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Archived News:
Gamasutra
has quotes from Kevin Balentine, senior marketing manager at Cheyenne Mountain
Entertainment, responding to recent reports suggesting the
troubled MMOG may not see the light of day. Balentine says the lights are still
open, and they have people working on Stargate Worlds seven days a week,
though he does grant they are dealing with tightened belts: "It’s true
that the production of Stargate Worlds has been significantly impacted by the
greatest worldwide economic downturn in decades, but we are still raising enough
money from angel investors to keep the dev team working.
"We are currently negotiating several deals that will cover our financial
responsibilities and fund the remainder of development. When we sign those
deals, you’ll hear about it. Until then, we’ll keep building Stargate Worlds,
because right now, that’s the only thing that matters to us."
Two new trailers are now available for Champions Online, Cryptic's upcoming
superhero MMORPG. There is a baffling "New Year's Trailer" (showing how boring
peace can be in a game like this) posted on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell; and there's a new "Day as a Developer" clip posted on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell outlining what the production department does at Cryptic, with Jack
Emmert making a cryptic comment about a third hitherto unannounced project
Cryptic has in the works besides Champions Online and Star Trek Online. A later
segment features Thomas Foss, lead content designer on that unannounced project.
He describes the rapid prototyping stage they are currently in for this game, as
the development team currently only consists of a half-dozen members. He
concludes saying "maybe real soon I can show you what's going on." This
presumably relates to the
In Development images
on the Cryptic Studios Website.
Steam News has word that
every Strategy First game they sell is on sale for 50% off its regular price
between now and April 13. They also have a complete bundle of their
entire 26-game Strategy First
catalogue for $74.99, which is $104.75 off the regular price. Also,
Direct2Drive is offering GRID for $5.00 off through the end of the
week as well as $20.00 off their
Company of Heroes Complete Bundle Download (North America Only), which
includes Company of Heroes Gold and Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor.
The CoH bundle is to be released tomorrow.
The
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Forums have a post from a few days back
outlining a new Quartermaster program for RvR combat in Mythic's MMORPG designed
to increase participation. They are looking for feedback on a plan that would
award tokens for RvR combat that can be traded with Quartermasters for special
items. Thanks
IncGamers.
As announced in this press
release, a new gameplay movie from Jumpgate Evolution is now
available on the Jumpgate Evolution
Website. The press release offers a detailed description of the clip, as
well as a discussion of NetDevil's efforts at keeping the system specifications
for the game within reach. Here are those specs: Minimum Specifications:
Windows XP/Vista, Intel P4 1.4GHz or better (2GHz if using Vista), 512MB RAM
(1GB if using Vista), 64MB Graphics Card, Direct X® 9.0c, Broadband connection,
2x DVD ROM Drive, 8GB free hard disk space.
Recommended Specifications:
Windows XP/Vista, Dual-core Intel Pentium D, 2GB RAM, 256MB Graphics card with
vertex and pixel shader capability.
Increased performance will be noticed on more powerful systems.
For full system requirements please visit
http://www.codemasters.com/support.
Not compatible with all integrated sound/graphics solutions (inc.
laptops).
Gamesfaction now
offers a new version 1.17 of Project Aftermath as well as a new version
1.17 demo for this arcade RTS game. The update fixes "a potential crash on
mission 5 when you collect your 4th hero." The version 1.17 patch is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and
The Patches
Scrolls; and the new demo is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and
The Patches
Scrolls.
A new movie from X-Men Origins: Wolverine is called a gameplay trailer from
Raven's upcoming superhero movie tie-in, though Wolverine's battle with a couple
of helicopters looks cinematic from here. The clip is posted on
ActionTrip and
AtomicGamer. Also,
MTV Multiplayer has a quick explanation of "why Wolverine wears
indestructible pants."
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
The
Impulse Website announces that Phase 3 of the Impulse digital distribution
platform is now live, offering a new user interface, new features, and new
developer tools. Here's the list of new features: 1. The Impulse
client has had its user interface significantly improved and updated with
features such as player rankings, achievements, intelligent match-making, and
more. It also includes a new tray application that lets users track friends,
receive update notifications, and much more.
