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Archived News:
EA announces plans to release The Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection next
month, offering a bundle of Tiberium War gaming along with the opportunity to
beta test Red Alert 3: If you are one of the few who missed out on the
bestselling real-time strategy game of 2007, you now have an all-new way to
experience the ENTIRE Third Tiberium war.
On March 24th, EA will be releasing The Command & Conquer 3 Limited Collection,
featuring 2007’s best-selling* RTS Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars and the
highly anticipated expansion pack Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath, for $49.99
in North America for the PC. Already a tremendous strategy gaming value, all
gamers who purchase the Limited Collection will also gain access to the hottest
beta test of the year for Command & Conquer Red Alert 3!
Together, the Limited Collection includes the combined 45 single player missions
that make up two decades of Tiberium lore, from the rise of Kane and the rebirth
of Nod all the way through the Third Tiberium War and beyond. Also included are
over two hours of the franchise’s trademark high-definition, live-action movies
starring Natasha Henstridge, Josh Holloway, Michael Ironside, Billy Dee Williams
and of course Joe Kucan as Kane.
After a successful launch in March of 2007, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars continues to
receive industry-wide accolades, including recent recognition as being 2007’s
Best Strategy Game of the Year from the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences
and 1Up. Also available on March 24th, C&C 3: Kane’s Wrath continues Tiberium
Wars’ deep storyline, with an unprecedented campaign that spans two decades. The
expansion pack also gives players plenty of new toys to play with, including six
all new subfactions, game-changing epic units and a special bonus Global
Conquest Mode.
For more information on the Limited Collection, C&C 3 Kane’s Wrath or the
Command & Conquer series, please visit
www.commandandconquer.com. And
also be sure to take a walk down C&C memory lane by visiting
www.cncmovies.com, where every single in
game live-action cutscene pre-C&C 3 Tiberium Wars is now online!
* Data according to NPD Group
Kaos Studios
Community Forum offer a hotfix for the Windows edition of Frontlines: Fuel
of War to address SecuROM issues that could prevent the game from loading and
possibly fix for crashes related to certain sound cards under Vista. The
just-released version 1.01 patch ( story) must be applied prior to
the hotfix. Thanks
Voodoo Extreme.
The Enemy
Territory: QUAKE Wars Website offers a new beta version 1.5 patch for Splash
Damage's teamplay shooter, along with a corresponding beta version 1.5 Windows
standalone server.
This dev blog update has details on the patch, while
this
forum thread is for discussion of bugs and issues. This is an unsupported
released, to be installed at your own risk.
Tomb Raider
Chronicles follows-up on news of SCi's restructuring plan
( story) with word that Tomb Raider: Underworld is now slated for
release for this holiday season (thanks Gamer's Hell), saying: "The most significant of
these titles is the next Tomb Raider game, Tomb Raider: Underworld, which is now
scheduled to launch during the 2008 Christmas season."
Replay Studios announces Velvet Assassin is the new title of their upcoming
stealth/action game. They thought the game would be known as Sabotage, but their
crystal ball ain't so crystal clear: Cockpit, Austin, TX – February 29,
2008 – Today developer Replay Studios, along with publisher Gamecock Media
Group, have announced the official name change for ’Velvet Assassin’, their
upcoming stealth-action title formerly known as ‘Sabotage’. The new title
creates a perfect marriage between the story of real life hero Violette Szabo
and the clandestine art of sabotage she championed. From the incredibly
innovative art style, storyline, and combat gameplay, Velvet Assassin is poised
to revolutionize the stealth-action genre later this year.
“Rather than a trite, overused, and generic working title like ‘Sabotage,’
‘Velvet Assassin’ captures the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish,” said
Sascha Jungnickel, Creative Director at Replay Studios. “From the start we’ve
wanted a game with a strong female lead that stays true to the history of
Violette Szabo while pulling players into a world of dark intrigue.”
Inspired by the true story of British Agent Violette Szabo, players will take on
the role of Violette Summer. Behind enemy lines in Nazi occupied Europe,
Violette risks her life fighting to fell the Third Reich with anything she can
get her hands on, including enemy soldiers. With no support or official backing
from the British Government, Violette puts everything on the line to defeat the
German war machine – one mission at a time. Velvet Assassin combines lush,
surreal visuals, a ground-breaking stealth combat system and one of the most
unique perspectives ever brought to gaming. Velvet Assassin is planned to
release in Fall 2008 on PC and next-generation consoles.
