Archived News:
A playable demo is now available for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the
just-released action/adventure game tie-in with the animated movie
sequel of the same name. If you want to Scrat the itch to try this game, head
over to AtomicGamer,
FileFront, or Gamer's
Hell, where the 513 MB download is hosted.
Monolith Job Listing for a
Senior Software Engineer reveals plans for an unannounced project they call "a
cutting-edge first-person action game on PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and PC." The
game is also referred to as "a triple-A next-generation console title" and one
of the listings under preferred experience is: "XBox 360 and/or PlayStation 3
development experience." Thanks
IGN/ VG247.
Kikizo's id Software Interview talks with id Software Director of Business
Development (and lead singer) Steve Nix, though the conversation took place
before last week's announcement that id has been acquired by
ZeniMax, so it is obviously not discussed. Topics that are covered include id's
foray into mobile gaming, engine licensing, Wolfenstein, RAGE, and more.
A
Hollywood Tale - Part Two on GamesIndustry.biz follows up on last week's
part one
of their interview Ian Stevens, head of Vin Diesel's Tigon Studios, discussing
Tigon's works and the relationship between the film and the game development
industries. The following comment on that topic (admittedly noticed as it was
highlighted by
Joystiq) is his point that Hollywood views the licensing of videogames as
just another merchandising avenue, like action figures: "They don't, and the
set-up is so horrible. It is a business for them - the studio goes ahead and
slates the films for production in the next couple of years, and part of that
revenue stream is licensing and merchandising. For a lot of those guys over the
past twenty years, making videogames has been the same thing as making action
figures, and putting your characters on cereal boxes, or making pyjamas. And
that's been a very successful model."
GameX Industry Summit announces the
Philly Game Jam 2009 will take
place from October 24-25, 2009 as this game design event will be part of the
GameX Industry Summit hosted by IGDA Philadelphia. Registration ends on October
10, and word is: "The Philly Game Jam is a 48-hour game building marathon where
game professionals, students and amateurs alike compete to build new game
concepts based on a theme announced at the start of the contest."
Steam News now offers an
automatic update for Drug
Wars, which seems to be the new title for the multiplayer game formerly
known as Merchants of Brooklyn, as it looks like the game has been quietly
renamed after the game mode introduced by a recent patch. The
update re-enables four team multiplayer, updates maps, tweaks weapons, and more.
Though a release date for Dark Void has not been set,
VG247 reports on Capcom's plans to release Airtight Games' horizontally
challenged shooter simultaneously for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. This
represents an unusual move for the publisher, whose PC offerings traditionally
trail their console counterparts. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Russian developer BIART officially announces U-Wars, though we've already
seen a couple of Q&As for this underwater third-person shooter, as it was shown
off in May at Moscow's KRI 2009 (thanks Gamer's Hell). The
Underwater Wars Website links to a new
diary movie that includes gameplay and English subtitles on the
YouTube, and here's the announcement, which says the game's release for
Windows and Xbox 360 is expected in the middle of next year: Moscow,
Russia / Frankfurt, Germany, 30th June 2009 – Today the Russian developer BIART
announce its ambitious next gen Project "U-WARS" on XBOX360, PC and PSP.
Starting the developing progress end of 2007 the game will hit the shelves mid
of 2010.
“U-Wars” is a tactical sci-fi third person shooter set up an ultra realistic
subaqueous scenario. Combining the thrill of an undersea setting with a
cinematic approach and a superior story line “U-Wars” is the first lifelike
underwater action experience.
In “U-Wars” the player will take control of an elite force and is constrained to
accomplish covert operations both on land and undersea. As the PC version is
supporting the NVIDIA PhysX technology the XBOX users will enjoy a variety of
multiplayer modes via XBOX Live. During this year E3 the game was presented
behind close doors and got great feedback from international publishers and
journalists.
Acclaim makes the unusual announcement that
The Chronicles of Spellborn is
undergoing "re-development," and that when the revamped version of the
fantasy-themed MMORPG launches in 2010, it will be a subscription-free
game supported by microtransactions, as they will scrap the "freemium" model
that offered both free and subscription-based zones. In the meantime the game
will continue to operate as before, and players will receive credit for unused
time on their subscriptions once the game goes free: Los Angeles, CA (June
29, 2009) – Acclaim Games announces the re-development of their recent MMORPG
The Chronicles of Spellborn which was released in February, 2009. The
development is planned to carry into 2010 and will include several enhancements
and changes to the current game. The enhancements and development of the new
model will be carried through a joint venture between Spellborn NV and the
development studio of Frogster Asia Co. Ltd. based in Seoul, the Korean studio
bringing its expertise in the field of free-to-play and micro-transactions.