2. The beta of Impulse Anywhere, a new web-based method for users whose
home Internet connections are non-ideal to download their software on another
machine, take the files home and install them.
3. The release of Impulse Reactor, a development platform that lets users
add many new features to their games without having to re-distribute a
third-party client (i.e. users don’t have to distribute the Impulse client).
Impulse Reactor includes features such as intelligent match-making, multiplayer
tournament support, NAT negotiation, friend lists, rankings, community features
and much more. Gas Powered Games’ much anticipated PC game, Demigod, is being
released next week and makes full use of Impulse Reactor.
4. Impulse Reactor Overlay, an in-game overlay that lets users instantly
access chat, friends lists, profile data, micro-expansions, and more. Demigod
will also be the first title to make full use of this.
5. Game Object Obfuscation (Goo) - An alternative method for developers
to protect their intellectual property. Goo allows developers to associate
licenses with people rather than their PCs which will eliminate the issue of
“limited activations”. It also provides the underpinnings to support vendor
neutral software downloads and transferring of licenses.
The
Sacred 2 Forum has a thread concerning the whereabouts of the Steam
edition of the version 2.40 patch for Sacred 2: Fallen Angel
released last week (thanks Dave). The thread has a post made today
by Ascaron's Anca Adelina Finta explaining that there is apparently one person
capable of making the patch steam-worthy, who is not going to be available until
next week: I hate to bring the bad news, but we want you to be informed.
The Steam version will come next week because the Steam employee who has to
change the version to be compatible with Steam is not in the house until next
week.
We are very sorry, but there is nothing we can change about it.
Got Game Entertainment announces Hinterland: Orc Lords is due for release
in North America in the first week of May. This comes just a month after their
last release date announcement, which promised Tilted Mill's
fantasy themed RTS/RPG would be released in March. No reason for the delay is
offered, but full details on the game can be found on
the official Hinterland website.
Funcom follows on their recent ARG and movie for The Secret World
by issuing a fact sheet with some new details on what to expect from this
upcoming MMORPG. Meanwhile, there is also
a
preview/interview about the game on Vault Hub. The fact sheet is posted
on Ten Ton Hammer
describing the game's realistic environments and its class and level-free
progression, as well as the following bits on gameplay: Play how
you want to play: The Secret World begins where other MMOs end.
Start out as a modern-day hero and fight terrifying monsters - and feel powerful
and in control from the moment you begin. Select from open-world missions that
are tailored to your play style, whether you want to simply kill monsters,
sabotage their lairs, embark on high-stake bounty hunts or investigate the
hidden mysteries and dark conspiracies behind the secret societies that rule the
world.
Enter the secret world: The divide between reality and the
supernatural is weakening. What begins as an evening at the local nightclub can
become a night of terror now that ancient creatures stalk the streets. Face
unspeakable horrors and explore unknown worlds beyond our own, or fight for
control of the hollow-earth as you unravel the truth behind the legends and
myths of our world.
Atari announces The Chronicles of Riddick:
Assault on Dark Athena is now available in North America, offering
Starbreeze Studios' follow-up to The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from
Butcher Bay, as well as a remake of that first-person shooter tie-in with
the Riddick movies. Playable demos of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions
are available on their respective networks, and we've been
reassured that an unannounced Windows demo is eventually coming, too. Here's
word: The Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena contains a brand
new full-length Riddick campaign in addition to a high-definition pixel-by-pixel
remake of the universally acclaimed title Escape from Butcher Bay. In addition
to the thrilling, visceral single player action, The Chronicles of Riddick:
Assault on Dark Athena brings Riddick into the multiplayer arena for the first
time, with six intense online multiplayer combat modes including the unique
Pitch Black mode.
Reprising his role as Riddick, Vin Diesel brings his unique vocal talent to The
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena, creating a powerful anti-hero
with a talent for chilling one-liners. Diesel is joined by a high caliber cast
of actors including Lance Henriksen, Wade Williams, William Morgan Sheppard, and
Michelle Forbes who brings depth and weary malevolence to Riddick’s chief
adversary on the Dark Athena, Captain Revas. Starbreeze Studios’ proprietary
‘vo-cap’ technology ensures that every nuance of the actors’ vocal and physical
performance ends up in the game, creating a uniquely absorbing experience.
