Archived News:
Thursday, Jan 24, 2008
UT3 Beta Patch Change List [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 20 Comments
BeyondUnreal has posted a change list
for an unreleased beta of Patch 2 for Unreal Tournament III. The extensive list
includes changes affecting gameplay, the UI, networking, server administration,
maps, and AI. Bugs will be fix, balance issues will be addressed and more in
this update, which will also raise the players allowed variable to a maximum of
64.
Conflict: Denied Ops Movie [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Computer
and Video Games offers what they are calling an exclusive movie showing off
Conflict: Denied Ops, Pivotal Games' upcoming co-op shooter once known by the
title Crossfire. The clip runs about 80 seconds, offering a mix of live action
and gameplay footage, concluding with an affirmation that the game is still due
next month. Interestingly, the lip-synching on the dialog in the live action
footage is inferior to what is seen in many current game engines.
C&C3: Kane's Wrath Trailer [8:00 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
The
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars Website offers a new cinematic trailer
for Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, the upcoming C&C3 expansion. The new
clip, dated ten days ago for some reason, is available in high definition as a
17.2 MB download, which is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro, and
Gamer's Hell.
Crysis Soundtrack Next Week [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 16 Comments
Sumthing Digital
announces they will be
releasing the soundtrack from Crysis worldwide on January 29 as both a CD and a
digital download, saying: "The CRYSIS Original Soundtrack features over an
hour of original orchestral music written and conducted by award-winning film,
television and video game composer Inon Zur and performed by the Northwest
Sinfonia Orchestra." There's no word on whether you'll need up upgrade your CD
player in order to play it.
Evening Q&As [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments
- Anarchy Online: Shadowlands
The Anarchy Online: Shadowlands Q&A on IncGamers chats up Craig Morrison of Funcom about their science-fiction MMORPG. They discuss various aspects of the game, but it's not clear when the conversation took place, as at one point Craig says he does not think AO will ever go the free-to-play route, in spite of yesterday's announcement that free-to-play is one of the game's new subscription models (story). - Angels Online
RPG Vault's Angels Online Interview - Part 1 kicks off a conversation with Joyce Zhou and Daniel Wang about Angels Online, UserJoy's free-to-play "cute, anime-styled 2D MMORPG set against a backdrop of the fight between Angels and Devils."
Evening Previews [8:00 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Age of Conan on GameSpot and WarCry Network.
- Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March on Computer and Video Games.
Evening Screenshots [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
- Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason on AtomicGamer.
- Disciples III: Renaissance on Akella Website. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
- Lost Empire: Immortals on FileFront.
- Mount and Blade on AtomicGamer.
- Sacred 2: Fallen Angel on GameInfoWire.
- Tabula Rasa on FileFront.
- Warriors Orochi on GameInfoWire.
Op Ed [8:00 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Gatherings & Competitions [8:00 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Tech Bits [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
Evening Consolidation [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 24 Comments
- Demo: Devil May Cry 4 on Xbox LIVE.
- GH III Classic Rock Track Pack on Xbox LIVE. Peace of Mind, Juke Box Hero, and Any Way You Want It.
- Harmonix: Standalone Rock Band Peripherals Ship Next Month.
- Xbox Division Posts First-Half Profit.
- Rockstar: PS3 Contributed to GTA IV Delay.
- Reeves: PS3 will overtake 360 by summer.
- Alarm für Cobra 11 - Crash Time announced for Xbox 360. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
- Alone in the Dark Xbox 360 Screenshots.
