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Archived News:
The Rise of
Nations: Rise of Legends Website follows-up on news that the European
edition of Rise of Legends is gold ( story) with news that the
North American edition of Big Huge Games' RTS follow-up is likewise complete.
The new announcement has the same wording as the prior one, except for the
release date info, which puts the game on selves on May 9, more than two weeks
earlier than the game's May 26 European release date.
- The Witcher
The
Witcher Official Website offers a new "World of the Witcher" movie from
CD Projekt's upcoming action/RPG. The movie, available in three different
formats, sets the game's back story.
- FlatOut 2
A new FlatOut 2 movie shows off more of the
hard-driving action from Bug Bear's upcoming racing sequel. The clip is
available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers, and
Boomtown (registration required).
- Over the Hedge
A new Over the Hedge movie offers another
look at the upcoming 3D animated game tie-in with the upcoming 3D animated
motion picture. The clip is available on
3D Gamers.
Heading out for out anniversary celebration -- thanks for all the well-Wishing!
:)
Activision officially announces Marvel Ultimate Alliance ( story),
the
underwear pervert action/RPG in the works at Raven for release this fall.
The game's inaugural screenshots can be found on
3D Gamers, and word
is: Santa Monica, CA – April 27, 2006 – Over 140 Marvel characters come
together in Activision, Inc’s. (Nasdaq: ATVI) Marvel™: Ultimate Alliance, an
all-new action/RPG that features the largest roster of comic book characters
ever seen in a video game. Players assume the roles of more than 20 Marvel Super
Heroes including Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade and Captain America, and through
their actions determine the fate of both planet Earth and the Marvel universe –
revealed in one of multiple epilogues.
“Marvel: Ultimate Alliance delivers a new twist on action/RPGs where players’
actions and choices ultimately determine what happens to the Marvel universe,”
states Will Kassoy, Vice President of Global Brand Management for Activision.
“This coupled with the game’s enormous character roster will deliver an
action-packed experience that comic book fans have been waiting for.”
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance features a deep, rich gameplay experience by offering
total team customization, where players create their own team name, icon and
vehicle, as well as establish their team reputation as they play throughout the
story. Gamers also have the option to level up each character individually to
their liking, or all team members at the same time to keep their heroes
balanced. With the game’s new combat system, players battle against the world’s
most notorious Marvel Super Villains in the air, underwater, and on the ground,
using grappling, blocking and dodging moves, by charging up their Super Hero
powers before unleashing them, and using environmental objects as one and
two-handed weapons.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance features a unique storyline where the missions players
accept, the objectives they complete, and their interactions with other
characters throughout the game directly impact how the story plays out. The game
also features a robust multiplayer component where fans can band together with
friends as their favorite Marvel Super Heroes, and fight evil in both on and
offline cooperative story modes. There’s also a Competitive Mode where the game
tracks various in-game stats so players can see how well they stack up against
one another – affecting the amount of experience points earned and how equipment
is distributed.
Created by Raven Software and C.B. Cebulski, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance will be
the first Super Hero game out for all next-gen gaming systems, and will also be
available on current-gen, handheld and PC platforms. The game is currently rated
RP (Rating Pending) by the ESRB and is planned to ship this fall.
As announced here, a new
patch is now available for F.E.A.R., updating Monolith's first-person shooter to
version 1.04. The new version allows user-created content with the game source
code, and there is an accompanying SDK release to accommodate this, as well as
an updated dedicated server. The announcement continues with word on further
post-release support for the game, describing the Control mode and the Capture
All mode that will be present in the version 1.05 patch, which is currently
slated for a May release. One or all of the downloads are mirrored on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers, Gameguru Mania,
VGPRO,
and Worthplaying.
The X³: Reunion
Patches page now offers a new patch for X³: Reunion, updating the space
combat sequel to version 1.4.03. The
change notes
outline what's new, the summary being: "The 1.4.03 update for X³: Reunion fixes
a number of issues in 1.4 and earlier versions, and two specific problems that
some people were experiencing in 1.4.02. It also provides improved support for
widescreen resolutions."
The
LMA Manager 2007 Product Section (thanks Frans) reflects a delay in the
upcoming football management game in its very title, as the game was formerly
known as LMA Manager 2006. The release date has likewise been changed to now
read September 2006 instead of TBA. The new title is also evident, though not
noted, in the
LMA Manager 2007 E3 2006 Preshow Impressions on GameSpot.