“Most of the time a name change happens because it’s not ‘catchy’ enough or
because the marketing team didn’t like it,” said Tim Hesse, Executive Producer
at Gamecock Media Group. “I have to say, the Replay crew have outdone themselves
by making Violette into one of the best looking stealth-killers ever. This game
has come so far since last year that Sabotage just didn’t do the game justice –
‘Velvet Assassin’ sums up every aspect that makes this game great.”
Replay Studios will be on hand with Velvet Assassin at Gamecock’s EIEIO 2008 in
Austin, Texas on March 6th. For more information, please visit:
www.EIEIO2008.com
OGPlanet announces that CABAL Online
is live in North America: El Segundo, Calif.- Feb. 29, 2008- OGPlanet, an
innovative provider of multiplayer online games, today announced the North
American commercial launch of CABAL ONLINE, a full-service massively multiplayer
online game that already boasts nearly 1 million players in more than 12
countries throughout Asia and Europe.
"The launch of CABAL ONLINE is a huge event for us," said David Hoffman,
Executive Producer for OGPlanet. "The beta testing periods were met with a very
positive reception, and we're anxious to watch CABAL's popularity in North
America grow. We're thrilled to be able to provide an MMO of this caliber under
a free-to-play model."
Although CABAL was developed with a subscription-based model in mind, OGPlanet
is offering the game under a free-to-play system, consistent with the company's
model. An option to purchase in-game items does exist, but the purchasable items
will not be integral to the gameplay experience. "It is important to us to find
a balance ensuring our players the full experience of CABAL Online without
paying a penny," said Hoffman. "The items purchasable by Astros, our
OGPlanet-wide in-game currency, will give players ways to make it from 'Point A'
to 'Point B' more quickly, but won't give them any sort of permanent advantage
over players who might not have the budget to utilize the Cash Shop. We're very
pleased with the result: a free-to-play MMORPG with everything you would expect
from a subscription-based game."
CABAL ONLINE can be downloaded at
http://cabal.ogplanet.com/.
An updated demo for Strategic Command 2: Blitzkrieg is now available,
introducing improvements from the recent version 1.08 patch for the World War II
RTS game: "The updated demo is now v1.08 and while it includes the same content
as the old v1.07 demo released last year, this new version includes better
(fixed) Vista support and various other improvements under the hood." The 94 MB
download is available on
AtomicGamer,
FanGaming,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
New Windows demos are now available for both Penumbra: Overture and Penumbra:
Black Plague, updating the sample of each installment in Frictional Games'
horror series with new puzzle solutions, bug fixes, and updated support for ATI
graphics cards. The new Black Plague demo is available on
FanGaming and
Gamer's Hell, while the
updated Overture demo can be found on
FanGaming and
Gamer's Hell.
Update: Gamer's Hell points out this is the game also known as Oniblade with a
different title. Apologies for oni confusion.
SouthPeak Games announces X-Blades, a third-person hack-and-slash action game in
the works at TopWare Interactive, due for release on PCs and "next-gen consoles"
later this year. An X-Blades Teaser Website
is live offering some screenshots, and promising the launch of the full site in
one week. Here's the announcement: Grapevine, Texas – February 29, 2008 -
SouthPeak Games today announced that it will release X-Blades, a third-person
hack-and-slash action title for next-gen consoles and PC, in late 2008. In the
game, players control an enchanting anime-style heroine that destroys anything
in her path using guns, blades, magic, and a healthy dose of cinematic flair.
“The unique anime backdrop combined with the high-octane gameplay really takes
X-Blades into brand new territory,” said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games.
“This genre needs a fresh take and this game delivers.”
X-Blades features a special combination of cinematic style, beautiful animation,
and relentless, high speed gameplay. Players assume the role of Ayumi, a
stunningly seductive yet tenacious heroine who battles enemies with her pistol
blades, acrobatic ability, and magic spells. With full anime cut scenes, the
story unfolds revealing demonic powers and spectacular landscapes, all ripe for
exploration and battles.
“We are big fans of anime and that was really our inspiration for X-Blades,”
said James Seaman, Managing Director at TopWare Interactive. “Our goal was to
create stylistic characters and artwork, and mix that with lightning fast
action. The result is a killer title that gamers and animation fans won’t be
able to put down.”
More information on X-Blades will be coming soon.
A Superbike World Championship 08 Teaser Website
is live (though there's not much there yet), heralding the next installment in
Milestone's motorcycle racing game, due this May for PC, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, and
PSP. There are screenshots from the game on the
BlackBean Games Website and there's a teaser trailer on
Gamer's Hell, and here's
the accompanying announcement: Varese, 28th of February 2008 - Black Bean
Games is pleased to announce the exclusive release of the first trailer for
SBK08, the official game of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship,
developed by Milestone.
