|
|
 |
Archived News:
Ubisoft confirms new Prince of Persia in fiscal '08 is based on
Ubisoft's
third quarter financials that reveal plans for a new installment in the
Prince of Persia series in their fiscal 2008-2009 year, which begins in April.
No other details are provided, but there are some purported early screenshots
and speculation on Surfer Girl
Reviews Star Wars where the game is referred to as Prince of Persia
4/0/Ghosts of the Past, said to be currently in development at Ubisoft Montreal.
Battlefield Heroes is slated for release in the US and Europe, but not other
territories according to a report on
Kotaku Australia where they quote EA Australia. They were not provided a
reason for this, and they also point out that it may be difficult to enforce
territorial restrictions for a game that can be downloaded for free. They also
state that this was qualified with a "for the moment," suggesting that this may
change down the road. It also seems possible that this is another
miscommunication, as this game will continue to be the subject of speculation
(like the whole perspective issue - ( story and
story)) until further official details are released.
Gamasutra
has a report based on THQ's 2008 fiscal guidance saying the publisher has
dropped both the Juiced and Stuntman franchises, closed Concrete Studios
(cancelling their unannounced game), and killed the PS3 port of Frontlines Fuel of
War. Some of these moves seem financially motivated, though they note that THQ
CEO Brian Farrell was already on record expressing disappointment in the quality
of Juiced and Stuntman.
A new Turok "Compound" movie shows off weaponry from the upcoming return
of the dinosaur hunter. The clip is available from
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell. Also, "Awakening The Giants: The Making of Turok" is part three of a
six-part "making of" documentary, word is it "includes never-before-seen footage
of gameplay and developer interviews with Propaganda Games." This movie can be
found on AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
- Age of Conan
All
About Items on Ten Ton Hammer is a Q&A with Joel Bylos, Thorbjørn Olsen,
Mats Tveita, and Thomas C.M. Lindseth of Funcom about Age of Conan. As the
article's title suggests, the conversation centers around items in their
upcoming MMORPG. Also, the
Age of Conan Class and Raid Interview with Designer Evan Michaels on Ten Ton
Hammer covers the game's take on class and raiding.
- Anarchy Online
The
Anarchy Online New Engine Q&A on MMORPG.COM talks with Craig Morrison of
Funcom about their just-announced plan to update the graphics in Anarchy
Online, their science fiction MMORPG.
- Spiderweb Software
The
Spiderweb Software Q&A on GameBanshee talks with Jeff Vogel, president
of the independent developer about life as an indie and about the Avernum
and Geneforge series.
- Elf Online
RPG
Vault's Elf Online Q&A hears from William Lan about Elf Online, the
cartoony MMORPG created by Chinese developer Wonderzone, transplanted
westward by Happymmo. Also, there are some
Elf Online screenshots on FileFront. Update: The name of the interviewee was changed after this article was posted.
French site NoFrag asked
EA France about last night's indications that Battlefield Heroes will be
third-person only ( story). According to their contact, the game
will feature both first- and third-person perspectives, depending on the
gameplay situation. They say they expect DICE to offer more details soon to put Battlefield Heroes' perspective in perspective.
Bulgarian developers Masthead Studios announce development of Earthrise, an
independently developed post-apocalyptic science fiction MMORPG intended for
release in 2009. The Earthrise Website
is live, offering information and screenshots, and here's the press
release: January 23, 2008 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Masthead Studios, the
innovative independent game development studio based in Bulgaria, is proud to
announce its debut MMO Earthrise, a post-apocalyptic science fiction title
slated to release in 2009.
In the aftermath of a catastrophic third world war, Earth lies in ruin, and
mankind is all but extinct. In a small corner of the world a new society has
risen in the years following, populated mostly by the clones of those stored in
a massive DNA database compiled at the end of the war. A corporate government
has created a seemingly Utopian civilization, but its heavy-handed control over
society, its resources, and even life itself has forced a substantial
opposition. These rival factions accuse the government of crimes against
humanity in its rampant willingness to abuse the cloning process to its own
gain. It is at this crossroads that players will find themselves: fight as a
champion of the new world order, or take up arms with Noir, the shadow
government sworn to overthrow the totalitarian rule.
Masthead has employed its own engine to craft the stunning graphics and
atmosphere in the game, as well as to handle its dynamic combat mechanics.
Explore the diverse and sprawling capital city of Sal Vitas and surrounding
unclaimed territories. Fight with advanced PvP mechanics featuring customizable
power armor, huge mechanized exoskeletons, and an arsenal of weapons to control
contested lands and their resources. Influence the market-based economy by
working for the corporate world or trading on the black market, all based in
immense and highly customized crafting and offline play systems. Players will
shape the society in the beginning of a new mankind; or they will create their
own dystopia.
“This will change the way we play sci-fi MMOs,” said Atanas Atanasov, CEO of
Masthead Studios. “Our team is creating a game that will introduce the next
innovative approach to the genre, and we feel to MMOs themselves. We based the
game in a vision of society’s future, where the technology and economics of
today have ensured an unavoidable cataclysm. Earthrise won’t be just an MMO, but
an experience in a new, never-before-imagined post-apocalyptic world.”
Further information, initial concept art, game lore and a growing community
around Earthrise are now available at
www.play-earthrise.com.
Paradox Interactive announces they will publish City Life 2008 in North America
in May: New York, USA (January 23, 2008) - Publisher Paradox Interactive
announced today that it has signed the next-generation city builder, City Life
Edition 2008, for the North American market. Scheduled for release in May, 2008,
the title will be available in retail stores as well as for digital download via
GamersGate.
The original City Life was praised for bringing originality to the city building
simulation genre and the title managed to carve out its own niche in the genre.