Nintendo names
new video game console Wii. Why Wii? Because It's pronounced "we." Why? Who
knows, though
CNN
Money has a Q&A on the topic. Here's the announcement: LOS ANGELES
(Reuters) - Nintendo Co. Ltd (7974.OS) on Thursday said it has named its new
video game console "Wii, which it said is pronounced "we" to emphasize that the
console is for everyone.
The console up until now has been known by its code-name "Revolution."
"While the code-name Revolution expressed our direction, Wii represents the
answer," spokeswoman Perrin Kaplan told Reuters.
Nintendo, best known for its Game Boy portable video players, aims to gain share
in the $25 billion global video game market now dominated by Sony Corp. (6758.T)
Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) launched its next-generation Xbox 360
console late last year and Sony's new PlayStation 3 is due in November. Wii also
is expected to hit store shelves later this year.
While the new consoles from Microsoft and Sony boast more power and
high-definition graphics, Nintendo's goal is to roll out a machine that appeals
to a broader audience than the young males who make up the traditional console
gaming market.
A key feature of the Wii is its one-handed controller that looks like a
television remote control and uses motion-detection sensors that allow players
to control the game by wielding it like a sword, waving it like a conductor's
baton, or swinging it like a baseball bat.
The GuildWars.com Game
updates page (thanks Guild
Wars Slovenija) has details on a big new update that's now live for
ArenaNet's MMORPG. There is also word that the (extended) Guild Wars: Factions
head start program has begun for those with pre-order keys. Finally, they have a
confirmation that the Guild Wars: Factions Collector's Edition is in short
supply, saying more copies of the unintentionally limited edition of the game
will be ready June 30th, gulping some kool-aid and gamely spinning this as "good
news."
White Birds Productions announces that Paradise is shipping to stores
(thanks Frans). Here's brief word on availability of the new adventure game:
Paradise is now available in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Nederland,
USA, Canada – and will be, in the very next days, in Germany, Spain, Italia,
Russia, Poland…
Please consult either the European or US web site :
Europe : http://www.paradise-game.com
USA : http://www.paradise-game-us.com
EA Marks
release of 2006 FIFA World Cup Game and announces a renewed partnership with
FIFA has word that the latest iteration of the soccer series is available,
and that more installments are coming in the future: Chertsey, UK, April 27, 2006 – The chance to play with your heroes for
soccer's most important trophy became a reality this week after Electronic Arts
(NASDAQ: ERTS) started to ship the 2006 FIFA World CupTM game to stores around
the world. The event's only officially licensed videogame has developed enhanced
gameplay attributes and stunning graphics that bring to life close to 100
superstars, and captures all of the spirit and pageantry of the real-world
tournament. It is the closest fans can come to experiencing 2006 FIFA World Cup
GermanyTM without playing in it.
Along with the release of 2006 FIFA World Cup, EA and FIFA announced the
extension of their long-term partnership, making EA the worldwide and exclusive
FIFA Licensee for soccer action simulation, manager and arcade-style games
across all console platforms, PC, handheld platforms, mobile phones and online
formats. The on-going partnership will allow EA to continue to bring the most
genuine soccer gaming experiences to consumers with the authenticity of the FIFA
soccer world, and includes games for the future FIFA World Cups in 2010 and
2014. Working together, EA and FIFA will continue to bring their combined
passion for interactive sports entertainment to millions of sports fans around
the world for years to come.
Prey due date officially set
on GameSpot passes along a release date for Prey they received from
publisher 2K games. They say the PC and Xbox editions of Human head's
first-person shooter are due in stores on July 10, 2006. We have a further update from 2K that this is really more accurately just "July."
The Neverwinter Nights Website
(thanks Maximus) offers a new patch for Neverwinter Nights, updating the D&D RPG
to version 1.67. Word is: "Welcome to the Neverwinter Nights 1.67 Update! This
update is the largest BioWare has ever released for NWN, with a metric ton of
new features." The update includes new sea creatures, new tilesets, and new
scripts, for which more information is promised soon. There is also an
accompanying updated version of the game's
Stand-Alone
Server.
As announced here
(in German), a new Wildlife Park 2 German demo is available for B-Live's upcoming theme park
management sequel. The demo offers a few scenarios and a sandbox mode, but the
whole shebang is in the German language. The demo is available on the
Wildlife Park 2
Downloads Page and mirrored on
3D Gamers.
- Determinance
The
Mode 7 Games Blog offers a look at development of Determinance, an
upcoming Torque-engine sword-fighting game. The update includes screenshots
of a character model, a discussion of adding custom to the game, and
concludes with an amusing outlook on their release schedule. The page also
offers some screenshots and a teaser movie.
