Archived News:
This press release officially announces Crytek's acquisition of
Free Radical, which will now be known as Crytek UK.
MyCrysis has
Crytek's take on this: Frankfurt a. M. (Germany) / Nottingham (United
Kingdom), February 4th 2009 - Crytek GmbH (“Crytek”) announced today that it has
acquired all assets and business of Free Radical Design Limited (“Free
Radical”). Free Radical is based in Nottingham, United Kingdom and is known for
the multi-award winning Timesplitters series. The studio will now be integrated
into Crytek’s network.
Avni Yerli, Managing Director of Crytek, said, “We’re very excited about this
step to expand Crytek into the UK with such an experienced and highly talented
team. Free Radical Design is a great fit to Crytek and its culture, given that
Free Radical has a proven track record on delivering high quality games. The
combination of this team, the Crytek network and our CryENGINE technology will
be a foundation for outstanding gaming experiences and a magnet for the best
talent in the UK.”
MarketWatch reports on THQ's fiscal third quarter financial results, and
between falling sales and other write-downs, the publisher reports a net loss of
$191.8 million ($2.86 per share) for the quarter ending December 31, announcing
they will be laying off 600 employees as a cost-cutting measure, which
represents about 24% of the company's staff. Those losses for the quarter,
compared to earnings of $15.5 million (23 cents a share), for the same period
last year, would have been a much more modest 9.6 million (14 cents per share)
loss if not for the write-downs, but that still would have fallen short of
analyst projections of seven cents per share earnings.
Joystiq reports rumors of layoffs at Mythic Entertainment, saying that
somewhere between 60 and 130 employees have been let go, speculating that this must
have impacted the development team. A post to the
Warhammer Herald by Mark Jacobs (thanks
Massively) addresses this, saying: "Though we are resizing the team to move
from a pre-launch to a post-launch size, we remain fully committed to creating
and delivering the best WAR experience." He goes on to explain how they hired
additional QA staff for the launch of the MMORPG, and that: "Obviously, demand
for a large QA and play-testing staff also falls after launch." In conclusion he
says: "Although we now have fewer developers on the game than we did leading up
to the launch, WAR still has a larger dev team today than we ever had for Dark
Age of Camelot. At Mythic, we’re committed to maintaining the trust of WAR
players – we’re going to deliver the content and service that keeps you
playing." In a separate story,
Joystiq reports that Warhammer Online reaches 300,000 subscribers.
The Sins of a Solar
Empire Website announces a new beta version of the Entrenchment add-on for
the space strategy game is now available.
This forum post has
complete details on the new version, and here's word: "The next beta update for
Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment is now available via Impulse for registered
customers. This build contains a number of balance tweaks, bug fixes and -
hopefully - will prevent crashes related to running out of memory."
The Pristontale II Website has news
that the early access "open" beta is underway for all who participated in the
closed beta testing of this subscription-free MMORPG sequel. Those interested in
checking out the game who were not part of the closed beta need not dispair
(hopefully you read this far before climbing out onto the ledge), as early
access beta keys are also being given away by
Fileplay. There
is a complication at the moment, however, as the
game's website outlines a
problem registering new users, which they hope to clear up soon.
Frogster America announces a March 19 launch date for
Runes of Magic, their
microtransaction-supported MMORPG. They say that 450,000 players have
participated in the open beta test so far, and the test continues to run if you
want to try the game in its prerelease form. Word is: "Once launched, the
development team will continue to update the game with new areas, quests and
content to keep the world compelling and immersive."
A movie trailer is now available to promote The World of Cars Online,
Disney Pixar's upcoming youth-oriented MMORPG based on their animated Cars
movie. The clip is posted on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and
MyGameTrailers. Also, The World of Cars
Online Website has a sneak peek for the game in the form of a test track
that can be checked out by anyone willing to register for a free account.
Time Warner Reports $16 Billion Quarterly Loss On Write Offs reports the
overall financial reporting for Time Warner, while
Gamasutra
reports that subsidiary Warner Bros. experienced growth for the quarter based on
the success of its LEGO game franchise. They also mention a DS LEGO game called
LEGO Battles is in the works for release this summer.
IGG announces 2029 Online will begin
alpha testing next month, and to help test out some of the social functionality
of the subscription-free sci-fi MMOG they are soliciting guilds that would like
to participate.
This forum post has details on how to apply.
Outspark
Announces open beta testing of
Wind Slayer began
today. Anyone who registers for a free Outspark account can participate in the
testing of this anime-inspired subscription-free 2D side-scrolling online
adventure/RPG. A number of events are planned to run in the beta all this month.
