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Archived News:
The latest issue of The
Sierra Insider reveals a recently opened Flash-y
Joint Task Force Website as well as
plans to release a playable demo for Joint Task Force next week to allow a
sample of Most Wanted Entertainment's now-gold RTS game. Word is: On
August 22 gamers everywhere will be able to download the new Joint Task Force™
single-player demo at GameSpot.com. Take part in a global conflict and
experience the adverse weather conditions of the Columbian jungle, or send your
rapid deployment stike team to the docks of Somalia.
ANACONDA Games announces Boxing
Manager, an upcoming simulation of the glamorous world of managing a
prizefighter slated to step into the ring this November: Get in the ring:
ANACONDA announces Boxing Manager
Hamburg, Germany: August 17, 2006 – Boxing fans rejoice: ANACONDA will publish
the Boxing Manager, a management simulation all about the “sweet science”.
The Boxing Manager sees players take control of their own stable of boxers. The
aim: taking your prize fighters all the way to the top and win world
championship belts of all three federations. Starting out with a small team and
three unknown, talented fighters, managers will train the boxers, sign on new
up-and-comers and expert staff from around the world, set up bouts and determine
tactics and techniques before and during the events. As the game progresses,
players will be able to train manage up to 30 fighters at the same time – only
if they are successful and form talented amateurs into hardened professionals
will they be able to earn coveted titles in all the well-known weight classes.
Of course, managers will always have to have an eye on their finances: does he
have the funds to take on better staff in order to improve training? Can he
promote his boxing events with TV ads, drawing crowds and earning big bucks, or
will he have to make do with a small note in the local papers?
The slick menus, realistic 3D bouts and faithful, motion-captured animations
guarantee for authentic boxing atmosphere throughout.
In addition, the Boxing Manager’s in-game editor allows you to create new
fighters and individually determine their looks, as well as their strengths and
weaknesses.
The Boxing Manager is being developed by Proline Software. ANACONDA will publish
the management sim worldwide, with a November 2006 release date.
A Crazy Frog Racer 2 Website is
now live (thanks Frans), revealing the return of the irrepressible amphibian in
a second racing game based on the once-popular ringtone (it hasn't been 15
minutes yet?). The Flash teaser site offers preliminary information and
newsletter sign-ups. The site also offers projected release windows of Q4 '06 in
Europe and Q1 '07 for the rest of the world.
SEGA announces that Rome: Total War - Alexander is to be released in stores on
CD-ROM on September 1, offering a retail version of this RTS expansion that was
previously only available as a direct download or part of the Total War: Eras
compilation. The announcement carries this description for the add-on to
Creative Assembly's RTS game: In keeping with the traditions of previous
Total War expansion packs, Alexander not only adds new content but also new
gameplay based around a brand new campaign game map, spanning Alexander’s
unification of Greece and his subsequent conquest of the Persian Empire. The
expansion pack also includes six new historical battles portraying Alexander’s
triumphs against the Greek, Persian, and Indian forces. These will also be
available for multiplayer play online and over LAN in a brand new Tournament
mode that enables players to take on opponents over a series of historical
battles.
Flagship Studios reveals plans for the multiplayer infrastructure for Hellgate:
London, their upcoming first-person role-playing game: SAN FRANCISCO,
Calif., (August 17th, 2006) Flagship Studios and HanbitSoft, Inc. have announced
a new joint venture called Ping0, LLC which will manage all aspects of hosting
online games. Ping0 recently entered an agreement with NAMCO BANDAI Games
America to digitally distribute, host and manage the online component to
Flagship’s highly anticipated title, Hellgate: London.
“Supporting Hellgate: London is just the beginning for Ping0,” said Bill Roper,
CEO and co-founder of Flagship Studios. “We fully expect Ping0 to both handle
the online components and digitally distribute all of Flagship’s future titles.
The company will also provide publishers and developers that want to bring their
games online with a solution proven by one of the most highly anticipated titles
in the industry.”
The joint venture between Flagship Studios and HanbitSoft represents the strong
commitment to online gaming shown by both companies from a development and
business standpoint.
