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Archived News:
The SAGA Website now offers the free
client for SAGA, which enables access to the MMORTS game with no initial
investment (thanks Ant). Word is some features are disabled in the free
version: We are happy to announce that the free client is now available!
If you've been wanting to try out SAGA but haven't been sure if you're ready to
buy you can now play for free and try things out. There's no expiration of the
free client, however, there are some features which are disabled such as the
market and guilds. Players with the free client are still welcome to buy
boosters.
Next Generation reports that Take-Two's financials today also reveal a delay
to Borderlands, saying Gearbox Software's co-op shooter is now due in fiscal
2009 (which ends October 31, 2009). Word is the delay is "in order to allow
additional development time for this highly anticipated game and provide a
better balance in the release of Take-Two's triple-A titles."
Take-Two
Interactive Software's Fiscal 2008 Financial Results confirm development of
BioShock 2 (thanks Gamer's Hell) at the new 2K Marin studio for a holiday 2009
release: 2K Games said today that BioShock 2, the sequel to the wholly
owned and internally developed title, is being developed by 2K Marin and is
planned for release in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009. The critically
acclaimed BioShock title has sold over 2 million units worldwide since its
launch in August.
A post
on the Gamereplays.org forums points the way to
this
scan of the teaser page for next month's issue of PC Gamer UK Magazine that
seems to hit at a Dawn of War II announcement (thanks Gamer's Hell). The image is a
silhouette of what seems to be a space marine from Relic's Warhammer 40,000 RTS
game, and the caption reads: "Secret Exclusive - Are you ready for a New Dawn?"
More should be revealed soon enough, the issue is set to go on sale on April 10.
Kaos Studios
Community Forum has word that the multiplayer PC demo for Frontlines: Fuel
of War has been postponed (thanks Gamer's Hell). The plan to release the demo today for the
military shooter was announced almost a month ago ( story), and
for some reason this was timed to the minute, which has turned out to
have been optimistic. Word is: Today, both Kaos Studios and THQ have
agreed to postpone the multiplayer PC Demo. Studio development efforts are being
applied to feature fixes and enhancements to support the existing community.
Kaos Studios recognizes the overwhelming support the community has given since
release and is doing everything they can to deliver the best gaming experience
possible.
Paradox Interactive announces that
Lost Empire: Immortals is
shipping in North America, as promised. A playable demo for Pollux Gamelabs' 4X
space strategy game was released yesterday ( story), and the
game's retail release in Europe is slated for this Friday, and the game can also
be purchased online via GamersGate.
Here's the feature list:
• A 4x turn-based strategy game, featuring multiple star maps
with up to 5000 star systems, ready for you to explore, colonize and conquer
• Meet and interact with powerful alien races and alien sub
races
• Fast phase action
• Research technologies from a multilevel science tree
• View massive 3D rendered space battles
• Win the game through domination, diplomacy, exploration,
research
• Design you own ship features
• Choose your empires destiny when meeting the immortal
races Enias and Bythos
• Experience the story of 6 different races
• Use your empires leaders as diplomats, space engineers,
archeologist and much more
• Play alone or multiplayer with your friends over the
Internet
• Unique ship designs for all races
• Challenging AI
• Easy to use interface allowing you to manage a vast
empire
• Compelling storyline
A Galactic Command Echo Squad SE
demo is now available, allowing the chance to check out the newest installment
in 3000AD's space combat game. Word is: "This demo includes a single scenario
divided into five stages for a total of 130 minutes of gameplay time. Each phase
flows into the next phase. If you don't complete any of the first three phases
within the alloted [sic] time, you will lose track. The end result is you'll get
killed when you get to active duty." The 334 MB download can be found on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront,
FileShack, and Gamer's
Hell.
