Archived News:
The Windows edition of the Mirror's Edge: Pure Time Trials Map Pack is
now live on the
EA Store, for some unexplained reason delayed over day after its release was
announced. Here's the official skinny: "Time Trial is a popular mode in Mirror's
Edge that challenges players to find the fastest route across various maps.
Players can upload their best time to the Mirror's Edge leaderboards for their
friends to download and compete against. Players can see their friend's "ghost"
run as they race their way through the course to the top of the leaderboards."
The map pack is a $9.99 purchase, only available via digital distribution, and
it should be heading to other online outlets soon.
GOG.com is offering a weekend promotion for the Oddworld pack, which
includes DRM-free versions of Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and Oddworld: Abe's
Exoddus for $16.98 or a discount of $1.50 off one of the games if you already
own the other. Meanwhile,
Steam offers Five Great
Indie Games for more than 75% off full price in a pack that includes Eets,
Gravitron 2, I-Fluid, Multiwinia, and Trials 2.
Steam News has word on an
automatic Audiosurf update that's now available with some fixes and
performance improvements, and
Steam also announces an Orange Box engine update that fixes stats and mod
compatibility problems.
The 3000AD Patches Page now
offers three new updates. There's a new patch that updates Galactic Command -
Echo Squad SE to version 2.11.06, with the changes outlined in
this Version Control
File. Universal Combat Collectors' Edition also gets an update, with
a new version 1.01.03 patch, explained in
its own Version
Control File. Finally, there's a Universal Combat Collectors' Edition beta
10 that was released a few days ago, and
here's the Version
Control File for that.
The Sins of a Solar
Empire Website announces Sins of a Solar Empire version 1.14 is now
available, as is the promised beta 3 of the micro-expansion for Ironclad's space
strategy game, both updates available automatically via the Impulse service.
Here are the patch notes
for Sins v1.14 and
here are the patch notes for the Entrenchment beta, which carries the
following prerequisite: "Please note that you must fully uninstall both Sins of
a Solar Empire and Entrenchment for this build." Also, a new Sins of a Solar
Empire: Entrenchment trailer shows off more of the upcoming add-on. The
movie is available on
AtomicGamer and Gamer's
Hell.
A new Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena trailer is online
with more from Starbreeze Studios' upcoming Vin Diesel-powered shooter
remake/follow-up. Here's the description: "In this latest trailer released by
Atari you are Riddick – the most ruthless criminal in the Universe. Held captive
aboard the Dark Athena by the sinister Captain Revas and her army, you will
uncover the dark secrets of this mercenary ship and turn from hunted…into
hunter." Downloads can be found on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
A Mass Effect 2
trailer on the BioWare Website teases the upcoming role-playing sequel. The
clip is just a non-gameplay taster, and offers no details about the project.
Gamasutra has a an article profiling their picks for the to 20 writers in
the world of video games. They devote a page to each of their picks, outlining
résumés and justifying their choices. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
The QUAKE LIVE Website now launches into
a splash screen saying open beta testing of id Software's free web-based game
based on Quake III Arena will begin on February 24 (next Tuesday).
According to Shacknews,
launch of open beta testing will result in a stats wipe from the closed beta,
and accounts will be closed for testers who haven't accessed their accounts in
the previous 28 days.
Court
finds Calif. video game law unconstitutional follows up on the ongoing
tussle over a California law restricting the sales and rental of violent video
games to minors and imposing labeling requirements, ruling that the law is
unconstitutional, as it "is too restrictive and violates free speech
guarantees." This upholds a lower court ruling that was
appealed by CA Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. It may not end
there, though, as State Sen. Leland Yee, who never met an unconstitutional bill
restricting games he didn't like, says he will urge California Attorney General
Jerry Brown to appeal this all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, in spite of
California's epic budget crisis.
A new patch for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is now available, updating
the alternate-reality real-time strategy sequel to version 1.07. The new version
is specifically a hotfix to address an issue with Steam, and the patch is
accompanied by a version of the Worldbuilder editor that has likewise been
updated for improved Steam compatibility. Fixing the Steam issues is the sole
purpose of this patch, but they do say they will publish a version 1.08 patch
"very soon" with balance tweaks, technical changes, and 2v2 Team AutoMatch, as
described in this Forum post by community manager Apoc. They strongly
recommend letting the game auto-update itself, but for the manual override
crowd, they also offer downloads of patches
on this page for the numerous language editions of Red Alert 3, and the
manual patches are all painstakingly mirrored on
The Patches Scrolls,
our source for this news.