As well as featuring the official teams, riders and tracks of the current WSBK
Championship, SBK08 has six difficulty settings, that will appeal to WSBK fans
and gamers alike. A fast paced, action packed arcade mode for gamers that want
to jump in and challenge WSBK greats like Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi, through
to a full simulation mode for those that like to be challenged by mastering a
superbike round some of the worlds most famous circuits including Donington,
Valencia, Miller, Misano, Assen, Magny Cours and many more
SBK08 will be available on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP, PlayStation 2 and PC
and is scheduled for release in May 08
Take-Two Reports
Other Buyout Offers has word from Take-Two that Electronic Arts is not their
only suitor, saying other companies have expressed interest in a merger, though
they have not received any formal offers at this point, and are not currently
engaged in negotiations with anyone (including EA).
The Nexuiz Website now offers the
promised new version 2.4 of Alientrap's
GPL online first-person shooter for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The new release is
called a "major update" that includes a redesigned HUD, two new maps, updated
models, performance improvements, and more. The cross-platform installer is
mirrored on
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront,
and Gamer's Hell.
Speaking of free cross-platform shooters, a new version 0.42 of
Warsow is now available as well.
Word is: "This latest release contains various bug fixes, changes and new
features. The list includes fixes for the challenge queue and some performance
improvements for WarsowTV." The C, Linux, and Mac downloads are all mirrored on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
The
Evochron Renegades Website now offers an updated version 1.458 of this space
combat and trade simulation. This is a required update, as it is not multiplayer
compatible with older versions. As always, the new release is a triple treat,
as one download serves as a patch for older versions, a full retail installer,
and a playable demo.
Matrix Games is
serving up a new version 3 patch for Conquest of the Aegean. The new version
addresses all known bugs and issues with the "pausable continuous time" World
War II strategy game as well as two new scenarios and other new content: "Gamble
and Scramble is a hypothetical scenario covering a major Allied counter
offensive against the German main supply route in Greece. Bir el Gubi covers the
famous North African desert battle at the outset of Operation Crusader. A new
map of the Bir el Gubi area is included and new estabs sufficient to cover all
the major force types that participated in the 1941 desert battles have been
added!"
SCi to cut 25
per cent of jobs, cancels 14 projects on GamesIndustry.biz outlines plans
for a turnaround at the Eidos parent. Here's a bit on the plan: The
company plans to switch from a centrally controlled development and publishing
model to a studio-lead business focusing on its core products – Tomb Raider,
Hitman, Championship Manager and Deus Ex.
New media and casual gaming will be fused under the Eidos Play brand, and the
group will move its production services – which includes localisation and QA –
from London to Montreal to take advantage of the lower cost environment.
The firm says it intends to cut annual operating costs by GBP 14 million by the
end of June 2008 at a one off cost of GBP 7 million.
- Battlefield Heroes
A high definition edition of the
Battlefield Heroes trailer that appeared last night is now available on
Tiscali Games.
- Chronicles of Spellborn
A new Chronicles of Spellborn GDC
trailer highlights gameplay from Spellborn International's imminent MMORPG.
The clip is found on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell. There is also a new "Howling" music video promoting the
game on AtomicGamer
and
FileFront.
- Requiem: Bloodymare
A new Requiem: Bloodymare trailer
shows off Gravity Interactive's MMORPG, the clip is available on
Gamer's Hell.
- Call of Duty 4
Infinity
Ward Talks Call of Duty 4 on Tom's Games is a Q&A with Robert Bowling,
talking with Infinity Ward's community manager about the Call of Duty
series, focusing on upcoming releases of additional downloadable content for
the console editions.
- Earthrise
The
Earthrise Q&A on
IncGamers chats with Masthead CEO Atanas Atanasov about Earthrise, their
upcoming post-apocalyptic MMORPG. Topics include the game's story, economics
(Atanasov is an economist), and technology. The article translates an Q&A
from a French website.
- Race Driver: GRID
Codemasters
is Failing Racing Fans on Gameplayer features excerpts from a Q&A with
Ralph Fulton about the coming racing simulation. As the article's title
suggests, the topic at hand is dissatisfaction with plans for the game,
asking the reasons for the removal of the V8 Supercars and DTM from the
previous game.
Today is Leap Day. Seems like there should be something to do to commemorate the
odd event. It's not actually Sadie Hawkins day, though there is a tradition of
women asking men to marry them on this day... that one seems a little outdated
though. Anyway, here's a jealous happy birthday to anyone born on February 29th,
it must be nice to be one-quarter as old as the rest of us.
R.I.P.:
Mike Smith, Lead Singer of Dave Clark 5, Is Dead.
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