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Archived News:
The Atlantica
Online Website is now offering sign-ups for the closed beta testing of
Ndoors' upcoming strategic turn-based MMORPG. On a related note,
RPG Vault's
Atlantica Online Interview - Part 1 kicks off a conversation about the
project with Kim Tae Gon. Here's the announcement: EL SEGUNDO, Calif. –
July 10, 2008 – The closed beta for Atlantica Online will start on Friday, July
18. FilePlanet registered users will be able to enter three days before other
beta testers on Tuesday, July 15,
MMOABC, MMOSITE, MMORPG and onRPG are giving away a limited number of account
keys on a first-come, first-served basis. FilePlanet will distribute the
majority of the accounts to their subscribers on July 15.
Atlantica Online is set in a parallel universe of our world that takes players
through an arduous journey to unravel the hidden secrets of Atlantis. With its
heavy emphasis on strategy, Atlantica was designed to stand out amongst the
‘cookie-cutter’ MMOs. The strategic gameplay incorporated into the turn-based
combat, mercenary and country management systems will appeal to strategy and RPG
players.
More information about the title and the beta program can be found at
www.playatlantica.com.
Brash Entertainment announces The Tale of Despereaux, a video game tie-in
with an animated film of the
same name to be released in December when the movie launches: Los
Angeles, CA., July 10, 2008 – Brash Entertainment today announced development
for The Tale of Despereaux, an interactive game based on Universal Pictures’
animated adventure of the same name. The game shares the fairy-tale look and
feel of the upcoming film about a chivalrous mouse, full of courage and honor.
The Tale of Despereaux game—created through a licensing agreement with Universal
Pictures Digital Platforms Group—will release in conjunction with the film,
which arrives in theatres on December 19, 2008.
Directed by Sam Fell & Rob Stevenhagen and produced by Gary Ross and Allison
Thomas, The Tale of Despereaux features the voice talent of Matthew Broderick,
Robbie Coltrane, Frances Conroy, Tony Hale, Ciaran Hinds, Dustin Hoffman,
Richard Jenkins, Kevin Kline, Frank Langella, Christopher Lloyd, William H.
Macy, James Nesbitt, Stanley Tucci, Tracey Ullman, Emma Watson and Sigourney
Weaver.
The game will follow and extend the film’s storyline in adventures spanning from
the magical kitchen and colorful rooms of the castle to the dark dungeons of the
rat lairs. An introductory training mode, mouse-centric unique abilities,
upgradeable skills and objects, and a lot of courage, will help Despereaux face
off against a multitude of animal enemies and human foes on his quest to save
Princess Pea. Multiple difficulty settings will ensure that a wide range of
adventurers can enjoy Despereaux’s heroics again and again.
“Whether charmed by the book or newly introduced to the characters via the film,
children of all ages can expand on their love for Despereaux with this title,”
said Mitch Davis, co-founder, chairman and CEO of Brash Entertainment. “We’re
excited and proud to be translating this classic into an exciting, engaging and
enriching game. “
“With its focus on publishing film-based games, Brash was the clear partner to
develop the interactive adventure that would accompany the film and bring
Despereaux to life on gaming screens,” said Bill Kispert, VP and General
Manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. “The game’s
attention to detail will allow players to explore all the nooks and crannies of
the whimsical Kingdom of Dor.”
The Tale of Despereaux will be available for the XBOX™ 360, PLAYSTATION®2
computer entertainment system, the Wii™ videogame system from Nintendo, and PC,
and is set to scurry onto shelves this winter.
This
Cryptic Studios Press Release has word that 2K Games will publish Cryptic's
upcoming MMORPG Champions Online for PC and Xbox 360 (presuming the 360
edition is approved by Microsoft). Word is: New York, NY – July 10, 2008 –
2K Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:
TTWO), announced today that it will be the North American and international
publisher for Cryptic Studios'™ highly anticipated massively multiplayer online
(MMO) action game, Champions Online™, being developed for the Xbox 360® video
game and entertainment system from Microsoft* and Games for Windows®. Champions
Online is scheduled for release in spring of 2009.
"2K Games is excited to work with such a talented group as Cryptic Studios,"
said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "Given their stellar pedigree and
amazing grasp of the MMO genre, we are confident that Champions Online will
deliver an innovative and exciting action MMO experience to gamers."
