Archived News:
Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008
Deadliest Catch Game [10:01 pm ET] – Share – 11 Comments
This press release announces development of Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm,
a fishing simulation based on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch,
due this April for PC and Xbox 360. This
YouTube video shows off
a glimpse of the game's wave effects, and here's the announcement:
"Deadliest Catch Alaskan Storm" lets gamers captain their own boat in the frenzied search for an undersea jackpot. Gamers select one of five real crab boats, including the Northwestern, Cornelia Marie and Sea Star -- all featured on the series, or create and customize their own boat. Gamers then recruit and lead their own crew from a roster of twenty real crab fishermen. Selecting the wrong boat or recruiting the wrong crew member can mean the difference between landing a Bering Sea jackpot or disaster. Lead your fatigued, hungry and hardworking crew in the strategic search for King Crab and Opilio Crab, while battling to secure your catch and livelihood before other captains and crews get to the crab first.
Chris Taylor on PC Gaming [10:01 pm ET] – Share – 36 Comments
Gas
Powered's Taylor 'PC Gaming As We Know It Is Dead' on Gamasutra reports some
comments from Chris Taylor on the state of PC gaming. While he feels PC gaming
is dead "as we know it," he is focusing on retail woes, saying that the web is
where it's at, and that "Flash is the next console," and that "the web is
kicking the console industry's ass."
Ships Ahoy - Mac Neverwinter Nights 2 [10:01 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments
Aspyr announces the Mac edition
of Neverwinter Nights 2 is now available, offering owners of Intel-based
Macs the chance to experience this D&D RPG sequel set in the unforgettable
Forgotten Realms.
Far Cry 2 Movies [10:01 pm ET] – Share – 7 Comments
A pair of new trailers show off the environments in Far Cry 2, the upcoming
sequel to Crytek's shooter that's currently in the works at Ubisoft Montreal.
The large clips can be found on
AtomicGamer,
BitDaily, and
Gamer's Hell.
Guild Wars Sales Milestone [10:00 pm ET] – Share – 17 Comments
This press release announces that Guild Wars has sold more than five million
copies across three continents. The occasion inspired the following comment from
ArenaNet cofounder Mike O'Brien: "Reaching the five million mark is extremely
gratifying for us at ArenaNet because it shows the hard work and dedication we
put into our games has resonated with the fans. We are committed to supporting
all of our Guild Wars players, and at the same time, we're extremely excited to
work on the game's evolution. Certainly the future of Guild Wars is as bright as
its past and present."
38 Studios goes BigWorld [10:00 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments
38 Studios, home of Todd McFarlane, R.
A. Salvatore, and ballplayer Curt Schilling, announce they have licensed
BigWorld Technology as
middleware for their still-unannounced upcoming MMORPG.
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix Website [10:00 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
A Puzzle Quest:
Galactrix Product Section is online for the just-announced puzzler, offering
up some screenshots. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
4D Ruler's Horror Game [10:00 pm ET] – Share – 6 Comments
4D Rulers Website announces the
developer is seeking "a publisher or investor to create an adventure horror game
for the PC." A
work-in-progress screenshot is supplied showing off an environment from the
proposed project.
Love is in the Air [10:00 pm ET] – Share – 8 Comments
This page is home to
Love, an unusual project described as a "first person not so massively
multiplayer online procedural adventure game," being independently developed for
Win32 (and possibly Linux and/or OS X) by Quel Solaar (thanks Mike Martinez and
Kotaku).
The site offers
screenshots of the project, and information, though the summary on
Rock, Paper, Shotgun gives
a good sense of the game's offbeat approach:
You won’t be picking up rifles in your adventures, but more likely the plans for the rifle-building machine, that can then be utilised by everyone in your village. Part Zelda, part Tale In The Desert, part adventure shooter, and wholly abstract and beautiful, Love looks the kind of amalgam of art, programming and internet savvy that we’ve desired without even being able to imagine. It has the potential, and Steenberg has the huge intellect, for this to be one of the most precious events in PC gaming.
Nonetheless it’s unclear what’s going to happen to Steenberg and his project. He says he’s not doing it for the money and that he only needs 200-or-so subscribers to justify running the live game. From what I’ve seen he’ll be lucky to avoid being swamped by thousands, those hungry legions of gamers who want something quite different from their MMO experience, and just aren’t getting it.
Evening Previews [10:00 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Fez on 1Up.
- Project Origin on Next Generation.
- Requiem Bloodymare on Ten Ton Hammer.
- Sacred 2 -- Fallen Angel on GameSpy.