- Champions Online on
Massively. Developer diary #2 from Bill Roper.
- DC Universe Online on
Joystiq.
- F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin on
GameSpy.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Independent developer and publisher Stardock
announces plans to open a second development studio as part of an expansion of
the company's game development efforts. Like their existing studio, the new
branch will be based in Plymouth, Michigan, in part thanks to tax incentives
"and access to better communication infrastructure." The new studio will employ
about 50 developers, and will work on an unannounced RPG to be published by
Stardock Entertainment.
Valve announces the availability of an international update for Audiosurf,
described as a massive update that's freely available to all owners of the music
navigation game. The new version adds Unicode support, enhanced community
features, support for play on netbooks, a new Visualizer mode, and more. Also
now automatically available via Steam are updates for
Hinterland and the
Steam client.
Steam News has word that
Perimeter 2: New Earth is
available for pre-purchase on Steam. Those willing to buy before they try the
terraforming RTS sequel will receive a 10% discount off the purchase price if
they pull the trigger before February 10.
An
article on smh.com.au has word on the latest doings in Australia, where the
conventional wisdom that MMOGs with no single-player component should not be
subjected to the rigorous Australian standards to qualify for release down
under. Though this belief has not been challenged up until now, the article
quotes a spokesperson for NSW Attorney-General John Hatzistergos saying the NSW
Classification Enforcement Act prohibited publishers and retailers from selling
unclassified computer games: "The NSW legislation covers computer games bought
online as well as those bought in stores, and treats single, multi-player and
online games the same way." The contrasting view is presented from Ron Curry of
the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia saying he still feels
there's a loophole here: "However, in some instances the box sold in a retail
outlet contains an access key to the game which can only be accessed online. If
such a game is hosted locally it falls under the jurisdiction of the
Broadcasting Services Act, but if it is hosted internationally, it’s classified
in the country that hosts the game, rather than in Australia."
WorldofWar.Net relates a quote from Blizzard on the possibility that
World of Warcraft may be prohibited in AU: "We will always respect the laws
of the countries in which we operate." Thanks
Wandering Goblin and
Massively.
Dawn of War 2
Interview on Shacknews talks with Jonny Ebbert about Dawn of War 2,
Relic's upcoming RTS sequel, going in depth on topics like the game's simplified
approach, response to the beta, accessibility, eliminating players' fear of
playing online, and more. At the end they also probe for hints about a possible
Homeworld 3, and while Jonny makes it clear there is no current plan for
a new installment in the space-based strategy series, they do still own the
franchise, and it has not been forgotten: "The original Homeworld was our first
franchise, it put us on the map as a studio. It's ours now--we own the IP now,
so it's always going to have a very special place, and we're always looking for
opportunities to do something with it. But it has to be an opportunity that
makes sense, and that's going to compete in today's market."
Fallen Earth, LLC announces closed beta testing is now underway for
Fallen Earth,
their eponymous post-apocalyptic MMORPG. They are accepting applications from
those interested in the beta, though the website for some reason still says the
signups are for the alpha test. Word is: "With the move to closed beta, players
will have the opportunity to piece together aspects of the storyline, play
freely through all three sectors, and gain a better understanding of how the
game will look and feel at launch. Closed beta testing also allows the
development team to better observe overall game play, perform system stress
tests, and ultimately perfect the Fallen Earth game experience." They currently
expect the game to go live in the first half of this year, and say an exact
launch date is forthcoming.
The first patch is available to update the Windows edition of Burnout
Paradise: The Ultimate Box to version 1.0.0.1. Details on the patch are not
provided, but we're presuming this is not the free add-on patch for the game
that's expected on
Friday. The patch can be found on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
Game Factory Interactive announces Modern Warrior: Special Tactics, a
first-person shooter featuring elite Russian SpecNaz units, planned for release
by the end of this year. According to the description, this game will emphasize
tactics: "Dynamically evolving missions take place in a full 3D environment
which is mostly interactive and destructible. The world reacts according to the
player’s in-game behavior. To reach the goal the player is required to approach
situations by using some or all available in-game features such as detailed
movement planning, appropriate weapon selections, priority targeting etc." An
official product section for the game offers more details on the
Ubersoldier-engine project along with the first screenshots, and there are some
additional shots on
Strategy Informer.
A new NecroVisioN Website is live
as home to the upcoming supernatural first-person shooter set during the first
world war. Info, screenshots, videos, and forums are all on tap, paving the way
for the release of NecroVisioN this spring.