etc., etc. [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments
- WoW, Sims Dominate Top 10 PC Games of '07…
- WarCry Network's LotRO Developer Chat Log…
- Stratics' Star Wars Galaxies House of Commons Chat Log…
- Study: $425 Million Invested in Virtual Worlds for Q4 2007…
- Linux Majority in ET:QW? Thanks Ant. I'm guessing there's an error in that calculation somewhere…
Into the Black [8:00 pm ET] – Share – 6 Comments
Bond 22 Is "Quantum Of
Solace" (thanks Ant). An interesting choice, considering Casino Royale
is probably the movie in the Bond series most faithful to the book upon which
it's based. While Quantum of Solace is one of Ian Fleming's few remaining
unused titles, those who have read For Your Eyes Only (a collection of
Quantum of Solace and four other short stories) can tell you this Bond story
is unique in that it features no action at all, and is not even a spy yarn, it
is about a story of domestic non-bliss related to Bond by a fellow guest at a
dinner party.
| A Quantum of Links! | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez. |
| Play: | Gem Tower Defense. |
| Links of the Evening: |
Evolution Explains Why Lolcats Control Your Mind. The Clover Coffee Machine. Now I know what I want for Christmas. 10 stunning ultra-geeky home cinemas. Thanks Neatorama. Wow! |
| Story: | Snail Mail Takes Literal Meaning in Poland. Thanks brother19. |
| Science: |
F-16s at Scene of U.F.O. Sighting in Texas. Thanks Neutronbeam. Fill ‘er up, with oranges? Astronomers watch asteroids streaking toward Earth, Mars. |
| Media: | Tyler Hansbrough Dunk on 7'7" Kenny George. Boo-yah! |
| Follow-ups: | Networks tighten wallets, make more cuts. |
Far Cry 2 Rumors Debunked [5:35 pm ET] – Share – 18 Comments
The Far Cry 2 Developers Blog
features a video of Far Cry 2 Creative Director Clint Hocking addressing some
rumors they've caught wind of about
Far Cry 2, Ubisoft's upcoming sequel to Crytek's first-person shooter
(thanks Gamer's Hell). In answer to reports that some of the game's enemies and possibly
even its protagonist would have some sort of mutation they unequivocally state
the game will contain no mutants whatsoever. Also concerned over reports that
Far Cry 2 will be a PlayStation 3 exclusive, they clarify that the game will be
released simultaneously for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.
The Experiment Next Month [4:24 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
The Adventure Company announces February 5, 2008 as the release date for
The
Experiment, the recently revealed (story) North American
edition of Lexis Numérique's adventure game known as Experience 112 in Europe.
Here is the description of the game that accompanies the announcement:
Begin your innovative shared adventure in what appears to be a deserted old ship, grounded ashore on a beautiful Pacific island. You mysteriously find yourself in the ship’s operations room faced with a highly advanced panel of controls, surveillance monitors, and a wide array of sophisticated technology. As you watch the monitors for other signs of life, you discover a woman. Unable to find a way to communicate with her directly, you realize that you are her only hope. She needs your help.
The problem is, you too are being held prisoner by an unseen captor. Soon you come to realize that the only way to escape is to help one another. But… who are you? Who is she? Why do you control both your fates? Is escape from this floating prison your only goal, or is there a more cryptic scheme?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky S.T.E.A.M. Plans [4:01 pm ET] – Share – 18 Comments
Valve announces S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be digitally distributed
exclusively via Steam worldwide, with the digital release of GSC Game World's
first-person shooter prequel to coincide with its appearance on retail shelves.
The announcement concludes saying S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is currently slated
for release later this year, so we've asked GSC Game World if this means the
game will miss its announced Q1 2008 release date (story), but
have not yet received a reply. Valve has put up a
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky Product Section on the Steam Website that features
some new screenshots.
PC Grand Theft Auto IV in October? [3:11 pm ET] – Share – 38 Comments
French site JeuXpo.com
reports they've seen indications that Grand Theft Auto IV is going
to appear for PCs in Europe this October (thanks Gamer's Hell). The story is said to be
based on retail plans, but there is no source offered, and even game release
information from identified retailers is not always accurate, so we'll just have
to file this under hopeful rumor for the time being.
