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Archived News:
Microsoft Announces Online Gaming Service announces plans for a gaming
service that will offer cross-platform support for Windows Vista, Xbox Live, as
well as cell phones: LOS ANGELES - Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates
on Tuesday announced a new cross-platform gaming service that integrates games
played on cell phones, Xbox 360 consoles and the upcoming Windows Vista
operating system.
The "Live Anywhere" service will be available as part of Windows Vista,
Microsoft's next-generation PC operating system. The consumer version is
scheduled for release early next year.
"It means that you have one online community," Bill Gates said in a news
conference. "This platform can really unleash developers to do amazing new
things."
The system would extend the company's existing Xbox Live service for the Xbox
360 console into millions of Internet-enabled PCs and cellular phones. No
pricing information on the new service was announced.
"The vision here is each platform plays its own role. We really think we're in a
unique position," Gates said. "Microsoft is probably the only company that can
pull this off."
In a demonstration, an Xbox 360 gamer using Live Anywhere was able to send an
invitation to a friend on a PC. After the PC user agreed, the two connected for
a cross-platform online gun battle.
In another example, a race car's stats were modified on a cellular phone, its
appearance was edited in a paint program on the PC and then it was raced on a
track on the Xbox 360.
Quantic
Dream announces Heavy Rain, a new cross-platform franchise they are showing
off at this year's E3 (thanks Frans). The announcement focuses on the game's
technology, rather than gameplay, giving details on a PS3 tech demo to be
offered at the Expo. There is confirmation, however, of plans for a PC edition
along the way: "HEAVY RAIN is a new video game franchise, designed for next
generation consoles PC systems, based on emotional immersion and innovative game play mechanics."
An Adrenalin 2: Rush
Hour product section is online (thanks Frans) as home to a sequel to Gaijin
Entertainment's racing and reality show game (we thought the original wasn't out
yet, but according to the site, it came out last year and was "critically
acclaimed"). This
Russian page has four screenshots and a Russian gameplay movie. Word is:
"Adrenalin 2: Rush Hour" is a sequel to the last year's critically
acclaimed racing/show game. Only this time the reality show is over and
Adrenalin hits the streets of Moscow. This is the world of reckless high-speed
races during rush hour, crazy stunts and nighttime drag competitions. Huge
environments are jammed with cars to be avoided or crashed into.
Adrenalin 2 gives you a chance to achieve everyone's biggest dream - press the
pedal to the metal and forget about the traffic you are sitting in. Take part in
street races, upgrade your car and become famous among other drivers. But
remember - the police also have good drivers
DreamWorks and Activision announce the release of Over the Hedge on multiple
systems: Santa Monica, CA – May 9, 2006 – Based on the highly anticipated
feature film from DreamWorks Animation, Over the Hedge™ the game from
Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) is a wild adventure that immerses fans in a
backyard gone crazy, while taking the players beyond the story seen in the
movie. Over the Hedge is the only game based on the feature film that lets
players relive movie moments and go beyond the film in three different games
being released simultaneously for consoles and PC, the Nintendo DS™ and Game
BoyÒ Advance. In the games, players assume the roles of RJ the raccoon, Verne
the turtle, Hammy the squirrel and Stella the skunk and turn a suburban
neighborhood loaded with obstacles and traps into their personal playground.
“In collaboration with DreamWorks Animation we have developed three unique
titles introducing new characters and all-new storylines expanding the Over the
Hedge world,” said Kim Salzer, vice president of global brand management,
Activision Publishing. “The games give movie and video game fans control of the
four main characters and lets them experience firsthand their camaraderie and
wacky adventures.”
In the console and PC versions of Over the Hedge, gamers find themselves in
suburban madness when they choose to play as RJ, Verne, Hammy or Stella and
switch between the characters or engage in two-player co-op with a friend.
Comprised of more than 30 puzzle-filled levels, players use golf clubs, hockey
sticks and other everyday items as they dodge lasers, defeat enemies and plan
and execute heists. Fun mini-games such as suburban mini-golf and golf cart
destruction derby extend the game play and offer players a chance to increase
their health by collecting snacks, boost their energy through power up items and
unlock exclusive content such as concept art, film assets and more.
Atari Adventures Into
Luc Besson's Animated World of 'Arthur and the Minimoys' is the press
release officially announcing this upcoming game that's already been revealed by
way of a stream of screenshots. Word is: NEW YORK, May 9
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News) continues to explore
new worlds with the upcoming action-adventure game Arthur and the Minimoys.
