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Archived News:
MyCrysis has
the announcement of CryENGINE 3, saying this new "all-in-one game development
solution for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, MMO, DX9/ DX10 and Next-Gen" will make its
public debut at GDC 2009: CryENGINE 3 is the first development platform
for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, MMO, DX9/DX10 that also is truly Next-Gen-Ready -
with scalable computation and graphics for all major upcoming platforms. It
provides the complete game engine to create AAA quality next generation games,
and includes the CryENGINE® 3 Sandbox™ level editor, a production-proven, 3rd
generation “What you see is what you play” (WYSIWYP) - tool designed by and for
professional developers. CryENGINE 3 comes with significant new features
specifically designed for console, online, MMO and Next-Gen game
development.
Steam News has word on a
new Left 4 Dead patch that's now automatically for the teamplay shooter. The
patch includes some general changes, server changes and UI tweaks, but is
dominated by Versus Mode changes.
Big Download has word that the just confirmed English Windows
edition of Dark Sector is indeed destined for release in the US, as well. Aspyr
will be handling US distribution. Though the EU release is slated for this
summer, they say the US release is due on March 23, and that an official
announcement will come tomorrow.
The Vancouver 2010
Website is online for Sega's upcoming game based on the next winter
Olympics, and though the site doesn't sport the PC-DVD logo, the announcement
indicates a Windows version of the sports game is in the works for release along
with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions in Winter of 2010. Word is: "Vancouver
2010 is an authentic simulation of a host of events from the upcoming Vancouver
2010 Olympic Winter Games, focusing on the adrenalin rush that comes from the
extreme speed of winter sports. Including the all new challenge mode, it will
allow players to immerse themselves in the world’s greatest sporting event like
never before."
A new patch is now available for Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization,
updating the historical strategy game to version 1.01f with enhancements,
balance tweaks, bug fixes, and more. The download is available on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell. Also, Steam news
notes this update is automatically available for the Steam edition of the game.
The Project Aftermath
Website has word that non-Steam versions of the arcade RTS game will now
automatically update to version 1.16, adding the achievements added
yesterday via Steam. There is also an updated version of the
playable demo, which is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
Gamesonice. A manual version of the patch is available on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and Gamesonice.
Spiderweb
Software announces a new version 1.0.2 of the Windows edition of Geneforge
5: Overthrow, their fantasy-themed role-playing game. Word is: "The v1.0.2
update fixes a wide variety of bugs and performance issues and includes a
DirectX version of the game. In the rare cases where Geneforge 5 is slow or
behaving oddly, this new version should help a lot." As always, the full version
also acts as a trial/demo.
- Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor on
FileFront.
- The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria on
FileFront.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Steam News announces a
new update is now available automatically for the Steam edition of World in
Conflict. It seems logical to think this is the same as the manual patch
released yesterday for Massive Entertainment's RTS game, though
the change notes don't seem to be the same.
A demo for Age of Booty offers the chance to see just how much booty
there is in Certain Affinity's casual swashbuckling real-time strategy game
formerly known by the working title Plunder. If you are interested in the
103 MB download, get your booty over to
AtomicGamer,
ComputerGames.ro,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
Strategy Informer.
A new patch is now available for Grand Ages: Rome, updating the
Imperium Romanum sequel to version 1.10. The new version includes difficulty
adjustments, UI improvements, multiplayer fixes, and other bug fixes. Downloads
are available on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
Gamesonice,
Strategy Informer, and
The Patches
Scrolls.
Disney's new racing video game at core of big bet on The Associated Press is
a Q&A with Graham Hopper, head of Disney's game division, about their future
plans. Hopper declines to comment about a possibly canceled Turok sequel, though
Joystiq offers the latest indications that a dino-hunter sequel has indeed
been canned. The project he does discuss is Split/Second, the racing game
revealed recently in a
Gametrailers segement, which we mistakenly took for a console only title,
missing the PC-DVD logo at the end of the trailer (sorry about that). Here's a
bit on the game's advanced lighting effects: One pillar of Disney's
strategy involves new twists in the way the games look. "Split/Second," for
example, feels more like a movie — with cars surging through dissipating smoke
while light refracts through exploding buildings — thanks to developments in
graphics-rendering technologies such as "deferred lighting."
Video games have traditionally have been able to appear as if the action has one
or two sources of lighting. "Split/Second" uses a "deferred renderer" that can
generate hundreds of virtual light sources, including ones on exploding
particles of buildings.
That kind of realism is backed up by "fluid dynamics" — a movement technology
that allows "Split/Second" to flow more smoothly.
For instance, smoke and dust generated by explosions in the game are
realistically generated so that "cars can punch through the smoke," said Nick
Baynes, game director at Black Rock.
