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Archived News:
A new patch for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is now available, updating
GSC Game World's irradiated first-person shooter to version 1.004. The download,
first expected in early July ( story) is available on
3D Downloads,
FileFront,
FilePlanet (registration required), Gameguru
Mania, and Shacknews.
A post on
Oblivion-Lost.de has the full patch notes.
Making Bioshock
Work with SM2.0 Cards! (Work in progress) on the 2K Forums is a lengthy
forum post offering a workaround for BioShock to allow the game to be played on
video cards with no Shader 3.0 support. The unofficial fix is not perfect, as it
results in some missing textures and extra-long load times, but has helped get
folks playing the game on older hardware, and offers hope that more progress can
be made on this front going forward.
The Ken Levine Q&A
on Shacknews discusses some game called BioShock that they seem to think may
appeal to folks. They discuss what caused the high level of anticipation for the
game, marketing, combat, hacking, the sale of Irrational to 2K, and more.
- Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties on
IGN.
- Borderlands on
IGN.
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare on
IGN.
- The Continuum on MMO
Gamer.
- Far Cry 2 on
IGN.
- Fury on WarCry.
- Medal of Honor: Airborne on
IGN.
- Need for Speed ProStreet on
GameSpy.
- Operation Flashpoint 2 on
1Up.
- Race Driver One on
1Up.
- Spore on
1Up and GameSpy.
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky on
GameSpot.
- StarCraft II on
IGN.
- Stranglehold on
1Up.
- Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn on
WarCry.
- World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King on
IGN.
Valve announces the promised ( story) Soldier movie from Team
Fortress 2 is now available within Steam, showing off the second class in
their upcoming multiplayer shooter. The clip is also available for download from
3D
Downloads,
FileFront, and
Shacknews, and the news is accompanied by a Soldier bio: Name:
Soldier
Role: Offense
Weapons: Rocket Launcher / Shotgun / Shovel
Favorite World War: 2
Special Ability: Rocket Jump
Bio: Though he wanted desperately to fight in World War 2, the Soldier was
rejected from every branch of the U.S. military. Undaunted, he bought his own
ticket to Europe. After arriving and finally locating Poland, the Soldier taught
himself how to load and fire a variety of weapons before embarking on a Nazi
killing spree for which he was awarded several medals that he designed and made
himself. His rampage ended immediately upon hearing about the end of the war in
1949.
A post
to the 2K Forums by 2K Elizabeth goes a little further into how the SecuROM
online activation required to play BioShock ( story) works when
attempting multiple installs: first, let me say this. you DO NOT NEED TO
USE THE INTERNET EVERY TIME YOU PLAY THIS GAME. it is only the first time.
second, you can uninstall and reinstall this game, and if, by chance, you have 2
computers you want to simultaneously play this game on, you also can do that.
if by some chance you are reinstalling this game without uninstalling it first,
a lot, there is a chance you may have to call securom and get a key, or
deactivate some older installations.
but if you upgrade your hardware next week, you'll still be able to play the
game. if you revamp your system and need to reinstall bioshock, just uninstall
it before you go through the overhaul, and then do your reinstall.
calling it "hardware fingerprinting" is a bit alarmist. we do not transmit any
of your data to any companies.
really, the only people who will be concerned about any of these security
measures are those who are rapidly putting bioshock on many pcs... if you use
the game as you normally do, you won't notice this at all.
The Cult of Rapture
has a lengthy post on "the truth" about widescreen issues in BioShock ( story).
Apparently this was a design decision, though it sounds like 2K is contemplating
an official fix. In the meantime, a homebrew workaround is available
( story). Here's word: We understand there has been some
concern about the implementation of widescreen mode in BioShock. Hopefully, we
can clarify how we’ve chosen to do this.
The first thing we want to make clear is the mode we developed the game on and
the optimal mode for playing the game is the widescreen mode. 90% of our
development stations were widescreen displays: artists, programmers and
designers.
- BioShock was primarily developed and tuned for widescreen mode. Artists and
designers worked with widescreen displays and chose a field of view (FOV) that
best reflected their intentions with respect to the way the world is perceived,
the perceived speed of movement of the player relative to the world and the
amount of the world they wanted to be viewed for the best game-play experience.
We went through dozens of iterations and finally settled upon a widescreen
aspect ratio that best suited the gameplay experience.
- When playing in widescreen modes the game makes use of the full screen
resolution, and does not crop or stretch a lower resolution image into a wide
screen one. For example, at 720p the game renders natively to the full 1280x720
resolution.
- Once this FOV was established, we chose to keep exactly the same horizontal
FOV for standard def displays, so as not to in any way alter the gameplay
experience.
