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Archived News:
The RPB Website now features a
countdown timer, filling a void left by the recent culmination of the countdowns
to the Star Trek Online announcement and the Space Siege demo. The
timer currently reads six-plus days, and here's word: Deep Silver and the
Piranha Bytes team today announced the launch of a teaser page for their new
role-playing project.
The panorama gives us a first, distant glimpse of the role-playing game's world.
What dark secrets and what thrilling adventures lie in wait on that mysterious
volcanic island?
All facts regarding the game that are available to date have been listed under
"Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ). Gamers can discuss them in Deep Silver's own
forum or in the message boards on the fan page "World of Piranha".
Subscribe to the newsletter now, and you will always be up-to-date on the latest
news about Project RPB.
Project RPB is the current working title. It combines "Piranha Bytes" (PB) and
"role-playing game" (RPG).
URL: http://rpb.deepsilver.com
EA's 'Spore' a week
from being finished on CNET has comments from Spore producer Thomas
Vu who reflects on how surprised they've been by the output of the Spore
Creature Creator, as characters have already been created that are beyond what
they believed to be the capabilities of the editor. Thomas also says Spore is
set to go gold in about a week, so it certainly seems to be on track for its
planned September 7 release.
What To Make of the Industry's Urge to Merge on Gamasutra features a
roundtable discussion with financial analysts about consolidation in the game
industry, arguably highlighted by a tidbit
posted
separately here where Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter says that blame for
EA's (so far) futile attempts at taking over Take-Two Interactive can be laid at
Take-Two's feet: As far as EA/Take-Two are concerned, Take-Two has
progressively weakened over the last seven years, in spite of the phenomenal
success of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.
The company has had six CEOs in seven years, and the frequent change at the top
has cost it a lot of continuity.
It made several bad decisions (several failed licenses: 24, The Da Vinci Code)
made a disastrous foray into sports, and has continued to chase cool new
franchises (BioShock, Borderlands, LA Noire) while letting older franchises (Max
Payne, Red Dead Revolver) fade into oblivion.
AIAS President: 'Game
Reviewers Are Lazy' on Shacknews excerpts an upcoming interview with Academy
of Interactive Arts and Sciences president Joseph Olin, who expresses the
opinion that "game reviewers are lazy," making a good point, though the word
rushed might be more appropriate than lazy: "My pet peeve is that game
reviewers are lazy," he said. "Not all, but in terms of the reviews [something
like] 'This game isn't as good because let's compare it to that game over there
and that game was great.' Who gives a, you know, bleep?"
"How can you review a game, how can you give a comment about a game like Grand
Theft Auto IV, that has 40-plus hours or more of gameplay, if you've only spent
2 1/2 to 3 hours playing it," Olin asked, describing his query as a "challenge"
to the industry.
"It would be like reviewing a movie but only seeing the opening, first reel. I
don't think that's fair, or is it accurate," he explained.
Steam
News has word on the automatic availability of a new patch for Team
Fortress 2. The new version includes a number of balance changes, bug
fixes, and other tweaks.
NVIDIA now offers new beta version 177.79 beta drivers for GeForce 8-series,
9-series, and 200-series accelerators (thanks tr0n). There are new
Windows XP,
Windows XP
64-bit,
Vista 32-bit, and
Vista
64-bit drivers. There is also a new version 173.14.12 Linux x86 driver
on this
page.
The Operation Immortality
Website is live as home to this unusual program that connects Richard
Garriott's Tabula Rasa with his upcoming space fight, giving gamers the
chance to send their DNA into space, sort of: Wednesday 30th July/...
BRIGHTON, UK, July 30, 2008 - Could you be the saviour of humankind? NCsoft®,
the world’s leading publisher and developer of online computer games, has
announced it will launch the “Immortality Drive” – a time capsule with the
digitised DNA of select video game players* and space aficionados – into orbit
when famed game designer Richard Garriott travels to the International Space
Station in October 2008.
