Archived News:
Telltale Games now
offers online sales of the first chapter of Tales of Monkey Island, the
episodic return to the beloved adventure series. Word is that for this week
only, those who purchase the game will receive a bonus of one episode from one
of Telltale's other offerings. On a related note,
Back In The Water- The Monkey Island Interview on Gamasutra talks with
Telltale's Dave Grossman about the project.
A cinematic intro trailer from Wolfenstein is now available for Raven's
upcoming supernatural shooter. The clip is posted on
ActionTrip and
AtomicGamer. Also,
the first in a four-part series of clips promoting the game with an animated
graphic novel is available on
AtomicGamer and
Filefront.
Eurogamer
reports July 17 will be the release date for the Windows edition of Bionic
Commando, GRIN's platformer remake. The PC edition will offer the gameplay
of the console versions, with enhancements like improved visuals and remappable
controls.
A post
to a thread called "Can we get a straight answer about the PC version?" on the
Alan Wake
Community Forums has a response to concerns on that topic from Remedy
Entertainment's Markus Maki. The vagueness of his response is not very
reassuring for PC gamers concerned they won't get to play Remedy's upcoming
psychological thriller (which Remedy says
is the first season of a bigger story), on their chosen platform: Hey
all,
I'm a PC gamer at heart (have a Core i7, Radeon 4890, 5.1 audio setup at home)
so I do appreciate your concerns.
Unfortunately all I can say at this point is that we're focusing all our efforts
on the 360 version and will be making comments in regards to the PC at a later
in time.
The
Left 4 Dead 2 Interview on bit-tech.net offers a chat with Chet, talking
with Valve's Chet Faliszek about Left 4 Dead 2, the upcoming multiplayer
zombie-shooter sequel. The conversation covers the game, as well as the initial
backlash that surrounded its announcement, which is also covered in
a blurb on VideoGamer.com where Chet says that "I once joked that we could
put $20 in a box and charge $10 for it, and someone’s going to complain." The
bit-tech.net article also offers hands-on impressions of Left 4 Dead 2,
and a first-hand account of gameplay can likewise be found in the
Left 4 Dead 2 Preview
on IGN.UK. Finally, a blurb on
IncGamers indicates Valve is toying with a fourth boss for Left 4 Dead 2,
which will contain at least three new bosses, a post on
GameDaily indicates Valve is looking at creating cross-game play between
Left 4 Dead 2 and the original Left 4 Dead, and
IGN unveils the
cricket bat as a new L4D2 weapon, the second such Shaun of the Dead homage
(after Hellgate London). Thanks Dagok.
Word on
Eurogamer is that Funcom plans to reveal a new expansion for Age of Conan at
GamesCom, the trade show scheduled for August 19-23 in Cologne, Germany, saying a dedicated team has been working on the add-on since the MMORPG went live.
Details are not offered, but Erling Elllingsen, who is "really looking forward"
to revealing the add-on, saying those who tune in are "in for a treat," and "I
think players will be pleased."
This press release
announces pricing and release date information for Watchmen: The End is Nigh
Part 2. The PC part two of the movie-inspired brawler is to be released via
digital distribution on July 29 for an MSRP of $14.99. Word is: "Watchmen: The
End is Nigh Part 1 takes place more than a decade before the film’s main story,
delving into the partnership of urban vigilantes Rorschach and Nite Owl before
the hero-banning Keene Act. In Part 2, the duo team up again as Rorschach
contacts Nite Owl to help solve the case of a missing girl, Violet Greene."
A new patch is now available for Alpha Prime to update this first-person
shooter from IDEA Games to version 1.3. This is for the original international
edition of the game, word is the edition from Steam is already updated, as is
the North American DVD version which was released well over a year
ago. The patch was spotted by
The Patches Scrolls,
where they offer it for download. A mirror can be found on
AtomicGamer.
MCV reports the formation of Square Enix Europe (working title), an
outgrowth of the Square Enix takeover of Eidos. According to a
spokesperson: "Square Enix Europe (final name TBD) will include Eidos’ global
network of studios and combine the Square Enix and Eidos European sales and
marketing businesses to create one efficient and powerful structure for game
publishing." An unfortunate side effect of this is the loss of an undetermined
number of jobs in both Europe and North America. "We are hoping to minimise this
wherever possible and offer support and advice to any employees directly
affected," is the official statement about that.
- Aion: The Tower of Eternity on
Eurogamer.
- Alan Wake on
IGN.AU.
- Men of War: Red Tide on
IGN.
