|
|
 |
Archived News:
German site
PC Games reports on bugginess in the German edition of ARMA II,
Bohemia Interactive Studios' military shooter sequel slated for release
in that country tomorrow. Word is a patch is being readied for release tomorrow along with the
release, and here is what Bohemia Interactive CEO Marek Spanel says about the
situation: We realize that the campaign maybe doesn't stand to your
expectations but we hope that all the improvements made for the first patch will
already make it much closer to what you hoped it will be initially. I just
played German version 1.00 today to try some of the situations you mentioned
enjoyed it despite I found a problem here or there. I'm personally not
humiliated by my team mates sometimes fighting better than I do, and if
something goes wrong or unexpected this game is so complex that often there is a
way to find another solution of your current mission. Also, what is quite
unusual is that some things happen completely differently every time I try a
mission. I think the bugs do not kill the open nature of the game and that sheer
scope, amount of content or beautiful country of Chernarus will more than
compensate for these issues.
StarCraft 2 details, fansite summit, screens and more on Gossip Gamers has
just that, new skinny on the upcoming real-time strategy sequel from a few Asian
websites who were treated to an advance look. Several gameplay factors are
analysed, including the switch to full 3D and control improvements. Also
included are a number of screenshots.
Star Wars
Galaxies Trading Card Game Website has details on a new Agents of Deception
expansion planned for release next month to add more than 180 new playable cards
and more than 20 new loot cards. The third expansion for the virtual card-based
strategy game: "brings the exciting ability to boost your light or dark side
deck with all-new smuggler and spy unit cards, as well as adding 10 new smuggler
and spy-themed scenarios."
Dean
Tate on BioShock 2 on GameSpot discusses 2K Games' upcoming shooter
sequel. One interesting answer covers why Digital Extremes is handling
multiplayer support: "You have to play to your strengths. Digital Extremes has a
long history in the multiplayer gaming arena, they're proven experts in the
field. As a studio we're psyched to have them working on Bio2 MP. As for us here
at 2K Australia, I'll say that we're working on stuff that plays to our own
strengths as a studio, and that'll show when you get to play the game. We have a
great history and background in helping to craft the BioShock single-player
experience, and we're playing to that strength in our contributions to BioShock
2."
Midway sends along an outline of plans to dispose of the remainder of their
assets through an upcoming auction. Here's the main gist: Midway recently
announced a "stalking horse" asset purchase agreement, which is expected to
receive court approval, subject to higher or better bids, in a hearing on June
2, 2009. Following this hearing, there will be a period during which Midway,
through its financial advisor, Lazard, will accept binding offers up to June
24th, 2009, to acquire some or all of the Company's assets. An auction will be
held on June 29th to determine the bid or combination of bids that achieves the
highest value, followed by a court hearing to approve the sale to the winning
bidder or bidders on July 1st, and then a final closing. All bids must comply
with the bid procedures order to be issued at the hearing on June 2, 2009.
The "stalking horse" asset purchase agreement includes a significant portion of
Midway's assets, however not all of the assets were included in the agreement.
The bidding process allows for interested parties to bid on sets of assets
including those not in the agreement, and multiple bidders can be formed into a
group whose bids in the aggregate constitute a greater value than the initial
stalking horse bid. Successful bidders will be buying only Midway's assets, and
will not assume nor be responsible for any of the company's debt or liabilities,
including any secured or unsecured notes, credit facilities, or trade
obligations.
Midway's considerable intellectual property assets span some of the most
successful sectors in the video game industry. Midway is well known for fighting
games, with its more than $1.5 billion franchise, Mortal Kombat, as well as the
video game license for the fastest-growing wrestling league, Total Nonstop
Action (TNA) Wrestling. Midway's development teams are known worldwide for their
expertise in fighting game mechanics, motion-capture integration, and AAA
production values.
Telltale talks Sam & Max season 3 on The Inquirer is a conversation where
Kevin Bruner of Telltale Games tells tales about the next season in the Sam &
Max series of episodic adventures. Much of the discussion involves the evolution
of the control system to use a cursorless design like their Wallace & Gromit
games, which will make the series console-friendly. Kevin seems aware of the
possible problems from a bad interface. "I was the systems engineer on Grim
Fandango, he says, "so I made those hated controls."
A new PROTOTYPE trailer offers a walkthrough (and flythrough) mission #7
in Radical Entertainment's upcoming shapeshifting, open-world action game. The
clip features real-time gameplay footage and narration from producer Tim "Rhymes
with Venison" Bennison, depicting stealth, unique level navigation, combat, and
more. The clip is posted on the
YouTube for your
viewing pleasure.
Pixel Mine Games announces their
MMORPG Ashen Empires is now
subscription-free. A free starting area was added to the game a few
years ago, but now they've made the whole game free, though of course there
is microtransaction support. Word is: Today's a big day for Ashen Empires.
We're ending subscriptions. It's free!
That's right. Bring some friends for hours of fun with a must-play MMORPG!
Our current subscribers will be given membership time in the new
VIP program which features
many in-game perks and special store offers.
Don't forget to check out the new
Dungeons of Dransik expansion! It features the Ashen Empires Content
Creator, an easy to use editor lets you make custom adventures.
Changes to Player vs Player combat and Factions are also included in today's
update. You can read the full patch notes on the
Ashen Empires
forums.
