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Archived News:
The Shadowbane Website
(thanks nin and
Wired/ TenTonHammer)
has details on Patch 22 for this MMOG that both went free-to-play
( story) and killed its developer ( story) shortly
after launch. The update includes details on what's new and different in the
patch, but also reveals that its launch will coincide with a complete wipe of
every character and item in the game: The Shadowbane Team decided that it
would be best for the longevity of the game to reset all server and character
data and start from scratch. By doing so, the game benefits in a variety of
ways. First, we feel the community will be better served by being more
consolidated and less fragmented. Second, resetting the game removes items that
have accumulated over the years that have caused imbalances to the game. In
addition, numerous updates and enhancements have been made to the Shadowbane
service to improve the performance. Some of the changes were not as effective
due to preexisting data and resetting the service will allow the servers to work
under optimal conditions. Finally, this update also gives us a chance to address
certain game issues.
OGPlanet announces that open beta testing for the US edition of
CABAL Online is to begin on
February 1. Word is: "Made world-famous for its high-octane attack system, CABAL
allows for combination-based fighting and a whole new type of player vs. player
combat. Consistent with the OGPlanet model, CABAL will be free to play, with the
option to purchase in-game items and features." On a related note,
RPG Vault's Cabal
Online Q&A - Part 1 discusses the project with David Hoffman and Sean
Mackay.
Analyst:
Spore To Be Delayed To Fall/Winter 2008? on Gamasutra has a release
prediction from Mike Hickey of Investment Bank Janco Partners, who says Spore is
delayed: "we now expect in [the second half of 2008], versus management guidance
for March/April." Take this for what you will, other recent predictions from
this analyst include things like
BioShock Is Coming to PS2, Wii, and handhelds, that
Take-Two Interactive will be acquired, and
not to
expect any further fallout from hot coffee "except on the officer side."
- Turning Point: Fall of Liberty
The
Turning Point: Fall of
Liberty Website offers a new trailer from the upcoming alternate-history
game, word is: "The trailer opens with a harrowing voiceover, followed by
scenes of the initial Nazi invasion of the USA and the resultant devastation
that this causes, before finally focussing on the valiant attempts made by
Dan Carson and the resistance to fight back against the German oppressors."
The clip is mirrored on
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell.
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm
THQ
Germany offers two new trailers from Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War -
Soulstorm, showing off the upcoming standalone expansion for Relic's
Warhammer RTS game. The clips are mirrored on
FileFront and
Gamer's Hell.
- Tiberium
The cinematic trailer for Tiberium, is now
available for download after a streaming version appeared on
Gametrailers ten days ago (story). The trailer can
be found on
AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell.
- Tarr Chronicles: Sign of Pride
The
Russian Tarr Chronicles
Website offers a new Russian trailer for Tarr Chronicles: Sign of Pride,
the upcoming space combat prequel. The clip is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell.
- Turok
The fourth installment in the series of "making of"
movies from Turok offers further insights into the construction of the game.
The trailer is available on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell.
Stardock announces Sins of a Solar Empire is gold, and that Ironclad Games' 4X
real-time strategy game will appear in North American stores on February 4:
PLYMOUTH, MI -- JANUARY 29, 2008 -- Stardock announced that its new PC
strategy game, Sins of a Solar Empire, has gone gold. Developed by Ironclad
Games, Sins of a Solar Empire is a real-time strategy game that adds an extreme
amount of depth normally only seen in turn-based games. The game will be
released digitally on Stardock’s digital download service, TotalGaming.net (www.totalgaming.net)
and will be available at most retail outlets in North America on February 4. The
game lists for $39.95. A collector’s edition is available directly from
TotalGaming.net for $49.95 and includes a CD sound track, a poster, and other
non-game content.
“What’s amazing about Sins is that thanks to its innovative user interface,
there’s very little micro-management needed which allowed Ironclad to integrate
features like diplomacy, culture, more sophisticated economics, and unique tech
trees per race,” said Brad Wardell, president & CEO of Stardock. “This gives the
player more time for action sequences and more time to produce, create and
upkeep their race in order to most effectively conquer the universe.”
