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Archived News:
This week's
Steam marketing message reassures those purchasing The Orange Box
over Steam will have access to the shooter bundle at the stroke of Midnight
Pacific time on Wednesday: We'll be unlocking The Orange Box products
just after midnight Pacific time next week on the 10th of October. Lots of
people have been having a lot of fun with the Team Fortress 2 beta, so we're
looking forward to seeing what people think of Portal and Episode Two. The
Orange Box will also be available at North American game retailers later on the
10th, for both PC and XBOX 360.
This press
release announces SOE will be launching Pirates of the Burning Sea on
January 22, 2008, and that preorders of Flying Lab Software's seafaring MMORPG
begin on October 23, which will allow access to the full game 15 days before
that launch: Gamers Experience Action and Adventure on the High Seas Circa
1720 in New Online PC game
SAN DIEGO, CA & SEATTLE, WA – October 5, 2007 – Sony Online Entertainment LLC’s
(SOE) Platform Publishing label and Flying Lab Software LLC (FLS) announced
today Pirates of the Burning Sea™, is scheduled to launch worldwide on January
22, 2008. The hotly anticipated MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) game,
featuring high seas action and swashbuckling adventure in a bold world of
pirates and plunder, is being developed by Seattle-based FLS and published by
Platform Publishing.
“We are eagerly anticipating the day we can raise the anchor and set sail with
Pirates of the Burning Sea. Our team’s hard work and dedication, and that of our
partners at SOE’s Platform Publishing group, is going to result in a fantastic
gameplay experience for PC gamers,” said Russell Williams, CEO, Flying Lab
Software. “We are looking forward to bringing this game to fruition, and
appreciate the support from our dedicated community in helping us to develop a
top-notch game.”
As a captain in Pirates of the Burning Sea, you can choose among the French,
Spanish, English, or Pirate nations, playing a naval officer, a freetrader, a
privateer, or a pirate as you like. Action–filled ship battles take place at
sea, where players can destroy or board and seize their competitors’ ship. On
land, a world of swashbuckling adventure awaits full of sword-swinging action.
The unique player-driven economy means players can be a captain of industry too,
running mines, lumber mills, shipyards and other large-scale operations to
produce the tons of goods needed to supply every player in the game with what
they need. Through the player-generated content system, players can create their
own sail and flag designs to display in game and even model their own ships.
“The vast amount of player-created content and the intense strategy required in
Pirates of the Burning Sea sets it apart from any other MMO on the market,” said
D Tim Granich, Sr. Global Brand Manager, Sony Online Entertainment. “Gamers will
be donning their captain’s gear and eagerly awaiting their next battle on land
or sea.”
The game takes place in the New World circa 1720, a dramatic time of conflict
and riches that features action for every play style, from epic ship combat, to
piracy, to building economic empires or sword-swinging adventure. With more than
one thousand missions per nation, dozens of ports to explore, and the entire
Caribbean as their domain, players will find an online experience like no other.
Pre-orders are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, October 23rd. Players that
pre-order will receive an invitation to the “Pre-Boarding Party” giving them
access to the live game 15 days prior to launch. During this time, players can
level up to 20 and keep their characters after launch, with a purchase of the
game and paid monthly subscription. Players who pre-order and purchase the game
will also receive a “captain’s best friend” – known to any good pirate as a blue
and yellow parrot – as well as a powerful weapon suited to their fighting style
and an original game soundtrack CD complete with 60 minutes of pirate-themed
music.
Pirates of the Burning Sea game features:
• Join one of four nations (Pirate, English, French, or
Spanish)
• Every player is the captain of their very own ship in
massive naval battles
• Duel other players to control more than 80 conquerable
ports in the Caribbean
• Explore the world and make a name for yourself in more than
1,000 missions
• Economy driven by players, who manufacture and sell all
ships and equipment found in the game
• Build, capture, and customize more than 50 historical ships
• Design your own flags and sails
• Choose from 3 different styles of swashbuckling combat –
deadly and formal Fencing, flashy, dual-wielding Florentine or rowdy and
treacherous Dirty Fighting
• Participate in epic sea battles with up to 25 players on a
side
For more information on Pirates of the Burning Sea, log onto
www.piratesoftheburningsea.com
or the community site at www.burningsea.com
The first patch is now available for Medal of Honor: Airborne, updating the
latest installment in the World War II shooter series to version 1.1 (thanks
Planet
Medal of Honor). Word is: "This patch for Medal of Honor Airborne enables
the Dedicated Server, fixes several bugs, and makes some balance changes on the
Anti-Tank Weapon. " The patch is available on the
Medal of Honor:
Airborne Website along with the dedicated server.
