Archived News:
Valve announces that
owners of the Windows edition of Unreal Tournament 3 may now register their game
with Steam, which will add automatic updates, a number of new features, and
over 50 Steamworks achievements: "In preparation for the massive update coming
for Unreal Tournament 3, those who own a retail copy may now register it with
Steam, free of charge. The latest installment in the legendary online action
series from Epic will be updated automatically via Steam and introduce support
for Steamworks Achievements (with over 50 Achievements), plus a host of new
features and enhancements in AI, Server Browsing, Demo Recording, Mod Support,
and more. For more information or to register your copy of UT3 with Steam,
please visit www.steamgames.com."
MyCrysis has
word to expect the next patch for Crysis Warhead tomorrow, at 18:00 CET, which
we think is Noon EST, but math was never our strong suit. The accompanying post
outlines all that's planned for the patch, including the promised
64-bit executables.
The Sins of a Solar Empire Website
announces a new update is now automatically available via
Impulse to update the space strategy
game to version 1.13. This
change log has complete details on what's new and different. That same post
also announces that the promised beta 2 of the Entrenchment add-on for Sins is
now automatically available, and
this change log has
the skinny on what's new.
Activision announces tomorrow will kick off a double-XP weekend for Call of
Duty: World at War, an event that will run through Sunday in honor of
the big game (shh, nobody say Super Bowl). The event includes the implementation
of a couple of new playlists for console players: "Not only will players receive
Double-XP, but due to popular request they will have two new playlists at their
disposal for Xbox 360 and PS3: Team Tactical (4v4) and Mercenary TDM (no parties
allowed)! Team Tactical will pit two teams of four against each other in a
random rotation of all the Team-Based gametypes."
Kotaku reports layoffs at Disney Interactive Studios, a story initially
characterized as a rumor that has now been confirmed. The quote they got
from Disney unsurprisingly blames these uncertain economic times for the cuts,
saying: "In addition to all of these changes, we have also determined that
Directors and above will not be receiving merit increases this year. All of
these actions are part of a focused effort to ensure we are closely managing the
organization through the current economic climate, balancing our need to respond
to the current environment with our goal of driving significant long-term
growth." Some of the cuts are said to be at Propaganda Games prompting the
cancellation of Turok 2, a project that's never been officially
announced. A follow-up on
GameDaily sets the number of jobs lost at 30, significantly lower than the
first report. They also offer a vague quote about Turok indicating Disney
retains the rights to the franchise, and a less vague statement that Propaganda
remains a two-team studio working on two separate unannounced projects.
Enlight announces the service industry sequel Hotel Giant 2 is set to
launch next month, offering a general "mid-February" as a release date. Word
is: "Hotel Giant 2 features 26 locations from around the world including Paris,
Los Angeles, Munich, Rome and Phuket for aspiring Donald Trumps to dominate the
hotel market. The key to success is careful observation of your guests’
behaviour and monitoring their happiness in the surroundings you have created
for them. Build restaurants, health clubs, swimming pools and business centres
to appease their needs, all the while keeping a close eye on your ratings in
order to achieve that coveted 100% customer satisfaction rating."
Secondhand Lands is now live,
offering a subscription free MMORPG in an offbeat fairy tale world. Word is:
"Secondhand Lands is a game that connoisseurs of the MMO genre will want to add
to their repertoire. Crafters can make the most sophisticated items in game –
cigars, antlers, butterfly wings, and jetpacks – using loot that drops from
creatures in the world. Power gamers will want to check out the skill system,
which can be configured in billions of ways." There is also
a new interview about the project on The Escapist.
A new trailer from Batman: Arkham Asylum offers a look at the Dark Knight to
brighten this dark night by setting the scene for the upcoming game starring the
caped crusader. The movie is available on
ActionTrip and
AtomicGamer.
A new "Don's View" trailer from The Godfather II is more of a consigliere's
view, as it is narrated by Robert "Tom Hagen" Duvall, who explains some of the
game mechanics in the upcoming organized crime sequel. The clip is available on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
MyGameTrailers.
The third of the promised four cinematic movies from Blood Bowl shows off
another race/team in the fantasy-themed sports game. Word is: "As shown in the
video, a running Skaven player is nearly impossible to capture, as he can dodge
in and out of the defensive lines with ease, and if that fails, they can always
call in a Rat Ogre for heavy support if needed!" The movie is available on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
MyGameTrailers.
