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Archived News:
Three new trailers show off Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath, which conclude by
offering a March 24 release date for the RTS expansion. The clips can be found
on EA's FTP Server
and mirrored on Gamer's Hell.
The Savage 2: A Tortured Soul
Website offers a status report on the Linux client for S2 Games'
strategy/shooter sequel: It appears we are 2-4 weeks away from having a
Linux beta client. We are busy writing all the OGL shaders which is very time
consuming but we're working hard on it.
Combat
Mission: Shock Force Demo and Patch Download Page now offers the promised
new demo for the modern combat game, updated with the changes in the
just-released version 1.07 patch ( story). Word is: "This demo
includes two scenarios which can be played as either US or Syrian, plus a third
scenario, "Demo Training" which was designed as a tutorial to be played from the
US perspective. Both Real-Time and Turn-Based gameplay are available and all
multiplayer modes are active (TCP-IP, PBEM, Hotseat) and you can even access and
play with the full Game Editor (save function disabled). The demo also includes
the original full 196 page game manual in pdf format." The download is mirrored
on
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
Internode Games Network.
The SkyFallen Website announces Death
Track: Resurrection is available in Russia. Likewise, the
1C Company Website offers a Russian-language
demo for Death Track: Resurrection offering those who speak Russian (or those
who enjoy mysteries) the chance to test drive the upcoming combat racing sequel.
The demo is mirrored on
ComputerGames.ro and
Gamer's Hell.
A Russian UAZ Racing 4x4 Website is online for
this offroad racing game, as is a
product section for the
game, likewise in Russian, which offers an intro movie and a Russian demo
on this page. There's also
an English
product section saying the game is now available, but "for limited
territories only." The demo is mirrored on
ComputerGames.ro,
FanGaming, and
Gamer's Hell.
This forum thread
offers a hotfix for European editions of Imperium Romanum experiencing an issue
where the copy protection triggers an "Insert Original CD Error" even though the
DVD is in the drive. They say this is a rare error that occurs only with
specific configurations, so far reported by users of the German edition, though
they say it's possible that this effects the English and French editions as
well. The patch is mirrored on
Gamer's Hell.
A new Rainbow Six Vegas 2 trailer shows off the weapons in the coming tactical shooter
sequel. The clip can be found on
AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront,
Fileshack, and Gamer's
Hell.
- The Witcher Enhanced Edition
The
Witcher Enhanced Edition Q&A on ActionTrip talks with Michal Madej of CD
Projekt about the upcoming Enhanced Edition of the Witcher. Nobody expects
the Spanish Inquisition!: "There are three main qualities of The Witcher we
want to polish in Enhanced Edition - customization, performance, immersion
and the interface."
- Online Worlds Roundtable
RPG
Vault Online Worlds Roundtable #16 - Part 5 continues this ongoing
discussion of MMORPG storytellling.
The
Crymod Modding Portal now has the official release of version 1.0 of the
Crysis SDK for modification authors. The
Official CryENGINE2 Documentation has been updated with info about the new
release, and the SDK Forum
is where to go for serious discussion of their use. The 407 MB download is
mirrored on AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell, and here's the apologetic announcement of the release from
Crytek's Cevat Yerli: Dear Crysis Community,
About 3 months ago Crysis shipped worldwide. We started collecting feedback and
were confident that we would be able release our first Patch one week after the
release. Unfortunately we underestimated the challenges and were forced to move
the release of our patches and the full SDK to 2008.
Since the Demo Release and the Crysis Full Release we have seen wonderful
creations of art, design, movies from our community and talented teams have
formed to create the next generation of Crysis MODs.
We as Crytek are thrilled to see the talent, engagement, passion and creative
potential out there.
We always planned to release the MOD C++ SDK close to the Crysis ship date.
To be plain honest we simply did a bad job, and I personally want to apologize
for it. I know the community is growing on a daily base, whilst other members
are getting upset and disappointed. We always strife for the highest quality,
and sometimes this becomes our Achilles heel.
Within the last few weeks we have been working extra hard to get the first
version of the SDK ready for the community. With the tools, the example assets
and the updated documentation we hope that it will kick-start your mod
development.