GPGnet Forums
offer patch notes for a new version 3269 patch that's now available for Gas
Powered Games' RTS game. Word is the patch includes three new units (one per
faction) along with balance changes, including "an adjustment to the Aeon
Mercy." Manual downloads of the patch are mirrored on
3D Downloads,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
A new behind-the-scenes video for Empire Earth III features gameplay and
interviews with Mad Doc about their upcoming RTS sequel. The clip is available
on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
- Bungie
Bungie
Owns Bungie: The Q&A on Kotaku talks with Brian Jarrard about Bungie's
new relationship with Microsoft that allows them to tell Redmond 'you're not
the boss of me now.' There is also
a Q&A with Brian on this topic on Next Generation.
- Carbine
Q&A: Carbine's high-caliber talent on GameSpot talks with Kevin
Beardslee, Jeremy Gaffney, and Eric DeMilt of the just-announced studio. It's
a lengthy conversation on a variety of topics, though specifics about their
game are not being revealed at this time.
- Hellgate: London
Hellgate:
London - Bill Speaks... on TVG discusses Flagship Studios' upcoming
action/RPG with Bill Roper (thanks
Hellgate IncGamers). The conversation is divided into two parts; one
covering the progress of the game's ongoing beta test, and the other
discussing their controversial multiplayer subscription model.
- Harvey Smith
The
Subversion Game An Interview With Harvey Smith on Gamasutra talks with
the Midway designer about BlackSite: Area 51, as well as the ION Storm days,
Deus Ex, Origin, and more.
- Tabula Rasa
The
Tabula Rasa Q&A on GameSpot talks with Rebekah Tran, mission designer on
Destination Games' upcoming MMORPG, focusing on the game's missions.
- Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor
GameShark's
Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor Q&A chats with Brad
Wardell about Stardock's coming space strategy expansion, covering how it
concludes the series, what the title means, customization, new features, and
more.
- Owen Rubin
Sharing
Space with Owen Rubin on GameAlmighty.com gets retro with the designer
of Space Duel, pointing out this arguably gives him the distinction of being
the father of multiplayer play.
Microsoft announces their relationship with Bungie has "evolved," giving
provenance to rumors that such changes were in the works ( story),
so kudos to 8Bit Joystick for their
scoop. Word is Bungie will regain their independence, Microsoft Game Studios
will continue to hold equity in both Bungie and the Halo series, and that Bungie
will get to work on new projects, though it sounds like they will continue to
contribute to the Halo series and will continue to emphasize Microsoft's
platforms: REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 5, 2007 — Microsoft Corp. today
announced a plan for Bungie Studios, the developers of the Halo franchise, to
embark on a path to become an independent company. Microsoft will retain an
equity interest in Bungie at the same time continuing its long standing
publishing agreement between Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie for the Microsoft
owned “Halo” intellectual property as well as other future properties developed
by Bungie.
The critically acclaimed Xbox 360® exclusive “Halo 3” achieved $300 million in
global sales in its first week. Released on Tuesday, Sept. 25, “Halo 3” is the
fastest-selling video game ever and already one of the most successful
entertainment properties in history.
“Our collaboration with Bungie has resulted in ‘Halo’ becoming an enduring
mainstream hit,” said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game
Studios. “While we are supporting Bungie’s desire to return to its independent
roots, we will continue to invest in our ‘Halo’ entertainment property with
Bungie and other partners, such as Peter Jackson, on a new interactive series
set in the ‘Halo’ universe. We look forward to great success with Bungie as our
long-term relationship continues to evolve through ‘Halo’-related titles and new
IP created by Bungie.”
“This exciting evolution of our relationship with Microsoft will enable us to
expand both creatively and organizationally in our mission to create world-class
games,” said Harold Ryan, studio head for Bungie. “We will continue to develop
with our primary focus on Microsoft’s platforms; we greatly value our mutually
prosperous relationship with our publisher, Microsoft Game Studios, and we look
forward to continuing that affiliation through ‘Halo’ and beyond.”
Bungie Studios will remain in its current location in Kirkland, Wash.
Bungie.net's
Inside Bungie News has more from Bungie on all this.
A playable demo is now available for Escape from Paradise City, offering the
chance to check out this RTS/RPG hybrid. Word is: "This generous demo offers 2
missions of the game for you to play. The first one will allow you to become
accustomed to the gameplay while the second will put you right at the centre of
the action. In this mission, you will have to develop your character, gain
enough experience to take control of the numerous neighbourhoods of the city and
their resources. Do not hesitate to recruit gangsters and henchmen to protect
the key spots of the conquered territories before launching the final assault on
the heavily defended neighbourhood controlled by a dreadful boss know as « The
Rat », one of many bosses that rule over the districts of Paradise City, the
world’s most dangerous city. Welcome to hell!" The 502 MB download can be found
on the
Escape from Paradise City Website, with mirrors on
3D Downloads,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
PixelRage.
A Phoenix from
the Ashes: TUSK Interactive offers news of a new developer formed by former
DICE Canada lead designer Armando “Aj” Marini: London, Ontario, Canada.