“Through Ping0, we will offer a turn-key solution for developers and publishers
developing online games, from sophisticated MMOs to casual games,” said
HanbitSoft Executive Vice President Tony Park. “Additionally, we are extremely
excited about bringing our own titles to new markets through this joint
venture.”
The online component created by Ping0 is designed to take full advantage of the
latest technologies while offering a solution for bringing many different styles
of games into the online arena. The company also provides hosting and management
solutions and will be the group responsible for creating the online gaming
destination for Hellgate: London.
Eidos
Interactive now serves up the first in a series of diary movies for Just
Cause, saying: "Take a peek inside the Avalanche development studio in
Stockholm, Sweden and meet the development team behind the highly anticipated
Just Cause! Learn how Rico and his world came to be in the first installment of
this new video dev diary series." Also, The
ParaWorld Website now offers a movie called Palaeontorama, outlining how the
cut-scenes were created for SEK's upcoming RTS game. The clip can be found on
the trailers page (the code-heavy site doesn't allow for any sort of links other
than to the front page).
- Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory
Interview
Looking Back... Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory on Computer and Video Games
offers a postmortem on the latest installment in the stealthy shooter series
courtesy of producer Mathieu Ferland: "Basically, gamers wanted more open
environments and free objectives: they wanted to create their own
experience. Implementing this was such a challenge in a game like Splinter
Cell because it deeply affected many gameplay elements, and so forced us to
think of all possibilities and make things work whatever the player did. We
wanted to improve the general tension in the game based on proximity and
provide contextual cool situations to deal with, but also to equip the
player with appropriate skills and tools, like Sam's knife and close-combat
abilities."
- Video Games Live
The
Video
Games Live Interview on the Gamasutra Podcast offers "an exclusive
on-location interview with Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall of the Video Games
Live game concert events, discussing the state of game audio, their work in
the industry and with the G.A.N.G. audio guild, and their motivations in
founding the ongoing orchestral concert series."
The
Cancelled Premium Module Q&A on Neverwinter Nights Vault talks with former
BioWare Producer Alan Miranda about
Darkness
over Daggerford, a cancelled Premium Module that's now available for free.
Also,
Polymorphing in Oblivion (thanks Mike Martinez) offers a video of an upcoming
doppelganger mod for Oblivion.
Happy Snakes on a Plane Eve!
A playable demo for Stranger is now available, providing a sample of Fireglow's
fantasy-themed RTS game (that naturally includes some of those all-important
"RPG elements"). The demo includes a cinematic and two missions from the
single-player campaign for a 322 MB download, available on
the official Stranger Website and
mirrored on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
Computer Games,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and Worthplaying.
F.E.A.R. Combat is now available, offering the multiplayer component of
F.E.A.R., Monolith's first-person shooter, as a free download, though a key
freely available here is required for
installation. Word is: "F.E.A.R. Combat is the complete multiplayer component of
F.E.A.R. and includes all the updates, additional official maps and additional
official game modes all in one downloadable file. F.E.A.R. Combat users will be
able to play against the owners of the retail version of F.E.A.R. as well as the
other F.E.A.R. Combat users." This makes for a download that tops out at over
1800 MB, available on the
F.E.A.R. Website and mirrored on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
AusGamers,
Computer Games,
Filecloud
(registration required),
FileFront,
GameArena (registration required), Gameguru Mania
(registration required), Gamer's Hell, and
Worthplaying.
Paradox Interactive announces that Victoria: Revolutions has launched, and the
expansion for Victoria: An Empire Under the Sun can be purchased online through
GamersGate. Here's word: New
York, USA (August 17, 2006) – Paradox Interactive announced today that the
expansion to “Victoria – An Empire Under the Sun”, called “Victoria-Revolutions”
has launched and is now available on Gamer’s Gate. The title is available
exclusively via the download portal and is retailing for $9.99/€9.99.
“Releasing this expansion as a download only has enabled us to listen to what
our fans want without having to base our decision solely on financial
calculations”, said Susana Meza, Marketing and PR Director of Paradox
Interactive. “If this model works out as we expect it to do, we might very well
continue to meet the demands of our gamers in such a way”.
