Archived News:
Namco Bandai Ships
Warhammer: Battle March for Xbox 360 and PC is the press release announcing
the availability of this expansion for Warhammer: Mark of Chaos for PC as
well as the Xbox 360 version, which is a full game (as it also contains Mark of
Chaos). Word is: "Warhammer: Mark of Chaos - Battle March for the PC builds upon
the original game's tactical foundation with an all-new single player campaign
focusing on the Orcs & Goblins, new units for each faction and a massive,
persistent new online World Domination mode. As players succeed in World
Domination mode, their chosen faction will gain more influence over the world of
Warhammer, encouraging gamers to work in unison with other online players to
gain more territory and achieve total supremacy."
BlackFoot Studios licenses Unreal Engine 3 has word of an engine licensing
deal for Sky Gods, an upcoming military tactical action game to be
released for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The only gameplay element
mentioned in the announcement is that Sky Gods will focus on cooperative
multiplayer play. Sky Gods is planned for digital distribution in the first
quarter of next year.
Depths of Peril
patches page now offers non-beta version 1.012 patches for both the Windows
and Linux editions of Soldak Entertainment's action/RPG.
This page
outlines all the changes in the new version, as well as all the previous
patches. Also, there is
a new article on Soldak on The Escapist and new Q&As with former Ritual
Technical Director and Soldak founder Steven Peeler on
Tales of the Rampant Coyote and
Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
Finally, Soldak is now offering two
Depths of Peril
Posters for sale.
Electronic Arts Bets Big on a New Game on the WSJ.com has an extensive
article on Spore, among other things, discussing the difficult time EA will have
explaining the game in a way that does not make it seem so complex that it will
turn off less hardcore players. Also,
New Computer Game, Spore, Takes Cues From Evolutionary Biology features
thoughts from real scientists on the game, who have their share of fun, though
they point out that it does not really portray actual evolution. Thanks j.c.f.,
Mike Martinez, and
Digg.
Soldak Entertainment ( Depths
of Peril) announces Kivi's Underworld, a casual hack-and-slash
action/adventure game the indie developer hopes to have out by the end of this
year, though its official release date is "when it's done." The
Kivi's Underworld
Overview Page has some images as well as details on the game and some
details on gameplay, including an indication that this is some sort of
hardcore casual game: "Although very easy to learn, mastering Kivi's Underworld
is a different matter. With a fast pace, twenty playable characters, tons of
powerups, many monsters using unique tactics and skills, numerous deadly traps,
and multiple difficulty levels, even an expert player will be challenged."
The EverQuest II
Players Website offers details on the update #48 that just went live for
Sony Online Entertainment's MMORPG. This "Breaking Ground" update includes an
Everfrost revamp, a Guild Hall construction event, and the underwater city of
Veskar, which features half a new high-level dungeon that will be completed with
the new expansion.
Two new PAX 2008 trailers for Aion: Tower of Eternity are now available.
One clip offers a look at two of the main territories in NCsoft's upcoming MMORPG
viewed via a flying avatar, this is posted on
FileFront and
Gamer's Hell. The other movie offers a look at the game's classes, this one
can be found on
FileFront and
Gamer's Hell.
Kotaku reports an un-sourced rumor that the Entertainment Software
Association is considering allowing the public to attend the E3 conference as a
way of reenergizing the flagging trade show. E3's dominance in the game
convention scene has dissipated over the couple of years since the booth
babe-laden excesses of the show floor has been scaled back along with the level
of access to the exhibitors, and if this rumor is accurate, the ESA is having
second thoughts about those changes.
Lack of
ambition to blame for previous Star Wars flops, admits LucasArts on EuroGamer
quotes comments by Cameron Suey of LucasArts at GC 2008 in Liepzig saying that
the shortcomings of the company's past internal Star Wars titles are because the
license is so great that it's "really easy to get excited about that and not set
the bar high enough." He goes on to claim that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed,
their new console/mobile title, "really fulfilled the high bar we set for
ourselves."
The first patches are now available for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky,
updating GSC Game World's first-person shooter prequel to version 1.01. There is
one patch for the retail edition of the game and another for the digital
download edition, and both can be found on the
Clear Sky Downloads Page.
Word is: "Here you can find the patch V1.01 of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. The
patch optimizes the performance of Clear Sky approximately 5 %. In addition to
that the patch improves the overall stability of the game and fixes potential
load/save issues. Further the balancing of the multiplayer mode has been
changed." Thanks YiYas.
A new Perimeter 2: New Earth trailer showcases a number of combat sequences
from KD Labs' upcoming science fiction RTS sequel. The movie runs a little under
five minutes, which may be long enough to wear out one's patience with the
synthesized voice that accompanies the action. The clip is available from
Gamer's Hell.