Cryptic Studios, based in Los Gatos, CA and established in July 2000, is one of
the leading independent developers of massively multiplayer online games for the
PC and current generation systems. As an independent, employee-owned company,
Cryptic is committed to delivering high quality, innovative cross platform MMO
gameplay. Cryptic is best known as the creator of the award-winning City of
Heroes® and City of Villains™ MMO titles. Based on the popular Champions™
pen-and-paper RPG, Champions Online will give players the power of total
customization for their hero experience while they explore a vast comic book
universe.
"2K Games is a terrific publishing partner for Champions Online," said John
Needham, CEO of Cryptic Studios. "Cryptic is proud that Champions Online will be
2K's first MMO title and we look forward to working together towards a
tremendous launch next year."
Champions Online is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, log onto
www.champions-online.com
*Champions Online for Xbox 360 is not yet concept approved by Microsoft
GameSpot's Far Cry 2 Video Interview is online, featuring Ubisoft creative
director Clint Hocking discussing the upcoming shooter sequel. Clint's
discussion of the game is accompanied by relevant bits of gameplay footage.
Thanks Far Cry 2 Game.
A second Mirror's Edge trailer sets the story for DICE's upcoming parkour-happy
first-person action/adventure game. The 2D animated trailer is posted on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
The Pro Cycling
Manager Season 2008 Website now features a new video showing off gameplay
from Cyanide Studios' latest installment in the bicycle racing series. The clip
depicts groups of Tour de France cyclists pedaling along and, well, groups of
cyclists pedaling along. The full game is available for online purchase and
download.
The Fistful of Frags Website now
offers a new beta version 1.5 of this western-themed Half-Life 2 modification.
The update includes new maps, a steam train, a working dynamic respawn system,
localized translations, and more.
WAR: A Look at Living Guilds
with EA Mythic Part 3 on Ten Ton Hammer is a Q&A with Josh Drescher about
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, discussing the core mechanics of the "Living
Guilds" in EA Mythic's MMORPG.
SEGA and Creative Assembly announce Stormrise, a new real-time strategy
game slated for release next year. The European version of the press release on this
that went out first called this a console-only game, but the trailer for the
game has the PC DVD logo at the end, and sure enough the North American version
of the press release confirms this for PCs as well. The aforementioned trailer
can be found on Gamer's Hell,
a pair of screenshots are on
FileFront, and here's the announcement: SAN FRANCISCO & LONDON (July
10, 2008) – SEGA® of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. today announced the
development of Stormrise™, an innovative real time strategy console title built
specifically for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and will also be
available for Windows based PC. Stormrise marks The Creative Assembly’s first
foray into developing a purpose-built RTS title for console and is slated to
ship in 2009.
Stormrise offers fans of the classic RTS genre an immersive and dramatic twist
while challenging the conscience of the gamer. Experience the heat of the
battlefield by leading your troops from the front line, instead of the
traditional way of controlling the units from a detached view point. Stormrise
also allows units to be commanded in the air, across rooftops, on the earth’s
surface and even underground, this unique idea of “verticality” introduces
multiple layers of gameplay that must be mastered for strategic advantage. The
experience is heightened by a simple yet effective control system tailored
specifically for consoles, which allows easy unit selection, rapid navigation
and precise deployment.
”With Stormrise and its long line of high caliber RTS titles, our developers at
The Creative Assembly are poised to revolutionize the console RTS arena,” said
Sean Ratcliffe, Vice President of Marketing at SEGA of America Inc. “Using a
science fiction-based backdrop for their first foray into the console RTS genre,
The Creative Assembly has a limitless palate from which to create their next
award winning RTS game.”
