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Archived News:
Rumor: StarCraft 2 Beta
By Year's End on IGN follows up on a recent StarCraft 2 rumor ( story)
with further indications that a sequel to the highly regarded science fiction
RTS is in the offing. The story is based on
a
translation on the Team Liquid Forums of a
Korean Forum post (thanks
Kotaku), though the source of the report, which has been neither confirmed
nor denied by Blizzard, isn't exactly clear. What it says is the game will
feature a new fourth race, new units, and that a beta may appear before the end
of this year.
The
Dungeon Runners Website has word that
applications
are now being accepted for closed beta testing for NCsoft's upcoming MMOG
(thanks Gamer's Hell).
Word is: "Okay so maybe you don't know anybody currently playing Dungeon
Runners. Now we have an easy way to apply and get your email address entered in
an invitation pool. If your email address is selected from the pool, we'll send
you an invitation and you'll be all set."
NCsoft announces the release of Interlude, a free release for Lineage II
subscribers that connects the previous and next chapters in the
MMORPG: AUSTIN, Texas, April 14 , 2007 — NCsoft® today announced the
release of Interlude, an expansion to the massively multiplayer online PC game
Lineage® II in North America and Europe. Interlude is the next step in the
evolution of Lineage II, forming a bridge between The Chaotic Chronicle and the
game’s next chapter, The Chaotic Throne. The Interlude expansion is free to all
current Lineage II subscribers.
Lineage II, the gaming market’s premier player-versus-player (PvP) massively
multiplayer online game, has reached more than 17 million players worldwide
since its launch in late 2003.
The Interlude expansion offers a variety of new challenges to players, including
the new Primeval Isle, which is home to many new creatures making their first
appearance in Lineage II. These include Wild Striders, Pachycephalosaurus and
the deadly and powerful Tyrannosaurus Rex. Primeval Isle is a lush and beautiful
zone, but in the tradition of Lineage II, offers tough tests and is not a zone
for those unwilling to take on great challenges. Mastering the beasts on
Primeval Isle will require strategy and teamwork from players and clan members.
Enhanced single-player elements such as the new dueling system will enable
players to challenge friends to one-on-one fights or party-versus-party battles.
By dueling, players can understand the nuances of their character better than
they ever have before. In addition, there are no penalties for defeat in Lineage
II’s dueling system, so players are free to let loose and test their mettle.
Also available for mid to high-level players are more than 150 new bonuses to
enhance and customize weapons. Lower level players can take advantage of the new
Shadow Weapons, a “try before you buy” service offered by the village weapon
vendors. This new feature makes weapon selection more effective and simple.
“I’m very excited about what Interlude offers,” said Adam Davidson, the North
American producer of Lineage II. “It introduces elements of the game’s next
evolution, The Chaotic Throne, as well as unleashing dinosaurs. Who doesn’t like
taking on a T-Rex? Interlude also demonstrates the open-ended nature of Lineage
II and shows off NCsoft’s ability to deliver features that give the game its
signature depth and never-ending challenges.”
Interlude also marks the three-year anniversary for this franchise in North
America, where it has been steadily growing and reached a platinum status in
November of last year.
Lineage II is available at North American retailers in The Epic Collection
edition, which includes the original game plus all five expansions in one box,
and at the PlayNC® online store for an estimated street price of US$29.99. To
purchase the game or other Lineage II merchandise, go to the PlayNC store at:
https://store.plaync.com .
For more information about Lineage II: The Chaotic Throne, go to:
http://www.lineage2.com.
Blizzard Entertainment
announces Blizzcon 2007, which is to be held in Anaheim, CA August 3-4, with
tickets to on sale for $100 each in the coming months. For some reason this is
scheduled for the same weekend as id Software's QuakeCon ( story).
FiringSquad got a comment on this from id's Marty Stratton, who describes
the conflict as "unfortunate," but goes on to point out that they are very happy
with how their attendance projections are shaping up, and attempts to influence
those on the fence about which event to attend by pointing out that QuakeCon is
free.
The ArmA: Armed Assault Website
announces a new trailer to celebrate the coming U.S. release of Bohemia
Interactive Studios' military shooter (thanks
Gamer's Hell). The clip is available on
YouTube.
- id Software
The
Return of id on Next Generation talks with id CEO Todd Hollenshead about
life at id: "Based on NPD data, our royalty reports, and some extrapolation,
Id titles along with Id licensed properties have achieved over two billion
dollars worth of world wide sales going back to the original Quake. I don’t
know anybody that can make that claim. A lot of the biggest games in the
past decade have been based on Id technology. That doesn’t get recognised
because we don’t go about screaming it from the roof tops."
