Archived News:
Paradox Interactive held a media event in Stockholm yesterday for European
journalists, and revealed plans for a multiplayer expansion for Mount & Blade,
which they say will include a number of new features requested by players,
including improved strategic AI, extended diplomatic options, new rendering
technologies including the addition of High Dynamic Range lighting, and a new
multiplayer feature including the ability for at least 32 players team
deathmatch battles.
The Dejobaan Games Website
announces AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! A Reckless Disregard for Gravity,
the imaginative title for this game centered around the extreme sport of base
jumping. This game from the folks who brought us
The Wonderful End of the World,
called Aaaaa! for short, is planned for release in the third quarter of this
year for Windows. The site offers
a press release announcing the game, some screenshots, and three videos
showing off the action from an alpha version. Here's the concept: "You dive off
a skyscraper, relying on quick reflexes to negotiate the intricate tangle of
girders that make up the City. You perform aerial stunts at terminal velocity
before parachuting into the arms of your cheering fans. While other skydivers
have it easy, you have to earn the adoration of the crowds by gliding within an
eyelash of that glass super skyscraper at 70 miles per hour."
The Star Wars: The
Old Republic Website offers a new developer dispatch movie called "The
Making of Tython" that includes gameplay footage from BioWare's upcoming Star
Wars MMORPG. Word is: "Join us for our first Developer Dispatch: The Making of
Tython, with developer interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and breathtaking,
never-before-seen concept art. Journey through Tython, the planet where the
first Force users assembled and the Jedi Order was established. Discover how
writers, artists, designers, and other developers came together to create one of
the most essential planets in Star Wars: The Old Republic."
The ARMA 2 Website now
offers new details on this military shooter sequel in the works Bohemia
Interactive Studios, saying this kicks off a series of weekly such updates.
They're serving up a profile of the
USMC,
providing images and details on the Marine Force Recon units in the game along
with a news report-style video.
The last of the promised four new movies promoting BloodBowl is now
available, showing more tackle football as it would be played by Warhammer
characters. Here's the deal: "Watch the video and experience the game’s
real-time and turn-based modes, and see how you can customize your teams – from
choosing specific characters, to designing individual players before sending
them out to do battle on the field. Along with actual in-game video, we’ve
included some cinematics that showcase some of the famous gameplay concepts of
“Blood Bowl” – including dirty plays, underhand tactics and all-out cheating."
The clip is on the BloodBowl
Website and mirrored on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
MyGameTrailers.
GameDaily reports that World of Goo publisher Brighter Minds Media
has
filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Chapter 11 could be considered
the "good" kind of bankruptcy (apologies to Larry David), in that it involves
reorganization of debt, as opposed to Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which involves
liquidation, so there's hope that the company can ultimately return to good
financial health.
Big Download has news that Marv Wolfman is the third comic book veteran
joining the team developing DC Universe Online. There was an attempt to
keep this under wraps, but comic enthusiast magazine Wizard
spilled there beans in their latest issue, on newsstands now. The one-time
editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics will expand storylines created by writer Geoff
Jones.
The Team Fortress 2 Blog
has an update with some history on the design of the scout class in Valve's
first-person shooter, showing some failed concept art for the class and
outlining how the design evolved. You know how it is,
sometimes things just don't work out as planned.
Steam News has details on
this weekend's sale, where you can party like a Rockstar and kick a little ass:
"This weekend only, save 30% on anything and everything in
Rockstar
Games' catalog. This includes recent releases such as
Grand Theft Auto IV and
Bully: Scholarship Edition,
as well as past hits such as
Max Payne 2 and the highly-rated
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Visit the Rockstar Games
publisher
catalog for a complete listing of all Rockstar Games available on Steam."
- Aion: The Tower of Eternity on
GameZone.
The races of Aion.
MyCrysis has
news that the new Crysis Warhead patch is now available, updating
Crytek's first-person shooter to version 1.1.1710. The new version addresses a
few bugs and adds promised support for 64-bit CPUs, accompanied by a warning
that 32-bit saved games won't work properly under the 64-bit version and
vice-versa. Thanks KaBoNG.
After much speculation about the future of the Need for Speed series, EA
announces ambitious plans for the racing franchise that include Need for
Speed SHIFT for PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PSP and Need for Speed
NITRO for Wii and DS this fall, and Need for Speed World Online, a
subscription-free MMOG for PC that will launch in Asia in the summer and in
North America next winter. Here's word on the two PC games: Need for
Speed SHIFT – Fall 2009
Shift into high gear! Designed to deliver a true driver’s experience that
reflects contemporary motorsports, Need for Speed SHIFT is built by racers for
racers. Need for Speed SHIFT delivers an authentic and immersive driving
experience developed by Slightly Mad Studios in collaboration with executive
producer Michael Mann at Black Box and senior vice president Patrick Soderlund
at EA Games Europe. Slightly Mad Studios includes developers and designers that
worked on the critically acclaimed games GT Legends and GTR 2. Need for Speed
SHIFT replicates the true feeling of racing high-end performance cars like never
before. Players are thrust into the heart of the action with immersive and
exciting features including a stunningly realistic first-person cockpit view
camera and an all-new crash mechanic, providing an unrivaled sensation of the
speed and feeling of racing a car on the extreme edge of control.