Set on a bleak and barren earth, devastated by a catastrophic event centuries
ago, Stormrise sees the Echelon and the Sai battling to survive in a hostile and
uninhabitable wasteland. Remnants of a superior technological people the Echelon
survived the event through self-educed hibernation, while the Sai, a more tribal
faction, still exist having learned to adapt to their surroundings and the new
environment. Having evolved in vastly different ways, the differences between
the two factions have spurred much animosity and hatred between the two races
and the future of the planet is now hanging by a thread…
Stormrise is in development at The Creative Assembly’s Australia studio and is
priming its forces for release in 2009. For more information please visit
http://www.stormrisegame.com
CD Projekt announces the preliminary launch of
GOG.com, a marketplace for "Good Old
Games." The site, which will go live in September, will offer its titular good
old games will all necessary updates to install and run them on current
computers (including Vista support), completely stripped of DRM, and all priced
between $5.99 and $9.99. The site will enter closed beta testing in August, and
visitors are being offered the opportunity to sign up for a chance to be a
tester. There are Q&As about all of this with PR rep Tom Ohle on
Shacknews and
Gamasutra
discussing, among other things, whether they are concerned with piracy of the
DRM-free games. The site also has an image of game boxes illustrating the types
of offerings they plan, showing Giants, Operation Flashpoint,
TOCA Race Driver 3, Fallout 2, Freespace 2, MDK,
Colin McRae 2005, and Fallout Tactics. Here's the announcement:
Warsaw, Poland – July 10, 2008. CD Projekt, best known in the Western
world for its award-winning PC RPG, The Witcher, is proud to unveil its
invention of time travel. The company sent several representatives to the past
and they’ve returned with some amazing findings. Quick to capitalize on the
incredible treasures of history, the company is pleased to reveal its newest
project, GOG.com. The site, whose name is an acronym for Good Old Games, is a
new games-on-demand platform that allows old fogies (and young fogies) to buy
some of the best PC games of all time – many of which just can't be found in
stores anymore – and play them on modern hardware, completely free of intrusive
DRM. GOG.com is poised to become the center of the classic-games universe with a
huge community section including forums, user reviews and ratings, as well as
insightful commentary and editorials from some of the industry’s most beloved
writers. A closed public beta of the site is scheduled for launch on August 1st,
and excited old-school gamers can sign up for more info and a chance to enter
the beta by visiting GOG.com.
The site makes it tremendously easy for gamers to buy, download and install some
of their all-time favorite PC games. The games will be sold for $5.99 or $9.99,
are guaranteed to work on Windows Vista and Windows XP systems and are available
to download as many times as needed. This is very nice, yes? The DRM-free games,
low prices, the site’s ease-of-use and the community are some of the main
features that make Good Old Games something more than just another digital
distribution outlet.
GOG.com has already lined up agreements with such publishers as Interplay and
Codemasters to make their games available on the site. Among the titles those
companies are bringing to the site are in-demand classics like Fallout,
Freespace 2, Operation Flashpoint: Game of the Year Edition and TOCA Race Driver
3. Negotiations are in progress with several other publishers, with the ultimate
goal of GOG.com offering a comprehensive collection of classic PC games from the
80s, 90s and 2000s.
“Our main goal is to create a user-friendly site with the best classic PC games
for a price that might be considered impossible to achieve,” said Adam
Oldakowski, Managing Director of GOG.com. “The people behind GOG.com are gamers
and we all know how difficult it is to find a lot of classic games. So we’ve
started building a great games catalogue, gotten rid of the copy protection that
gamers hate so much, optimized the games to work on modern operating systems,
and made them cheap enough that piracy seems like a rip-off. It’s so easy to
buy, download and install a game and then get deeply involved in the community;
we’re very confident that gamers will absolutely love the site.”
Episode 6 of the Jace Hall Show is live (NSFW), offering the latest in this
webcast series starring KING OF TEH MONSTARS. Along the way Jace visits Brooklyn
to participate in a Wii tennis tournament that should lay to rest the notion
that this qualifies as physical activity, has a ninja ruin a birthday party, and
interviews Curt Schilling about Copernicus, the upcoming MMORPG being
created by the star pitcher's 38 Studios. Curt and Jace go through the already
familiar 'I'm not going to let you see the game' dialog, but the payoff here is
pretty insubstantial, as all that's shown is a glimpse of some artists touching
up some backgrounds.
Calling Dennis Hopper! Deep Silver announces Ride to Hell, a game based
set in the late 1960s based on biker culture (of all things) slated for release
on PCs and consoles in the second quarter of next year. The
Ride to Hell Website is live,
though this only offers an image and newsletter sign-ups at this point. Here's
the announcement: Hermosa Beach, Calif. - July 10, 2008 - Global video
game developer and publisher Deep Silver today released early details of its
very first US bound title Ride to Hell produced by their internal development
studio.
The game is set in the last years of the roaring 1960s, a time of sex, drugs and
rock 'n' roll. The biker movement, rock music and the hippie counterculture all
add to the fascinating atmosphere to be experienced in Ride to Hell.