Stardock and developer Ironclad collaborated for over a year to optimize the
game mechanics to ensure that the game would have both an outstanding
multiplayer and single player experience for players. Multiplayer games can be
saved and resumed later allowing for far more epic games than typically seen in
an RTS. Single player games, by contrast, features near-human AI which makes
single player game play as invigorating as multiplayer.
With innovative features such as the empire tree (which allows players to manage
all their ships and planets on-screen at once) and the ability to put bounties
on other players to encourage pirates and others to attack them, Sins of a Solar
Empire is set to bring a new milestone to the genre.
Visit
http://www.sinsofasolarempire.com for more information and pre-order
information.
Valve announces the release of Steamworks free of charge, offering developers
and publishers the game publishing tools used for Half-Life 2 and The Orange
Box. Steamworks allows for copy protection, stats tracking, auto-updates, voice
communication, and more: January 29, 2008 - Valve, creators of
best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and Counter-Strike) and leading
technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announce Steamworks, a complete
suite of publishing and development tools - ranging from copy protection to
social networking services to server browsing - is now available free of charge
to developers and publishers worldwide.
Steamworks, the same suite of tools used in best-selling PC titles Half-Life
2 and The Orange Box, is available for all PC games distributed via retail and
leading online platforms such as Steam. The services included in Steamworks may
be used a la carte or in any combination.
Specifically, Steamworks offers:
· Real-time stats on sales, gameplay, and product activation:
Know exactly how well your title is selling before the charts are released. Find
out how much of your game is being played. Login into your Steamworks account
pages and view up to the hour information regarding worldwide product
activations and player data.
· State of the art encryption system: Stop paying to have
your game pirated before it's released. Steamworks takes anti-piracy to a new
level with strong encryption that keeps your game locked until the moment it is
released.
· Territory/version control: The key-based authentication
provided in Steamworks also provides territory/version controls to help curb
gray market importing and deliver territory-specific content to any given
country or region.
· Auto updating: Insures all customers are playing the latest
and greatest version of your games.
· Voice chat: Available for use both in and out of game.
· Multiplayer matchmaking: Steamworks offers you all the
multiplayer backend and matchmaking services that have been created to support
Counter-Strike and Team Fortress 2, the most played action games in the world.
· Social networking services: With support for achievements,
leaderboards, and avatars, Steamworks allows you to give your gamers as many
rewards as you would like, plus support for tracking the world's best
professional and amateur players of your game.
· Development tools: Steamworks allows you to administer
private betas which can be updated multiple times each day. Also includes data
collection tools for QA, play testing, and usability studies.
"Developers and publishers are spending more and more time
and money cobbling together all the tools and backend systems needed to build
and launch a successful title in today's market," said Gabe Newell, president of
Valve. "Steamworks puts all those tools and systems together in one free
package, liberating publishers and developers to concentrate on the game instead
of the plumbing."
"As more developers and publishers have embraced Steam as a
leading digital distribution channel, we've heard a growing number of inquiries
regarding the availability of the platform's services and tools," said Jason
Holtman, director business development at Valve. "Offering Steamworks is part of
our ongoing efforts to support the needs of game developers and our publishing
partners."
Steam is a leading platform for the delivery and management
of PC games and digital content. With over 13 million active accounts and more
than 250 games, plus hundreds of movie files and game demos available, Steam has
become a frequent destination for millions of gamers around the world.
For more information regarding Steamworks, please visit
www.steamgames.com/steamworks.
To find out about more about Steamworks contact
jasonh@valvesoftware.com
The
Bonus Mission Pack page on the Guild Wars website announces the release of
the Bonus Mission Pack for Guild Wars (thanks Gamer's Hell) for online sale and
download. The pack offers new scenarios for ArenaNet's online RPG, saying "With
the Guild Wars Bonus Mission Pack, you play through four pivotal moments in
Guild Wars history and earn rare weapon rewards—some of the best-looking gear in
the game!" The
Bonus Mission Pack FAQ has details on the pack, and here's a bit:
• Gather unique rewards as you play a key figure in the Battle of Jahai and go
up against Palawa Joko and his undead army.