The ATI Radeon Drivers and
Support Page is where to go if you want the new version 9.2 Catalyst
reference drivers for ATI accelerators under Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows Vista
64-bit, Windows XP, and Windows XP Professional x64 Edition. The new drivers are
said to show performance benefits in "several" cases where framerates are
CPU-limited, giving examples of up to 20% improvement in Crysis DX10 and
Crysis Warhead DX10 and up to 5% improvement in World in Conflict.
A playable demo for Ceville is now
available, allowing a sample of this 3D point and click adventure game where the
player is placed in the teensy shoes of a tiny tyrant named Ceville, who
must solve puzzles in cooperation with a couple of other player-controlled
characters in what they call the eternal war between 'evil' and 'really, really
terribly evil'." The English demo is available from
AtomicGamer and
Strategy
Informer. There is also a German version, which can be found on
AtomicGamer and
Gamer's Hell.
The ARMA II Website now offers a new trailer
to introduce the Chernarussian Defense Forces (CDF) faction from Bohemia
Interactive Studios' upcoming military shooter sequel. They say: "This new intel
focuses on the CDF, a faction of brave soldiers defending their young
independence and democracy. Trained by Western experts but equipped with a mix
of old and modern weapons, the CDF are doing their best to stop all terrorist
attacks planned by Northern Separatists from the 'Chernarussian Movement of the
Red Star' terrorist organization." Meanwhile, the
main website has a clip showing off impressive
gameplay footage and cinematics from first- and third-person perspectives,
demonstrating urban warfare, infantry combat on a countryside, and a tank battle
involving helicopters.
Giant Bomb reports one of the most unusual game promotions we can recall,
saying purchasers of Cheese Heads mozzarella cheese sold in Canada will get a
free copy of Beyond Good & Evil, Ubisoft's action/adventure game. Not via
some mail in code, or online download, the actual game disc is in the package,
covered in cheesy goodness. Thanks
Kotaku.
David Cage: Actors don't care about games is an excerpt from
a larger
interview with the Heavy Rain designer offering an interesting reflection on
the downside of using Hollywood voice talent in games: "Actors (and their
agents) often have so little consideration for games that the only discussion
you can have is how much money for how much time," says Cage. "No one cares
about what you try to achieve, they very rarely agree to invest time and energy
in their part, all they want is a maximum amount of money for a minimum amount
of time, and ideally, on a game that won’t hurt their image too much…" Thanks
Mike Martinez.
Steam now offers a playable demo
for Empire: Total War,
providing a sample of the next installment in Creative Assembly's RTS series,
which is due for release on March 4. Word is: "This free demo
provides a short glimpse of the kind of epic engagements available in the full
version of Empire: Total War, which will be released on Steam and at retail in
early March. The demo offers players the opportunity to take on the American
Army and the French Navy from The Creative Assembly's own 'home' side, playing
as the British Empire in the 'Battle of Brandywine Creek' and the 'Battle of
Lagos.' Those who pre-purchase Empire: Total War on Steam receive The Creative
Assembly's game "Rome Total War Gold Edition" for immediate download."
Overlord II has also received a release date from Codemasters, who say
the fantasy action/adventure sequel is due in June, along with Overlord
Dark Legend, an all-new Overlord action/adventure for the Wii and
Overlord Minions, a puzzle game for the DS. Accompanying this announcement
is a new teaser video, showing a whole load of combat, featuring slashing,
smiting, and even a good trebucheting. The clip is available in the
Overlord II product
section, along with details on the game.
Fresh off a gamer's day showing off their wares, Codemasters announces a release
date for Jumpgate Evolution, saying NetDevil's reworked space combat MMOG
is launching in June. Celebrating the news, the
Jumpgate Evolution Website now
offers a new teaser video from the game.