Soderlund is also part of a racing team that recently competed in the 4th
edition of the TOYO TIRES 24H Dubai 2009, the first major race event of the
year. His team ranked #5 in the high-profile race. Soderlund and the SHIFT
development team are committed to bringing the on-the-track experience to
players across the world.
Need for Speed World Online – Winter 2009 in North America, (Summer 2009 in
Asia)
Co-developed by Black Box and EA Singapore, Need for Speed World Online takes
the race into the largest open world in the history of Need for Speed - designed
exclusively for the PC. Beginning in Asia, this Play 4 Free action racing game
will give Need for Speed fans access to licensed cars, parts and multiple game
modes. Players will prove their racing supremacy through the sophisticated
online matchmaking features and fully customize their profile and their
ride.
The Eidos Forums
offer an extensive discussion of Deus Ex 3 based on a preview of the upcoming
action/RPG sequel from Czech gaming magazine
Hratelně,
which also offers a handful of screenshots (thanks
Neoseeker). The forums offer translations of the article from those able to
check out the Czech text, outlining some of the revelations offered.
This post takes on translating the entire article, while
this post offers a more succinct list of what's revealed: -the world
is ruled by megacorporations, more powerful than national governments. The
conspiracy groups are setting these corporations against each other.
-the black ops slaughter the research division of the corporation Adam works at.
The questions who and why is behind the attack are answered relatively soon into
the game, however more serious questions arise with the answers.
-You will be regularly visiting Adam's apartment with many reminiscences of his
past like photos and a diary
-The game takes place in five well-known metropoleis, mentioned were Shanghai,
Detroit and Montreal
-Women play a large role in the game, some of them you've known for a long time,
others will try to seduce or betray you, depending on your previous actions
-Bosses are included, their difficulty also depending on your previous actions
-The secret societies are just puppets for a shadowy figure who wants to take
control over all of the market, society, and the human evolution.
-The events of the game will lead to the establishment of UNATCO
-The main villain is to be 'similar' to Jensen
-a rescue mission across the globe later in the game
-squad based combat AI with a visually identifiable squad leader
The Global Game Jam Website has word the
jam is underway, offering a 48 hour competitive game development marathon. If
you are unaware, here is how this works: "From now, until 5:00 p.m. Sunday,
February 1st, college students, faculty and members of the game industry will
join together for a game building marathon. Participants will be given the
details of the game design theme, constraints, and mechanics allowed, when the
clock reaches 5:00 p.m. local time in each region, with the first time zone
being New Zealand, and the last being Hawaii. As the start time comes in each
time zone, the constraints will also be changed; mitigating any advantage that
location might give one team over another."
Registration is now underway for Game
Developers Conference Canada 2009, which will take place in Vancouver on May
12-13. The mission of this event is simply: "to serve this fast-growing region
by providing a forum for Canadian developers to share best practices for
fostering ingenuity and quality within their globally distributed games."
Play Hard Sports Changes Name to Quick Hit and Announces Bill Cowher as 'The
Coach' of Quick Hit Football 2009 announces just that, a rebranding of this
tackle football game to reflect the endorsement of iron-jawed coach Cowher. The
game is slated to launch at the same time the 2009 NFL season kicks off,
offering a subscription-free strategic simulation of American football.
PWNING 9-5 - Microsoft's Blunder of the Decade : What X-Box Should Have Been.
"The Microsoft Gaming business unit lost a piece of the company's spirit
when they made the decision to make an X-Box at all. The fact is this:
Gaming PC's are some of the most advanced pieces of computing technology in
the world, and they come in every range of price, shape, and ridiculousness
-- but there is one, and only one, constant in all of them: Microsoft
software. And Microsoft decided that instead of fostering that huge, massive
customer base in the proven way that they've been successful for 30 years,
they'd instead be a competitor... to themselves."
Trembling Hand- Ten Ways to Fix MMOs
"I shouldn't even have to say this. But an unfinished game should not be
launched. If that means developers have to pare back the features to a
managable level, do so. But don't release if it's not done. Period."
Megawarp.net - Plea for Space Sub-Genre Recognition.
"The crux is that these sub-genres cannot be compared directly. It’s like
apples and oranges. The antidote to ignorant statements and comparisons by
people and the media is understanding and recognition for these space
sub-genres."
Well those concerns I expressed about iciness yesterday were just the tip of the
iceberg so to speak, as the weather pattern combined our new sidewalk and the
shaded areas in front of our house to make a sheet of ice worthy of a hockey
rink. I'm not wild about salting, since it's bad for dogs and plants and the
sidewalk itself, but I'm going to have to overcome that in this case, since as
it stands this situation is a disaster waiting to happen.
|
Twitter 