Action-loaded from the very start with free roaming environments, players can
immerse themselves in the liberty and freedom of riding full throttle with their
gang on a multitude of different vehicles through the dusty flats of Western
America. Protecting their turf, their brothers and their machines from rival
gangs is just a taste of what this epic game will involve.
Ride to Hell is not for the faint-hearted; it's aimed heavily at the player who
wants to become fully involved in the original West Coast biker culture. With
its hard drinking, bare-knuckle environment, this is as close to the action as
you can get.
In a movie-style production model, the internal Deep Silver studio is teaming up
with leading creative companies such as Eutechnyx, Perspective Studios, and
others, to bring the authentic and massive game world of Ride to Hell to life.
"The Deep Silver development team has worked on some of the greatest and
grittiest, freeform-style games to ever hit the market," Cathy Tische, vice
president of sales and marketing at Deep Silver, Inc. "They are pulling out all
the stops to bring the biker gang world alive in Ride to Hell, from the 1960s
art style, music and scenery to the completely raw and intense game play."
"Ride to Hell is one of Deep Silver's largest global multiplatform game launches
to date and one that will put Deep Silver on the map in the US," says Hannes
Seifert, managing director at the Deep Silver development studio. "Ride to Hell
captures the spirit of the biker movement in the 1960s, while delivering an
authentic, action-packed game play experience."
Ride to Hell - This brand new multi-platform game has been in development for
over a year and is due for a worldwide release simultaneously on next-gen
consoles and PC in the 2nd Quarter of 2009.
Official game site:
http://ridetohell.deepsilver.com
Runes of Magic Website
is online, dedicated to this upcoming free-to-play MMORPG, offering information
and images. Included also are
sign-ups for the
closed beta testing of the game, saying: "Register and sign up if you wish to be
one of the first to travel this land filled with myths & legends! As soon as we
have more information in regard to the Beta and the release of Runes of Magic,
you will find it here."
Ubisoft announces Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game, based on the reality
television show starring notorious British chef Gordon Ramsay. The game is
slated for release this September offering the chance to be berated by Chef
Ramsay just like a real contestant on the show (This celery is RAW! You could
KILL somebody!), and the chance to unlock genuine recipes (It's a cookbook!).
Word is: SAN FRANCISCO – July 10, 2008 – Today Ubisoft announced that it
will publish Hell's Kitchen(TM): The Video Game, for Wii(TM), Nintendo DS(TM),
PC and Mac®. Developed by Ludia, Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game is based on the
U.S. hit FOX television program from Granada America featuring world-renowned
Chef Gordon Ramsay. The game will allow players to experience the show's
high-pressure kitchen and dining room challenges as a faithfully rendered 3D
Chef Ramsay watches their every move.
"I had a great time doing the voice for my own animation,” said Gordon Ramsay.
"Being in a video game is a new experience for me and I'm very pleased with the
results.”
After executing the three phases of an order – preparation, cooking and service
– Chef Gordon Ramsay will score each meal. As they progress through the game,
players will be rewarded with access to recipes from Chef Ramsay's own
repertoire.
"Hell's Kitchen has everything a great video game needs: pressure, excitement
and intense competition,” said Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and
marketing at Ubisoft North America. "We are very excited to be bringing the
intensity of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and the Hell's Kitchen experience to
the virtual world this fall.”
Hell's Kitchen: The Video Game will be released worldwide September 2008.
Key Features:
• Chef Ramsay watches players' every move and judges them as they progress by
yelling at them, praising them or shutting down the kitchen if their skills
don't meet his expectations.
• As players progress, they'll gain access to authentic Gordon Ramsay recipes,
including many that are offered exclusively to game owners.
• In Career Mode, players can earn stars to build their way up from a
Single-Star restaurant to a prestigious Five-Star establishment. As the player
advances through the ranks, their star rating advances and the recipes become
more varied and intricate.
• In Arcade Mode, the pressure builds as customers become increasingly
demanding. Players will be challenged to keep up with the pressure before time
is up, or Chef Ramsay loses patience and closes the kitchen.
A preliminary Operation
Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising Website (thanks Moreno), sporting images, a link
to the
forums for the military shooter sequel, and a "video" option on the menu
that brings up a window saying 07.11.08, strongly suggesting a movie will be
released tomorrow.