A new Battlecast Primetime Minute offers a "Talent Announce Trailer" for
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising, celebrating the cast of thespian
luminaries recently announced as part of the upcoming RTS add-on.
The minute runs 1:43, which is the least wacky thing about the clip, which
doesn't really feature any gameplay, but does feature a bit of one-sided combat
between former pro wrestler Ric Flair, and the number one entry on our
threat-down: bears! The clip is posted on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
Scott at Bjorn3d has posted an
update on his daughter's condition, which has been diagnosed as Hodgkins
Stage 4B cancer. He's hoping some of us will be inspired to send her get well
cards to let her know she's in our thoughts, and there is also a
Support
for Stephanie forum thread for that purpose.
Turbine announces a partnership with Xfire
to offer a free ten day trial of The Lord of the Rings Online. In
conjunction with the trial, they also offer the chance to win prizes including
game subscriptions, in-game items, and t-shirts. The ten-day free trial of
Turbine's MMORPG can be downloaded from
this page, while
this page
has details on how to qualify for those prizes.
A post to the
Epic Games Forums seeks relief for a problem launching the Windows edition
of Gears of War causing the third-person shooter to return a message
saying: "You cannot run the game with modified executable code. Please reinstall
the game." The problem seems to be the result of an expired SSL certificate,
similar to a problem suffered earlier this year by Lord of the Rings
Online, and according to
this
forum thread, the same workaround of setting your system clock back can get
the game running again until things are sorted out on the back end. According to
a post here
from Epic: "We have been notified of the issue and are working with
Microsoft to get it resolved. Sorry for any problems related to this. I'll post
more once we have a resolution." Thanks
Shacknews and nin.
The ATI Drivers & Software Page
now offer new version 9.1 Catalyst reference drivers for ATI accelerators, which
add full OpenGL 3.0 extension support under Windows and Linux. Additionally, the
new version 9.1 Linux driver also adds support for Hybrid CrossFireX, Ubuntu
8.10 production, and MultiView. The Adobe Acrobat-format
release notes have all the details.
Mythic
Entertainment announces Call to Arms, the first expansion for Warhammer
Online: Age of Reckoning, which will be rolled out over the coming months at
no additional cost to subscribers to the MMORPG. New content in Call to Arms
will include the Orc Choppa and the Dwarf Slayer careers and a new dungeon zone
called Land of the Dead. The roll-out will also involve three in-game live
events (Bitter Rivals, Beyond the Sands, and Rise of the Tomb Kings), a new RvR
scenario, new functionality to the Realm Wars section of the WAR website, the
opening of official forums, and a new free trial version of the game. Everything
kicks off with the
Bitter Rivals event in March. Further details are promised in the
January newsletter, which does not yet seem to be online.
G4BOX Inc and Wicked Interactive announce plans to launch open beta testing of
Cross Fire tomorrow at Noon
eastern time, offering all comers the chance to check out this subscription- and
download-free first-person shooter firsthand. The open beta will also mark the
launch of the game's persistent military-ranking and stat-tracking, in-game
friends lists, clan formation features, new maps, new weapons, and new items.
Word is: "To celebrate Cross Fire's open beta launch, Subagames is hosting a
number of events and promotions. During the first week of open beta, players
will enjoy a 50% increase in the amount of GP earned in-game. This will allow
Cross Fire players to purchase more of the new open beta weapons and items. In
addition, the first 30 clans to register during the open beta will do so for
free, at absolutely no GP cost!" In preparation for the open beta, the closed
beta test will conclude at Noon eastern time today.
GameTap announces the newest addition to
the free section of this subscription game service, as
X-Com: UFO Defense
has been added to their free roster. The classic strategy game will remain
gratis until February 5. They also announce tomorrow will kick off a free play
weekend for volume one of American McGee's Grimm, to be followed next
week by a free play weekend for volume two. This will lead up to the launch of
the third and final volume of episodes from the fairy tale-inspired series on
February 12.
IGN has an
interesting tidbit from an
Activision job listing on Gamasutra for an Art Services Screenshot
Associate, "to produce high-quality screenshots, model renders and other art
assets…for editorial, packaging, advertising, manuals and more, as needed."
One of the skills the job listing calls for is: "Perform advanced retouching of
screenshots and teach skills to others as needed," suggesting that one of the
roles of such a position is to create doctored screenshots of upcoming games,
the type of deceptive images cynical gamers have dubbed "bullshots." Thanks Ant.