October 4, 2007
A year after the demise of DICE Canada through the purchase of DICE by
Electronic Arts, comes news of a new development studio headed up by former DICE
Canada lead designer Armando “Aj” Marini.
Other than the name, TUSK Interactive, little is known of the studio at this
time. It’s a safe bet that given Marini’s track record in multiplayer online
shooters, the new studio may have something on the go in that genre. A recent
job posting on Gamasutra revealed that the studio is searching for a technical
director.
If you’ll recall, DICE New York, formerly known as Trauma Studio was closed down
several years ago. The creators of Desert Combat resurfaced as Kaos Studios with
their game Frontlines: Fuel of War. Could the emergence of TUSK Interactive
signal the appearance of another contender to the crown of best online
multiplayer shooter? Having been so involved with the Battlefield franchise for
so long, could TUSK hold the magic formula to create the ultimate OMFPS? Time
will tell.
Meridian4 announces the North American edition of Alpha Prime is gold, just 10
months after the Czech and Polish editions of Black Element Software's
first-person shooter were declared complete ( story). Word
is: Montreal, Quebec, Canada – October 4, 2007 – Meridian4 today announced
that the updated and improved North American version of IDEA Games’ upcoming
first-person shooter, Alpha Prime, has gone gold and has been sent to
manufacturers. Alpha Prime will be available at retailers across North America
and at leading digital distribution outlets like TotalGaming.net, Steam and
Direct2Drive on November 6 for a suggested price of $19.99.
“Working with IDEA Games and Black Element has been great and all of the
modifications for the North American audience went smoothly. Making Alpha Prime
Vista compatible and adding full screen anti-aliasing has opened the game’s
market and makes the game look fantastic,” said Jeff Giasson, Production
Director at Meridian4. “Together with the visuals and the improved gameplay
tweaks such as auto-aiming when leaning, adding damage when throwing objects and
general combat balancing adjustments, Alpha Prime looks and plays fantastic.”
Somewhere deep in space, on the lifeless asteroid Alpha Prime, something has
gone terribly wrong… The miners were warned that the mysterious element known as
hubbardium was too dangerous to excavate, but the lure of unimaginable wealth
was too strong. Now, something has happened to them and it’s up to the player to
save them and face an unknown threat. Armed with an assortment of hi-tech
weapons and the ability to hack into the station’s own automated defenses, their
mission is simple; get in, get the survivors and get out!
Features of Alpha Prime include:
• Make your way through 10 levels of fast-paced,
unrelenting action including mining station, spaceship hangar, magnetic railway
and asteroid surface.
• Non-playable characters aid you in your mission to save
the miners and get off the asteroid.
• Battle countless enemies including Special Forces
soldiers, robots and deranged miners.
• Unleash your arsenal of 8 futuristic weapons including
pistols, shotguns, machine guns, grenades.
• Use vehicles to move to different locations quickly.
• Hack into devices including robots, surveillance cameras,
security systems, doors, etc.
• Bullet time allows players to temporarily slow down the
action and get the upper hand.
• Connect three screens with Matrox TripleHead2Go™.
For more information about Alpha Prime, visit
http://www.meridian4.com/games/AlphaPrime
For more information about Meridian4 and its products, visit
http://www.meridian4.com.
For more information about IDEA Games, visit
http://www.idea-games.com.
Ubisoft offers
the first patch for Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII, updating the
World War II aerial combat expansion to version 1.01. 26 changes are listed in
the patch notes, all of them addressing bugs and other issues. Thanks The Patches Scrolls.
The official XIII Century: Death
or Glory Website is online as a home to 1C Company's upcoming medieval
strategy game. The site offers information, screenshots, and a gameplay trailer.
IESB.net (thanks
Voodoo Extreme) reports that the status of the planned Gears of War
movie is in doubt: I clarified with my source, the status of Gears of War.
Yes, Chud, Len Wiseman is still on the project currently, but it doesn't look
good, due to the budget concerns the studio has, New Line will most likely not
be moving forward on this film.
In other cancelled movies based on games
news,
Neill Blomkamp talks Halo promos, film's demise on Joystiq confirms that
recent Halo promo videos have nothing to do with the dead Halo film project,
which, like Generalissimo Francisco Franco, is still dead.
- PT Boats: Knights Of The Sea on
Games32.
Thankfully it turned out Hudson the wonder dog did not suffer a skunking last
night, nor was it the Gunnar-man, which is quite a relief. MrsBlue admitted
she'd actually lost track herself of whether the doggies were inside or outside,
and went on a quick hunt herself when she caught wind of the skunking. Anyway,
someone got it pretty badly last night… that vaguely sweet skunk smell you
sometimes encounter while driving is the result of an unfortunate skunk also
encountering someone who was driving and ended up as road-kill. The smell of
something or someone that's been sprayed is so much nastier and more powerful
that MrsBlue and I were both fairly nauseated just from what was wafting in the
window, reinforcing our happiness that the dogs were not the victims this time
(amid our gagging).
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