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Archived News:
This
Ubisoft press release (thanks Frans) offers some financial results, updated
release dates for a couple of games, and revelation of plans for Ghost Recon:
Advance Warfighter 2. The following update on their fourth (fiscal) quarter
2006-2007 outlook says GRAW2 is due by march 2007, while Assassin’s Creed and
Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway will follow at some point after that: •
Ubisoft today announces the launch in the fiscal fourth quarter of Tom Clancy’s
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™ 2, which will capitalize on the first episode’s
success (more than 2.4 millions copies sold).
• This launch will take the place of Assassin’s Creed™ and Brothers In Arms
Hell’s Highway™, which will now strengthen fiscal year 2007-08.
• 7 additional games will be available on the Wii™, including one non announced
new brand, bringing the total number of games available to 14 by the end of
March 2007.
Guild
Wars Support (thanks Guild
Wars Slovenija) has word that their online store now offers the Guild Wars
PvP Editions, offering PvP play in ArenaNet's MMORPG without the PvE grind. Word
is: "The Guild Wars PvP Editions give players instant access to all the PvP
action that a campaign has to offer. Available through the online Official Guild
Wars store, the PvP editions allow you to create PvP characters from that
campaign, and give you access to the full skill list for each profession."
Sierra announces that the Xbox 360 edition of F.E.A.R. is gold, and set to ship
on Halloween, and that TimeGate's Extraction Point expansion for the PC edition
of Monolith's first-person shooter is shipping to stores today: Shipping
today, October 24th, F.E.A.R. Extraction Point kicks off where the original game
ended – with a bang. Once the hunter, now the hunted, your new mission is
simple…escape. The Replicas are no longer your only nemeses, as powerful
supernatural entities are wreaking havoc on everything and anything that crosses
their path. You are trapped in a desolate city and your road to freedom hinges
on the ability to destroy all that gets in your way. All new locations, weaponry
and enemies combine to take the F.E.A.R. franchise to new levels of action and
suspense in this first expansion pack for F.E.A.R. PC.
Valve announces the addition of four new titles from 2K Games this week to the
Steam service, with more to come, saying: "PC versions of Sid Meier's
Civilization IV®, Sid Meier's Civilization III®, Shattered Union and Sid Meier's
Pirates!® will be available later this week via Steam. Details regarding future
2K titles available via Steam will be announced at a later date." They also
announce the release schedule for Dark Messiah of Might and Magic via the
broadband service: Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is coming to Steam®
this week for just $49.95. In North America, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
will be made available via Steam at 10 am EDT this Wednesday, October 25.
Outside of North America, the game will be made available at 10 am GMT this
Friday, October 27.
A Dark Messiah of Might & Magic release trailer is now available, as the
first-person action/RPG heads to stores. The clip runs over two minutes,
offering gameplay and cinematic sequences. The download is available from
Ubisoft Germany
(thanks Frans). Also, the
Specnaz 2 Website now offers a new video preview of the upcoming shooter
sequel, the clip is an 18 MB download. Finally, a new RTL Skispringen 2007 movie
showing off the Skispringening in the coming installment in the German
ski-jumping series is available on
3D Gamers.
The Arthur and the Minimoys Website
is live, offering a multilingual home to Atari's upcoming cross-platform tie-in
with Luc Besson's upcoming animated film of the same name. The Flash site
offers game info, media, and more. Thanks Frans.
The El
Matador Website offers downloads of a new patch for Plastic Reality
Technologies' third-person action game. The 40.6 MB patch brings the game to
version 1.1, addressing a number of bugs and other issues. Thanks Frans.
- Genesis Rising
Stargamer.net's
Genesis Rising Q&A talks with Goran Milisavljevic of Metamorf Studios
about their upcoming space strategy game: "Well, the story is not so much
theological as it is critical of the human nature when it comes to what we
believe is sacred. In the story, humans rule the galaxy with the excuse that
it is ‘God’s will’. Humans have created machines that self reproduce and
grow just like any other life form. The distinction between the human
creations and humans themselves grows faint. They are playing god, and the
humans want to become gods as the ultimate goal."