The Savage 2: A Tortured Soul
Website has word to expect a patch for the action/strategy sequel by the end
of this week: "A patch will go live at the end of this week with lots of
improvements, balance, and optimizations. The K2 Engine will run better with
additonal [sic] enhancements."
- Call of Duty: World at War
The
Call of Duty: World at War Q&A on
Play.tm talks with Treyarch about the next installment in the CoD
series, which returns to its World War II roots. Apparently things are going
well: "Its more than twice as good, lets put it that way. It is critical for
us to be able to have time to get things right. We've had two years, and
we've also had access to the Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare game engine, to
work with on all gaming platforms. We could also move on from the PS2. Leave
the current-gen behind and focus on next-gen. There were huge benefits.
We're doing our best work right now."
- Space Siege
A new Space Siege video interview is available
where Chris Taylor discusses Gas Powered Games' upcoming sci-fi action/RPG
in depth. The clip starts off as a gameplay trailer before the segue to the
interview. At one point he compares the game to a "good popcorn
movie…that doesn't take itself too seriously," which is borderline
ironic considering the overdramatic editing of the clip. The movie is posted
on ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer, and
Gamer's Hell.
- NWN2: Storm of Zehir
The
Storm of Zehir Q&A on Neverwinter Nights 2 Vault chats with Tony Evans,
lead designer on the upcoming Neverwinter Nights 2 expansion: "If anything,
we’re forging even more new paths with Storm of Zehir. One major example is
the Overland Map, which features new, exploration and skill-based gameplay
which we anticipate will knock player’s socks off – assuming they wear
socks. But even the non-sock wearers should find the Overland Map quite
enthralling."
- Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger
The
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger Q&A Strategy Informer talks with
Atomic Motion about this upcoming FPS/RTS hybrid.
- Bungie
Bungie's Harold Ryan interview from
Videogames Impact Report on Variety chats with Bungie CEO Harold Ryan about
the game of making games. Along the way we learn something about the Xbox
LIVE business model: "From a business point of view, we don’t get anything
directly out of people being on Xbox Live. We make most of our money from
sales directly. For us, it’s about keeping the Bungie fan community happy."
- Dream of Mirror Online
RPG
Vault's Dream of Mirror Online Interview - Part 2 covers the following
topics for Softstar's game: "Non-combat activities, items, quests, community
and more in the concluding segment of our look at."
- Quotable
Ken
Levine: 'I'm kind of a pretentious twat' on VideoGamer.com offers a pretty
amusing candidate for quote of the day.
I'm experimenting a bit today. There was a tweak to the posting format today
that proved unpopular, so it was reverted. Also, as you may see from the lack of
links below and a couple of missing roundups above, this set of stories is a bit
different from the normal later posting here. The plan is to recreate the
unusually early first post today with a similar early Out of the Blue just after
midnight tonight/tomorrow morning. I have some clear ideas of the benefits of
this, but also some concerns about logistics, hence the experiment. This may
turn out to be wildly successful, or it may be abandoned as quickly as the
format tweak, we shall have to see. As always, feedback on these changes is
encouraged if you have an opinion to share. So there: I'm mostly caught up, so
see you again in a few hours!
Gamasutra
reports that the Robert Ludlum estate, specifically "Ludlum Entertainment" has
reacquired the rights to games based on the works of the late author from
Vivendi (thanks Mike Martinez). They quote Ludlum Entertainment CEO and estate executor
Jeffrey Weiner as saying, "Robert Ludlum's works are an ideal vehicle for
realizing the promise of multi-platform gaming and capitalizing on the
accelerated migration from personal computers and game consoles to a wide
variety of mobile devices, online multiplayer games and social media
applications. We look forward to working with innovative partners in the gaming
community and new investors to further extend the reach and appeal of Robert
Ludlum's stories, and to help write the next chapter for this
powerful and timeless entertainment franchise."
Google testing “AdSense for Games” in bid to shake up in-game advertising
has word that Google is looking to invade the in-game advertising space: Google
is the sleeping giant when it comes to advertising in video games. While the
company dominates search advertising, it has yet to make a big splash in video
games. That could change soon, as the company has been quietly testing its
“AdSense for Games” product for months.