The Activision
Blizzard Website announces the big merger is complete: July 10, 2008
-- Paris, France and Santa Monica, CA - Vivendi (Euronext Paris: VIV) and
Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced the completion of the
transaction announced on December 2, 2007 to create Activision Blizzard, as the
world's most profitable pure-play online and console game publisher. Activision
Blizzard was formed by combining Activision, one of the world's leading
independent publishers of interactive entertainment, and Vivendi Games,
Vivendi's interactive entertainment business, which includes Blizzard
Entertainment's® World of Warcraft®, the world's #1 subscription-based massively
multiplayer online role-playing game. Activision Blizzard will continue to
operate as a public company traded on Nasdaq under the ticker ATVI.
The Neverwinter
Nights Website has a new version 1.69 patch for Neverwinter Nights (1), and
they also offer
new
version 1.69 Windows, Linux, and Mac dedicated servers for the D&D RPG. The
patch is accompanied by the following warning: "As of this patch, all modules
created/saved with the version 1.69 toolset are tagged as requiring version 1.69
or higher of neverwinter nights game or toolset." The patch and dedicated server
programs are all mirrored on
The Patches
Scrolls.
Fallout 3 Behind
the AU Ban on IGN.AU has further word on the banning of Fallout 3 by
the Australian OFLC ( story and story). They report
the game was likely to earn an MA15+ rating for its violence if the depiction of
drug use hadn't triggered the outright ban. They also analyze the Office of Film
and Literature Classification's statements and suggest that it may be possible
for Bethesda to appease this ratings board by changing the way drugs are
presented in the game. This is based on this portion of the OFLC's statement:
"Corresponding with the list of various 'chems' are small visual representation
of the drugs, these include syringes, tablets, pill bottles, a crack-type pipe
and blister packs. In the Board's view these realistic visual representations of
drugs and their delivery method bring the 'science-fiction' drugs in line with
'real-world' drugs." Anticipating the contingency plan of many gamers down
under, they point out that if nothing is done to change the content that caused
the ban, it may well be impossible to even legally import the game for those so
inclined: "The Classification Board may advise that importation or
exportation of items should not be allowed if they:
• in relation to a computer game – are unsuitable for a
person under 18 to see or play; or
• promote, incite or instruct in matters of crime or
violence; or
• promote or incite the misuse of a drug specified in
Schedule 4.
A second patch for Race Driver: GRID is now available, updating the
retail editions of the racing game to version 1.2 (this patch does not work on
digitally distributed editions of the game). The patch is available on the
Codemasters Website, and it is mirrored on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront,
FileShack, Gamer's Hell,
and The Patches Scrolls.
The id Software Website has details on
the tournaments they are running at this year's QuakeCon (thanks Gamer's Hell), which
kicks off at the end of this month in Dallas, TX, announcing two QUAKE LIVE
(yes, this is disturbingly presented in all caps) tourneys, as Intel is
sponsoring both one-on-one and CTF competitions. There will also be a pair of
Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars team championships, one for PC and the other for
Xbox 360. For those with better luck than reflexes, there will also be a pair of
raffles, one for a series of cash prizes, and the other giving away a 2008
Corvette coupe.
The Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
Website is live, serving as a home to Relic Entertainment's upcoming
real-time strategy sequel (thanks Gamer's Hell). The site also announces the launch of
the Dawn of War II Community
Portal, and each site offers information, images, and trailers from the
project, with the latter site demonstrating its sense of community by offering
user forums.
The Battlefield 1918 Website now offers
a new final version 3.0 of this World War I modification for Battlefield 1942
(thanks Ant) and
Planet
Battlefield). Word is: "Note that this is a full client and therefore NOT a
patch. That means that you MUST DELETE ANY OLDER VERSION OF BATTLEFIELD1918
BEFORE YOU RUN THE INSTALLER!"
A couple of years ago Con Ed (the local power company) added wireless capability
to our gas meter, which allows them to read the meter without entering the
house. They recently contacted us to replace the meter entirely as they further
enhance this capability, and they showed up the other day for the job. Their
appointment was scheduled for 12:30 pm, so I anticipated needing to spend a good
portion of the afternoon with them. So much for expectations: They showed up an
hour early, and in spite of needing to cut off the gas to various appliances
before changing the meter, they said they would only need a half-hour. All of
ten minutes later, they were completely finished, and on their way. So when it
was all said and done, they finished the job 50 minutes before they were slated
to begin... an impressive display of competence even without comparisons to
other service visits we've had.
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