- Epic Games
The
Mark Rein and
CliffyB Q&A on GameDaily BIZ gets around to posting a GDC conversation
with the Epic stalwarts about Gears of War, the Unreal engine, and more: "So
we definitely want to get that point across so that there are more games
made with UE3... we want to show people it's not just a shooter engine. And
right now, if you look at most of the big games you've heard of, well
they're somewhat shooter-like. But we want people to get the message that
you can save even more money on some of these other styles of games,
especially on some of the smaller games. So that's a challenge for us and
we're definitely going to take that head-on and guys like Jeremy [Stieglitz]
from Artificial Studios are going to help us get that point across."
- Hero's Journey
Hero's
Journey Q&A on WarCry talks with Stephanie Shaver, lead designer on
Simutronics' upcoming MMORPG: "We recently brought John Ratcliff (of
PlanetSide, CyberStrike II, and Scarab fame) on board to complete the
integration of our physics server into the engine. We're talking about
destructible environments, because blowing stuff up is fun. I'd mention the
dynamic sky and weather, but they're taken for granted in MMOs. Shadows,
yes, we'll have those. Bump, spec, cubemaps on the water, bloom, dynamic
lighting...and more. Always more."
- Medieval II: Total War
The
Medieval II: Total War - Kingdoms Q&A on GameSpot talks with game designer
Penny Sweetser about Creative Assembly's upcoming RTS expansion: "Yes, Kingdoms
is huge, but it's not just a lot more content--it has a huge amount of variety.
Playing each campaign provides vastly different experiences, from defending your
jungle homelands from fierce and godlike invaders to taking up the cross in the
Holy Lands to fight for your beliefs and a place in the kingdom of heaven. Even
playing the different factions in each campaign provides new challenges and
experiences, like struggling to prove your leadership to the rulers in Spain to
fund your conquests and exploration, or capturing technology from invaders and
using it against them. Players will want to experience every bit of Kingdoms,
and they can, because the campaigns are a more manageable size. They can even
play through it with their friends via the hotseat mode."
- Trickster Online
RPG
Vault's Trickster Online Q&A - Part 1 converses with Eugene Kim about
this PC MMORPG influenced by classic console RPGs: "Although the original
concept for Trickster Online included capturing the feel of console RPGs, we
had to offer something more than simple emulation. We tried very hard to
create new, unique features to add to the genre, as well as an immersive
world with lots of stuff to see and interact with. The underlying premise
was to do more than pay homage to the great console titles by beginning
where they succeeded, and then trying to bring something new, something
more. Trickster Online has a lot of content, especially when dealing with
the large range of player characters levels. Because of this we are able to
offer both low- and high-end content. There is more than just grinding; in
fact, we tried to avoid it, and continue to do so. I also think other
features like our card battles and drill system really help separate our
game from other MMOs. Also, we have great high-resolution 2D graphics,
especially for anyone who loved the console RPGs I've mentioned."
- Whirled
GameSpy's
Whirled Q&A is a chat with Three Rings Design's Daniel James about
Whirled, their coming virtual world: "Ha! That depends a bit on when we
"ship." We'll probably roll gently from alpha (which we called "Underpants")
to beta (or "Question Mark") to launch ("Profit!"). We'll add more tools as
we go. Right now we have a really cool collaborative code editing tool
called "Swiftly" that lets you upload projects, remix them, edit code in
real-time with other folks, compile, test and incorporate it into Whirled.
We hope to add some art tools ranging from simple stuff like image avatar
remixers to perhaps a more sophisticated Flash animation creator. Then there
are ideas for pet creation tools, RPG creators, track editors -- the list
goes on!"
- Combat Mission: Shock Force on
Gamer's Hell.
- The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar on
RPG Vault.
A new demo is now available for
Penumbra: Overture, though it's not clear how this sample of Frictional
Games' first-person horror game differs from the previous demo
( story and story), though it is about 12 MB
larger. The download is available on
3D Downloads,
FanGaming,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
Telltale Game and GameTap announce Sam & Max: Bright Side of the Moon, the
conclusion of the first season of the episodic S&M game, to debut for GameTap
subscribers on April 26, and to the rest of the world on May 10. Today is also
the day that episode 5, Reality 2.0, is available to all from
Telltale Games: SAN RAFAEL,
CA, April 12, 2007 – After months of buildup, Telltale and GameTap have revealed
the first details around the anticipated finale of Sam & Max: Season 1, entitled
Bright Side of the Moon.
