Archived News:
A post on
WarCry Network reports on an Escapist interview with (David) Reid that
follows up on recent indications that Dungeon Runners might be facing the
broadsword ( story). He indicates that while NCsoft is putting
more of its efforts behind games like City of Heroes, Guild Wars, and Lineage,
the subscription-free MMOG is not facing closure, though it probably will not
receive as much development attention going forward. Thanks
Massively.
Left4Dead411.com has a 10 minute video presentation made by Gabe Newell on
the making of Left 4 Dead. This was originally only seen by members of
the press at this year's E3, and the presentation is accompanied by an extended
version of the E3 trailer from the upcoming multiplayer zombie game. Word is:
"Gabe goes into detail on many aspects of the making of Left 4 Dead, including
their goals in development, the what and why of the AI Director, all about the
monsters including animation, physics and AI, and also all about the world
including graphics and lighting technology."
Gametrailers offers
the debut trailer for Tunnel Rats (referring to the title as "1968 Tunnel
Rats"), Replay Studios' first-person shooter based on the upcoming Uwe Boll war
movie that is surprisingly not already based on an existing game. The clip shows
off the game's Vietnam War environments (both in and out of tunnels), and
explains what the army has trained you for (fighting in tunnels and jungles),
and what it has not trained you for (watching helicopters crash). Tunnel Rats
was originally expected early this year along with the movie
( story), so it is obviously delayed;
Eurogamer
says the game is due this autumn (and adding to the confusion, they call the
title "Tunnel Rats 1968"), but the
IMDB lists the movie's
release date as March 13, 2009, so we'd bet that's when to expect the game, too.
The ATI Drivers & Software Page
now offers the Linux version 8.9 CATALYST drivers corresponding to yesterday's
Windows release ( story). Thanks Ant and
LinuxGames.
Kotaku's Doug
Lombardi Q&A discusses DRM with the Valve spokesperson in light of the
controversy about this aspect of Spore. They discuss the growing pains
with DRM Valve experienced when they launched Steam, the fact that DRM for
downloadable games is probably here to stay, and as a point of reference they
contrast how DRM is handled in Spore compared with Valve's DRM for The Orange
Box.
- Need for Speed Undercover on
GameSpot.
- Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising on
Eurogamer.
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 on
1Up.
- The Sims 3 on
IGN.AU.
Okay, a bunch of forum posts that followed our recent server move are appearing
out of order, but Frans has fixed this going forward as well as the thread
counts and all the other glitches we were aware of, and even a few we weren't. I
cannot say enough about the incredible effort Frans put in to make this move
work out, it is safe to say it could not have been done without him. He is
indeed the Man, with a capital "M."
A new patch for the Windows edition of Spore is now available, updating
Maxis' life simulation to version 1.01 with a number of new cheats, changes,
fixes, and features. The patch is available via the EA Downloader (available via
this direct
link if you didn't install it with the game), and the
patch notes are on the Spore website.
There are also manual versions of the patch on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell. An update is also available for the Spore creature creator, The Mac
editions will update automatically upon launch, while Windows users can either
make use of the EA downloader, or manual patches for either the full or trial
editions of the creature creator which are also posted on
the same page.
Paradox Interactive announces the availability of a new patch for Europa
Universalis III: In Nomine, their grand strategy expansion. The patch can be
applied automatically by clicking the "check for updates" button from within the
game. The update changes the way policy changes are handled, improves the
espionage system, introduces commissioned Privateers, overhauls the UI, offers
"massively improved" AI, and more.
A glitch in the version of The Witcher Enhanced Edition that was just
released in North American prevents the revamped edition of CD Projekt RED's RPG
from displaying any blood. There will be blood, however, as they have issued a
small patch that should repair this issue, which can be found on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell. And remember, as Mick Jagger once sang, "we all need someone we can
bleed on."
There's now a Crysis
Warhead Copy Protection FAQ on the Crymod Modding Portal addressing concerns
over the digital rights management in Crysis Warhead, Crytek's
just-released shooter ( story). The document outlines the
reasoning for the copy protection, advantages this system provides (you do not
need the disc in the drive to play), states that the game will only authenticate
itself online the first time it is launched or after "significant changes" to
your system, and clarifies that the game can be authorized on five different
computers, rather than the three previously reported. It also states that Crysis
Wars, the game's multiplayer mode, does not have an authorization limit, but
does require a one-time online activation. The FAQ begins with a statement from
Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli, that reads in part: "We realize that copy protection and
piracy is a very emotional and hotly debated topic. It is very hard to find a
solution that fits both our needs. We need to make an effort to limit piracy but
we do not want to limit the experience of our fans."
GamersGate is now accepting preorders for Civilization IV Colonization,
the upcoming turn-based strategy remake from Firaxis. Those willing to buy
before they try will receive a free copy of Europa Universalis III,
Paradox Interactive's grand strategy sequel.
