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Archived News:
The Guild 2 demo offers a playable sample of 4HEAD Studios' strategy management
sequel that was just released in North America. The demo offers the chance to
play games limited to one four-year round with a single race. The download is
available on the Aspyr Website,
mirrored on 3D Gamers,
FileFront, Gameguru Mania,
Gamer's Hell, and
Worthplaying.
A playable demo for FIFA 07 offers the chance to kick around a sample of the
latest installment in the sports management series. The demo offers the chance
to manage a club from a choice of several countries in a choice of several
leagues. Details can be found
on this page, and the
demo is available
from EA (direct link) and on
3D Downloads, 3D
Gamers,
FileFront, Gameguru Mania,
Gamer's Hell,
Strategy Informer,
VGPRO, and
Worthplaying.
Eidos announces Lara
Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a new installment in the Lara Croft series
due next year based on the original Tomb Raider. This time around there is no
discussion of reapportioning Lara's proportions, and her claims to fame are not
even on display in the
one new screenshot from the project. Here's word: San Francisco,
Calif. – October 30, 2006 – Eidos Interactive Ltd., one of the world’s leading
publishers and developers of entertainment software, today confirms the title of
the next Tomb Raider game will be Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Set for
release in North America on the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system,
PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system and Windows PC, Lara Croft Tomb Raider:
Anniversary is a tribute to Lara Croft and the phenomenal impact she has had on
pop-culture and gaming.
Inspired by the first Tomb Raider videogame, originally released in 1996, Lara
Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a totally new 2006 adventure for Lara,
faithfully preserving the elements which made the original Tomb Raider such a
classic, selling over 7 million copies worldwide. Using an enhanced ‘Tomb Raider
Legend’ game engine, the graphics, technology and physics bring Lara’s adventure
and pursuit of a mystical artefact known only as the Scion right up to today’s
technology standards and will offer gamers a completely new gameplay experience.
“Lara Croft is more than just a video game character – she is a
digital-celebrity and icon for the video game industry, as well as a strong,
powerful character that people of all ages connect with,” said Director of
Marketing Matt Gorman, Eidos. “We are re-telling an incredible story using
today’s technology, we’ve taken all of the key moments from the original game
and put them into the context of a brand new Tomb Raider adventure.”
The puzzles are now more in depth and incorporate environmental interaction and
physics driven solutions. The level design and flow of gameplay are inspired by
the original videogame making Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary a brand new
experience in gaming, while still invoking the nostalgia of the first adventure
in Tomb Raiding.
“We’ve captured the essence of what made the original game so special and with
today’s technology, created a game that pushes the boundaries of the current
gaming consoles. Tomb Raider: Anniversary is a special celebration of Lara’s
reign as videogaming’s leading lady,” said Ian Livingstone, Eidos Interactive.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary is currently in development by Crystal
Dynamics and will be available in spring 2007.
The first-patch for the just-released US edition of The Guild 2 is now
available, updating the strategy management sequel to version 1.2. The patch is
available from Aspyr and
mirrored on 3D Gamers
and Worthplaying.
The
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 Website now offers a new trailer showing off
some of the features in the upcoming free booster pack for Tripwire's
Unreal-engine World War II shooter. There are high and low resolution versions
of the clip, and word is: "This trailer showcases the new map (Danzig) as well
as the new Panzer IV H tank and Russian Universal Carrier Armored Transport
which will be released in the free booster pack over Steam, very soon." Also, a
new Need for Speed Carbon movie with the unfortunate title "Race Wars" shows off
the next installment in the street racing series. The clip can be found on
3D Gamers,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and Worthplaying.
- City of Villains
The
City of
Villains Q&A on MMORPG.COM is a publisher-distributed Q&A with Cryptic's
Matt Miller on the one-year anniversary of the launch of City of Villains:
"We have plans for a co-operative zone where both sides band together under
a common flag to combat a mutual threat. While Villains and Heroes obviously
do not get along with each other, there are times when the enemy of my enemy
becomes a friend, no matter who they are."
- EVE Online
The
EVE Online Q&A on MMORPG.COM talks with Magnus Bergsson about CCP's
MMORPG: "Medals and awards can use any metric or accomplishment to give it
to you. We want it to be a very flexible system which we can use with most
areas of EVE gameplay. It should use the metrics we already gather of
everything within EVE and of course be useable for our future addition to
EVE. We see uses with it in regard to the loyalty point system in general,
such as offers require a certain certificate to be offered it, corporations
creating Contracts which require a certain rank or medal within their
corporation and so forth."
- EverQuest: The Serpent's Spine
RPG
Vault's EverQuest: The Serpent's Spine Team Q&A asks group questions of
the team at SoE about the MMORPG expansion, discussing the new race,
enemies, and locations.