- Instead of cropping the FOV for 4:3 displays and making all 4:3 owners mad in
doing so, we slightly extended the vertical FOV for standard def mode: we never
wanted to have black bars on people’s displays. (This way, everybody is happy…)
This does mean that people playing on a standard def display see slightly more
vertical space, but, this does not significantly affect the game-play experience
and, we felt that it best served our goal of keeping the game experience as
close as possible to the original design and art vision on both types of
displays. Reports of the widescreen FOV being a crop of the 4:3 FOV are
completely false.
One thing we can assure you that all these decisions were made with the best
interests of the game in mind. We didn’t save any money or development time by
choosing this set of parameters. We did what we thought was the best thing for
the game: developing and optimizing it for widescreen displays, and making the
decision not to do the usual crop for 4:3 displays. As a consumer, you certainly
have the right to disagree.
We understand that not all users might not be happy with these choices and we
will be looking into options for allowing users to adjust FOV settings manually.
But as we mentioned earlier, changes to video game code do not happen in minutes
or hours. We appreciate your understanding.
Activision Rocks German Games Convention is the press release celebrating
Activision's activities in Leipzig, revealing an international song list for
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the CoD4 release date mentioned below, and a
tidbit about plans for a game series based on Bond, James Bond:
Activision also confirmed that the company’s newest blockbuster
franchise, James Bond, featuring the world-renowned top secret agent 007, is in
development by powerhouse studios Treyarch, Beenox and Vicarious Visions for
next-generation consoles, Windows PC and hand-held platforms.
The above press release also offers a November 5, 2007 release date for Call
of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward's upcoming military shooter:
Listen up soldiers, on Monday, November 5, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare will
begin deployment to retailers worldwide. Armed with more than 40 awards and
honors from this year’s annual E3 Business and Media Summit including “Best
Action Game” from the Game Critics Awards, Infinity Ward’s epic title is set to
enlist gamers into the most intense, thrilling action experience ever. Call of
Duty 4: Modern Warfare will be available on the Xbox 360™ video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system
and Windows® PC. A Nintendo DS™ version will also deliver the signature Call of
Duty chaos of battle to handheld gamers.
Widescreen fix
for the demo .... work in progress ... on the 2K Forums offers a homebrew
workaround for widescreen issues in BioShock ( story). There are
fixes for the demo as well as the full game, but obviously nothing for the Xbox
360, which is going to require an official fix. As for the unofficial fix, this
is obviously a use-at-your-own-risk type of deal, but the responses in the forum
indicate that this has been working for people, though it seems it has been
tricky for some Vista users (but it sounds like it works for them as well after
a little work). Meanwhile, Ken Levine made a
post to the 2K forums last night (thanks
bit-tech.net) commenting on this widescreen issue: Sorry about all
the conflict. IG development people (specifically Chris and Rowan who are both
on vacation) were trying to take a day off today (we've been working about six
months 6-7 days a week). I'm trying to see what everybody's concerns are and
consult with the staff.
I know people are frustrated, but we are dealing with internet time here. It
wasn't until 7 pm EST that I was able to even talk to anybody in our Australian
studio, which is open today (9 AM their time).
I hear you that not everybody was thrilled with the PC launch. And I'm trying to
collect information and see what the facts are. PC game development does not
function in a matter of seconds or hours, especially when most of the team is on
vacation. But I hear you, and we're looking into the issue. I'll only ask you
have a bit of understanding as to the time scale that software development
issues must occur in.
The ArmA: Armed Assault
Website (thanks Tiscali Games) has the revelation of plans for Armed Assault 2, a
near-future military first-person shooter sequel planned for release next year.
They promise further details soon on the ARMA2
Website, which currently mirrors
the above announcement that offers some screenshots, and the following
information: Bohemia Interactive announces ARMA 2
Today at Games Convention in Leipzig, Bohemia Interactive announced ArmA 2 , its
latest military simulation game for PC DVD-ROM and next generation consoles
(originally known also as Game 2).
ArmA 2 is set in the near future, year 2009, in a fictional post soviet country
called Chernarus. Players will be sent as members of a United States Marine
Corps Force Recon squad to this country to prevent further civilian casualties
and ensure ongoing stability there.
Arma 2 is based on the latest generation technology, offering large –scale game
world, authentic and extremely detailed modern units, weapons, vehicles and
environments, challenging single player and vast array of multiplayer options.
The
Empire Total War Preview on PC Gamer Magazine looks at the next installment
in Creative Assembly's large-scale RTS series, which has been unveiled at the
Leipzig Games Convention. There is no official announcement or projected release
date at this point, but the preview is lengthy and quite detailed. Here's a bit:
The new 1700s-to-early-1800s setting,
with its muskets and artillery, demands new stratagems. Generals will have to
rethink their entire approach.
Total War's second rule is that battles at sea are fought silently. When great
navies clash, you're just handed the result. In Empire, that's been fixed. Add
maritime warfare to your list of required skills.