What started out as a local mind-control scheme has grown to global proportions,
with links to the media, the mafia, the U.S. government, and the world wide web.
Now it’s up to canine shamus Sam and his mildly psychotic rabbity-thing sidekick
Max to storm a bizarre lunar paradise and confront the mastermind behind the
plot. But will they be able to deliver the unassuming world populace from the
jaws of tranquility and prevent an eternity of hypnotic enslavement?
“Over the past seven months, we’ve had fun developing the Season 1 story and
seeing the fans’ reactions,” says Telltale CEO Dan Connors. “The finale stands
on its own as a game, but it’s going to be especially satisfying for the players
who have been with us all season long.”
“Sam & Max: Season 1 is a testament to the fact that true episodic gaming can be
successful,” said Ricardo Sanchez, GameTap’s vice president of content. “We look
forward to continuing to work with Telltale on more groundbreaking projects.”
The Sam & Max season finale will debut on GameTap on April 26, followed by its
worldwide release on Telltale’s website on May 10. The first screenshots and a
teaser video from the season finale are available at
www.telltalegames.com and
www.gametap.com/samandmax.
Today also marks the worldwide release of episode 5, Reality 2.0, at
www.telltalegames.com, following its
two-week exclusivity period on GameTap. Players who wish to catch up on the
series before the finale can do so by subscribing to GameTap or by purchasing
the episodes directly from Telltale.
Turbine and Midway announces plans for a Special Edition of The Lord of the
Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar, revealing the special-ness that will be
included in the MMORPG SE. On a related note, a new LotRO video diary is now
available on
FileFront,
Fileshack. and Gamer's
Hell, and a new European LotRO TV commercial can be found on
The Lord
of the Rings Online Website and mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell. Here's word on the special Edition: WESTWOOD, MA and CHICAGO, IL
– April 12, 2007 -- Turbine, Inc. and Midway Games Inc. (NYSE: MWY) today
unveiled the Special Edition of The Lord of the Rings Online™: Shadows of
Angmar™. This Special Edition of the highly anticipated massively multiplayer
online game provides fans with exclusive items, including the “making of” DVD, a
soundtrack of the game, and a special in-game item. The Lord of the Rings Online
is scheduled to launch on April 24th in the U.S. and Canada and the Special
Edition of the game is now available for pre-order at select retailers
nationwide.
“We have experienced unbelievable anticipation and support for The Lord of the
Rings Online throughout the development process,” said Jeff Anderson, President
and CEO of Turbine Inc. “We knew that the game had to provide a terrific
experience to the millions of Tolkien fans and we wanted to enhance that
experience even more with this Special Edition.”
“We worked closely with Turbine to create content for the Special Edition that
would appeal to even the most dedicated fans of The Lord of the Rings Online,”
said Steve Allison, chief marketing officer, Midway. “With the bonus DVD,
soundtrack, buddy pass, in-game item and more, we feel we’re providing great
value for those that buy the Special Edition.”
The Lord of the Rings Online Special Edition will be available in limited
quantities and contains a number of benefits & bonuses priced at just $59.99
MSRP. The Special Edition includes:
· Full Game on 2 DVD’s
· 30-days of free online play
· Free 10-day Buddy Key
· The “Beyond the Shadows. . .The Making of The Lord of the
Rings Online” DVD – A collection of videos that show how Turbine brought the
Books of J.R.R. Tolkien to life. Hear from the game’s designers and see their
work from concept to completion.
· The Lord of the Rings Online Soundtrack – In-game
soundtrack of the Shire, Rivendell, Bree, Thorin’s Hall and Angmar.
· Exclusive In-Game Item – “The Glass of Aglarel” – Carrying
this in-game jewel will increase your Hope to aid you against the effects of
Dread brought on by the Witch-king and his minions.
· A Full Color Special Edition Manual
· Exclusive map of Middle-earth
Players can pre-order both the Standard and Special Editions of The Lord of the
Rings Online at www.lotro.com/preorder
or at select retail stores nationwide. Pre-order customers automatically become
Founders of The Lord of the Rings Online and are among the first to experience
this fantastic online world based on the Books of J.R.R. Tolkien.