Sources close to the matter said that the company has developed an in-game
advertising technology that allows it to insert video ads into games. In demos
of the technology, a game character can introduce a video ad, saying something
like, “And now, a word from our sponsor,” before showing a short video at the
end of a sequence in a game. Since testing has been going on for some time,
Google could launch the technology fairly quickly, if it so chooses.
But it’s not clear why Google hasn’t already launched its in-game advertising
business, given that the seeds of AdSense for Games were planted in early 2007.
Google did not respond to a request for comment this morning. I’ll update if
that changes.
“I don’t know what’s taking them so long,” said one source close to the matter.
“They could move into this market very quickly, given what they have shown off.”
If the company enters the market, it should stir up the competition the way it
has in other ad markets. Companies such as
Double Fusion,
IGA Worldwide, Microsoft’s Massive,
MochiMedia and
NeoEdge Networks have been carving out
niches with in-game or wrap-around ads for some time.
Paradox Interactive announces release dates for Mount & Blade, saying the
long-term beta of this medieval action/RPG will end and the game will be in
North American stores on September 16 and in Europe on September 19, which is a
delay from the Q2 2008 release window set at the beginning of this year
( story). Word is: NEW YORK- July 30, 2008 – Paradox
Interactive today announced the release date for their highly anticipated
upcoming PC medieval, action-RPG title, Mount & Blade. Mount & Blade will be
released in North America on September 16 and in Europe on September 19, 2008.
Mount & Blade is a single-player, third- or first-person action/role-playing
game with a focus on medieval combat. Developed by the Turkish development house
TaleWorlds Entertainment, the beta version of the game has received acclaim
worldwide from users impressed by the game’s realistic horseback combat,
luscious graphics, and open-world sandbox gameplay. The latter enables players
to roam the map freely in a medieval world that offers activities ranging from
hunting down bandits, to trading for profit in the game's complex economic
system, to becoming a commander and taking part in the wars, with the ultimate
goal of becoming a great lord of the realm.
Mount & Blade will be available for purchase in stores and for digital download
at GamersGate, the leading digital distribution platform creating easily
accessible gaming experiences for gamers worldwide. For more information, please
visit Mount & Blade's website at:
http://www.paradoxplaza.com/Mount&Blade/.
A playable demo for Romance of the Three
Kingdoms XI offers a sample of the return of the historical turn-based
strategy series to the PC platform. The demo is a 279 MB download, available on
ComputerGames.Ro and
Gamer's Hell.
This press release has word
that public beta testing is underway for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3.
This page has a Q&A on the beta (thanks Gamer's Hell) where producer Greg Kasavin
discusses the reasons different factions are using different build mechanics for
the beta.
From today's EA investor conference call discussing
their financial reporting,
Shacknews reports that
Battlefield Heroes will be delayed until later this year, quoting EA CEO
John Riccitiello as saying "We decided to increase its focus on some of the
social networking features." On a related note,
DICE's
Grondal Talks Battlefield Heroes 'Experiment' on Gamasutra is a brief
excerpt from a larger Q&A on DICE's upcoming free-to-play shooter. The full
conversation will be posted in its entirety in the future.
Also from Shack and
that conference call is word that Tiberium is also delayed, and the
shooter based on the C&C universe is now due in EA's fiscal 2010 (April 1, 2009
to March 31, 2010). No reason for the delay was provided.
Eurogamer
has their own delay report, saying H.A.W.X., the aerial combat game is now expected in EA's
financial forth quarter, so it is to be expected between January 1 and March 31,
2009. Update: Apologies for misidentifying this as an EA-published title,
when this is Ubisoft-published game.
GameCyte has an excerpt from that conference call where EA CEO John
Riccitiello suggests that a best case scenario for Spore will eventually
include microtransactions: Yes, we’ve got a clear, obvious and very
compelling post-launch monetization opportunity. This is a game where basically,
the parts are what make the sum of the product work. So selling parts as we do
with the Sims Store online right now in The Sims 2 is incredibly obvious, we
have all the technology for it, but that’s really not what the overwhelming
portion of our focus is on right now. It’s on making that a successful launch
and making sure we have the right to ask that question down the road.