• Experience Cantha's turbulent past when you bear witness
to events in the violent Tengu Wars.
• Learn firsthand how the White Mantle rose to power in
Kryta.
• And, finally, discover what became of Gwen after the
Charr invaded her home, and the Searing destroyed everything she'd ever known.
Dark Messiah 360
slips a week on Eurogamer has news of a couple of delays announced by
Ubisoft. The report includes word that the PC and DS editions of Assassin's
Creed are now expected on March 28, meaning the PC edition is delayed by about a
month.
This press release announces Ender’s Game: Battle Room games planned for
release on PCs and consoles via digital sales and download. The games are based
on a new deal between indie developer Chair Entertainment and science-fiction
author Orson Scott Card, who have already collaborated on Empire
( story), though the planned game based on the novel has never
emerged. There's
a Q&A with the Mustard brothers from Chair on Level Up about the novel and
plans to adapt it to a game using the Unreal 3 engine, though development will
not begin until they get finished with a current project. Here's the
announcement: Salt Lake City, Utah – January 29, 2008 – Chair
Entertainment Group, an independent video game production company and creators
of the award-winning Undertow, and bestselling author, Orson Scott Card, today
announced their partnership to create the first-ever video games inspired by the
legendary "Battle Room," featured in the beloved literary classic, Ender’s Game.
Ender’s Game is an award-winning, international bestseller and one of the most
popular science fiction novels ever written.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chair has obtained the exclusive rights to
develop Ender’s Game "Battle Room" video games across all next-generation
consoles, handheld platforms, and PC. In collaboration with Orson Scott Card,
Chair will begin development later this year with the first offering expected
for release via downloadable platforms.
"I have been a huge fan of Ender's Game since I was ten years old, so it is a
true honor for our team to be entrusted with creating the first video game
inspired by this classic story,” said Donald Mustard, creative director at Chair
Entertainment Group. "Our goal is to create an authentic Ender’s Game experience
that delivers awesome gameplay and can be enjoyed by both longtime fans and
gamers new to the series."
"From the moment I started working with Donald Mustard and his team at Chair, I
knew that these were the guys I wanted to do the first Ender's Game video game,”
said Orson Scott Card. "It's not enough to slap the Ender's Game name on just
any game--it has to be exciting, memorable, and endlessly replayable. Chair
shares my understanding of this and I am looking forward to working with them to
ensure the game is as authentically Enderish as possible."
In the fictional Ender’s Game universe, humanity is at war with an alien species
known as the Formics, and Battle School is the training ground for the future
leaders of Earth’s International Fleet. Taken at a very young age, Earth’s most
brilliant children undergo a rigorous training designed to teach advanced
military theory where strategic and tactical glory is won in the null gravity
battles known to the elite students simply as the game! Through simulated war
games and training conducted in the Battle Room, the children rise through the
ranks of Battle School to become Earth’s only hope for victory.
The two parties previously collaborated on the Chair Entertainment Group
property Empire, which the Company introduced in 2006 with the launch of an
Orson Scott Card-written bestselling novel of the same name. A feature film
based on Empire is in development by Warner Brothers and Chair has future plans
for video games and comic books based on the property.
Gamers and long-time Ender’s Game fans are invited to share their thoughts on
Orson Scott Card’s popular website,
www.hatrack.com, and the official Chair forums at:
www.chairentertainment.com/community/forums/
This
Futuremark Press Release announces the Finnish studio known for their
benchmark software has formed Futuremark Games Studio: Espoo, Finland -
January 29th, 2008 - Futuremark (www.futuremark.com),
is proud to announce the formation of a group named the Futuremark Games Studio.