AMD has launched its new "Fusion" marketing campaign, promoting the synergy
between their CPUs and GPUs, as detailed on their
Fusion website. The program carries the
slogan "The Future is Fusion," and the announcement offers a little world-class
marketing-speak to describe what this means: "Fusion is AMD’s way to express how
we blend our customers’ needs, dreams and desires with our unique passion for
enabling innovation." Wading through this will offer a boon to owners of AMD
technology, as the site offers a beta of what they are calling the AMD Fusion
Gaming Utility, which is intended to improve performance on AMD processor-based
PCs with the click of a button by "temporarily reducing resource-consuming
background services while boosting compute performance with advanced
acceleration technologies." The utility also includes options for advanced users to
tune and overclock their systems. More information and the beta utility itself
can be found on the
Fusion for Gaming Page. Also,
Bjorn3d has an article
about the utility after taking it for a test drive.
Empire Interactive announces that Ford Off-Road Racing is off the road
and in North American stores, offering the latest installment in this racing
series solely centered around the Ford brand. The game offers 4x4 racing over
desert, water, and ice environments in a variety of Ford off-road vehicles, as
well as the Land Rover brand.
Ubisoft announces that Prince of Persia will ship on December 2 for
Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, offering the latest installment in the
long-running (and jumping) series that began with a game of the same name. Word
is: "Prince of Persia opens an entirely new chapter in the Prince of Persia
universe in addition to introducing a fresh Illustrative art style, evolved
combat system, open world structure and dynamic AI – most notably in the form of
the Prince's powerful ally Elika." Ubisoft also announces that Prince of
Persia: The Fallen King for the DS will ship on that date as well.
GameTap's American
McGee's Grimm now offers Beauty and the Beast, the latest chapter in
the episodic adventure series that culminates the first of the three volumes of
American McGee's Grimm. As usual, the episode is free for 24 hours, after
which normal purchase or subscription fees apply. Here's word on the new
episode: "When a man is caught stealing a rose from an enchanted castle, the
Beast who owns the castle offers to spare the man's life in exchange for
possession of his daughter, Beauty. Beauty is forced to live in the castle, and
as we all know, ends up falling in love with the not so savage Beast. But, how
would the tale of the fair maiden and monstrous Beast be told if Grimm had his
way?"
The Sports Mogul
Website now offers Football Mogul 2009, the latest installment in
this tackle football management series, along with a free playable trial. Word
is: "Football Mogul 2009 is the football game for fans who want their success on
the field determined by their strategy, not their reflexes. You call the shots
with full control over rosters, trades, draft picks, contract negotiations and
playbooks. Football Mogul 2009 also gives you complete control on the field,
with the option of calling every play and managing the clock -- or leaving it up
to the computer."
DICE Announces Holiday Ship
Date for Mirror's Edge for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 has word that the
console editions of DICE's first-person platformer/action game will ship on
November 11. The announcement confirms recent speculation of a delay to
Mirror's Edge for the PC ( story), saying it will "ship later this
winter." Word is the console release will be preceded by a demo, and that
preorder customers will receive a code to unlock a Time Trial mode in the demo.
As announced Tuesday ( story), Crysis Warhead should be
hitting store shelves today, and as announced yesterday ( story),
Crytek's first-person shooter sequel is also now available via
Steam. On a related note,
GameXtract has a screenshot of the EULA
that indicates Crysis Warhead allows a limited number of installations, a
controversial feature of other recent EA releases (thanks
N4G.com). Confirmation of
this can be found in an article on
the game on PCGH offering hardware benchmarks and other details about the
game. Among those details is a confirmation of this DRM feature, saying the game
can be activated up to three times. The EULA in the screenshot on GameXtract
actually says "The first end user of this License can install and authenticate
CRYSIS WARHEAD on a set number of machines." The implication there seems to be
this license is non-transferrable. That screenshot also
says "CRYTEK reserves the right to periodically validate Your License through
subsequent online authentication."
This press
release announces that Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is now live
for North America, Europe and the Oceanic territories. Word is: "Players
entering the Age of Reckoning can look forward to invading enemy lands,
assaulting imposing fortresses, and sacking sprawling capital cities for the
glory of your Realm. They will wield devastating magic and deadly weapons,
battle monstrous creatures, and join their brothers-in-arms in epic Public
Quests™. Players can climb the Bastion Stair, carry their Guild Banner into
battle, and unlock the infinite secrets of the Tome of Knowledge as they travel
the world. The wait is over - the Age of Reckoning has begun and war is
everywhere!" There's a
Community Update - From Mark Jacobs on the WAR Website from just prior to
the launch (thanks
Massively) saying that players will no longer have to click through the Code
of Conduct to enter the game, but they will have to continue to scroll through
the EULA every time the game launches, says a last-minute patch has reduced the
number of crashes some players were encountering, and that tomorrow they will
begin "cloning" players from high population servers onto lower population ones
to give players a choice of where to play.