- Penumbra: Overture
The
Penumbra: Overture Q&A on Computer and Video Games gets their hands on
Thomas Grip to discuss Frictional Games' upcoming action game: "The first
and main goal with Penumbra was to make a horror game without any violent
action as the main gameplay feature. Games like Silent Hill and Resident
Evil all rely on the player shooting/bashing enemies to take up most of the
gameplay time. We believe that going away from this design will create a
scarier game since monster encounters will be a lot more lethal. It also
forces us to think in new directions when coming up with the gameplay ideas.
It was with this goal in mind that the physical interaction mechanics was
born. This is a feature that can make mundane tasks like opening doors and
pulling levers a lot more fun and satisfying."
Boo! No wait, that's tomorrow. Nevermind.
NAMCO BANDAI announces that Warhammer: Mark of Chaos is gold, and the RTS game
based on the fantasy miniatures game is due in stores on November
14: SANTA CLARA, Calif., (October 30, 2006) – Leading video games
publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. today announced that the
real-time strategy PC game, Warhammer®: Mark of Chaos™ has gone gold and will be
available in stores throughout North America beginning November 14th. Featuring
epic battles, fully customizable units and maps and a variety of play modes and
multiplayer options, Warhammer: Mark of Chaos is the second title launching from
NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.’s PC division.
“Warhammer: Mark of Chaos will transport gamers into the fantasy war-torn
battlefields of the legendary Warhammer universe, with epic battles on an
enormous scale,” said Makoto Iwai, Senior Vice President of the Development
Group at NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “The release of Warhammer: Mark of
Chaos is a testament to NAMCO BANDAI Games’ continued commitment to PC gaming."
Developed by Black Hole Entertainment, a subsidiary of Cinergi Interactive,
Warhammer: Mark of Chaos puts the focus squarely on the battlefield with a
real-time combat system that gives the player unprecedented customization and
control of his/her army. An epic battle rages following a brutal Chaos invasion,
where four fully playable armies (Empire, Chaos, Skaven and High Elves) as well
as additional controllable races (Orcs and Goblins, Dwarfs and Vampire Counts)
clash on a massive battlefield. Warhammer: Mark of Chaos centers on massive
armies and real-time battling. The game’s heroic quest reveals a grand sense of
both scale and detail, in which monstrous demons and vast customizable armies
clash with thousands of characters in intricate detail. Buildable features and a
variety of terrains such as forests, swamps, plains and tundra change the shape
of the battlefield and add a layer of strategy to provide players infinite
replayability.
For updated news, additional game information and a contest where fans could win
an ultimate PC, please visit the official site
www.markofchaos.com. Warhammer: Mark of
Chaos is rated “M” for Mature by the ESRB and has a suggested retail price of
$49.99.
A
Battlefield 2142 Community Update that's not noted on the
Battlefield Website
(thanks Ant and
Planet
Battlefield) that we missed from before the weekend outlines some issues
with Battlefield 2142 that DICE is working on: Over the course of last
week some players have experienced issues with stats & awards, punk buster, and
master server disconnects. We wanted to update everyone on the current status
for each of these points as we move into the weekend.
Stats & Awards: Last weekend we made updates that resolved the issues causing
some awards or stats to not be properly awarded to players. We will be
continuing to monitor player experience and the stat servers in order to make
the proper adjustments to maintain the system. Unfortunately any stats or awards
not received before this update can not be replaced.
PunkBuster: Those players who have experienced issues with the punk buster auto
update should visit the punk buster site and follow their directions for manual
updates. We are currently working with punk buster to resolve player issues and
allow for a smoother experience and to eliminate the server kick issues that are
still affecting some players.
EA Master Server Disconnects: We have added additional enhancements to our
server infrastructure to eliminate the majority of the disconnection problems.
We will be putting forth every effort through the weekend to completely
eliminate this issue for all our players.
We will continue to update everyone on our status until these issues are
resolved and no longer standing in the way of your enjoyment of Battlefield
2142. Have a great weekend and we will see you on the Battlefield.
The
Frontline: Kursk Q&A on FiringSquad talks with Gleb Sokolov, CEO of N-Game
Studios, about their upcoming World War II RTS game: "In Frontline: Kursk the
diversified types of missions will be represented. For example, saving the
general together with the army headquarters, a mission that will be highly
affected by its environment, urban battles, strategic retreats and
counterattacks. Tank battles are obviously included, particularly the famous
battle under Prohorovka, and the battle for Belgorod. In addition, the most
persistent players can expect a surprise – two additional secret missions which
are anything but standard."
Spectralogue offers
TextureDesk, a utility to ease the creation of seamless textures. Thanks Robin.
Well, after complaining yesterday about early sundowns following the return to
Standard Time, I have to admit to taking great pleasure from getting to drive
MrsBlue to the train on a bright, sunny morning for a change.
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