After the re-development, the current subscription model will be switched to a
free-to-play system supported by micro-transactions. This will open the world of
Spellborn to all players and give them a chance to experience the rich lore and
game-play in its entirety.
Players who are currently playing the game will be able to continue playing the
game in its current form via the subscription service. At the point where the
new version is released, any unused subscriptions will be credited to their
accounts. Any players who wish to register for a free account can sign up now at
http://spellborn.acclaim.com.
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is now available via digital distribution
for those seeking Techland's new wild west shooter prequel through alternative
means. The game can be purchased and downloaded from
Direct2Drive and Steam,
and perhaps elsewhere as well. Also, the launch trailer for the game can be
found on AtomicGamer
and Gamer's Hell.
The
Warhammer Herald announces that July 4th celebrations are already underway
in Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, offering extra XP for
participants: WAAAGH!!!
The hot days of summer are settling in and the 4th of July is quickly
approaching here in the states. While we know not everyone celebrates
Independence Day I think we can all agree it's a good enough reason to celebrate
in game with bonus XP, Renown, and some festive fireworks to boot!
From today until Monday, July 7th you'll earn 10% more XP and Renown for kills
and enemy players will drop fireworks for your amusement.
It's our way of saying thanks, have fun, and enjoy the start of summer with a
BANG!
Eurogamer follows up on earlier indications that Volition
plans to support Red Faction: Guerilla with post-release downloadable
content (DLC) with word on plans for three DLC releases for the upcoming
shooter. The first will be called Demons of the Badlands, which is slated for
release on August 13, while details on the other two bits of DLC will be
released "later this year." They have some
Demons of the Badlands screenshots and word that this pack promises a new
single-player campaign set outside the main game's campaign setting. They only
mention console plans, and with signs the Windows edition of Red Faction:
Guerilla may be delayed, it is not clear if any of these DLC packs
is destined for the PC.
Ubisoft announces that Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood for Windows, Xbox
360, and PlayStation 3 is now available in North American stores, offering
Techland's prequel to their wild west shooter Call of Juarez: SAN
FRANCISCO — JUNE 30, 2009 — Today Ubisoft announces that Call of Juarez®: Bound
in Blood, the prequel to the Wild West action shooter Call of Juarez, is now
available in stores across North America for the Xbox 360® video game and
entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment
system and Windows-based PC. Developed by Techland, Call of Juarez: Bound in
Blood takes place 20 years prior to the events of the original storyline.
Following the story of the McCall Brothers, players enter a quest for the
legendary Gold of Juarez leading them from a ravaged Georgia during the Civil
War to the Aztec ruins of Mexico. The brothers, Ray and Thomas, make their
lawless trail into a truly Wild West, using their superior gun-slinging skills
to take out all of those that stand in their way.
"Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is one of the best and most authentic Wild West
experiences ever offered as interactive entertainment,” said Tony Key , senior
vice president of sales & marketing. "We know that the Wild West offers a great
setting that is underrepresented in the world of interactive entertainment and
we are proud to bring this quality product to the marketplace.”
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood also brings the Wild West mayhem online.
Gunslingers, bandits and marshals struggle online for bounty, and multiple
character classes can be unlocked for use during team-based objective modes or
the straightforward team death match. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood introduces
an innovative Bounty System, which increases the bounty on a player's head as
they rack up more kills.
Joystiq has more clarity on Blizzard's rationale for dropping LAN
support in StarCraft II, which has inspired much outcry, as
well as a
petition from unhappy fans. The explanation is as many expected, which is
they are using Battle.net to combat piracy of the upcoming RTS sequel. Here is
the statement they received from Bob Colayco at Blizzard PR: We don't
currently plan to support LAN play with StarCraft II, as we are building
Battle.net to be the ideal destination for multiplayer gaming with StarCraft II
and future Blizzard Entertainment games. While this was a difficult decision for
us, we felt that moving away from LAN play and directing players to our upgraded
Battle.net service was the best option to ensure a quality multiplayer
experience with StarCraft II and safeguard against piracy.
Several Battle.net features like advanced communication options, achievements,
stat-tracking, and more, require players to be connected to the service, so
we're encouraging everyone to use Battle.net as much as possible to get the most
out of StarCraft II. We're looking forward to sharing more details about
Battle.net and online functionality for StarCraft II in the near future.
Firefox version 3.5 is now
available, offering the latest version of Mozilla's web browser (thanks Cale).
This page
describes the new version,
this CNET article
offers some analysis (thanks Mike Martinez), while
Slashdot point the way to a
review of the new release on Slate Magazine.