And "if you are at the back of the pack," he said, "you'll get a clearer view of
the world in front of you than the car who's had to drive through it
first."
A new FUEL video is now available showing off the extreme weather effects
in Codemasters' upcoming off-road racing game. Chances are your windshield
wipers won't help against falling houses, but you are the one who decided to race
in a tornado. The clip is available on
ActionTrip,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell.
Atomic Games is gearing up again after laying low for almost four years
since their acquisition by Destineer Studios. There are now Q&As
with Destineer founder Peter Tamte on
GameDaily and
Gamasutra,
where the former Bungie exec, who is now the president of Atomic, discusses
their current plans to create "historical action" titles. He says they are
currently developing a PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 game in that
category for an unnamed "top five" publisher. He also says Atomic will be
returning to the Close Combat series, which is currently licensed to Matrix
Games.
StarWraith On Evochron Legends on Rock, Paper, Shotgun is an interview
discussing
Evochron Legends with Shawn Bower, the one-man development house of
Starwraith 3D Games.
The conversation is pretty lengthy considering how few questions are asked, as
the answers are quite long, covering topics like the appeal of Evochron Legends
over similar competing games, the background of his company, what makes Legends
different than its predecessors, the game's expansive environments, and
multiplayer support.
Battlefront.com now offers a new patch to updated Strategic Command 2
Blitzkrieg to version 1.09 and a new corresponding demo implementing changes
from the new version into the sample of this grand strategy sequel. The new
version includes a new global conflict campaign, as well as improvements to
Operating System compatibility and changes to the game editor, but it is warned
this patch will only work with the Battlefront.com English language version of
the game.
Matrix Games is now providing a new patch for Harpoon 3: Advanced Naval
Warfare to update the naval combat game to version 3.9.4 with over 50
bugfixes and gameplay tweaks. According to David Heath of Matrix Games, "The
community effort behind the 3.9.x series of updates is proving to be a great
success. Both Advanced Gaming System and Matrix Games have been listening
directly to our customers to make our product the best it can be and the latest
3.9.4 update is the latest result of that effort."
GamersGate has added Men of War to their digital download service,
offering another method of buying Best Way's new World War II RTS sequel.
Uforia announces the re-launch of open beta testing of
Three Kingdoms, their
subscription-free MMORPG "based on one of the most well-known Asian novels of
all-time." Word on testing is: "Players will be able to keep the characters they
create during the Open Beta for the Grand Opening later next week. Numerous bug
fixes and improvements such as new screen resolutions and tutorials have been
made to the game since the first Beta."
Slate Magazine - Should the United
States ban a Japanese "rape simulator" game?
"Considering the impossibility of policing the Internet, as well as the
availability of English RapeLay translations and forums for years before any
politician caught wind of the game, it's unrealistic to think that the game
could be banished from America. Very few Japanese developers make an effort
to sell eroge to the West, and those that do, like Peach Princess and
G-Collections, make content modifications to suit foreign norms and laws.
(For example, all underage characters' ages get rounded up to 18, no matter
how young the character looks.) These Westernized versions are sold in the
United States via import sites like J-List and Play-Asia. Neither company
sells RapeLay, but they do offer the popular eroge Yume Miru Kusuri. That
game, while more edgy than it is violent, does focus on sex-crazed,
underage-looking high schoolers with drug problems and suicide fetishes.
RapeLay is appalling, but titles like Yume Miru Kusuri—sold in America after
being unconvincingly modified so the protagonists are "18," making it tough
to peg the games as outright illegal—would make far more constructive
targets for political outrage."
Edge
Online - Why the -Age of Steam- May Not Last? By Brad Wardell, CEO of
Stardock, operator of Impulse.
"It's far too soon to assume that Steam will continue to dominate five years
out. Thus far, it has largely operated without serious competition. With
other services such as Impulse, Games for Windows Live, Amazon.com,
GamersGate and others upping their own services with unique and compelling
features, expanding their catalogs, and focusing on providing good customer
experiences, I would be very surprised if Steam continues to have such a
large market share (as a percentage) even 18 months from now."
CNET - Is the
video game industry losing the PR battle?
"Based on what I've seen so far from the industry, it's willing to take a
beating from government, lawyers, authors, and concerned groups and it does
little to fight back. Meantime, I receive e-mails from parents on an almost
daily basis asking me why video games are so bad for their kids. Whenever
that happens, I write them a short but informative e-mail saying, 'They're
not as bad as some groups say and here's research to prove it.'"
I've been having a lot of fun in QUAKE LIVE, the madcap pace is far more suited
to my tastes than today's slower breed of shooters. I'm not really that good (I
think some people have been continuing to practice with the rail gun since Quake
III Arena), but I have loads of fun.
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