Evening Consolidation [10:00 pm ET] – Share – 8 Comments
Thanks Mike Martinez.
- EA Announces NFL Head Coach 09.
- Announcements DualShock 3 Dated For US.
- DLC Patch Notes - 2-26-07 on Rock Band Forums. Some songs should be re-downloaded.
- BBC gets a glimpse at 'secret' PS3 title.
- Sony Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 Bundle Announced.
- Control Issues Harrison, Molyneux Agree - Controllers Are Too Complicated.
Evening Tech Bits [9:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Mobilization [9:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Apple Boosts MacBook Pro Speed, Graphics.
- Intel demonstrates ray tracing on ultra-mobile PCs.
- iPod-iPhone firmware update 1.1.4 released.
- Mobile GPU Comparison Guide Rev. 6.9 on Tech ARP.
- FCC auction called 'disaster'.
- Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All-Stars for Nintendo DS. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
Evening Metaverse [9:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
- Net Neutrality Hearing When Is an Internet Traffic Delay O.K.?
- Yahoo users to create Buzz with favorite content.
- NPD iTunes 2nd-largest music store in US.
- Pakistan removes YouTube ban after fixing bad routing.
- Why A Music Download Tax Is A Bad Idea.
- Microsoft still battling Windows Live and Hotmail outage.
- Research firms urge Hollywood to oust Apple.
- Endemol USA goes gaming online.
Evening Safety Dance [9:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
Evening Legal Briefs [9:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
etc., etc. [9:59 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- The Core Fighter Website offers online sales and a playable demo for this top-down arcade shooter…
- Playing Consoles on the PC: The Emulation Spectrum…
- EA lays out Blueprint division. To create "indie" games…
- Programmers At Work, 22 Years Later. Thanks Slashdot…
- Nine Paths To Indie Game Greatness on Gamasutra…
Into the Black [9:59 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment
| Terminator Links: | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez. |
| Play: | Robot Territories. |
| Stories: |
New Terminator film set for May 2009 release. Christian Bale as
John Connor. Horse racing bet makes man birthday millionaire. Police dogs get shoes for paw patrol. |
| Science!: |
Prozac, used by 40m people, does not work say scientists. “Design and the Elastic Mind. US team wins asteroid competition. |
| Image: | Bottom Trawling As Seen From Space. |
| Media: |
Rowan Atkinson - 'The Piano Player'. Blue-Haired, Korean Giant. |
PC Mass Effect May 6 [4:08 pm ET] – Share – 75 Comments
Electronic Arts specifies May 6 as the precise release date for the PC edition
of Mass Effect, which was already expected in May (story). The
announcement fills in a few more details on how the PC edition will differ from
the Xbox 360 original:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (February 26, 2008) – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), has announced that the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™ will be released for the PC on May 6, 2008 in North America. Re-designed for the PC, Mass Effect invites players to take the role of Commander Shepard as they set out on an adventure to save the galaxy from imminent destruction. Wrought with treachery, heroism, difficult decisions and a universe filled with unique and colorful species, Mass Effect delivers a truly compelling storyline.
Mass Effect for the PC introduces the following features:
• New squad control interface – Players can now issue commands to individual squad members, providing a new level of depth to the tactical combat.
• Hot-key functionality – Biotic powers and abilities can be mapped to individual keys, allowing a faster “run and gun” style of gameplay.
• Re-designed Mako controls – Players can explore alien planets and engage in vehicular combat with an intuitive and fully camera independent control system for the Mako, their all-terrain vehicle.
• Quick-save – New quick-save button and increased number of save slots.
• New decryption mini-game – A new decryption mini-game invites players to test their skills as they avoid obstacles and move their icon to the center of the digital mechanism.
• New inventory screen GUI and functionality – The enhanced inventory system makes it easier for players to equip and modify their weapons and armor.
Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, Mass Effect has received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 70 awards including Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year. Mass Effect has been named 2007 Game of the Year by The New York Times and has received 5 Elan Canadian Awards for the Electronic and Animated Arts. Combining a deep story with intense combat, Mass Effect challenges the player to make difficult decisions that can significantly impact the course of events. An innovative conversation system allows for lifelike interaction with some of the most realistic digital actors, voiced by Hollywood actors such as Seth Green, Marina Sirtis, Lance Henriksen and Keith David. Mass Effect for the PC has not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board or PEGI.
Perpetual/P2 Closed? [10:28 am ET] – Share – 17 Comments
WarCry Network is reporting that P2 Entertainment, the developer formerly
(ironically) known as Perpetual Entertainment, has closed its doors for good
(thanks
FiringSquad), citing "multiple sources" for the news, though none are named.