Directly inspired by world famous film director and writer Luc Besson's upcoming
animated film of the same name, the Arthur and the Minimoys game will follow the
film's storyline and feature eye-popping graphics and technical innovations. Set
to time with the theatrical release of the movie in North America, Arthur and
the Minimoys game is currently in development for PlayStation®2 computer
entertainment system, PSP(TM) (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS(TM),
Game Boy® Advance, and the Windows platform.
A new
Community Update on the Battlefield 2 Website discusses the future of spawn
points: We at DICE and EA are aware of the concern surrounding the coming
change to squad selection. We would like to take a moment to ease the feelings
of tension related to this change.
Our goal is to refocus game play on team work, squad coordination and to also
remove the spawning exploit used by some. In BF2 we introduced tools that would
allow players to support one another as they battle for control points. To
further enhance this aspect of game play squads were introduced to give players
even more tools to coordinate their efforts and support each other.
Allowing squad mates to spawn on the squad leader was intended to provide an
easy way for squads to stay together during chaotic battles. Unfortunately squad
leaders have been used by some to launch team wide attacks on remote parts of
maps with little thought to actual team unity beyond these maneuvers.
We believe this change will refocus the game play on team work and add more
value to the roles of Squad Lead and Commander.
Microsoft
Announces Spectacular Windows Vista Title Lineup has Redmond's announcement
from E3 about how the coming of Windows Vista will finally free us from the
ugliness imposed upon our games by older versions of their operating systems.
Here's a bit, complete with some HTML repairs: Microsoft Game Studios and
other leading publishers, including Electronic Arts Inc., NAMCO BANDAI Games
America Inc., THQ Inc. and Funcom, will provide groundbreaking gameplay
experiences for Windows Vista gamers across numerous genres, including
role-playing games (RPGs), first-person shooter (FPS), real-time strategy (RTS),
massively multiplayer online (MMO) and simulation. The showcase lineup for
Windows Vista will include the following games:
• "Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures" (Funcom) is an online
action-RPG with a mix of a deep, story-driven single-player experience and
massive and brutal multiplayer end game, bringing to life the ultimate
representation of the "Age of Conan."
• "Alan Wake" (Microsoft Game Studios) is a psychological
action thriller from Remedy Entertainment Ltd. Cited as one of the best titles
of E3 2005, "Alan Wake" introduces a deeply engaging and suspenseful story line
in a free-roaming open world that invites players to unravel the riveting plot
and experience intense combat that combines the use of light with more
conventional weapons.
• "Company of Heroes" (THQ) is a World War II RTS from Relic
Entertainment, the creators of game-of-the-year winners "Homeworld" and "Dawn of
War," that brings the cinematic intensity and dynamic battlefields of World War
II to life through a truly visceral gaming experience.
• "Crysis" (EA) is an original FPS based on new intellectual
property developed by Crytek, the makers of the award-winning "Far Cry." In
Crysis(TM), players battle an invading alien force in a number of environments
against a backdrop of rising international tension and rivalries.
• "Flight Simulator X" (Microsoft Game Studios) is the 10th
edition of the popular simulator that immerses players in a beautifully rich and
realistic world, offering gamers a completely new and innovative experience with
dozens of new aircraft, scenario-based missions and spectacular graphics.
• "Halo® 2 for Windows Vista" (Microsoft Game Studios), the
game that redefined first-person combat and multiplayer action for millions of
gamers worldwide, is set to explode onto Windows Vista.
• "Hellgate: London" (NAMCO BANDAI Games America) is an
action-RPG that combines the depth of third-person role-playing games with the
action of first-person shooters. Developed by Flagship Studios Inc., which
includes the creators of the revolutionary "Diablo" series, the game offers
infinite playability through dynamically generated levels, items, enemies and
events.
• "Shadowrun" (Microsoft Game Studios) brings the Microsoft
vision of "Live Anywhere" to life. "Shadowrun(TM)" from FASA Studio is the first
cross-platform game for Xbox 360(TM) and Windows Vista. It is a multiplayer, FPS
that propels team-based combat into a new dimension with a revolutionary blend
of modern weaponry and ancient magic. "Shadowrun" will be available when Windows
Vista is launched.