CDV announces the release of a Vista compatibility patch for City Life. Word is:
"Continuing to expand support for Microsoft® Windows Vista Operating System, CDV
Software Entertainment USA is pleased to announce a new patch for City Life. The
new patch, available at the official City Life Web site ( http://citylife.cdvusa.com
), allows the city building and management simulation to be played under both
the 32- and 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. (Note: a special installation
process, detailed in the readme, is needed to install the patch under 64-bit
versions of Vista)." The download is available on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
Atari Announces
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer reveals a new expansion for the
RPG sequel in the works at Obsidian Entertainment (thanks
Gamer's Hell). Word is: NEW YORK,
April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR - News), one of the
world's most recognized brands and a third-party video game publisher, today
announced the development of the next chapter in the Neverwinter Nights saga --
Neverwinter Nights(TM) 2: Mask of the Betrayer. Developed by Obsidian
Entertainment, the expansion to the award-winning Neverwinter Nights 2 is set in
the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® Forgotten Realms® universe created by Wizards of the
Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE: HAS - News). DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is
under license from HPG, the licensing division of Hasbro. Neverwinter Nights(TM)
2: Mask of the Betrayer will be available in North America in Fall 2007.
In Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, players are transported back to
the Forgotten Realms shortly after the events detailed in the original
Neverwinter Nights 2. Following the climactic battle against the King of
Shadows, the player awakens alone and stranded deep beneath the earth.
Surrounded by a horde of evil spirits, the player embarks on an epic adventure
that reveals his true destiny.
"Atari's commitment to the Neverwinter Nights franchise and the enormous
community is strong," said Nique Fajors, Vice President, Sales, Marketing,
Atari, Inc. "We are on track to release the Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion pack
this Fall, less than one year since the launch of Obsidian's outstanding sequel,
and are confident the new features will deliver a role-playing experience that
further engages and satisfies fans."
Set in harsh, spirit-rich Rashemen, near the powerful nation of Thay,
Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer will present players with an exciting
new campaign; epic levels; dozens of new feats and spells; new races, base
classes and prestige classes; new companions; new weapons, armor and crafting
options; hordes of new monsters; and enhanced modding tools.
"Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer's engrossing campaign will conclude
the storyline that began in the original Neverwinter Nights 2 and focus on
combat, exploration and classic D&D dungeon-crawling," said Feargus Urquhart,
CEO, Obsidian Entertainment. "We're also making new advances in story and
character development as well as improving upon the acclaimed companion
Influence System used in both Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith
Lords and Neverwinter Nights 2."
The official Ghost in the Sheet
Website heralds development of a Wintermute-engine adventure game (thanks
Tiscali Games). It looks like the website has been online for a few months, and word is
that work on the project began almost a half-year before the website launched.
The game is a point-and-click adventure (with "no dying, mazes, sliding puzzles
or timed sequence"), and true to that, the Flash website is a p&c adventure as
well. Word is the game will be released in English and a Russian translation is
in the works. Here's more: Ghost in the Sheet is a pont'n'click adventure
game based on the highly original story about a ghost who finds out the
Afterlife is not that much fun if you're even in your astral body commanded by
your new and very unpleasant boss.
You embark on adventure to the factory inhabited by ghosts and your primary goal
is to find out what happened there. Maybe you'll realize sooner than you even
wanted that not everything is at it seems in "Sector Omega."
As you gather vital clues by reading documents scattered around the factory, you
discover the ultimate reason for the "Sector Omega" fall.
Whirlwind Over Vietnam
Lands in Stores on IGN reports that this helicopter sim, which is actually
titled Whirlwind of Vietnam, has finally touched down in stores. The game is
based on combat in the Ia Drang Valley in 1965 seen in the movie We Were
Soldiers and the book upon which it was based.
Half-Life 2: Episode Two Q&A on Kikizo (thanks
Digg) talks with Doug Lombardi about the coming Half-Life 2 installment: "So
as we progress through the trilogy, we move from City 17, post Half-Life 2 where
things are more grim and whatnot, and Alyx and Gordon have sort of moved towards
their journey beyond the city at the close of Episode One. In Episode Two,
you're out of City 17 and you won't be going back. At least not for a while.
[Smiles]. And you're in this very expansive forest, that opens up the gameplay
to a broader scale. The hunter - the new creature that's been introduced - is
designed to take advantage of that; he's much faster and he can traverse both
the landscape as well as indoor areas. And we're also providing a new vehicle
that you'll be spending a lot of time in, moving quickly through that forest,
fighting large-scale battles against striders and packs of hunters etcetera."
Novelist Kurt Vonnegut dies at 84. Sad news. Here's hoping that "Everything
was beautiful, and nothing hurt."
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