We have big plans in engaging the community, making you an even larger part of
the future of Crytek which we will share with you soon.
You are the reason why we do games.
On behalf of everyone at Crytek, I want to say big thanks for your support,
feedback and engagement in the community. We do our best to listen to you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
Portal 2 is in the works, this was revealed by Valve's Kim Swift on last night's episode of
G4's X-Play. There have already been indications that more gameplay in the
inter-dimensional puzzler is coming, but this is the first word that this will
take the form of a full-blown sequel. The relevant quote comes at the 2:50 mark
in the 3:05 clip: "Well, uh, I think… I believe Doug Lombardi, who is our
lead marketing director at Valve, has announced Portal 2, so…" He
hadn't actually, but that cat is now out of the bag.
Prepare for
Battle! Sudden Strike 3 is Gold announces the North American edition of
Fireglow's World War II RTS sequel is complete, and ready to ship on March
10: Cary, NC, February 22, 2008 – cdv Software Entertainment USA and
Fireglow Games are pleased to announce that Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory
has gone gold. The game, set to begin shipping to North American retail outlets
on March 10, is the latest in the critically acclaimed and best-selling series
of Sudden Strike WWII RTS games that drop players into some of the biggest and
most furious battles of WWII. For more information about Sudden Strike 3: Arms
for Victory, please visit
http://www.suddenstrike.com/.
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory features new campaigns, massive battles, and
historically modeled units, along with significantly expanded gameplay so
players can wage war across a variety of terrains and environments. For more
information about Sudden Strike 3, please visit
http://www.suddenstrike.com/.
The Stranger Website now offers new
patches to update the localized editions of Fireglow's fantasy-themed
RTS/RPG to version 1.2. The update is described as an add-on, as it includes a
multiplayer map from the demo: "The major issue that has been fixed is a problem
with running Stranger on NVidia 8800 cards. There are also several minor fixes.
Multiplayer map 'Rivers of Kront' from the multiplayer demo is also added in
this add-on to give players ability to play it in released version of the game.
The patch is cumulative, so you don't need to install version 1.1 add-on before
installing this one." The various language patches are mirrored on
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and The Patches Scrolls.
Imperium Romanum is now available for online purchase and download from
GamersGate. Though there were recent indications this historical
city-building game was not due until next month ( story) this
online release jibes with the February 22 date that still adorns the
Imperium Romanum Website. A
recently released playable demo ( story) provides a sample of the
game, and here's word: Take the future of an empire into your hands and
the role of a governor of a Roman province. Strive to build a well organised,
prosperous and commanding settlement. Set in the time-honoured Roman Empire
players will marvel at the incredible attention to detail, as they construct
fortifications, build towers, gates and bridges, and pay for them with the new
currency that has been implemented into the game for a challenging, enjoyable,
and authentic quest to rule the World. “Imperium Romanum” boasts a variety of
new features to enhance the game-play and complete the historical strategy
gaming experience. These include a sophisticated graphics engine, a mass of
authentic historical buildings such as the world famous Circus Maximus and
Gladiator schools, an improved battle system where the player commands their
armies and an interactive mission mode that allows the player to control the
activation of goals.
Likewise
GamersGate now offers online sales of AGON The Lost Sword of Toledo, a
surprising four months after the "second game and 4th episode in the Agon
adventure series" was declared gold ( story). That gold
announcement also served up a playable demo, and the game is described in the
following extra-inquisitive blurb: A young man formally known for his
honesty has been caught stealing treasures, bringing with it renewed wounds of
past grievances? Family revenge? Black Magic, Lost bet? or Dishonest intrigue?
The answer to some of these questions proves to be difficult as the Professor
gets entangled in a complex hunt for the Lost Sword of Toledo.
This press
release announces City Life 2008 Edition is shipping to stores in Europe,
while a North American release is scheduled for May ( story). A
playable demo for the urban planning game was released late last year
( story), and here's word: City Life 2008 Edition, the
latest version of the popular City Life series is released today by Ascaron.