For the past 10 years, Futuremark has been pushing the boundaries of PC 3D
graphics performance with its 3DMark® series, which has become by far the
world's most popular benchmarking software. The 3DMark series combines stunning
3D art with world class engines from Direct3D 6 up to Direct3D 10. "Futuremark
Games Studio is committed to developing original IP games with the highest
quality game play combined with our established track record of creating
blow-your-socks-off visuals", said Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Futuremark
Corporation. "For years, our fans have been asking us when will we start making
games. Very soon they are going to get it - and then some!"
Over the past 10 years Futuremark's team of brilliant artists and engineers has
created remarkably beautiful demos and benchmarks for a variety of clients to
show off the abilities of their platforms. Although the new studio will
demonstrate its ability to seamlessly integrate the latest technologies into its
engines, its mission is to build world class games that bring new and
entertaining game play to gamers. This includes games and their engines that
deliver stellar performance even on modest platforms right up to the most
enthusiastic levels of performance hardware.
For more information about Futuremark Games Studio, please contact Tero
Sarkkinen in Finland or Oliver Baltuch in California. Futuremark Games Studio
personnel will also be attending GDC 2008 in San Francisco where they can be
found at the Nordic Games Studios Pavilion.
Lighthouse Interactive announces a Sword of the Stars Collector’s Edition, a
twist on the CE concept, as the game has been released and expanded, while
collector's editions more typically coincide more closely with a game's release.
The CE for Kerberos Productions' 4x strategy game is due in North America and
Europe in March, offering the original game, the Born of Blood expansion, and
more: Haarlem, The Netherlands – January 29, 2008 – Leading Publisher
Lighthouse Interactive and acclaimed developer Kerberos Productions today
announced the upcoming release of the Collector’s Edition for its award winning
4x space strategy game, Sword of the Stars. Since its original release, the
Sword of the Stars franchise has received much praise for reinvigorating the 4x
genre through its winning combination of turn based strategy and real-time space
combat, along with its robust multiplayer capabilities.
The Collector’s Edition brings all of the Sword of the Stars universe together
in one package and further expands it with special bonus materials. Sword of the
Stars: Collector’s Edition includes: the original base game, the highly
acclaimed add-on Born of Blood (never released to retail in Canada or the US),
the first ever Sword of the Stars novella The Deacon's Tale by renowned science
fiction writer Arrin Dembo and a bonus CD with concept art, screenshots,
trailers, cd tracks and other media. Sword of the Stars: Collector’s Edition
will begin shipping to retailers across the US, Canada and English speaking
European territories on March 25, 2008 on PC CD-ROM.
Erik Schreuder, Lighthouse Interactive CEO said, “Sword of the Stars is a great
franchise and well deserving of a Collector’s Edition. Kerberos Productions has
proven themselves to be an extremely talented team, which consists of team
members behind the successful Homeworld series. They have also stayed loyal to
their community by adding loads of new features and additional gameplay to the
fanchise over the past 18 months.” Schreuder went on to say, “Current and new
fans of the franchise will enjoy discovering the Sword of the Stars universe in
much greater depth.”
Matrix Games offers a
new patch for Carriers at War, updating the naval strategy game to version 1.02
with tweaks and fixes as well as a new Tarawa scenario: "The update will bring a
brand new scenario called Tarawa taking place in November 1942, a hefty number
of editor improvements to make custom scenarios that much easier to create, and
plenty of gameplay improvements and scenario tweaks. The new scenario, Tarawa,
comes with plenty of mystery variants so you can never be sure what forces are
opposing you or what their plans will be." The 29 MB patch can be found on
this downloads
page.
Penny Arcade Expo 2008
Tickets are now on sale. Thanks Mike Martinez and
Kotaku.
Electronic Arts is hiring a gameplay engineer to work on Tiberium at their
LA studios. Thanks
Voodoo
Extreme.
Yesterday was the twelfth anniversary of the release of the shareware edition of
Duke Nukem 3D. It seems like only yesterday I was running around in DWANGO
playing that one. Okay, recalling DWANGO's clunky DOS interface it may not
actually seem like yesterday, but it sure doesn't feel like a dozen years ago.
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