Videogaming247 quotes Mythic’s Paul Barnett as saying that Warhammer
Online: Age of Reckoning is basically finished, and while they are polishing
the Warhammer MMORPG at the moment, he confirms it is in a "shippable"
state: "We just won Game of the Show from IGN, G4 and GameSpy from E3
and they all said the same thing: they’ve never seen an MMO prior to launch
that’s as polished and slick and ready to go as our game is. Our game looks
great, feels great, plays great. Is it in a shippable state? Yeah, we could ship
it now."
Shacknews reports that
EA's slate of sports games will return to the PC next year, retooled to "take
advantage of the online connectivity in a bigger and more meaningful way,"
according to Peter Moore during today's EA… oh you know already. He also
made a reference to EA "toying with subscription programs to reward players"
(quoting Shack), though he did not elaborate on this.
The Galactic Dream: Rage of War Website
offers a new version 1.2 demo of this space real-time strategy game,
corresponding with its recent retail release. Word is: "Galactic Dream is a
classic real-time strategy game with resource collection, base building, massive
battles and pure destruction. The game features a Single Player campaign with
varying objectives, from simple 'kill all enemies' to timed defenses, destroying
or protecting certain targets to escort missions." The download is available on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
BlizzCon 2008
Tickets on Sale August 11 announces when the ducats for Blizzard's annual
gaming convention will go on the market, also revealing that those who cannot
attend will have the chance to enjoy coverage of the proceedings on pay per view
on DirecTV: IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
today announced that tickets for its third BlizzCon™ gaming convention will go
on sale August 11 and that live coverage of the event will be available as an
exclusive DIRECTV pay per view event. BlizzCon is a celebration of the global
player communities surrounding Blizzard Entertainment®’s Warcraft®, Diablo®, and
StarCraft® game universes. The event will take place at the Anaheim Convention
Center in Anaheim, California on October 10 and 11.
“Meeting and interacting with our players at BlizzCon is always a great
experience for us,” stated Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard
Entertainment. “We’re also pleased to be working with DIRECTV this year to bring
the show, for the first time, to those players who are unable to attend.”
In addition to serving as a gathering place for the different Blizzard
Entertainment gaming communities, BlizzCon will offer an array of activities,
including discussion panels, hands-on playtime with upcoming games, tournaments,
contests, and more. Tickets to the convention will be priced at $100 USD each,
and will be available for purchase directly from the official BlizzCon website
at www.blizzcon.com.
ArmA Support And Patching Plans - Part III on the Bohemia Interactive Forums
is an extensive post outlining the few issues still to be addressed in a future
patch for ArmA, even as their attention turns to development of ArmA 2, as well
as an outlook of support beyond that time (thanks Gamer's Hell). Here's what they say
about a release schedule for the patch: "Most likely there will be a beta stage
again, followed by a stable release. All the three "major" fixes are already
implemented, we would like to test them internally first, so that we can be
reasonably confident we do not re-release the patch quickly. Once this is done,
we need to first prepare a public beta patch to ensure new bug fixes really
fixed all issues and didn't introduce some unwanted side effects. It is probably
safe to assume the new final, stable release is only a few months away. "
Exclusive LEGO Universe Video Offers First Game Glimpse on Kotaku has a
video featuring footage of the folks at NetDevil discussing development of their
upcoming MMO brick game. There's no real gameplay show, just glimpses of screens
in passing as assets are being tweaked.
The Fallout 3 Q&A on
No Mutants Allowed is a translation of a Q&A about Bethesda's upcoming RPG
sequel that was originally
published in
French.
Okay, we got in late enough that I missed Tuesday evening by a few minutes and
this has now become Wednesday morning's update. I've still got some catching up
to do, but here goes for now.
Thanks for the sympathies about my aunt. The services were lovely, and the 10
hours on the road gave me and my bro a chance to reminisce.
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