In The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena the player takes the role
of Riddick, as played by Diesel, using stealth and action to overcome the
merciless crew of the predatory Merc-ship Dark Athena which awaits its prey in
the dark reaches of space. Cheating death through a series of spectacular
battles and events, Riddick will fight for his life amid a storm of malevolence
and horror. The Chronicles of Riddick series of games takes the player deeper
into the universe of Universal Pictures’ films The Chronicles of Riddick and
cult classic Pitch Black, which first introduced Diesel as enigmatic
anti-hero.
Steam announces
Flock is now available
for online purchase, and the offbeat platformer is now available via
Impulse
as well. Word is: "Protect your cornfields and lock up your livestock, because
FLOCK is here! Pilot a UFO around vibrantly-colored landscapes in this charming
sandbox puzzle game where you must herd animal life back to the Motherflocker.
Capcom's Flock is now available to play via Steam worldwide." Here
is where to find the latest gameplay movie from Flock.
A new hotfix patch for Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is now available to
update the RTS sequel to version 1.10. Word is: "This hot-fix patch for Command
& Conquer Red Alert 3 fixes a network online issue preventing users with no
internet connection from accessing the game. This issue was previously
introduced in Patch 1.09 and is now fixed in 1.10. If you are unable to
auto-patch online, please download directly here." In addition to the
auto-updates and the manual patches on the
Red Alert Universe Website, some or all of the language-specific patches are
mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FanGaming, Gamer's Hell,
and The Patches
Scrolls.
A new patch for Grand Ages: Rome is now available to update this
historical strategy game to version 1.11. The patch includes military behavior
fixes, map overview tweaks, improved worker reallocation, multiplayer desync
fixes, and more. The patch is available on
AtomicGamer,
FanGaming,
Gamer's Hell, and
The Patches
Scrolls. On a related note, there is an interview with Lyubomir Iliev of
Grand Ages: Rome developer Haemimont Games on
gry.o2.pl
where they discuss the project in both English and Polish.
The Godfather II is Now in
Stores for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC has news that the second game
based on the Mafia movie series is now available in North American stores, with
the European edition due on Thursday: “The Godfather II offers players the
ultimate fantasy of being a Don - of finally being the guy who calls all the
shots for the family,” says Executive Producer Hunter Smith. “By combining the
strategic gameplay of thinking like a Don through the 'Don's View', with our
intense, visceral 'Blackhand' combat, we are focusing on the game at the root of
the Godfather franchise, the game of organized crime. In essence, we're creating
a new niche in the open-world genre and are really excited to see how players
will build their families and customize their own experience in both the single
player campaign and multiplayer battles.”
The Godfather II takes all of the drama, action and family values from the
classic Godfather films and brings them into an interactive experience. This
means that players have to build and invest in their family, manage their
rackets, takeover crime rings and even reach out to corrupt officials – all
through the revolutionary Don’s View. The Don’s View is a 3D display of the
player’s criminal empire and family tree, offering a birds-eye view of all three
cities to better coordinate their take-down strategies, plan hits on rival made
men, attack enemy compounds, and much more. As a Don in the Corleone family, The
Godfather II puts the control in the players’ hands and allows them to live in
the Godfather universe while creating their own story of deception, betrayal,
and conquest in a 1960’s organized crime world.
Developed at the EA Redwood Stores studio, The Godfather II is rated M for
Mature by the ESRB and 18+ for PEGI. The Godfather II will be available for MSRP
$59.99 on the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 and MSRP $49.99 on PC.
The Elven
Legacy Website has word that In-Co's fantasy strategy game is available via
digital distribution and North American retailers now, with a European release
expected tomorrow. There's a launch trailer for the game on
YouTube, and here's
word: Elven Legacy invites players into a magical world, where fantasy
strategy enthusiasts have the opportunity to restore the Elven race to glory.