- RPG Roundtable
RPG
Vault's RPG Roundtable #6 - Part 2 continues this group discussion among
role-playing game developers comparing current games to the genre's
classics.
I was walking the dynamic duo of Hudson the wonder dog and the Gunnar-man today
when we saw a neighbor's cat and as we passed their house, Rusty is a shaggy
orange tabby that is one of Hudson's sworn enemies, presumably based on
occasional transgressions into our backyard. I braced for a jolt as her bull
rush reached the end of the leash, but instead there was a comical little pop,
and she just kept going. Rusty, thankfully, tried to hide in the bushes, rather
than run, which I'm pretty convinced saved his life, as I was able to get to the
scene immediately and restrain my prey-crazed pooch. Once the situation was
under control, I was able to assess what happened. I had clipped the leash to
the delicate little ring that held her tags to her collar, rather than the
sturdy ring made for that purpose, so it was no surprise she got free: the
chances of this little ring with the strength of a paper-clip holding her were
pretty non-existent. Thankfully my oversight didn't result in any casualties,
and I will certainly be more careful in the future.
Ubisoft announces that Dark Messiah of Might and Magic is shipping, and Arkane's
Source engine action/RPG in the Might and Magic setting should hit North
American store shelves this week: SAN FRANCISCO – October 24, 2006 –
Today Ubisoft, one of the world’s largest video game publishers, announces that
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic™ has released and will be at North American
retailers this week.
“Dark Messiah of Might and Magic successfully blurs traditional lines and
defines a new approach to action-RPGs for the modern PC gaming audience,” said
Tony Key, vice president of marketing at Ubisoft. “Dark Messiah of Might and
Magic’s breakthrough game design, combined with the technology and graphic
capability the Source Engine brings, signals an exciting new direction for the
Might and Magic brand.”
Developed in conjunction with Ubisoft, Arkane Studios (for single-player), and
Kuju Entertainment (for multiplayer), Dark Messiah of Might and Magic puts
players in a first-person perspective, allowing them to encounter ferocious
combat within a dark and expansive fantasy environment.
Powered by an enhanced version of the award-winning Source™ Engine created by
Valve to power its Half-Life®2 video game, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic
allows players to immerse themselves in an environment that responds and
envelops them like never before, thanks to the Source Engine’s exceptional
technological enhancements in areas such as character animation, advanced AI,
real-world physics and shader-based rendering.
Dark Messiah Might and Magic ships with an ESRB rating of “M” (Mature). The game
is available for PC at the manufacturer's suggested retail price of $49.99 for
the standard edition, and $59.99 for the Limited Edition.
For more news and information on Dark Messiah Might and Magic, please visit the
game’s official website at
www.mightandmagic.com.
Star Wars: Empire
at War - Forces of Corruption Ships to Stores announces the availability of
Petroglyph's Star Wars RTS expansion. A demo of the add-on is available
( story), and here's word on the retail release: SAN
FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LucasArts and Petroglyph today announced that Star
Wars Empire at War: Forces of Corruption, the highly-anticipated expansion for
Star Wars: Empire at War, has shipped to retail stores in North America.
In the award-winning and best-selling Star Wars: Empire at War, players
controlled an entire war for the Star Wars galaxy as the Rebel Alliance or the
Galactic Empire. Now, they will face off against both of them in Star Wars
Empire at War: Forces of Corruption as a brand new third faction. As Tyber Zann,
players will stop at nothing as they seek to further the sinister agenda of the
Zann Consortium and become the most notorious criminal leader since Jabba the
Hutt. With all new tactics like piracy, kidnapping, and bribery, players can
control the shadowy forces of corruption in their attempt to rule the Star Wars
underworld.
The
WoW-Europe.com Forums (thanks
ActionTrip) has word that the Burning Crusade expansion for World of
Warcraft is now due in January 2007: PARIS, France -- Blizzard
Entertainment® today announced that the release date for World of Warcraft®: The
Burning Crusade™, the highly anticipated expansion for World of Warcraft, will
be in January 2007. By adding a few extra weeks to the development cycle beyond
its original target date, Blizzard will be able to extend the closed beta test
and further refine the new content that will ship with the game.