The Settlers: Empire of the East Revealed [3:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
The German-language Settlers Homepage
reveals plans for Empire of the East, an upcoming expansion for The Settlers:
Rise Of An Empire, the latest installment in Blue Byte's series of strategy
management games (thanks Gamer's Hell). The expansion is slated for release in March
2008 (in German-speaking territories, at least), and will offer a new territory
(India), a new character, new buildings, a new geologist profession, new items,
and more.
PC Warriors Orochi in March [3:11 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments
Koei Forums
point the way to a Japanese Warriors
Orochi Webpage that shows that PC and PSP editions of
Warriors Orochi are in the works.
Gamer's Hell contacted Koei and learned this Dynasty Warriors/Samurai Warriors hybrid is
indeed coming to both platforms this March, and that the game will be released
at that time in North America as well as Japan.
Mercenaries 2 Delay? [3:11 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Amazon.com and
Gamestop.com are both now listing an August 25, 2008 release date for
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (thanks
Shacknews), suggesting
another delay to Pandemic's open-world action sequel that was last projected for
release this quarter (story). As noted in the GTA4 story above,
retailers are not always accurate about these things (that said, the game's last
delay was indeed revealed by retail listings), but this new date appears for all
platforms on both sites (with the exception of
Amazon.com's PC-DVD listing, which lists an April 8 release in what may be
an oversight), so it seems likely that this is based on new information they've
received about the game's scheduling.
Tarr Chronicles Prequel [11:20 am ET] – Share – 5 Comments
This Russian-language product
section offers one bit of English, revealing Tarr Chronicles: Sign of Pride
as the title of an upcoming follow-up to Tarr Chronicles, the space combat game.
Developer Quazar Studio's
Russian Website for the game is also live, but Gamer's Hell dug up some English
skinny, learning that the game is a prequel, set about 100 years prior to the events
in Tarr Chronicles. English websites and further information are expected soon.
It looks like the project's release date is first quarter of this year.
Kohnke & Perpetual Settle [11:19 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Shacknews reports that
Kohnke Communication has dropped it lawsuit against Perpetual Entertainment that
alleged breach of contract, fraudulent transfer, and fraud, among other things
(story). This follows shortly after Perpetual called the legal
action "vague, uncertain, ambiguous and unintelligible" (story).
Part of the settlement of this suit is an agreement to not discuss details about
this, so we'll likely hear no more about the allegations contained within the PR
firm's lawsuit against the former Star Trek Online developer that one of their
roles in promoting the now-canceled Gods & Heroes was "convincing reviewers to
write positive reviews" (story), a statement they later said was
a typo (story), which, if they are to be believed, was apparently
meant to read 'convincing previewers to write positive previews.'
Unreal Engine 3 Customers Subpoenaed [11:19 am ET] – Share – 33 Comments
In other legal wranglings,
Shacknews also reports that "multiple Unreal Engine 3 licensees have been
served with subpoenas" related to Silicon Knight's lawsuit over Epic's support
for the game engine (story). This is apparently an effort at
digging into details of the contacts involved, which is normally confidential
information, and it's possible that this could lead to this info becoming public.
They have a quote from Epic's Mark Rein about this: "I'm leaving the litigation
to the lawyers but, if this is the case, I'd like to apologize to any of our
licensees who Silicon Knights have inconvenienced. We know that, like us, they
just want to make great games."
Gold - NA SunAge [11:19 am ET] – Share – 6 Comments
Lighthouse Interactive and Vertex4 announce the North American edition of
SunAge is gold, and the science
fiction real-time strategy game is due in North American stores by the end of
this month:
Toronto, Canada – January 24, 2008 – Leading publisher Lighthouse Interactive and developer Vertex4 today announced that the highly anticipated North American version of their dynamic sci-fi real-time strategy game SunAge has gone gold and will begin shipping to major retail stores across Canada and the US on January 28, 2008. A bilingual French/English version will be released in Canada for Francophone fans. SunAge is an energetic RTS game that offers a unique experience, bringing modern innovation to the isometric style of real-time strategy. This PC CD-ROM game is Windows® Vista™ compatible. Erik Schreuder, CEO of Lighthouse Interactive said, “We are proud to bring SunAge to RTS fans across North America. This version includes upgrades and enhancements that were not included in the European releases. SunAge brings a mature and refreshing new take on the RTS genre and introduces some great new features that will appeal to many strategy fans. We’re thrilled to see that SunAge lives up to its promise.”