Play as elves, humans, dwarves and sorcerers in luscious 3D environments that
immerse the player in a world full of adventure and mysticism. Featuring a
thrilling, non-linear storyline and in-game tools that enable the player to
create their own missions to share online in multiplayer mode, Elven Legacy is
sure to satisfy any strategy fan for hours on end.
On the game’s release, lead developer Max Bodrikov said, “After working on this
title for such an extended time, it is bittersweet to have the game reach its
full release. When we started to develop Elven Legacy, we wanted to create a
fantasy strategy turn-based title that would be accessible for all gamers and
I'm confident that we reached our goal."
Elven Legacy has been rated “T” for “Teen” by the ESRB and is published
worldwide by Paradox Interactive. Elven Legacy is also available on all leading
digital download portals for a suggested retail price of $29.99 /
€29.99.
The
World of Warcraft Forums announce the promised Equipment Manager will not be
included in the upcoming version 3.1 content update for Blizzard's MMORPG as had
been planned (thanks
Eurogamer). Word is: In order to ensure that this feature meets our
standard of quality, we will be taking some extra time with the Equipment
Manager and it will instead be released some time after patch 3.1. We understand
that this feature is a widely anticipated addition and apologize for this minor
delay.
A new extended music video for Velvet Assassin is now available to show
off more of Replay Studios' upcoming World War II stealth game. The clip
includes pre-rendered and gameplay footage, all set to the strains of Young by
Hollywood Undead. The clip is posted on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
A new trailer from Flock! that reveals the presence of Blanka from
Street Fighter as a cameo in the upcoming platformer. You can find the clip
on AtomicGamer and
Gamer's Hell.
FreeCiv version 2.1.9 is
now available, updating this freeware, open-source strategy game with changes
and fixes as outlined in this
forum post. According to
LinuxGames this includes features ported over from the
Warclient multiplayer
enhancement effort. Thanks Ant.
The E.Y.E
Website offers a gameplay movie introducing E.Y.E, a Source-engine
shooter/RPG due for release this spring from Streum On Studio. The game is set
in a dark future, with the player in the role of an "elite soldier from a
strange and secret society, which is looking by any means to take the power of
the almighty Federation. The arrival of a mysterious and monstrous force,
emanation from mankind’s fears and terrors is thwarting this intent." The solo
campaign is said to feature nonlinear levels, and there will be full co-op
support with a campaign and some special missions. The trailer shows off the
player leveling up, and here's word on role-playing elements: "The player will
be able to make his character's characteristics evolve, buy some new equipment
and several cybernetic implants, make some researches on new technologies, use
dozens of psi powers. He will also have to deal with his psychology and his
mental balance in order to not sink into madness."
Ten Ton Hammer - What is
a Free MMOG?
"The longer I look at this problem, the harder it gets to solve.
Basically, a free game to me has always been one that costs nothing to
download or install (ruling out Guild Wars) and nothing to access even
end-game content (ruling out Wizard101). So long as a piece of equipment is
not needed to successfully complete end-game content, I don’t consider lack
of access to it without paying to mean much (leaving Dungeon Runners in the
mix). I want readers to not have to spend a penny from beginning to the
level cap to enjoy the games I recommend, but who am I to define the end of
the game? See, I told you it was complicated!"
WarCry Network - RoleCraft- Home Is Where the RP Is.
"Above and beyond that base, housing opens the door for a huge amount of
roleplaying events. On one end, they can be as grand as hosting large
gatherings of friends, family, and guilds, only limited by the size of the
house. On the other end, they can be a players' sanctuary, base of
operations, and armory, among other things. Houses within an actual RP
neighborhood may help facilitate the meeting of roleplayers who, wandering
about the wild places of the game world, may never chance upon meeting each
other."
- Luna Online on
RPG Vault.
Peek #2 - Character Customization.
- Star Trek Online on
MMORPG.com. Writing for Star Trek Online.
Did you have a Voodoo 3 accelerator back in the day? Brace yourself: that day
was a decade ago, as it was ten years ago today Voodoo 3's started showing up on
store shelves.
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