“We appreciate the enthusiasm surrounding World of Warcraft: The Burning
Crusade, and we’re excited about putting the finishing touches on all of the new
content,” said Mike Morhaime, president and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment.
“We feel confident that the extra time spent polishing the game will result in
the high-quality experience that our players expect and deserve.”
Blizzard began the closed-beta phase of testing on World of Warcraft: The
Burning Crusade earlier this month. The January 2007 release window will allow
extra time for current beta testers to participate in the final stages of
development and continue providing valuable feedback.
Further information on specific worldwide release dates, pricing, and other
details will be announced in the near future.
Paradox Interactive has released a new playable trial for Perimeter: Emperor's
Testament, offering another sample of the RTS game, saying: "The trial version
is a deluxe demo that unlocks the entire game for 3 hours of uninterrupted and
unrestricted gameplay. Players will be able to test the single player campaign
consisting of 25 missions, delve into the phenomenal storyline, and experience
the multiplayer function and much more." The download is available on
3D Downloads, 3D Gamers,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and Worthplaying.
Take 2
Games (thanks Frans) announces the release of Stronghold Legends, the
continuation of Firefly Studios' besieged strategy game: New York, NY -
October 24, 2006 - 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
(NASDAQ: TTWO), and Firefly Studios, announced that Stronghold Legends for PC is
now available in stores across North America and Europe. With more emphasis on
strategy than ever, Stronghold Legends is an all new RTS adventure that builds
on the successful Stronghold series by combining a range of gameplay innovations
with exciting new multiplayer modes. Gamers can play as King Arthur and his
Knights of the Round Table, Count Vlad Dracul, or the mighty Siegfried of
Germany in twenty-six missions that span across three unique campaigns.
"Stronghold Legends offers a wide range of new content, while remaining true to
the core game features that made its previous incarnations a hit worldwide,"
said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K. "The series has sold more than 2
million units and we're confident fans will be pleased by this latest addition
to the franchise."
Stronghold Legends, rated T for Teen, is available now for PC for $39.99. For
more information on the title visit the official website at
www.strongholdlegends.com.
Game Matters, Scott Miller's blog (thanks
Voodoo Extreme), in
addition to the latest history lesson about how Apogee Software pioneered the
shareware model, offers word that Prey has sold over a million copies, and that
plans are already in place for a follow-up, saying: "There will be a sequel, and
we think we have a interesting follow-up story to tell and some all-new
innovations to bring new excitement to the table." This leads to a broader point
that they will be expanding their role as an intermediary for smaller game
developers: So, going forward, 3D Realms will become a studio polygamist,
teaming up with more than one studio, working on perhaps 4-6 external projects
simultaneously, creating new IPs and hopefully helping more and more deserving,
talented independent studios achieve financial independence, and the ability to
call their their own creative shots in the future. I am hiring one or two
additional IP Creative Directors to assist me in the management of these games.
We've already been contacted by numerous highly qualified independent studios,
and more are welcome to contact me. In a way, we're going back to our roots. Fun
times ahead!
Total Video Games says they have confirmation of plans for Just Cause 2, a
sequel to Avalanche Studios' third-person action game. There are no
specifics, but word is: "Speaking to Swedish publication Kong, representatives
from Avalanche confirmed that Just Cause 2 is in the pipeline and that it will
be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation3, and PC."
Spellborn International announces a delay to The Chronicles of Spellborn, their
upcoming eponymous MMORPG. Word is: Berlin, 24.10.06: Spooky Bob has made
the Quarterstone Graveyard his regular haunt spot. Not because it is such a nice
place, but because Spooky Bob needs to get some issues solved in the grand city
of Quarterstone before he can enjoy his well deserved eternal rest.
The Spellborn developers have started a contest in which community members can
send in a quest that will grant Spooky Bob his final rest. The best, most fun
quest will be integrated into the retail version of The Chronicles of Spellborn.
To provide a perfect gaming experience, Frogster Interactive announces the
release of The Chronicles of Spellborn for the 1st Quarter of 2007. In the
recently started final development-phase, the Spellborn NV developing-team will
apply a final layer of polish to the expansive game world and the innovative
gameplay features.