A new movie from Battlefield Heroes offers a look at combat in EA's
upcoming subscription-free multiplayer shooter. The clip begins like a vintage
newsreel before segueing to show off the game's stylized graphics and
over-the-top gameplay, including vehicles, a number of different weapons and a
variety of characters. The movie is on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
A new Spore trailer shows off the space phase from EA Maxis' imminent
strategic life simulation. The gameplay clip features exploration, combat and
various views of what seem to be itty-bitty planets, along with narration from
producer Kip Katsarelis explaining what's going on. The movie is posted on
AtomicGamer and
Gamer's Hell. On a
semi-related note,
CNET has a reminder for Mac owners that the Macintosh edition of Spore will
require an Intel CPU and the Leopard operating system.
The
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Q&A on IncGamers chats with Oleg Yavorsky about
GSC Game World's new first-person shooter prequel. They discuss how the game's
story fits in with Shadow of Chernobyl, differences in zones, AI
improvements, lessons learned from the original game, details on factions, the
addition of guides, multiplayer support, DirectX 10 features, and the
possibility that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series will stalk consoles some day.
Fallout 3
Interview on VideoGamer.com is a sit-down with Pete Hines at the Liepzig
show to discuss Fallout 3, Bethesda Softworks' upcoming RPG sequel. They discuss
living up to the original games, acknowledging the challenge of living up to the
expectations of the series' vocal fanbase, the karma system, more on V.A.T.S.,
loot, the possibility of expansions, and more.
The
Pure Q&A on Gaming Nexus talks with Ian Hudson of Black Rock Studios about
Pure, the 4x4 stunt racing game. Ian, the game's lead environment
designer, reflects on graphics, customizing your quad, career advancement,
stunts, track design, multiplayer support, and more.
GOG.com, the home of Good Old Games,
announces plans to launch beta testing of the service on Monday September 8,
saying that anyone who signs up between now and September 7 will gain access to
the test. Good Old Games will offer older games with full XP and Vista
compatibility and no DRM, and here's word on how the test will work: "The Early
Access Beta will offer all the main features of the site, including buying
DRM-free games, joining the community and writing reviews. Apart from just
getting access, everyone buys a game from GOG.com during the Early Access Beta
will receive a bonus code to get one game from GOG.com’s Interplay catalogue for
free! So what are you waiting for? If you haven’t signed up yet, be sure to
enter your email address and get in on the action."
A pair of related reports come out of the
Virtual Worlds Expo that's just
getting underway today:
Gamer's Daily News reports plans for an MMOG based on Buffy the Vampire
Slayer, though this will be part of "Multiverse Places," a new social
virtual world on The Multiverse Network,
and the Buffy game carries the unusual description of being "a fully immersive
3D environment or as a Flash-based 2D game, where both types of players can
interact." There is related bad news for Joss Whedon fans, as
they also report that the focus on this project has taken some momentum from
Multiverse's plans for a Firefly MMOG. They say that Whedon and Fox feel
the Buffy property has more potential, and is getting more attention at this
time, and it is not clear what sort of timeframe they are now projecting for the
Firefly game.
Spore expected to sell 2 million in US in September quotes sales projections
by Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets. Among the specific things he's
seen in his crystal ball are US sales of 2 million copies of Spore in September
and around 650K sign-ups this month for Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.
GamesIndustry.biz spoke with Thierry Braille, head of Disney Interactive
Studios in the EMEA region (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) during the recently
completed Leipzig games show. Their conversation revealed significant growth
plans for DIS, as Braille says they the $180m they are spending on development
this year to be closer to $350m in four or five years. He then admits that with
this sort of growth projection there's no denying a studio acquisition may be
part of the plan: "If we spend more than twice the amount of money, it's fair to
assume we cannot exclude a studio acquisition - it's definitely a fair
assumption." The quote is part of a larger
interview published
here.
Another new patch is now available for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines,
continuing the support for this Source-engine action/RPG long after a stake was
driven through the heart of its developer Troika. The new version 5.6 patch is
on The Patches
Scrolls, the official home of this unofficial patches, and the
full change list is
here.
Gamestop's Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 Preorder Page offers a cross
gaming bonus of an exclusive Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning item called
Korssar’s Helm, magical Kislevite helmet that can magically transform the wearer
into a ferocious bear. The
Red Alert 3 Premier Edition Preorder Page has word the helm is also included
in addition to all the extra swag included with the Premier Edition of the RTS
sequel ( story). Thanks
WAAAGH/ Massively.
The BioShock Postmortem on Gamasutra hears from project lead Alyssa Finley
about what went right and wrong during development of 2K Boston/2K Australia's
first-person shooter. She discusses the various points the BioShock
design was refined based on demonstrations and tests involving outsiders and how
the team was assembled and worked together are among the highlights, while low
points include the late shift in focus to make more of a first-person shooter,
how much of the narrative content had to be rushed into the game. The article
seems to be a very frank discussion of the topic, focusing far more on the
mistakes made along the way than their successes.
The
Bill Fisher Interview on Adventure Classic Gaming talks with the founder of
independent developer WRF Studios about his next game, Beyond the Spirit’s
Eye, and his career designing adventure games that dates back to the
original Last Half of Darkness in 1989. They discuss his inspirations,
his development methods, what the future holds, and more.
Have you checked out this
Google Chrome beta? Seems a lot lighter on its feet than the alternatives,
and so far I like it a lot.
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