IncGamers has news that the annual Leipzig Games Convention has been
cancelled, and is being replaced by a new
Games Convention Online,
which will concentrate on online and mobile gaming. They quote Leipzig CEO
Wolfgang Marzin saying the new event will focus on "new business models, setting
off along new sales routes and appealing to new target groups," in a changing
industry.
GamePolitics has word on a proposed bill in New York State to protect minors
from any game that "glamorizes... the commission of a violent crime, suicide,
sodomy, rape, incest, bestiality, or sado-masochism." If passed, the bill would
require such games to carry warning labels, be kept sealed from general customer
access, and be available for parents to examine. The article points out the
bill's vague language (in particular the use of the term "glamorizes") and
conflicts with the US Constitution make it unlikely that this will end up
sticking as a law as currently written.
Edge Online has an interesting look at Activision Blizzard's earnings for
fiscal 2009 from analyst Arvind Bhatia of Stern Agee, saying he expects World
of Warcraft subscriptions represent about half of Activision Blizzard's
earnings for the year, estimating the MMOG was responsible for 30 cents of the
60 cents per share he expects them to report. The article focuses on his lowered
financial outlook for the company, as he previously anticipated 65 cents of
earnings per share, but he is concerned about the publisher's financial
guidance.
A new beta version 0.5 of Tribal Trouble 2
is now available, updating this web-based RTS game with balance tweaks, faster
enemy AI, and a new 2 vs. 1 multiplayer island "for those players looking for a
challenge." Additionally the game is now playable via
Facebook, which will allow you and your BFFs to play the game without Tribal
Trouble 2 accounts, as long as you have a Facebook profile.
A new version 1.5 of the Zombie Panic! Source modification is now
available automatically via Steam. The website includes a change list for the
new version of the undead mod, screenshots from the new maps, and screenshots
and movies showing off the barricading function. Thanks Ant and
Planet
Half-Life.
Explosive Interview
with Codename: Panzers Cold War's Peter Nyester on GameZone is an interview
about the coming installment in the RTS series that leaves WW2 behind in favor
of the chill of the Cold War. Topics include the setting and story, the new
campaign, mission balance, environments, prestige points, weather, multiplayer,
and more.
bit-tech.net - Abandonware: The Ethics and Essentials.
"Technically, no, abandonware is not legal. On the other hand though, yes,
it is. Except there are some cases when it definitely is legal, or is
certainly illegal. Basically, the legality of abandonware varies. To first
get to grips with abandonware and understand the ethics of this whole
miasmic mess it’s important to realise what qualifies a game as abandonware.
While abandonware is generally just taken to mean an old game that can be
downloaded for free, it actually isn’t that simple – there are a few
different types of abandonware games."
Fidgit - Five reasons MMOs are broken, by Tom Chick.
"Assuming the first priority of game design is to create a good game,
massively multiplayer online role-playing games like World of Warcraft have
failed spectacularly, opting for commercial success instead of creative
integrity, entertainment value, or compelling game design."
Ten Ton Hammer - The
Tabula Rasa Autopsy- What Makes Games Die?
"The hope of getting out good end-game content and sprucing up mid-level
content was darkened by the fact that nearly everyone knew that it wasn't
there before Tabula Rasa even hit the shelves. It wasn't heralded by just a
vocal few either, reviews were coming in from all over stating that TR was
lacking some fairly major game aspects. Fans still held fast that maybe the
content would make it in game eventually and the loyal few bought TR and
kept on supporting it come hell or high water."
G4tv.com - Sessler's Soapbox: More DLC Please!
"The recent downloadable content that was released for Fallout 3 and Fable
II showed Adam how much a prompt schedule of doling out the content can
enhance his enjoyment of the game. Adam also thinks that if more games
promised extended play with downloadable content within 4 months of the
release of the game, some people might be more convinced that it's worth the
purchase, and the game's sales will see a reasonable boost."
Wow, that was some mess out there yesterday. I don't understand how that much
rain could fall on the snow but not melt it all, but it sure made for some heavy
shoveling. The conditions were set last night for some crazy ice this morning,
so escorting MrsBlue to her morning train via ice skates may be in order. This
storm has killed a lot of people on the roads already, I hope everyone is
careful out there.
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