The final Alpha version of the game will be finished on the 15th of November
after which a final Closed Beta phase will start. An Open Beta phase with
Fileplanet is planned for early Q1 2007.
Report:
Time Warner Moves In On SCi on Gamasutra offers rumors that Time Warner is
eying a stake in SCi, the publisher that's been rumored to be in play since its
acquisition of Eidos Interactive. Word is: The Business story, though,
quoting unnamed Wall Street sources, suggests that Time Warner initially
attempted to acquire the company outright, before reducing the offer to a 20
percent share, which has now been negotiated down to 10 percent by SCi.
Time Warner’s interest in the company has been characterized as friendly, with
SCi reportedly interested in the improved access it would gain to American
markets, and Time Warner keen to have more control over the use of its many
entertainment properties in the video game space.
Matrix Games now
offers a new patch for War In The Pacific, updating the World War II strategy
game to version 1.804, called an incremental update, with a full update to
follow. Word is: "The version 1.804 update fixes outstanding bug issues. The
correction of the LCU leader handeling [sic] that was causing land experience to
be increased to invalid levels as well as the crashes that were being caused by
invalid pointer issues as well as fixing several other minor issues so that the
players can concentrate on the game."
A new RACE:
The WTCC Game Product Section is live as Eidos Interactive's home to the
imminent motorsports game that plays the RACE card (thanks Frans). Included is a
scant collection of information about the game.
A new Marvel Ultimate Alliance launch trailer offers a final prerelease look at
Raven's upcoming comic-inspired action/RPG. The almost two-minute clip is mostly
cinematic sequences, available from
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and Worthplaying.
- Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron
High-Flying
Dreams “Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron” Explores a Peanuts Fantasy on GameZone
pops open a few root beers with Benjamin Cole and talks about the aerial
combat game: We had access to the Snoopy license, and we were in the office
talking about what would be cool to do with a Snoopy video game. The thing
we always came back to was the story of Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron. It took a
long time before we decided exactly what we were going to do, and make it a
game that booth kids and adults could play. We decided that if we’re going
to a Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron game, it had to be a flying aerial combat game
that was easy but had enough gameplay involved for something that everyone
could enjoy. So that’s where the idea came from – it was one of the most
popular Snoopy stories that instantly had a game tied to it.
- DANCE
The
DANCE
Q&A on FiringSquad talks with Dave Perry about Acclaim's upcoming MMO of
fancy footwork: "I've been a huge fan of dance style games for years. For
this game we've been secretly working with incredible developers in China to
be the first to bring a really cool Massively Multiplayer Online Dance game
to the USA market. Like my other MMO project 2Moons, working with the team
that develops this game has been interesting set of challenges to adjust the
game for the American market. The game has some fresh elements, the
socializing, shopping, competition and dating aspects are going to be bring
people together, and then we’ll see how the community takes them and makes
it their own."
- The History Channel: Civil War
The
History Channel: Civil War Q&A on Strategy Informer talks with Jeff
Muench and Chris Owen about the coming Civil War game: "One of the
interesting things that I learned when researching weapons was that the
Civil War was one of our nation’s greatest periods of military innovation as
both sides were trying to find weaponry advancements to win the war. Weapons
such as Gatling guns, repeating rifles, hand grenades and exploding
artillery were used by both sides in the Civil War and are featured in the
game. All of the weapons are authentic to the Civil War era and also include
period muskets, revolvers, sniper rifles, sabers, and knives."
- Scorpia
Tales
of the Rampant Coyote's Scorpia Q&A talks with the author of a
long-running CGW column about adventure games and her new website.
The 9th Annual
Independent Games Festival announces their 2007 IGF Mod Competition
Entrants. Thanks Diego.
What with the Smurfs that we baby-sit and the whole Blue thing, I can't believe
I missed that yesterday was the anniversary of the Smurfs, making them an amazing 48 years
old. It actually turns out that I am way behind on my knowledge of all
things Smurfy, as
this
article on the anniversary references all sorts of theories that they were
the source of communist propaganda and such. Who knew?
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