Total War's third fundamental is that you're there to paint Europe your nation's
colour, invading your neighbours from the outset, developing a giant hammer of
an army to crack open the continent.
That, too, is no longer true. Empire is about exploration and conquest, founding
colonies and fighting wars away from home. Sure, you can invade your neighbour.
But there's wealth to be had in India and the Americas.
So, Empire is an epic strategy game starting in the early 1700s, in which you
direct your nation to dominate not just Europe, but the known world. A question:
why then?
Codemasters announces new modern day theatre of war for Operation Flashpoint 2:
Dragon Rising offers a full title and some new details on the upcoming
sequel to Bohemia Interactive's first military-themed shooter: Full title
revealed as first video trailer launches at Games Convention 2007. Operation
Flashpoint™2: Dragon Rising was today announced as the full title for the return
of the leading name in modern military simulation gaming.
Codemasters also revealed an explosive video trailer for the game on its booth
(Hall 4, F01) at Games Convention 2007, Leipzig, Germany. The trailer is now
available to view and download from
www.codemasters.com/flashpoint2
Coming in 2008 for major console platforms and PC, Operation Flashpoint 2:
Dragon Rising marks the long-awaited return of the total conflict simulator. It
will challenge a new generation of players to survive the chaos and rapidly
evolving situations of military combat in a new and contemporary theatre.
"Set on a vast oil-rich island, located off the eastern coast of Russia, north
of Japan, Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising's fiction occurs during a time
of tension between Russia and China over the island's disputed ownership,"
explains Andrew Wafer, Brand Manager for Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising,
at Codemasters.
"The game will open as Chinese forces launch an offensive and, referencing the
title, as the dragon rises over the island, players will find themselves in a
situation that is set to flare up into a flashpoint like never before."
As depicted in the trailer, soldiers, weaponry and military transportation will
be authentic and realistically detailed. The game environment will be a
comprehensive simulation of a real world location, densely packed to create a
rich and challenging tactical environment.
Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising is in development at Codemasters Studios
utilising an evolved variant of Neon technology, the studio's proprietary
middleware. For the trailer video and to sign up for future development
briefings, please visit:
www.codemasters.com/flashpoint2
Paradox Interactive announces Europa Universalis III: Napoleon's Ambition is now
available for online sales and purchase via
GamersGate, which is the only way to get the RTS expansion: New York,
USA (August 22, 2007) – Paradox Interactive announced today that their much
anticipated expansion pack to critically acclaimed Europa Universalis III has
been released exclusively on GamersGate. The expansion called Napoleon's
Ambition takes strategy gamers into a brand new era as the latest addition to
the Grand Strategy series incorporates the French Revolution and the Napoleonic
wars.
"We are thrilled to offer an expansion to Europa Universalis III and by
releasing it through GamersGate, we can ensure that players all over the world
get instant access to it", said Johan Andersson, Director of Development at
Paradox Interactive. "We chose the Napoleonic era because it's a natural
continuation of Europa Universalis III, but also because the time period is a
fan favorite". Europa Universalis III: Napoleon's Ambition is now live on
GamersGate and will retail for $19.99/€19.99.
Some of the new features in the expansion include:
* Expanded Timeline to 1820
The expanded timeline to 1820, will encompass the wars of the French Revolution
and Napoleon. New leaders, rulers, advisor wars, countries and national ideas
have been added as well as dozens of new units to give more tactical choices.
* Historical Options
This option is will be a favorite amongst those gamers looking for an even
stronger historical experience. In addition to hundreds of new events, players
will be able to see their rulers, leaders and advisors appear on the accurate
historical dates.
* Improved Interface
A new added map mode for trade, displaying all goods, will be produced in each
respective province, including its value. This means more pages for the ledger
including information about colonies and leaders, and several improvements to
the interface.
* More Gameplay Options offer more Strategies
Now you can emulate Peter "the Great" and create an all-new capital for your
nation. Influence trade in your nation, add centres of trade to bring more
wealth into your nation, or remove them to focus trade on a few valuable trading
centres. Conquer Europe as Napoleon and dismantle the Holy Roman Empire.
* Enchanced Trading System
An all-new system to auto send merchants will allow players to choose the
trading centres they most want to focus on, and the game will take care of the
rest. This system also includes a new rule for trade overseas. The only way
players will be able to access markets is to use war or diplomacy to allow
merchants in. Get there first and reap the profits!
* Additional options
More options have been added to customise your EU3 experience. Players will now
have options for "No Inflation", "Free Colonisation", "AI Aggressiveness" and
many more.
10TACLE announces TOTEMS, a platform game due for release for PC and Xbox 360
next year. Herawakening.org, for some
reason, is the URL of the related noisy Flash website, offering a puzzling
introduction to the game. Actually it just seems to be there to puzzle, but it
offers the chance to subscribe their newsletter to keep tabs on what's going on.