Matrix Games announces
Panzer Command: Kharkov, a new installment in the Panzer Command 3D series of
tactical World War II war games due for release shortly, as it carries a March
2008 release date. A
product section for the game is live with information and some
screenshots
and downloads of a promo video, which can also be streamed via
YouTube. Here's part of
the announcement: Panzer Command: Kharkov is a 3D simultaneous turn based
strategy game where you command either the Soviet or German forces during the
punch and counter-punch of the 1942 battles around Kharkov in the Ukraine. Two
new Kharkov campaigns as well as some additional short campaigns tie the
scenarios together, allowing core units to progress from battle to battle,
gaining experience, medals and special abilities. A point system allows players
to “purchase” additional units for each mission in the campaign as well as
replace losses, forcing decisions on management of resources.
The design for Panzer Command: Kharkov lets first time wargamers sit down and
start playing, while allowing hard-core gamers to enjoy the realism and
historical accuracy. All campaign battles can also be fought as individual
scenarios and a new random battle generator as well as a random campaign
generator make for almost infinite replayability! The AI can control either side
in each battle and a full Play-by-Email system allows for head to head
play.
The
Los Angeles Times reports that Take-Two Interactive has been hit with a
lawsuit brought by a shareholder who feels that Take-Two management deliberately
concealed a takeover bid by Activision ( story). On a related
note,
Biggest Take-Two Shareholders Slash Stakes has word that some shareholders
have decided to sell as shares rise on takeover news. Here's a bit on the
lawsuit : A Take-Two spokesman declined to discuss the suit in detail.
"We believe the claim lacks merit, and we intend to defend vigorously against
the litigation," the New York-based company said in a statement.
The lawsuit, filed by Prickett, Jones & Elliott on behalf of Take-Two
shareholder Patrick Solomon, alleges that the company's board rejected an
undisclosed acquisition offer from EA and then acted to increase what its
executives would be paid if the company were sold. The suit names Take-Two
Executive Chairman Strauss Zelnick and Chief Executive Benjamin Feder, who are
partners of investment company ZelnickMedia, which led a boardroom coup in March
2007 that wrested control of the video game company.
The suit spotlights the board's decision Feb. 15 to increase ZelnickMedia's
management fees and bonuses to what it calls "an exorbitant" $16.5 million, from
$3.8 million, in the event the company were sold. The suit also questions a
provision, up for a shareholder vote at next month's annual meeting, that would
grant ZelnickMedia 780,000 shares if the company were sold before March 31,
2009, and 1.5 million shares if it were sold after that date. At $26 a share,
that stock grant would be worth $20 million to $39 million, depending on when
the transaction closed.
JoWooD And
Piranha Bytes Accommodate All Differences has word that publisher JoWooD and
developer Piranha Bytes have amicably settled their various disputes centered
around the announcement that Gothic 4 would be developed by someone other than
Pluto 13/Piranha Bytes ( story). Going forward Spellbound
Entertainment continues development of Gothic 4, while Piranha Bytes/Pluto 13
works on Project RPB ( story).
Ensemble Studios has a
set of preliminary patch notes for Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties,
outlining what's planned for version 1.1 of the RTS expansion (thanks Gamer's Hell).
Prepare for nerf complaints, as the extensive list is entirely devoted to
balance tweaks.
A new trailer for Obscure: The Aftermath shows off Hydravision's upcoming
survival/horror sequel. The clip depicts the frightening outcome of a car crash,
and true to the game's title, the action is somewhat obscured by darkness. The
clip is posted on
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
Strategy Informer.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun's Q&A
with Splash Damage chats with Paul Wedgwood, Steve Gaffney, and Richard
Jolly about the ups-and-downs of developing their multiplayer shooter, managing
the ET:QW community, the state of PC gaming, and a bit on their goals going
forward: "Well that’s hard to quantify. A third of our effort is going to be on
accessibility. We’re not anticipating our next game being any less complex, but
the goal is to improve the accessibility through the interface, or lack thereof.
We won’t be nerfing the game down, it could be even deeper than Enemy
Territory."
The impact of piracy on the viability of PC gaming? A developer chimes in:
It's been suggested that this hole in my basement is a sump, and that a
sump-pump may help us with out wetness issue. By my vagueness, it should be more
obvious than ever that this is way out of my area of expertise, but it seems
like a remedy that's easy and inexpensive enough to implement that it's worth
giving a try.
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