“SunAge has been a labor of love. The forums have been very active with a lot of positive feedback from fans in the UK, Scandinavia, Benelux and Italy, who have been playing the game since its European release in November 2007. We’re excited to finally bring SunAge to fellow RTS fans in Canada and the US,” said Roman Pfneudl, CEO of Vertex4. “The game has become so much more than I anticipated and we think SunAge has a lot to offer gamers who love to play real-time strategy games as much as we do. We look forward to hearing their feedback and will continue to support the game.”
SunAge is the modern day answer for RTS fans who want the best possible overview on their troops, while trying to outsmart opponents in frantic battles where strategy and tactics are more important than ever. If you are a core real-time strategy gamer, SunAge is for you!
Mount & Blade to Stores [11:19 am ET] – Share – 8 Comments
Paradox Interactive announces Mount & Blade is heading to stores this year,
after being on sale on
GamersGate for some time now, which apparently has been a beta all along.
They say: "After several years in BETA, the game is close to completion and
scheduled for a worldwide release during Q2, 2008." Here's a bit more:
Mount&Blade is a single-player, third- or first-person action/role-playing game with a focus on medieval combat. Developed by the Turkish development house TaleWorlds Entertainment, the BETA version of the game has received acclaim worldwide by gamers impressed by everything from the realistic horseback combat to the sandbox gameplay. The latter enables players to roam the map freely in a medieval world that offers options ranging from hunting down bandits, trading for profit in the game's deep economical system and becoming a commander and taking part in the wars ultimately becoming a great lord of the realm.
Europa Universalis 3: Napoleon's Ambition Patch [11:19 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
The
Paradox Interactive Forums has word on a new patch for Europa Universalis 3:
Napoleon's Ambition, updating the RTS expansion to version 2.2. The update
is available automatically from within the game, while a manual patch for the
Gamer's Gate edition of the game is on
The Patches
Scrolls.
Battleground Civil War Patch [11:19 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Matrix Games offers a
patch for John Tiller’s Battleground Civil War to bring the historical wargame
to version 1.01. Word is: "The update fixes an issue where a few Bull Run and
Antietam scenarios were not showing up in the scenario selection window." The
patch is available on
this downloads
page.
Morning Screenshots [11:19 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
- Precursors on the Official Website. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
- Sacred 2: Fallen Angel on the Akella Website. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
Game Guidance [11:18 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- The Hellgate London Database on MMO DB is live.
Help Wanted [11:18 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Zoonami is hiring. They are
located in Cambridge, UK "working on a 2D game with a novel visual style."
Thanks Gamer's Hell.
Morning Consolidation - GTA4 Dated [11:18 am ET] – Share – 15 Comments
Thanks Mike Martinez.
- Release Date for Grand Theft Auto IV For Xbox 360 And Playstation 3 Announced.
- Nintendo says profit nearly doubles in first three quarters.
- Mario Themes Compilation. Thanks Ant and ClassicGaming.
- Virtual games a hit among retired US seniors.
- Wii-habilitation at Ohio State.
- Rock Band: EA Customer Service So Awful, So Awesome.
- GTA IV Impressions on AusGamers.com.
- Grand Theft Auto IV preview on Play.TM.
- FIFA STREET 3 Xbox 360 Screenshots.
Morning Tech Bits [11:18 am ET] – Share – 8 Comments
Thanks Mike Martinez.
- NVIDIA 3-Way SLI Performance Preview on HotHardware. With Crysis benchmarks.
- Isaiah revealed: VIA's new low-power architecture on Ars Technica.
- VIA Isaiah Processor Architecture Preview - Low Power CPU on PC Perspective.
