci-fi movies that at this
point were never ported into video games or were ported without success. Basing
on the few first elements we prototyped for the next part of Chrome we think it
will revolutionize sci-fi games, allowing players to experience brand new
content and original gameplay.”
At this stage of development Techland reveals only that the game will feature a
single-player campaign as well as multiplayer squad based play for up to 64
players. The game is planned to be released for PC and a next-gen platform. An
exact release date for the game has not yet been set.
Fore more info on Chrome’s sequel and Techland’s current projects visit
www.chromethegame.com and
www.techland.pl/en.
Aspyr sends along a follow-up to news that the German edition of Gothic III is
delayed ( story), confirming the presumption that this also
represents a delay for the English edition of the game. The North American
edition of Piranha Bytes' RPG sequel, like the German edition, is now due this
fall, after previously being expected first quarter of 2006
( story). Word is: AUSTIN, TX (March 13, 2006) - Aspyr
Media today confirmed that Gothic III, the highly anticipated, epic role-playing
game for PC, will land on North American store shelves this fall. The
announcement comes on the heels of news from worldwide publisher JoWooD
Productions that the title will be available in its territories in September.
"Gothic III is shaping up to be a truly stunning and massive RPG,” said Michael
Rogers, president of Aspyr Media. “Gamers are going to be blown away by the
beautiful visuals and deep, open-ended gameplay as new elements are revealed in
the coming months. We’re sure that everyone will be clamoring to get their hands
on this one in the fall.”
Bold Games announces that the boxed
version of Red Orchestra: Ostfront
41-45 is shipping, and Tripwire Interactive's Unreal-engine World War II
shooter should be available in North American stores this week:
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – March, 13– Destineer Publishing’s Bold Games label and
Tripwire Interactive announce today that the highly-anticipated World War II
first-person shooter for PC, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, is shipping today
and will be available in retail stores across North America by the end of this
week.
Based on the most highly-acclaimed mod ever made, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
is a full-featured, stand-alone World War II game that brings players to the
frontlines of Eastern European combat during the height of World War II. Players
choose from 28 infantry weapons or crew one of 14 detailed vehicles on the
Russian Front between 1941-45. The combination of roles across more than one
dozen maps, based on real-world locations and battles, allows Red Orchestra to
finally achieve its goal of delivering a full first-person, World War II
infantry and vehicle combat simulation.
Paul Rinde, CEO of Destineer said “we are excited to be involved in bringing
this highly anticipated game to retail and are looking forward to great sales
results.”
Alan Wilson, Vice-President of Tripwire Interactive, said “the sheer speed that
Destineer has got Ostfront into the stores demonstrates why we were happy to
sign with them. We knew we’d need a publisher who can think outside the accepted
industry practices, and Destineer has done a stunning job for us, and more
importantly, for the gamers who want to play! They set themselves really
challenging targets. They’ve bettered those targets. Independent game developers
could do with more publishers like Destineer!”
Using Navarre as its exclusive distribution partner to retail, Red Orchestra:
Ostfront 41-45 will be available through North American retailers: Wal-Mart,
Best-Buy, Target, Future Shop, and others, this week at a suggested price of
$29.99.
In response to some negative reactions to the inclusion of StarForce copy
protection in the recent SpellForce 2 demo ( story), Aspyr sends
along a clarification that although the demo features StarForce, the North
American release of the game will incorporate some other form of
copy-protection: Aspyr Media is responsible for publishing the North
American release of Spellforce 2. We wanted everyone to know that Starforce will
*not* be included in the retail release of this game. Starforce is being
used in the demo in cooperation with the European publishers of the title,
JoWood Productions. This is to help prevent reverse engineering that could lead
to our product being put up on illegal software networks. We apologize for any
inconveniences Starforce may have caused and would again like to reassure
everyone that we have chosen alternative copy protection software for our final
release product. Thank you for your interest in Spellforce 2!
Swiss publisher Freeze Interactive announces Field Ops, an upcoming
"real-time-strategy shooter" in the works at Digital Reality. The
Field Ops Teaser Website is live with
info and screenshots for the game, which is due this November: Gamers
want innovation and they are about to get it.
Swiss-based Publishing house, Freeze Interactive, and developer Digital Reality
are proud to announce Field OpsTM the first PC real-time-strategy shooter!
Field OpsTM brings together, in a unique presentation, the two favourite genres
of PC gamers; Real-Time-Strategy and First-Person Shooter.
Field OpsTM is the perfect mix between strategy and fast-paced military action.
Move into the fascinating world of anti-terrorism and manage every aspect of
gameplay from strategic planning to taking out the main bad guy with your sniper
rifle.
What Field OpsTM, brings to the genre and to games in general, is a genuine
revolution that combines immersion and strategic thinking.
Game Features:
• 5 Unique locations
• More than 8 different classes per side
• First-Person shooter AAA quality graphics
• True to life Physics engine
• Immersive and exciting multiplayer modes featuring a
worldwide ranking system
• Real vehicles and weapons for the most authentic Special
Forces experience
• Fight on the ground, in the air and over water
• Motion-captured animations for the most realistic
experience ever
• Tactical A.I. allowing for exciting gameplay in both RTS
and FPS views
Title: Field OpsTM
Platform: PC
Genre: RTS-Shooter
Release Date: November 06
BioWare Corp.