Perpetual/P2 has been in the news a lot lately, they were developing Star Trek
Online until earlier this year (story), and more recently settled
a legal dispute with PR firm Kohnke Communication (story).
Dead Space Date & Trailer - Updated [10:27 am ET] – Share – 12 Comments
Update: We received a confirmation that the ommission of the PC edition
from the below annopuncement was an oversight, and that Dead Space for PC will
ship on Halloween along the the console versions.
Original Story: This press release announces an October 31 release date for the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of Dead Space, using Halloween as a timely date for the horror/survival game. The Dead Space Website offers a new trailer from the game. On a related note, Glen Schofield immerses us in Dead Space on Play.TM is a Q&A with the game's executive producer, learning about the project's cinematic influences, competing in the survival/horror genre, gore, combat, reasons for a third-person perspective ("I feel its much more personal and visceral"), and more.
Original Story: This press release announces an October 31 release date for the Xbox 360 and PS3 editions of Dead Space, using Halloween as a timely date for the horror/survival game. The Dead Space Website offers a new trailer from the game. On a related note, Glen Schofield immerses us in Dead Space on Play.TM is a Q&A with the game's executive producer, learning about the project's cinematic influences, competing in the survival/horror genre, gore, combat, reasons for a third-person perspective ("I feel its much more personal and visceral"), and more.
Universe At War Patch Plans [10:27 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
The
Universe at War patch2 release notes on the Petroglyph Forums outline
updates planned for the next patch for the real-time strategy game (thanks
Gamer's Hell). The list of changes is pretty extensive, but no hints are offered as to
when the patch will be released.
StarCraft II Footage [10:27 am ET] – Share – 12 Comments
Gametrailers.com offers a new StarCraft 2 Protoss ShakyCam gameplay trailer
shot off a monitor at the Game Developer's Conference. The clip, described by
IncGamers
as a bootleg, runs almost six-and-a-half minutes.
Champions Online Movie [10:27 am ET] – Share – 13 Comments
Champions Online Website now
offers a trailer showing off gameplay from Cryptic's recently unveiled superhero
MMORPG. The clip is available in high and low resolutions. Thanks Gamer's Hell.
Witches Website, Trailer [10:27 am ET] – Share – 6 Comments
A Witches Teaser Website is
online as a preliminary Flash home to the upcoming fantasy-themed action game.
The site includes screenshots, info in a Adobe Acrobat file (that made my Foxit Reader
sad), and a new teaser trailer that shows a medieval fantasy setting, but none
of the post-apocalyptic elements mentioned when the game was announced
(story).
The Sims Online Becomes EA-Land [10:26 am ET] – Share – 14 Comments
EA-Land is the name of a new
online world born from the ashes of The Sims Online.
This
article outlines the revival, which says the new version "offers several
improvements on the first game," not the least of which is that it is free. The
environment is described as being similar to that of Second Life, with the
distinction being EA's willingness to screen in-game content, so there will
probably be fewer flying phalluses.
Morning Q&As [10:26 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Ron Gilbert
The Ron Gilbert Q&A on Eurogamer talks with the famed adventure game designer about his work with Hothead games on the upcoming Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness and DeathSpank. - Sins of a Solar Empire
Ironclad Games and Sins of a Solar Empire Q&A Part Two on Platformers.net continues this conversation with Blair Fraser, Steven Mackay, and Craig Fraser of Ironclad Games about Sins of a Solar Empire, the 4X space game. They discuss cross-platform aspirations, interfaces, art style, what they love about their own game, patch plans, user-generated content, and more.
Morning Previews [10:26 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- C&C: Red Alert 3 on FileFront. From PC Zone UK. Yes C&C. Thanks Ant.
- Empire Of Sports on Next Generation.
- LEGO Batman on Next Generation.
Morning Consolidation [10:26 am ET] – Share – 15 Comments
- Rockband Content on Xbox LIVE. Nine Inch Nails: March of the Pigs, The Collector, and The Perfect Drug.
- Overlord confirmed for PS3.
- PlayTV to be DRM free.
- Producer, game firm in rights battle over zombies. Dawn of the Dead versus Dead Space.
- Real or not, CVG has more Goldeneye XBLA pics.
- Mark Rein Promises Gears of War 2 Good Surprises.
Morning Tech Bits [10:26 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- MetaRAM Finds a Way To Quadruple Memory.
- NVIDIA touts sub-$200 high-power GPU.