Groundbreaking DirectX 10 Graphics Unveiled
In addition to highlighting showcase titles at E3, Microsoft previewed the
incredible graphic capabilities of the company's latest games-programming
technology: DirectX® 10. The release of DirectX 10 heralds an astonishing leap
in graphic fidelity over today's hardware, enabling the most realistic and
immersive games yet. With up to six times the performance of earlier versions of
DirectX and support for massively more complex and intense environments, DirectX
10 will debut exclusively on Windows Vista. In addition to broad publisher
support, DirectX 10 is backed by leading graphics hardware companies including
ATI Technologies Inc. and NVIDIA Corp.
I carved a huge pile of hair off the Gunnar man today, and it turns out he's a
poodle under there! He had gotten so shaggy we started thinking he was a giant
tribble.
Matrix Games announces
Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare has word on a new multiplayer installment
in the naval/air combat series, more than two years after the cancellation of
Harpoon 4 ( story). Word is: Major New Addition to Harpoon
Series Includes Multiplayer!
Matrix Games and Advanced Gaming Systems (www.advancedgaming.biz)
are pleased to announce that Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare, the new
multiplayer addition to the distinguished Harpoon modern air and naval strategy
series, is scheduled for release this quarter via digital download and game on
demand from the Matrix Games online store.
Harpoon 3 Advanced Naval Warfare is the result of decades of development and fan
support, resulting in the most comprehensive, realistic, and accurate simulation
of modern combined air and naval operations available to the gaming public. The
new Multiplayer support raises the bar for the Harpoon series to a whole new
level of immersion and gaming excitement!
David Heath, Director of Operations at Matrix Games, stated, “We are privileged
to have a chance to work on the Harpoon series and the great team at Advanced
Gaming Systems that has worked hard to bring it to a whole new level. If you’ve
ever played or thought about playing Harpoon, this enhanced, fully upgraded
releases are a must have for your game collection!”
Warcraft
prepares for big-screen battle (thanks Mike Martinez) has word on plans to bring
Blizzard's Warcraft series to the big screen as a major motion picture: LOS ANGELES
(Hollywood Reporter) - The hugely popular "Warcraft" video games have inspired
plans for a live-action feature film set in the epic fantasy universe of orcs,
trolls, elves and the undead.
The project is being developed by the creator of the games, Blizzard
Entertainment Inc., and producer Legendary Pictures, which acquired the movie
rights.
The "Warcraft" games debuted in 1994, and the franchise now has four titles in
release. "Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness" (1995) won multiple game of the year
awards, while "Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos" (2002) broke sales records. The
latest game, "World of Warcraft," is one of the most popular multiplayer online
role-playing games, with a reported subscription base of more than 6
million.
The Galactic Civilizations II:
Dread Lords Downloads Page now offers the promised version 1.11 patch for
Stardock's space strategy sequel (thanks Frans). The
version 1.11 change
log outlines what's changed since version 1.1.
The E3 trailer for Fury is now available, showing off Auran's upcoming
competitive online action/RPG. There are two editions of the clip, one or both
of which can be found on
3D Gamers,
FilePlanet (registration required), and
Worthplaying.
- The Movies: Stunts and Effects
The
Movies: Stunts and Effects Q&A on FiringSquad talks with Lionhead's
Brynley Gibson about the upcoming expansion for their cinema simulation that
allows you to get in touch with your inner Hal Needham: "The Movies Online
was far more successful than we ever imagined it would be and this is
something we are very happy about. It has been a rallying point for our
community and the content we see being uploaded blows us away. The
innovation of the movie makers surprises us on a weekly basis and as you
mention it has also captured the attention of the mainstream news. We didn’t
expect the level of attention that films like ‘The French Democracy’
received but we are of course happy that this is the case. Even with the
inevitable confines of this game, people have found they now have the
ability to tell their story and get a message across."
- Dead Island
FiringSquad's
Dead Island Q&A chats up Adam Jastrzêbski of Techland to discuss their
upcoming horror game formerly known as Island of the Living Dead: "Main hero
is a normal man, common citizen, happy guy that just got married, who ended
in an unapropriate place in unapropriate time… From that moment his
existence is based on his wits, intelligence and of course some weapons.
During his adventures on an unknown island he has to take many decisions,
tragic in the end, where not always “good” is the choice. Presented story is
full of unexpected turns of action and surprising events, which the player
(willing to survive) will have to handle as fast as possible."
- Apogee
The
Apogee Legacy #18 on the 3D Realms Website talks with Petri Jarvilehto
of Remedy Entertainment about their long-time relationship with Apogee/3D
Realms.
Wow, there's been such a flood of news form E3, the show must be ready to
actually begin! Actually conferences begin today, but the expo itself doesn't
kick off until tomorrow. Wacky.
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