Key features:
• 15 extra years of game play – Lead your nation through the
challenging interwar period!
• An expanded tech tree to cover the interwar period,
including aircrafts and carriers.
• A DOOMSDAY converter which allows players to continue their
game in “Hearts of Iron 2: Doomsday”.
• A revamped election and politic system, adding a new level
of realism to the game.
• An overhauled military system, which will be linked with
the player’s policy decisions.
• A new economic system that brings more realism through
various economic models.
A Panzer Elite Action: Dunes of War multiplayer demo is now available, offering
a test-drive of Zootfly's upcoming stand-alone expansion for the World War II
tank game. The demo features a mission titled Operation Battleaxe in exchange
for a 338 MB download, available on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
Computer Games,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
VGPRO, and
Worthplaying.
The 4a-games Website has first
screenshots from METRO 2033: The Last Refuge, which is the working title for an
"action-oriented horror/action/survival FPS game with elements of RPG" in the
works at this Ukrainian developer based on a plot created by Russian author
Dmitriy Glukhovskiy. The shots are buried in the Flash site, but they are more
easily accessible on 3D
Gamers. The game is slated for release on the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3, and
here's a bit on the engine: 4A-Engine is a rigorous developer’s
environment for last generation consoles and PC with DX9-level graphics and
higher. It offers a set of the best technologies, “content” creation tools and
tested infrastructure.
• Visualization innovation technology, based on psycho-optic
human perception.
• Gamma-corrected “Deferred Shading” with analytic АА, HDR,
ocular adaptation, DOF, and motion-blur.
• Lighting: all dynamic (including sun and skies), with
global-illumination effect, thousands of light sources at a time in frame,
“regular” soft shadows.
• Performance oriented infrastructure: click-and-play levels
editing and visual adjustment of gameplay, plug-in for popular 3D packages,
which allow designer to adjust and to experiment all, starting from shaders
ending in physics.
• Learning, but controlled АИ, which uses motivation graphs
and planning, has human similar perception properties, including ability to see
light and colour.
• Performance, memory, content scaling, including graphics,
physics and AI.
This image
(thanks
DemoNews.de and Frans) offers visual evidence of plans to release a
multiplayer demo for ParaWorld today (provided my translation of the way
Europeans write dates backwards is correct). The image shows off SEK sharing a
little toast, and reveals their schedule beyond tomorrow's multiplayer demo and
the Games Convention at Leipzig, as they expect to release the game on September
15 and to begin enjoy their newfound prosperity the following day.
Though the official release date for Sword of the Stars is next week, the game
is available now for online purchase, and a release-day patch is planned for
when the game hits retail next week. Here's the deal: Sword of the Stars (http://swordofthestars.com),
the premiere release from Vancouver-based developer Kerberos Productions (http://kerberos-productions.com)
hit the virtual streets last night with an early release from GamersGate (http://gamersgate.net).
GamersGate is the online storefront of Swedish developer/publisher Paradox
Interactive (http://www.paradoxplaza.com),
specializing in strategy games from Paradox and independent developers. IGN
announced on Tuesday (http://pc.ign.com/articles/725/725778p1.html)
that Sword of the Stars would be available this week from Direct2Drive, the
online store operated by IGN's parent company. GamersGate scooped them with a
midnight GMT downloadable release of the game.
For those preferring a physical CD & box, Kerberos' CEO Martin Cirulis has
confirmed that the game will be available in big box retailers Best Buy, Circuit
City, CompUSA, Fry's Electronics, Micro Center, Target, and Wal-mart on the
official North American release date, 22 August. A "release day" patch for Sword
of the Stars will also be available Tuesday, with a number of minor bug fixes
and added convenience features. That patch, along with a PDF version of the
manual will be available to online purchasers early next week.
The Battlefield 2142
Promotion on FilePlanet (thanks Trevor) says they are gearing up to offer
access to the beta test for DICE's upcoming multiplayer shooter sequel. The
testing is only open to paid subscribers, who will help make the next
installment in the BF series even less buggy than its predecessors
( story).