- The Chronicles of Spellborn
A new
The Chronicles of Spellborn diary on MMORPG.COM introduces the Warrior
class in Spellborn International's upcoming MMORPG.
Eidos
Interactive now offers a new Rogue Trooper movie, showing off more of the
upcoming comic-inspired third-person action game. Word is: "This movie features
Helm – the last of Rogue's fallen GI comrades. His biochip was placed into
Rogue's helmet after his death thus allowing Helm to live on and help Rogue is
his quest for vengeance against the traitor. Helm can be used to crack computers
and open doors as Rogue battles his way through the game."
- LEGO Star Wars II
Computer
Games Online's LEGO Star Wars II Q&A talks with Jonathan Smith about the
upcoming Star Wars prequel: "We had an incredibly clear idea for LEGO Star
Wars, right at the start. Throughout development, our only focus was on
making that game. And while we were confident that some people would enjoy
it, we genuinely had no idea how it would be received by the audience at
large. It was only a few weeks after the game had actually come out, based
on all the positive reports we were getting from players, that we started to
think it was going to be a real success. That felt great, of course!"
- Alpha Prime
The
Alpha Prime Q&A on FiringSquad talks with Black Element's Radek Volf
about their upcoming science fiction first-person shooter: "The main hero is
a former miner, a prospector who spent much of his life searching and mining
asteroids all over the universe for a precious substance, called Hubbardium,
which serves as base material from which robots´ positron brains are
manufactured. Our man is then one day asked to rescue an old buddy of his
who for some unexplained reasons got stuck at a mining station on a distant
asteroid. He agrees to do it and flies to Alpha-Prime. Then everything goes
wrong, he has to evacuate the ship and crash lands on an asteroid, with low
oxygen and with all of the station´s robots apparently gone mad and trying
to eradicate him. He will have to discover what the hell happened."
- The Legend of Ares
RPG
Vault's The Legend of Ares Interview - Part 2 concludes this
conversation with MGame's June Lee about their upcoming MMORPG: "Players
will have opportunities to use countless weapons and armors plus other items
such as rings, necklaces, potions and so forth as they play the game.
Because the basic character attributes do not change at all, it will be
extremely crucial for players to find decent items with distinctive
capabilities. The main methods of acquiring game items are either by picking
up what monsters drop or purchasing them from NPCs. We have not decided
whether to sell high-quality items on our website at this moment; the
decision will be made after the closed beta test. Regardless, there will be
enchantable items so that players will have the power to customize their
weapons."
- EverQuest II
MMORPG.COM's
EverQuest II Bi-Weekly Q&A #5 talks with Scott Hartsman about the MMORPG
sequel: "This was actually one of the big goals of the character changes:
Greater distinction in the game’s various races. People who haven’t started
a new character since might not even know about it. Each village now has a
quest line that describes your race, a little bit about its history, and how
the race sees itself in the new world of Norrath. For instance, if you’re a
Barbarian from Freeport, you’d need to prove you can be intimidating by
defeating someone else in a screaming match. If you’re a Wood Elf from
Qeynos, you’re taught to be respectful of nature and pay homage to a fallen
Elven hero."
Nicole
Wong Reveals Identity Of EA Spouse (thanks
Shacknews) has a
follow-up on the tale of EA Spouse ( story), revealing Erin
Hoffman as the identify of the then-anonymous whistle-blower
who exposed working
conditions within the game development industry that paved the way for the
EA lawsuit ( story) and other steps toward reform. Here's a bit:
So Hoffman, then 23, poured out her frustration -- under the pen name EA
Spouse -- in a November 2004 blog that resonated so strongly with other video
game developers that it helped spark an employee uprising inside EA and six
lawsuits for unpaid overtime against three of the industry's most prominent
employers.
Hoffman wrote on the blog that EA's attitude toward its workers was: "If they
don't want to sacrifice their lives and their health and their talent so that a
multibillion dollar corporation can continue its Godzilla-stomp through the game
industry, they can work someplace else.''
Now, more than a year later, game developers have won settlements in three
class-action lawsuits alleging EA created exhausting work schedules without
paying overtime and successfully pressed employers to ease unrelenting
workloads. And EA Spouse, whose true identity has been cloaked until now, is
becoming a voice against America's culture of overwork.
It's a happy occasion here at the BlueTower as it is MrsBlue's and my wedding
anniversary. It was all of ten years ago today that we exchanged our vows on a
lovely spring day in New York City. We will be celebrating with dinner at a
local bistro this evening, so the PM news round-up will go up earlier than
usual.
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