City Life Edition 2008 brings as much originality and detail as its predecessor,
and the 3D game engine with its detail and animation promises total freedom of
construction. Several new features have been added, including:
- 60 new buildings making it a total of 360 buildings
- 10 new maps
- An updated editor with the possibility to import real life satellite maps
Matrix Games offers a
the first patch for Close Combat – Modern Tactics, updating the military strategy game to an unnumbered new version. Word is: "This hefty new update
includes plenty of new units both on the ground and in the air in addition a
number of other tweaks and AI improvements."
Funcom
announces the launch of a new tiered subscription system for Anarchy Online that
ranges from free-to-play to a $14.95 monthly fee. The announcement also includes
word that a graphic upgrade is in the works for the science fiction MMORPG, and
a video showing off the new engine is on the
Anarchy Online Website.
Kerberos Productions
announces development of NorthStar, a science fiction RPG set in a different
continuity than their Sword of the Stars 4X games. NorthStar is described by
Kerberos CEO Martin Cirulis as being "...about putting the rogue back in your
wingcommander." A
NorthStar Forum is already live to foster discussion of the project, and
offers a few details, including word that combat will be more tactical than
flight sim (it sounds like ship navigation may be third-person), there will be
an emphasis on exploration and trade,
cooperative multiplayer support will be offered, and more. Most of what's
been revealed about the game is summarized
on this page,
while this page
offers some concept art and the following list of features:
• Countless RPG missions, nested with story-specific missions, that take place
on ships, spacestations, planets, and moons! Shoot it out in ship-to-ship combat
or shoot it out on the ground as you and your crew try and make a living!
• Faction-based reputation in dealing with various groups
expanding throughout the stars, each modeled as the future, fictional version of
Earth nations!
• Massive amounts of cargo that the you can trade, sell, or
use for yourself, including combining items to produce new items to trade, sell
or use! Map new planets in the air and then explore the surface with your crew
for your own purposes or to make a little extra cash from land-hungry colonists!
• Dozens of ship classes, each with expandable levels of
technology - which are reflected in the ship models, weapons and combat effects.
Dozens of weapons and technology players can outfit their ship with in order to
fly further, fast, carry more cargo, and protect themselves better!
• And more!
A new PC
Gamer Blog excerpted on
Computer
and Video Games has details on plans for the upcoming changes Valve has
planned for Team Fortress 2. The update describes unlockable weapon loadouts for
the medic class designed to rebalance the game, and word is a number of other
unlockable loadouts will follow.
This press
release announces the launch of Manifest Destiny, an expansion for Sword Of
The New World: Granado Espada, K2 Network's exploration -themed MMORPG. The free
content expansion includes five new playable characters, new maps and zones, as
well as new in-game events and store items.
Brazil bans popular video games seen to incite violence (thanks Omar and
The Register) reports that Counter-Strike and EverQuest are no longer legal
to sell in the South American nation of Brazil as of January 17. It's a little
surprising that this action has been taken over games first released in 1999,
especially since Brazil made a point of passing similar legislation over several
games back in that year ( story), banning the sale of DOOM,
Mortal Kombat, Requiem, Blood, Postal, and Duke Nukem. The bans were ordered by a Brazilian federal court decision in October 2007 that was not implemented at
that time. The games are described in the story as inciting violence, "harmful
to consumer's health," and the judge who ruled on the case is quoted as saying
they promote "the subversion of public order, were an attack against the
democratic state and the law and against public security." As to why, the story
offers anecdotal reports of game addiction and gold pharming, but the clearest
point is made about a Counter-Strike modification that strikes close to home:
"An adapted version in Brazil permitted players to take on the perspective of
either a police officer or a narcotrafficker in Rio de Janeiro's infamously
crime-ridden slums."
The Grand Chase Website is online as a
teaser to this upcoming online action game by Korean developer KOG. Word is open
beta testing for the free-to-play game will begin by the end of this month.
A new
blog post by Bruce Shelley offers details on plans for an upcoming patch for
Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties (thanks Gamer's Hell). The patch will address
balance issues: After several months on the market the China civilization
is the most popular, especially in any tournament where prize money is involved.
Expert China players are able to get a sizable army engaged within six minutes
and are hard to stop at that point. If China is not available to play, then the
Dutch or the Sioux are popular alternatives, which is interesting because that
gives us one strong civilization at this point from the original game and each
expansion pack.
Addressing the balance issues that favor China will be a major focus of a
forthcoming TAD patch. At this point we have no critical technical bugs in the
game. We anticipate releasing a combination balance and technical patch near the
end of this winter season. Thereafter we will split the process into patches for
either balance or technical problems, as needed. That will help us get any
needed balance patches out faster.
The Ultima 6 Project Homepage offers
downloads of Milestone 4 of The Ultima 6 Project, a modification for Dungeon
Siege (1) for PC and Macs. As implied by the name, this project is another
attempt to follow the path of the Ultima series (this is a "sister" project to
Ultima V: Lazarus). The
U6
Project Interview on RPGWatch talks with Jesse 'Zephyr' Strachman about the
project, delving into details about development and gameplay.
Two new Pirate Hunter product sections are live,
one here and the
other here, each
site offers a different batch of new screenshots. Also, teaser sites are live
for Blood Bowl and
Dracula Origin, though each only
offers a lone piece of concept art. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
SOE Director talks
EverQuest, Pirates of the Burning Sea and MMOs on HEXUS.gaming chats with
John Hayase of SOE's San Diego studio about their MMORPG offerings, including
both EverQuest games and their just-launched Pirates of the Burning Sea.
It was seven years ago that Sega confirmed its commitment to the Dreamcast,
which was, of course, the death knell for their last bit of console hardware.
R.I.P.
|
Twitter 