Here's word: 10TACLE STUDIOS AG and 10TACLE STUDIOS BELGIUM announce
TOTEMS for PC and Xbox 360
Darmstadt, August 22nd 2007 – Today 10TACLE STUDIOS AG and 10TACLE STUDIOS
BELGIUM officially announce the development of TOTEMS for PC and Xbox 360.
Inspired by the urban sport „Le Parkour“, TOTEMS is a super-heroic platform game
with tactical elements that let the player magically transform the world and
story to their own style and skill. This third-person 3D action adventure offers
non-linear gameplay in a highly interactive environment and is designed to be
accessible to the widest audience while offering depth for the core gamers. The
player character as well as the enemy is able to use the environment to full
extent thanks to the innovative Semantic Environment Sensing System (SESS).
Super-heroic movement and combat come alive in a never seen before manner. The
Belgian developer’s proprietary NeoReality Engine™ sets new standards for
next-gen platforms and provides an unparalleled atmosphere and experience. Based
on an elaborate and original mythology, TOTEMS offers an exciting new world to
explore. The PC and Xbox 360 release is scheduled for 2008.
Daedalic Entertainment announces A New
Beginning, a 2D adventure game with an ecology theme planned for release on PC,
Wii, and DS by the end of next year. There are some screenshots from the game on
FileFront, and here's the announcement: Hamburg, Germany: August 21,
2007. Telling emotionally captivating stories is the declared aim of Daedalic
Entertainment. At this year’s Games Convention, the publisher unveiled the first
internally developed project.
A New Beginning is a cinematic, interactive eco-thriller. In the classic
adventure game an impending global climate cataclysm threatens the world, in a
story ripped from today’s headlines, dealing with the defining issue of our
time. At locations all around the globe, players will have to try and stem the
tide – with the whole world hanging in the balance.
In A New Beginning, players take control of two protagonists and explore the
detailed, hand-painted backgrounds. The more than 30 characters are rendered in
a realistic 2D style and are painstakingly animated by hand in feature film
quality. Many challenging puzzles and adventurous situations have to be overcome
to prevent the impending climate chaos. The ambitious adventure game project is
in development for PC, Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii.
Scientist Bent Svensson has had to give up on his life’s work of trying to
engineer an eco-friendly alternative energy source. But his existence as a
reluctant retiree is interrupted by a most peculiar visitor: The young Fay
claims to have been sent from the future to prevent an impending environmental
catastrophe. The only remaining hope is Bent’s research which is about to fall
into the hands of an unscrupulous energy magnate. Bent decides to trust the
young woman – but is she really telling the truth?
Daedalic Entertainment will present A New Beginning exclusively at this year’s
Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany (August, 22-25) to international press and
trade visitors.
Overview
Title: A New Beginning
Format: PC / Nintendo DS / Nintendo Wii
Developer: Daedalic Entertainment
Publisher: Daedalic Entertainment
Release Date: Q4/2008
How many
installs do we get? Transfer of ownership? on the 2K Forums (thanks
Greybird) outline an issue that's been discovered with the SecuROM online
activation required to play BioShock. Apparently the process will only allow for
the game to be installed twice, which could obviously be a problem for folks who
experience problems with their systems. The
Steam
Forums indicate that this problem afflicts the Steam edition of the game
as well.
Computer and Video Games quotes Digital Extremes as saying that comments
attributed to them that were critical of Epic's Unreal engine were taken out of
context. Meanwhile, a story on
Kotaku quotes Epic's Mark Rein on the topic of developer support in the
Unreal engine, saying: "We will not put your features in our engine. We're happy
to advise you how to get those features in. Our door is always open, you can
talk to us at any time. but we make a very clear distinction about, you know,
we're making this engine for our game. Ultimately, that's what's best for us and
best for our customers."
Tiscali Games now
offers a ShakyCam edition of the new Mafia 2 trailer, which was shot off a
monitor at the Games Convention. They also offer a link to a lower-resolution
version on YouTube.
Vertex4 announces the official SunAge
Website is online, which it indeed is, just as it has been for the past few
years ( story). The site has been redesigned and is in the midst
of a week-long feature on the Federals faction.
Arctic August
NYC Sets Record For Coldest Day (thanks Ant and
Digg).
Well, I could have told you that… not about tying that record, but about the
unusual cold, as it was a rainy and chilly day around these parts. It's not much
better today, but I'm not going to complain, as word is the temperatures should
return to the 80s (don't forget your shoulder pads!) in a couple of days. Not to
mention there are sections of the country still in the midst of a deadly heat
wave, and of course, there are hurricanes and tropical storms popping up in
various spots, so to say it could be worse is a severe understatement.
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