Design, build and maintain magnificent cities, importing real life satellite
maps and famous landmarks to create an urban paradise.
The game features a variety of environments on which to base each city. Build
residences, industries and businesses and watch the population grow. With total
freedom of construction, there are limitless options for designing an entirely
new civilisation and watching it thrive. Get it wrong and it could
self-destruct.
A successful city is built on a balanced economy with happy citizens. To achieve
this, all six sociocultural groups must be attracted to the city, from the
wealthy ‘Elite’ to the impoverished ‘Have-Nots’. Make sure all six groups live
in harmony to avoid violent clashes. Use the 360° camera rotation and zoom
functions to dive into a city and walk its streets, observing the inhabitants
and their daily dramas.
Ensure there are essential local services for the citizens by building
industries for employment as well as ample recreational areas for leisure time.
Environments also have to be safe and free from pollution so watch the location
of industries and provide plenty of police stations. A clean and safe
environment will make a city run smoothly. Unhappiness will only lead to
violence and discord.
We have learned from EA that Warhammer Online has not suffered another delay, in
spite of reports to the contrary.
Warhammer
Online release slips? on GamesIndustry.biz is based on a report on
videogaming247.com saying EA Mythic's MMORPG has been indefinitely delayed
from its scheduled Q1 2008 release. We last heard the release date for WHO was
the first half of their fiscal 2009, which runs from April to September, 2008
( story), and so we contacted EA to clarify if the game is still
due in calendar Q2/Q3 of this year, and learned that it is. Here's what EA had
to say: "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is planned for a calendar Q2 2008
release. The beta is doing well and the feedback we have from the testers is
very positive."
Brain-Reading Headset to Sell for $299 has release plans for Emotiv Systems'
headset controller that allows the user's thoughts to control games (thank
Stadius). The EPOC neuroheadset will be available later this year at that $299
price point. This unit had some trouble at its GDC demonstration
( story), though this seems related to interference from
non-consumer products in the area. Word is: The company, which unveiled a
prototype last year, says the headset can detect emotions such as anger,
excitement and tension, as well as facial expressions and cognitive actions like
pushing and pulling objects.
The headset will be sold with a game developed by Emotiv, but it can also be
made to work with existing PC games, the company said. Users will also be able
to access an online portal to play more games, chat or upload their own content
such as music or photos.
Emotiv plans to work with IBM Corp. to explore applications beyond video gaming.
The "brain computer interface" technology could transform not only gaming, but
how humans and computers interact, said Paul Ledak, vice president of IBM's
Digital Convergence business.
A new demo for New StuntMANIA!pro is now available, offering a sample of Sector3
Games' trick driving simulation updated to version 2.5.1. The Windows demo is
available on
FanGaming and Gamer's
Hell; and the Mac demo is available on
FanGaming and
Gamer's Hell.
Another new patch for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines Patch continues the
unofficial support for the action/RPG from defunct developer Troika Games by
updating the game to version 4.8. The download is on the official home of the
unofficial patches,
The Patches
Scrolls.
The Time of Defiance
Website serves up a new version 5.541 client for Nicely Crafted
Entertainment's MMORTS. Word is: "This version includes an increase to the
number of units you can multiple select and general performance increases. Plus
many more small enhancements and fixes." The new version is also available via
the in-game auto-updater, and the manual download is mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
Gold Selling:
Effects and Consequences on the European World of Warcraft Website outlines
the impact of gold selling and power-leveling services (thanks
IncGamers), saying: "Selling gold for real money and having characters
power-leveled are violations of our
Terms of Use and
End User License Agreement,
and we regularly take corrective action when we find that these services have
been used." They discuss the impact selling gold has on the game's economy and
discuss the potential dangers of having account information and in-game items
stolen by visiting websites trafficking in gold sales and power leveling, as
well as the potential for having your account banned.
After a bunch of "just kidding" style snowstorms this winter that melted away
almost as soon as they fell, we are getting the full treatment today, with
several inches of snow on the ground, and it continues to fall. At least the
doggies are happy, they just love the snow. Maybe I can teach them to shovel.
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