This press release announces the launch of Issue #15 for
City of Heroes, NCsoft's
superhero MMORPG. Word is: "Commemorating the game’s recent five-year
anniversary celebration, Issue 15: Anniversary brings City of Heroes its 15th
major free content update introducing players to all-new content, missions,
features and customization tools that continue to place City of Heroes at the
forefront of the evolving MMO genre." Also, the
City of Heroes Website announces the first weekend in August will be a
double-XP weekend with the bonus beginning on Friday, July 31st 2009, at noon
Eastern time.
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Video Game Hits Store Shelves Worldwide
Today announces the game tie-in with the animated movie sequel is now
available in North America in advance of the movie debut on Friday. Word is:
"the game allows players to command their favorite movie characters, including
Sid, Manny, Diego, Scrat and the relentless one-eyed Dino hunting weasel, Buck,
and venture into a mysterious underground world of dinosaurs, while solving
puzzles and platforming through more than 15 exciting levels."
Rebellion's Guy On Reinventing Rogue Warrior on Gamasutra sits down with
Aeron Guy about Rogue Warrior, Rebellion's upcoming first- and
third-person shooter based on the life of Navy SEAL Richard "Demo Dick"
Marcinko. They discuss starting from scratch after the switch in developer from
Zombie, collaborating with Bethesda, mission structure, the role of stealth in
gameplay, working with Demo Dick, and more.
The
Red Faction: Guerrilla interview on Digital Foundry/Eurogamer talks
with Volition associate producer Sean Kennedy and senior programmers Eric Arnold
and Dave Baranec in the first installment in a two-part interview on the
technology behind the upcoming shooter sequel. They discuss the switch to
third-person perspective, open-world gameplay, the game's lengthy development
cycle, editing tools, and of course the destructible environments that are the
signature element of the series.
EA and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Announce that the Harry
Potter and the Half-Blood Prince game is hitting stores this week for most
platforms, from Windows through mobile. The game should be on shelves in North
America today, and in Europe by the end of this week. Word is: "In the game of
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, players return to Hogwarts™ – reproduced
from movie blueprints in exacting detail - to help Harry survive a fraught sixth
year. Players will be able to master gesture-based spell-casting as they explore
the Hogwarts school grounds, from the heights of the Astronomy Tower to
Professor Slughorn’s Potions classroom in the depths of the dungeons and iconic
locations in between such as the Gryffindor™ common room and the Great Hall."
A third patch is now available for Blood Bowl, which will update
Cyanide's just-released, fantasy-themed sports game to version 1.0.1.2. The
patch was discovered by
The Patches Scrolls,
where they offer it for download, and it is now also available from
AtomicGamer, and
here's the odd change log: "To enhance the performance of the game on your
computer, the game resolution has been decreased. You can change that parameter
later in the game options."
Wicked Interactive announces
special summer events for Priston Tale,
their subscription-free fantasy MMORPG.
This page outlines
the festivities, beginning with fireworks tomorrow, and followed by new quests
and in game events starting July 2.
The Sims 3 Interview
on Skewed & Reviewed chats up some unnamed members of the development team
on The Sims 3, the just-released installment in EA's lifestyle simulation
series. Topics include the game's setting, Sim creation, enhanced exploration
options, aging and career progression, items, social options, obstacles faced
during development, the game engine, movie making, and more.
Codemasters announce that FUEL is now available in North America for
Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, with the new racing game from Asobo
Studios set to take the green flag in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa)
territories on Thursday and in the UK on Friday. A
batch of new
screenshots accompany the announcement, and the
FUEL Website features a new video that
"showcases the diverse locations, beautiful scenery and freedom to explore which
up to 16 players can enjoy in FUEL's stunning game world." Here's word on the
game: FUEL offers an astounding 5,560 square miles playground which is
fully open to race and explore. Based on satellite data from the United States,
wildly diverse terrain from the snow-capped Mount Rainier to the arid Grand
Canyon and everything in between create an atmospheric, epic racing sandbox.
With a 70+ strong vehicle line up, including bikes, buggies, quads, cars,
roadsters, trucks and even a hovercraft, gamers experience unprecedented choice
in choosing tactical routes on-the-fly, on or off-road. The wide vehicle roster
is perfect for taking on hundreds of exhilarating arcade events, from
large-scale raid challenges to tight circuit races, available in FUEL’s career
mode.
Extensive multiplayer options allow up to 16 players to discover FUEL’s world in
free ride or compete in thrilling head-to-head races. Gamers can also unleash
their creativity by using the powerful yet intuitive race editor to create
events set anywhere in FUEL’s environment and share them online.
PlayLogic has launched GamEssence, a
new digital distribution portal for their own games as well as games from
third-party publishers, with their initial offerings including Age of Pirates,
Gene Troopers, Aggression: Reign over Europe, and more.