Codemasters announces a release date for
Colin McRae: DiRT 2, saying the off-road racing sequel is expected in
September for Games for Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS, and PSP. Word
is: "Set to deliver a thrilling off-roading experience with extreme sports
attitude, new visuals released at www.dirt2game.com revealed that, in addition
to Utah, Malaysia and London, DiRT 2’s World Tour of off-road events will take
racers to a massive, spectator-packed Los Angeles sports stadium for an
exhilarating rally cross event: the “Stadium King Shootout”."
Gamer's
Hell has a press release offering a new release date for Diabolik - The
Original Sin, saying we can expect the adventure game based on an Italian
comic book series by the end of April, 2009 for PC, PlayStation 2, Wii, PSP, and
DS. Here's a slice of what to expect: "The adventure game is set in an unusual
world made of a curious mix between 3D real time graphics and 2D black&white
comic style animation. The traditional point-and-click genre has been perfectly
adapted to the main features of the latest consoles in order to ease the
developing of the main plot and minigames."
The
Evochron Legends Website now offers a new version 1.028 of this space
combat/mercenary/trader simulation from StarWraith 3D Games. As usual, the
update is a triple threat, as it works as a patch for older versions, a full
installer (when unlocked), and a playable demo. The new version is centered on
an updated multiplayer mode for improved performance with more players, while
also adding a more legible mouse over text system for the nav map, along with
other player requested changes/features, and bug fixes. An updated dedicated
server program is also now available.
Matrix Games has a patch for World War One – La Grande Guerre,
updating this simulation of the war to end all wars to version 1.0.6A. The new
version includes over 50 tweaks and bug fixes, including major stability
improvements and some scenario improvements. The patch also includes a final
version of the new full high-resolution manual, said to be more comprehensive
and aesthetically pleasing than the existing manual.
The Agency Interview part three on The Agency HQ continues this ongoing
interview with SOE about the upcoming spy-themed MMOG. Today's topic is the
economy, covering specifics like their policy on real-money transactions, what
controls item drops, crafting, weapon attachments, and more.
The Chronicles Of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena interview on IncGamers
talks with Jerk Gustafsson of Starbreeze Studios about their upcoming
Chronicles Of Riddick remake/follow-up. Most of the answers are pretty
short, but he opens up a bit about multiplayer modes: "We have two unique
multiplayer modes in the game. The first one is called Pitch Black where you
will be able to play as Riddick against other players figuring as mercenaries.
Like in the single player - Riddick can see in the dark. The Mercs can't see
anything unless it's within the spotlight provided by their weapon flashlight.
The player that kills Riddick will be Riddick in the next round. The other mode
is called Butcher Bay Riot, a Capture the Flag variant that mixes in three teams
and an economy system."
Mod DB offers downloads of a prerelease version of the Strider Mountain
modification for Half-Life 2, offering the first five levels of this
15-level modification with a side-story from the saga of Gordon Freeman. There
is an accompanying Q&A with the team describing a roll-back from the Orange Box
engine due to bugs, which is unfortunate, since it sounds like this was what was
addressed by the recent Orange Box engine patch. Thanks Ant.
Episode One of the Eye of the Storm modification for Half-Life 2 was
recently released, downloads of the mod and a video showing it off are available
on
Mod DB. Word is: "First episode offers over 30 minutes of game time as well
as the option to replay with developer commentary turned on, offering insight
into some of the issues encountered and design decisions made during
development. There are also some bonus maps which add another 20-30 minutes of
game time to the mod. You will also notice some new textures, new models,
English dialogue and a replacement for the crowbar." Thanks Ant.
Gamasutra - Ten Tips For Managing Difficulty In Games. By veteran
developer Brett Douville.
"Lately I've been playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer on last gen's Xbox, and
it has stirred up a few thoughts I have about difficulty -- mostly because
it gets it so horribly wrong. I've been gaming a long time, and have come up
with a long list of must-haves for most games, particularly games which
target the mainstream audience."
Hope over peanut
allergy 'cure'. We may get peanuts on planes again someday! Of course
they'll be $20/bag. On a more serious note, these allergies impact a lot of
kids; we have friends with a son whose allergy to peanuts is severe enough to be
life-threatening, and a breakthrough in this area will be huge for folks in
situations like that.
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