The second part of the "modding Civilization IV" five-part movie series is now
available on
Apolyton Civilization Forums. In this clip: "Mantzaris and Schafer continue
on by discussing Python use and field several participant questions as well."
- HeroEngine
The
HeroEngine Q&A on FiringSquad talks with Neil Harris of Simultronics
about plans to license the engine from Hero's Journey, their upcoming
MMORPG: "We had thought about licensing our toolset to other developers, but
we assumed that we would have to wait until after Hero's Journey shipped to
prove our technological viability. Instead, once we began showing the game
and the platform back at the 2005 E3, developers started begging for access
to our toolset. We had to revamp our schedule to be able to deliver clean
code to them, and by the Spring 2006 GDC we were ready to show the engine in
public."
- Auto Assault
The
Auto Assault Q&A on Ten Ton Hammer Life is a conversation with
Netdevil's Hermann Peterscheck about their automotive MMORPG: "Player
housing is something I wish could have been much more expansive than it is.
Looking at housing in EverQuest II for example I am very envious of what
they have accomplished. In the early days we had an idea called “Estates”
which were going to be these elaborate structures that people could own and
design share permissions and relive old adventures. I secretly hope that
someday we can revive that idea because I think it would be really cool; but
right now there are quite a few other major features people are clamoring
for before we go down that road. Something a lot of crafters have been
longing for is more inventory space and we are thinking of ways of doing
that… maybe clan inventory, things like that. "
- Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising
Gods
& Heroes: An Interview Rising - Part II on Gamehelper continues to
discuss Perpetual Entertainment's upcoming MMORPG: "Beyond that we have unit
‘feats’ – which are the same as player feats – but done as a unit and they
expand in their effect based on how many minions there are in the unit
you’re ordering to do that [particular feat]. One of our very cool movements
is Testudo – the Roman tortoise formation in which the infantry put up their
shields to defend the area behind them. [you’ve all seen Gladiator right? ]
So if you had a squad that comprises infantry as well as ‘squishier targets’
like ranged guys or casters you can have your guys form up to defend the
casters in the back ranks."
- EVE Online
GamersInfo's
EVE Online Q&A talks with Charles Dane, Online Community Manager for
CCP's MMORPG: "If someone abused game mechanics, I forward the information
to the GM team for investigation and possible action. As much as I may
empathize with a player scammed or podded, there is little that I can do to
assist a player who was beaten within the game mechanics, other than offer
advice for the future. EVE can be a harsh game with harsh consequences."
- Frater
Gameguru
Mania's Frater Q&A talks with Krzysztof Krawczyk of Rebelmind about
Frater, their upcoming action hack & slash RPG: "The team creating our games
has not changed for many years. This is where our strength is. The same
people have worked on Grom, Space Hack, and Frater. Of course small changes
do happen from time to time, but the core of our team has stayed the same.
We understand each other without words, which makes it possible to make all
the important decisions at the creative level. It also speeds up the
production process."
- Sony Online/Worlds Apart
The
Sony Online/Worlds Apart Q&A on FiringSquad talks with Chris Kramer and
Scott Martins about SOE's acquisition of Worlds Apart Productions: "SOE is
always looking for ways to expand our reach and to continue leading the
online game space. We’re constantly evaluating additions to our company and
our offerings, whether it comes in the form of publishing games from other
developers under the SOE or Platform Publishing labels (such as Sigil’s
Vanguard or Perpetual Entertainment’s Gods and Heroes) or by acquiring a
studio or group of developers (as we did with SOE-Austin, SOE-Seattle and
now with SOE-Denver)."
MrsBlue has gotten quite used to my grumbling over the ridiculous overuse of the
tired phrase "at the end of the day" whenever we hear it. This is pretty often,
as it has come into great favor in recent years for news stories and such, in
spite of the fact that it's one of those idioms that doesn't really make much
sense. She therefore thought of me immediately when she came across a
Mediabistro article tracking the use of such blather that shows that this
term is like the Babe Ruth of clichés, almost tripling the frequency of abuse of
the runner up "in the black." I guess "time and time again" the "unsung heroes"
of the press "level the playing field" by picking this "low hanging fruit" in a
refusal to "think outside the box."
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