GamesIndustry.biz quotes Rogier Smit, "Playlogic has taken an aggressive
approach to become one of the world’s leading videogame publishers," says the
executive vice president of Playlogic. "Gamessence.com presents another revenue
opportunity for Playlogic, providing us with the ability to fully manage our
content directly into the hands of the consumer."
Legendary Game Designer Brian Reynolds Joins Zynga as Chief Designer
announces Brian Reynolds has joined social gaming developer Zynga, in spite of
indications just a month ago that Reynolds would continue to serve
as a consultant for Big Huge Games after the developer he helped found
was acquired by 38 Studios. Word is: "Reynolds will head up
operations at Zynga East, expanding the company’s presence on the East Coast. In
2009 this office will begin with 12-15 employees, including game designers, web
developers (PHP, MySQL, Flash), artists, and producers. Based in Baltimore, Md.,
production efforts will be focused on creating new social network games on
Facebook and other platforms--particularly games with a strategic emphasis."
Hi-Rez Studios announces they now expect closed beta testing for Global
Agenda to begin sometime next month, a slight delay from previous
expectations that testing would launch by the second quarter of this year
(which ends today). There are details on the beta for the upcoming MMORPG in
this FAQ, and there's still an opportunity to sign up to be a tester on
this page.
AoC's Craig Morrison Interview on IncGamers is the conversation with
Funcom's game director on Age of Conan from which they posted
excerpts yesterday. The conversation focuses on problems with the game's
launch, including reasons subscriber numbers for the MMORPG dipped after launch,
whether there was enough content included from the outset, mid-level gameplay,
the year it has taken to get some issues with the game addressed, and more. They
also probe for details about expansion plans, but Craig was under strict orders
from marketing not to spill any beans.
The
interview with Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood writer Haris Orkin on The
Game Reviews talks with Haris Orkin, writer on the wild west shooter
prequel. The conversation covers possible controversy over issues explored in
the game, as it touches on "racism, slavery and the oppression of Native
Americans and Mexicans in south Texas." Here's a bit: I’ve been reading
some of the forums. Some people - not very many - are concerned that the
playable characters are on the side of the confederacy. Some people
simplistically believe that everyone who fought on the side of the south was
evil. The truth is, the causes of that war were very complex. There were
northerners involved in the slave trade and southerners who didn’t believe in
slavery. When the war started it was more about state’s rights versus federal
control. The truth is, most of the soldiers fighting for the Confederacy were
not slaveholders. Maybe 20 percent had slaves. Atrocities were committed on both
sides. Many of the actual outlaws of the time were former confederate soldiers;
Jesse James and his brothers, the Youngers. Archie Clement. So the McCalls were
based somewhat on those actual outlaws. Confederate soldiers who suffered the
brutality of war and lost everything they had.
There's now a LAN
in Starcraft 2 Please. Petition imploring Blizzard to reconsider
stated plans to include no LAN multiplayer support in StarCraft
II (thanks
IncGamers). Here's a bit: "We understand you will be adding amazing new
features to Battle.net that you can't talk about yet, but regardless of any
features you might add online, we would still like to be able to play in a
traditional network where no internet connection is needed. For an internet
connection might not always be available."
Interview: John
Carmack and Tom Mustaine on Doom, iPhone Desires, and the Future of id Mobile
is a conversation about the just-released DOOM Resurrection for iPhone as
well as id Software's ambitious mobile gaming plans. According to
Tom, they started using touch screen controls, and the project may well have
been cancelled until they found its fun factor in the accelerometer: "So we made
a pretty big change. At the halfway point of the project we were kind of
considering, this could get canceled if it doesn't get fun. And so we moved it
over to the accelerometer controls, and it was kind of surprising, because I
think we've played almost every other game called a shooter on the iPhone, and
nobody's really landed on this control mechanism before. And that was kind of
our 'ah-ha' moment."
When a Ghostbusters
Game Appears in the Neighborhood, Who You Gonna Call? on GameZone interviews
Brendan Goss, Terminal Reality's Executive Producer on Ghostbusters: The
Video Game. Topics include how this project got off the ground, the
participation of Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis as writers, gameplay, teamwork,
multiplayer play, environments, weapons, matching the look of the movies, and
more.
Editor of Steel on Battlefront.com is a brief tutorial on how to use the map
editor included with Empires of Steel. Word is: "In this article he's
making full use of the nifty "overlay" feature to re-create a European map from
scratch!"
So far I think removing several bulleted lists from the evening update makes the
news layout in a more sensible manner now, though some of the non-gaming stories
in those lists have aged a bit more by the morning (it's always something).
R.I.P.:
Comedian Fred Travalena dies of cancer. Thanks Mike Martinez.
R.I.P.:
TV sitcom pioneer Gale Storm dies.
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