This page offers system specifications, with the minimum spec calling for an
Intel Pentium 4 2.4GHz or AMD Athlon 64 +2800 CPU and a 256 MB Video RAM or
greater with DirectX9 Pixel Shader 3.0 support, while the recommended spec
demands an Intel Core 2 Duo 1.80 GHz or AMD X2 5000+ CPU and an NVIDIA GeForce
8800 series or ATI Radeon HD 38xx series graphics card.
Battlefront.com now offers a new patch for Strategic Command 2: Patton
Drives East to bring the alternate-history strategy game to version 1.02.
This includes improvements the game and the editor, and adds a new Video
Acceleration setting "to help those with slow map scroll speeds." Older save
games are not compatible with the new version. The patch can also install an
optional Battlefront toolbar for MSIE and Firefox.
A new patch is online for Strategic Command Weapons and Warfare, updating
Battlefront.com's World War II strategy expansion to version 1.06. Word is: "The
patch includes a number of game engine as well as editor changes based on bug
reports and user requests, and is all-inclusive. It can be installed over any
previous original Battlefront.com English-language version of the game." The
patch includes two warnings, one that it is not compatible with any
foreign-language versions of the game "at this time," and that save games
created under version 1.05 are not compatible with version 1.06. The patch is
available on
Battlefront.com.
A Diablo III
interview on GameStar.de talks with Leonard Boyarsky, asking the former
Troika mainstay about plans for Diablo III, accompanied by footage from
previously released trailers for Blizzard's upcoming action/RPG sequel. Topics
include the Rune system, new features for Battle.net, new classes , new
inventory features, and more. Thanks Acleacius.
Linux Game Publishing is
accepting beta applications to test the Linux edition of
Shadowgrounds
Survivor, Meridian 4's top-down shooter. They say a release date of the
Penguin-friendly edition of the game is expected to be March 30. Thanks Ant.
The
F.E.A.R. 2 interview on Gameplanet asks some questions of Dave Matthews
about the return of Alma in Monolith's shooter sequel. They discuss the fear
factor in F.E.A.R., the fight over the game's title, slow-mo and other features,
Alma, the influence of Japanese horror movies, and the inevitable more.
The
Ice Pick Lodge interview on Rock, Paper, Shotgun talks Nikolay Dybowskiy and
Aleksey Luchin from the developer behind Pathologic and The Void, describing the
"cultural experiment" behind the company: "Back then, in 2002, we wrote a
manifesto, in which we proposed that the computer game is a new, independent
form of art with huge and yet unexplored potential." The conversation follows
that esoteric thread, covering topics like their approach to death in games,
political allegories, their favorite games, and more.
Empire: Total War Updated Q&A on GameSpot asks James Russell some questions
about Creative Assembly's upcoming real-time strategy sequel. James describes
the status of the ongoing beta test, their overhaul of the diplomacy function,
AI improvements, streamlining the management of vast forces, UI changes,
historical accuracy, and so on.
The EVE Online interview on Ten
Ton Hammer discusses the upcoming Apocrypha expansion for the
space-based MMORPG with Arnar Gylfason CCP's Content Director. Arnar says the
add-on and boxed edition of EVE Online are still on track for release
next month, going on to discuss balancing Tech 3 ships, wormholes, epic mission
arcs, and more.
Logique Eclectic now offers a new
patch for GM Hockey 2009, adding new features as well as addressing bugs
and other issues. Word is: "There are many adjustments in this release, Goalies
injuries, calendar generator and easier finances just to name a few." Thanks
Bob.
The Game Reviews - Metal Gear Solid 4’s Wasted Story.
"Now don’t get me wrong, I love a great story. The problem here is that
cramming a story into a game without it really affecting the player’s
experience is wasted effort. Games are interactive, and players remember
their experiences with a game more than they remember a cutscene they
passively viewed. This isn’t wasted effort in the philosophical Sisyphean
sense. Publishers pay salaries to people that write story, code cutscenes,
and record lines of dialogue. This is cost and time that can be better spent
on other aspects of the game – ones that actually matter to the player."
Seems almost every show on TV these days ends with logos and slogans for
multiple production companies, each trying to offer a more clever non sequitur
than the next. So the other day I have Jaws on the TV in the background and in
an early scene Brody sees someone on the beach and tells him, "That's some bad
hat, Harry," which finally solved for me the not-so-burning mystery of where the
tag-line originated for Bryan Singer's Bad Hat Harry Productions. Just one more
step on the path towards total enlightenment.
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