- New Windows Server Will Lead March to 64-Bit OS.
- NVIDIA to Introduce Quadro FX 3600M Professional Mobile Graphics Chip.
- GPU Programming Comes to the Mac.
- Sony and Sharp forge TV alliance.
- Sony's debuts new noise canceling headphones, refreshes EX series earbuds.
- Dear ABC, You Don't Compete With TiVo By Making A Product Worse.
Morning Metaverse [10:26 am ET] – Share – 4 Comments
- FCC Hints At New Traffic Shaping Guidelines.
- Microsoft unveils Web monitoring system.
- Group with Google building Pacific cable.
- Not Sold! eBay Boycott Kills Traffic.
- New search powers lead Firefox 3.
- Covad deal revives Silicon Valley wireless plan.
- Plants use Twitter to tell you to water them. Thanks Digg.
- ABC to offer shows via video-on-demand.
- Yet Another Attempt At Satellite Internet Access.
Tuesday Game Reviews [10:25 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- The Club on Computer and Video Games.
- City Life 2008 Edition on RealGamer.
- Hyperballoid 2: Time Rider on Killer Betties.
- Imperium Romanum on gameSlave.
- Sins of a Solar Empire on bit-tech.net.
Tuesday Hardware Reviews [10:25 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Apple Mac Pro on HEXUS.net.
- Arctic Cooling Accelero Xtreme 8800 Video Card on DriverHeaven.net.
- ASUS 3870 vs. Gigabyte 3870 Video Cards on Boot Daily.
- AX360 Tritton Headphones on LGR Nexus.
- b-Envi Micro Case on Modders-Inc.com.
- Biostar GeForce 9600 GT 512 MB V9603GT52 Video Card on techPowerUp.
- Diamond Viper ATI HD 3850 PCIE 512MB GDDR3 Crossfire Video Cards on Gamepyre.
- ECS GF7100PVT-M Motherboard on Overclockers Club.
- Gigabyte VPower GPU Cooler on XSReviews.co.uk.
- Glacial Power 550W PSU on GideonTech.com.
- Lian Li Armoursuit PC-P80 Case on bit-tech.net.
- NEC PlasmaSync 60XC10 60" Plasma TV on I4U News.
- Noctua NF-S12 Fan on ASE Labs.
- NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT Video Card on The Tech Report.
- NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT vs. ATI Radeon HD 3870 Video Cards on TechSpot.
- OCZ PC2-8000 4GB Platinum Edition Dual Channel RAM on OCIA.net.
- Radeon HD 3870 X2 Round-Up on Hot Hardware.
- Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 650W PSU on Mikhailtech.
- Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 Digital Camera on Digital Trends..
- Thermaltake BlacX SATA Hard Drive USB Docking Station on PC Perspective.
- VOX V1 750GB eSATA-USB 2.0 External Hard Drive on ProClockers.
- XFX GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB Alpha Dog XXX Edition Video Card on Elite Bastards.
etc. [10:25 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment
- Steam offers a new automatic update for Audiosurf…
- Vivendi has to make Gabriel Knight 4 Petition. Thanks Gamer's Hell…
- Bloodmasters, an old-school arcade deathmatch game, is now available under the GPL. Thanks Gamer's Hell…
Out of the Blue [10:25 am ET] – Share – 26 Comments
It must be clear by now that I'm an inveterate name-dropper, so I with no
apologies I'll share my brush with fame yesterday. I stopped by the vet's office
to pick up some food and supplements, and someone was there dropping off one of
Martha Stewart's Chow Chow's. These dogs can be quite a handful (I'm friendly
with a Chow-mix who is a danger to any stranger she meets), but this dog seemed
very friendly and calm. Apparently had I been there at the right time a couple
of days earlier, I would have met Martha herself, but I'm more of a dog person
than a craft person anyway.
| Crafty Links: | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez. |
| Play: |
Wulfgar. Daredevil 2. |
| link of the Morning: | lowercase L. Thanks Neatorama. |
| Stories: |
"Smiling
Bob" Verdict: Guilty. Thanks Devicer. Lying Bob. United Airlines plane slides off runway in Wyoming. Diver in chummed waters dies after shark bite. Who could see that coming? |
| Science!: |
Teenage anger linked to brains: study. Headline of the day. Software, portal target, predict terrorist behavior. The Best Cure for Hiccups: Remind Your Brain You're Not a Fish. |
| Images: | 11 Neighbors from Hell. Thanks Digg. |
| Media: | Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early. Thanks Digg. |
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