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announces a long-term partnership with
The Saul Zaentz Company and New Line Productions to develop and publish games
based on The Lord of the Rings trilogy, following news earlier this
year that rights to create games based on The Lord of the Rings movies
reverted from EA to Warner Bros. last year. The first planned game under the new
deal is The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, planned for release this
fall for Wii, DS, PlayStation 2, and PSP. Word from WBIE president Martin
Tremblay is: "The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest is the first of many
different types of games we will be developing with the film and literary
rights. It is also the first game allowing kids and their families to interact
in their favorite locations and stories from The Lord of the Rings with
accessible gameplay."
A new Tropico 3 teaser trailer is online to offer hints about what to
expect from the upcoming dictator simulation sequel in the works at Haemimont
Games. The clip is a plane tour of the game's tropical island setting that
concludes promising the game in September of this year after being
announced for a Summer 2009 release. The link on the
Tropico 3 Website is to the clip on
the YouTube, and it is
also mirrored on
CinemaBlend and
Gamesonice.
Battlefront.com now features a new patch for Theatre of War 2: Africa
1943 to update the turn-based strategy sequel to version 1.1.0. The update
has a couple of tweaks and bug fixes, accompanied by the following caveat: "This
patch is for the original Battlefront.com version 1.0.0. only, and does not
currently work with any other game version."
Smoking Gun Interactive announces a
collaboration with award-winning author Douglas Rushkoff to pen the story for
the unannounced first project from this developer formed by veterans from Relic
Entertainment. Word is: "Rushkoff will work closely with the team at Smoking
Gun, to develop story narratives across a range of media formats that can feed
off one another and exist concurrently." Here's the outline of Rushkoff's
résumé: "Winner of the first Neil Postman award for Career Achievement in Public
Intellectual Activity, Douglas Rushkoff is a bestselling and controversial
author, comic’s writer, intellectual, and documentarian. His ten books on new
media and popular culture have been translated to over thirty languages. They
include Cyberia, Media Virus, Playing the Future,
Nothing Sacred: The Truth about Judaism, and Coercion, winner of the
Marshall McLuhan Award for best media book. Rushkoff also wrote the acclaimed
novels Ecstasy Club and Exit Strategy and graphic novel, Club
Zero-G, as well as the recently released Life Inc: How the world became a
corporation and how to take it back."
Firefly Studios announces Stronghold Kingdoms, which they are
describing as "the world’s first castle based MMO." They have not yet
established a release date for the project, but the
Stronghold
Kingdoms Website is online with some info and screenshots, promising more
details are coming soon. In the meantime, here's the announcement:
Firefly Studios today announces a new kind of online game: ‘Stronghold
Kingdoms’.
Live the life of a medieval lord in the world’s first castle based MMO.
Besiege the castle that’s never been taken, overthrow tyrants, bankroll your
factions war effort, pillage your neighbour’s resources, peacefully raise sheep
or do it all! The choice is yours in a wide ranging simulation of medieval life,
played out in real time against thousands of online opponents striving for power
and glory.
A unique hybrid of web and PC based gaming brings online interactivity and
community together with a richly depicted medieval world of thriving villages
and dramatic battles. Build a kingdom over days and weeks. A mix of real time
gameplay with long term planning, bring a truly novel twist to the Strategy
genre.
A huge range of stats and rankings give every player something to aim for,
whether it’s ‘Besieger of the month’ or ‘Apple farmer of the day’! Join a
medieval social network! Factions and elections, liege lords and their vassals,
all provide a real sense of structured community.
Whilst strong and well planned castles are at the heart of any lord’s domain,
players can also specialise via a vast research tree. Starting out as a humble
peasant, each promotion brings research points to spend on becoming the best in
as many areas as you wish, trading, diplomacy, warfare, farming and more, as the
player seeks to control the local parish, county and beyond. As their power
grows, players can eventually join in a country wide war for the Crown.
Classic Stronghold goes online in a world where players can, Build, Besiege,
Pillage, Farm, Explore, Research, Vote, Trade, Banquet, Fight and much, much
more. Many unannounced and surprising game features will be revealed in the
coming months…
The Total War Blog now offers an
Empire: Total War Strategy Guide with tips straight from Creative
Assembly on how to play their real-time strategy offering.
GameSpot -
The DRM Dilemma Part Two. Thanks Ant.
Carmel’s decision to leave out any form of DRM or copy protection from
World of Goo came down to a number of factors, including expense and the
inevitability that all games will get cracked, no matter what. “Pirates can
always get around DRM, and you end up treating your legitimate customers
like pirates [if you use DRM]. Not using DRM creates good will towards the
developer. For us [2D Boy] there are no benefits to DRM. Someone once told
me that they get a sense of ownership when they enter their licence key, but
from everything I heard I think this person is a rarity," he said.
Gamasutra - The PC As Champion of the Game Revolution. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Let's face it. On the PC, there are no hoops to jump through, no 'i's to
dot and 't's to cross, and no one else to give your money to. The PC is
where the revolution has started, and it's going to continue to be where it
happens. They say PC gaming is dying, but really, it's just evolving into
something that can't be tracked or controlled.
Shrapnel
Games now offers a new patch for the MacOS edition of BRAINPIPE: A Plunge
to Unhumanity. The versions currently on sale are already updated to the new
version 1.02, so if you've purchased your copy after March 26, you do not need
this patch.
The seared finger I suffered over last weekend was while I grilled some chicken
with the first pass at some homemade marinade. It came out very good, though I
have some significant tweaks to try before next time. It will actually be
difficult to exceed the results of the store-bought stuff (we've had great
results with Stubbs'), but there is a lot of satisfaction in creating a homemade
version, even if creating a marinade is quite simple.
|
Twitter 