Massively reports the patch is now live in Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures
that lays the groundwork for the PvP system in Funcom's MMORPG by introducing
PvP XP and gear.
The Age of
Conan Europe Forum has the full patch notes.
Just Cause studio confirms free online title on GamesIndustry.biz has some
details on The Hunter, a free online hunting game in development at
Avalanche Studios ( Just Cause). The game will reportedly be partly played
in a browser, and part of the project will involve social networking to create a
community of worldwide hunters.
Gamasutra
reports on Harvey Smith’s keynote at the AGDC Game Career Summit, where the
former Origin, ION Storm, and Midway designer described an unnamed immersive
first-person RPG he's working on at Arkane Austin. During the keynote he said,
"Arkane as a company is very focused on immersive first-person experiences," and
described his own design philosophy: "My focus is very much around games like
Deus Ex." They spoke with him after the talk and he spoke of his happiness at
returning to a project in the vein of Deus Ex and Thief: Deadly
Shadows.
The game
changers on MCV is an interview with Atari CEO David Gardner and Atari
president Phil Harrison, discussing implications of their recent distribution
deal with Namco Bandai ( story). They make the distinction between
their distribution efforts and publishing efforts, outlining the complicated
aspects of the deal.
MCV also highlights Atari's stated plans to move away from traditional boxed
distribution, as Namco Bandai now has an option to buy Infogrames' distribution
business outright in five years, and Gardner says the Japanese
developer/publisher will "probably" own a majority of that distribution arm at
that point. He goes on to say that by that time they will have "90% online
projects."
Peter
Molyneux interview Part One on GamesIndustry.biz talks with the head lion at
Lionhead about gaming and his attendance of Games Convention Asia, focusing on
the burgeoning Asian marketplace.
Edge Online reports on Molyneux's keynote address at the convention where he
spoke of his obsession with creating a game that will manage to satisfy the
needs of both casual and hardcore players.
Massgate.net has news that the promised
winning maps from the World in Conflict map contest, Arizona and Valley,
are now available as promised. Word is: "The two maps, made by Slepnyrl and
Gozeus respectively, charmed the World in Conflict team with a well-balanced Tug
of War map and a visually stunning DX10 map in the contest." The maps are posted
in their download section.
The Witcher: Versus will soon add
premium content to this browser-based game based on CD Projekt RED's RPG The
Witcher. Sales of premium content will support continued development of the
game, though they are quick to point out: "Future changes in The Witcher: Versus
will not focus on premium content only, and will serve to make the free-to-play
game even more enticing; leagues, tournaments, challenges, a full-featured RPG
world and much more will begin to find their way into The Witcher: Versus in the
later part of the year." Back to the premium content, word is: "Premium content
will be added gradually; the first premium access package will contain new
features intended to ease account and character management; they include a
rucksack for items that are not currently equipped, a history of fights against
a certain player (for ultimate bragging rights), as well as a private duels
archive. The designers will reveal additional details over the next few months."
Stardock announces the release of
The Political Machine Express, a free game based on the just-released The
Political Machine 2008. The free game puts the player in the role of campaign
manager for Barack Obama or John McCain, orchestrating a run on the White House.
The game requires an internet connection and includes a copy of Stardock's
Impulse platform. Thanks
Gamer's Hell.
Frontlines: Fuel of War Website
announces that a new version 1.2.0 patch is now in final testing for the Kaos
Studios' military shooter. They say barring problems, the patch will be out by
the end of September. Details on the patch can be found in the
Frontlines PC Roadmap.
Lighthouse Interactive has a new video showing off gameplay from Sword of
the Stars: A Murder of Crows, Kerberos Productions' upcoming 4X space
strategy expansion, which is due for release next month. They say of the clip:
"Players get their first-look at the Morrigi engaging in fierce battles against
the five other races introduced in Sword of the Stars and the first add-on Born
of Blood. This new race features a style of gameplay that will challenge even
the most avid Sword of the Stars fan."
A new "Talent Voice Over" trailer from Saints Row 2 features interview
snippets with a number of the Hollywood actors contributing their voice talents
to Saints Row 2, also offering in-game examples of their work on the coming open
world action sequel. The best quotes are from Jamie Presley who enjoys the
freedom the voice-work gives her to "come up with a million different voices and
really let go," before a clip demonstrating her character sounds just like her
normal voice, and says she had fun doing the game "because you can be anybody,
so I can be as sexy as I wanted to be," suggesting she does not comprehend her
real-life sex appeal. The NSFW clip can be found on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
MyGameTrailers.
I'm thinking about my mom a lot these past few days, as it was five years ago
today that she died. I bring this up not to bring you down, nor do I need
anybody's sympathy over this. But if you still have your mom, dad, or both, I'd
like to ask you to give them a call or a hug today. It sounds corny, but it
makes me feel good suggesting that; maybe because I know my mom would have liked
the thought.
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