Announces New "BioWare Austin" Studio (thanks
SyncGaming)
has news that BioWare is opening a new development studio in Austin, Texas, also
revealing their plans to enter the massively multiplayer game market:
EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2006--Canadian videogame
developer BioWare Corp. has announced the opening of a new studio, BioWare
Austin, based in Austin, Texas. It is the second of BioWare's studios and the
first to be located outside of Canada.
BioWare Austin has already begun work on a Massively Multiplayer Online
roleplaying game (MMORPG) title; the new game will mark BioWare's debut in the
Massively Multiplayer Online space. BioWare has recruited some of the top talent
in MMO and RPG development, both to manage the development efforts at BioWare
Austin and to collaborate with the experienced team at BioWare Edmonton, to
develop a game that combines the best of BioWare's great past games with a
compelling persistent online experience. Joining the Austin team as lead
designer is James Ohlen, BioWare's Creative Director, whose previous credits
include lead or co-lead design roles on Star Wars®: Knights of the Old
Republic(TM), Neverwinter Nights(TM), Baldur's Gate(TM) and Baldur's Gate
II(TM). Also leading the BWA team are MMO veterans Richard Vogel and Gordon
Walton. Richard Vogel brings 15 years of experience to BioWare Austin,
previously serving as VP of Product Development for Sony Online Entertainment's
Austin studio, as well as launching Ultima Online(TM) as a senior producer at
Origin. Gordon Walton recently served as VP, studio manager and executive
producer at Sony Online Entertainment as well as VP and Executive Producer at
Electronic Arts.
NetDevil and NCsoft announce plans for an
Open Beta Weekend for the
European edition of Auto Assault
starting Friday: Monday 13 March 2006/... NCsoft Europe is celebrating
the impending arrival of its post-apocalyptic MMO, Auto Assault, with a weekend
of Open Beta, when the game will be available to all to play.
At 1800GMT on Friday 17th March, the European Auto Assault servers will open for
a weekend of frenzied play available to everyone who applies. Gamers will
experience combat at speeds previously unseen in an MMO as the weekend steadily
gathers pace and culminates in a huge in-game event that will mark the closure
of Open Beta, scheduled to shut down at 2359GMT on Monday 20th March.
Once the event has finished, only those who have preordered Auto Assault will be
able to take part in the final stage of testing for the game before launch.
Preorder boxes will be available in stores across Europe from 17th March
onwards. In addition to unlimited access to the game in its final pre-order
stage, gamers who purchase the preorder box will also enjoy an in-game weapon
exclusive to Europe (The Railgun), a loot bonus and access to the head start
period, allowing them to play the finished game days before official release.
Those interested in accessing the Open Beta event should head to
http://eu.autoassault.com/openbeta/ to register and receive details on how
to take part.
For more information on Auto Assault, due out in spring '06, please point your
browser towards the official site -
http://eu.autoassault.com
- Loki
Gamecloud's
Loki Q&A chats up Tom Veauclin of Cyanide Studios about their upcoming
fantasy/RPG: "Loki is an action – RPG /Hack 'n' Slash. It's more than pure
hack 'n' slash as the game has a far more developed story line. There are
several possible endings and it's not just about killing monsters. We are
aiming to plunge the gamer into a coherent universe that will surprise him
at each turn. If we had to define a forefather of Loki, it would be Diablo."
- Paradise
The
Paradise Q&A on Gry
komputerowe is a bilingual English & Polish Q&A on Benoit Sokal of
White Birds Productions about their adventure game: "First, it's a solemn
and tragic story, based principally on the relationship between a father and
daughter. It's also a quest. I wanted a more "hard-hitting" story than my
previous games, one that's more psychologically complex. The general plot is
set in an imaginary African country, called Maurania. A young woman, the
daughter of a dictator, travels across the country with a black leopard, in
search of her identity."
- Game Ads
Gamecloud's
IGA Worldwide Q&A talks about in-game advertising with one of its
purveyors: "The offline world is becoming more and more cluttered with ads,
and consumers are better informed, as such it is becoming increasingly
difficult for brands to continue to differentiate themselves."
Violent video game prompts concerns at local police stations attempts to
inspire parents to do what they've already been doing for the most part, which
is to avoid purchasing 25-to-Life for their children, again falling into the
trap mentioned by Eidos'
Bill Gardner of hyping a project that would have been pretty much DOA
otherwise. Also, those given to expressing their outrage are similarly
generating interest in another target of their ire, as
Secretive new video
game might inspire school bullies describes how Rockstar's upcoming
schoolyard sim may inspire real violence. Secretive? We haven't really heard
anything about this project since it was announced other than a flood of other
such examples of free promotion: ( story, story,
story, story, story,
story, and story).
One thing about The Sopranos... they may take a long time between
seasons, but when they finally get started, they don't waste any time. Enough
happened in the debut of season six that it felt like at least two episodes.
Good stuff. As always with such things, please use secret text when discussing
this in the forums.
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