- What would you do with a Million Quad Cores? on HEXUS.tv. "Isn't that worth dying for?"
- Fire-proof hard drives that can take 1,550 degrees ?!?!?! on HEXUS.tv.
- Japan looks to step beyond HD. HD is so 2007.
Morning Mobilization [11:18 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Morning Metaverse [11:18 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Thanks Mike Martinez.
- Mutilated Furries, Flying Phalluses Put the Blame on Griefers, the Sociopaths of the Virtual World.
- The IE7 auto-rollout fact and fiction.
- MySpace, BBC reach global video deal.
- Yahoo discussing online music deals report.
- Digital music sales up worldwide.
- Australia wild party child turns party pro.
- Internet delivers lollipop scorpions to Australia. Forget "brown" call the internet for deliveries.
Morning Safety Dance [11:18 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Digital picture frames infected with virus. Thanks brother19.
Morning Legal Brief [11:18 am ET] – Share – 1 Comment
- EU set to warn Germany over gaming market. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Thursday Game Reviews [11:17 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Hellgate: London on Gaming Heaven.
- Rail Simulator on Gaming Heaven.
- Sam & Max - Season 2: Episode 2: Moai Better Blues on GameZone and Strategy Informer.
- Universe at War: Earth Assault on Computer and Video Games.
- The Witcher on AnandTech. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Thursday Hardware Reviews [11:17 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- ATI Radeon HD 3450 HTPC Video Card on I4U News.
- ATI Radeon HD 3450 and Radeon HD 3650 Video Cards on Legit Reviews.
- Crucial Ballistix PC3-12800 2GB DDR3 RAM Kit on Overclock3D.Net.
- Foxconn P35AP-S Motherboard on MADSHRIMPS.
- Fujitsu LifeBook S6510 Laptop on Digital Trends.
- HP w2408h 'Vivid Color' 24" Monitor on TrustedReviews.
- Inno3D GeForce 8800 GT iCHill Edition Cooler on Overclocker Cafe.
- Kingston 19-in-1 Media Reader on DriverHeaven.net.
- Kingwin Mach 1 ABT-800MA1S 800W Modular PSU on Benchmark Reviews.
- NVIDIA Enthusiast System Architecture on PC Perspective.
- Patriot Viper Fin DDR3 PC3 12800 2 x 1 GB RAM on Overclockers Club.
- Powercolor HD3650 Extreme PCS Video Card on Overclock3D.Net.
- Samsung SyncMaster 275T TFT LCD Monitor on LAN Addict.
- Scythe Quiet Drive on Overclock3D.Net.
- Thermaltake Max 4 Active Cooling HDD Enclosure on Techware Labs.
- Wolfking Warrior XXtreme Controller on bit-tech.net.
- VIZO Ninja II Notebook Cooler on Top Review Shop.
- Xigmatek MAC-S3501 DDR-DDR2 Memory Heatspreaders on FrostyTech.com.
etc. [11:17 am ET] – Share – 3 Comments
Out of the Blue [11:17 am ET] – Share – 36 Comments
Is it just me, or does synchronizing one's computer clock online using the
internet time function under Windows XP no longer work at all? I mentioned
having trouble with this some time ago, but that was solved by finding a new
time server with which to synch. This time, however, I have not been able to find
any way to get this to work, and of course, it is vitally important that my clock
be accurate to the split-second with atomic clock accuracy because…
because… Well, okay, it's not that important, but it's still bugging me.
| Timely Links! | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez. |
| Play: |
Space Creeps. Would You Eat Your Buddies in a Blizzard? 39%? Really? |
| Stories: |
Scary movie making viewers sick. Thanks brother19. Big Theft Ends in Shackles for a Young Goth Couple. Thanks Neutronbeam. |
| Science: | Doctors report transplant breakthrough. |
| Image: | Come on, dis one is a warp. |
| Media: | Upright Citizens Brigade gives us ... Life Frite. |
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