- Star Wars: The Old Republic on
IGN.
- Supreme Commander 2 on
IncGamers.
Link of the Evening:
“Stayin’ Alive”
Saves Another Life. I have Meet Dave on in the background, and Eddie
Murphy sang this song just as I pulled up that story. Weird, huh?
Frogster America announces two new Elf classes will be included in The Elven
Prophecy, the upcoming chapter two expansion for Runes of Magic,
their subscription-free MMORPG. The
Runes
of Magic Website has details on the new Wardens and Druids that will
become part of the game, and here's the general overview: "Both are classes of
the Elven folk and their abilities are rooted in the forces of nature. Placed on
their own the Druids and Wardens are excellent warriors. In the group context
they use their use their abilities to support their allies and so simultaneously
pit themselves against the adversary."
Voodoo Extreme has three video clips teasing an upcoming game announcement.
It's all very mysterious, and the nature of the game is hard to figure out
because these giant MechWarrior-style robots get in the way of all the action.
Namco
Bandai Partners Announced has word that Namco Bandai's takeover
of Atari's PAL-fulfillment arm is complete. This distributor, which operates
in 50 countries out of 17 offices, will henceforth be known as Namco Bandai
Partners. With the announcement, Atari is now officially a US-only company.
A new version 1.50 beta 3 patch for Battlefield 2 is now available,
continuing the ongoing testing of this update, which has been unusually
deliberate, especially for a Battlefield game. The beta patch is a whopping 1.2
GB download, which is available from
AtomicGamer and
The Patches
Scrolls. The new version tweaks handling of J10 jets, improves hit detection
for low-ping players, tweaks balance, and addresses a number of bugs. The patch
comes with a warning to install this over version 1.41, and not to install it
over the previous beta patch.
Street Fighter IV for Windows ships today in North America, and should be
hitting stores now. And for those looking to kick some ass without getting off
of theirs, the game is also available via digital distribution from
Direct2Drive,
Impulse, and Steam.
The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club, but
fortunately, this isn't fight club, so here's word on Capcom's fighting game
sequel: "Street Fighter IV brings the legendary fighting series back to its
roots by taking the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street
Fighter® II, and infusing them with Capcom's latest advancements in next
generation technology to create a truly extraordinary experience that will
re-introduce the world to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts."
Ascaron Entertainment announces Sacred 2: Ice & Blood is the title of
their upcoming expansion for Sacred 2, making good on their stated intention to
continue to develop the RPG series in spite of their bankruptcy
filing and the sale of some of their assets. There are some
preliminary details on this and some screenshots on
PC Games Hardware, where word is the expansion will include a new Dragonmage
character, two new areas, new quests, and new items for each character.
2K Games and Bethesda Softworks announce the North American release of the
promised bundle of BioShock and The Elder Scrolls IV:
Oblivion, saying the shooter/RPG combo deal will be released internationally
in "mid-July," which seems to mean any day now. Word is: New York, NY –
July 7, 2009 – 2K Games and Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company,
announced today that the BioShock® & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion® Bundle is
now available at retail outlets across North America for a suggested retail
price of $39.99 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft and $29.99 for Windows PC. The bundle will be available
internationally in mid-July.
Creating a value-rich package, the BioShock & The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Bundle combines 2006 Game of the Year winner The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion with
2007 Game of the Year winner BioShock - two games with a combined bounty of more
than 80 Game of the Year awards from the industry’s top publications. In
addition to having achieved critical success and Platinum Hits status, both
games rank among the bestselling titles on Xbox 360.
The Global Agenda Website
narrows July 24 as the tentative start date for this month's
closed beta testing of Global Agenda, Hi-Rez Studios' upcoming MMOTPS
(thanks Mike Martinez and
MMOCrunch). There's still time to register to be a tester on
this page, and here's word: "In order to participate in the Beta, players
that receive an Invite must RSVP by visiting the Global Agenda website and
following the instructions in the invitation. Each invitation will include a
date by which a player must confirm their participation prior to the invitation
expiring. Once a player confirms their participation, additional information
will be sent regarding the test program."
The Champions Online
Official Site now outlines minimum and recommended system specifications for
Champions Online, Cryptic's superhero MMORPG, which is
expected on September 1. Here goes: Minimum System
Requirements
OS:Windows XP/Vista
CPU:2.5GHz Single Core or 1.8GHz Dual Core
Memory:1GB RAM
Video:NVIDIA GeForce 7800 / ATI Radeon X700 or HD / Intel Graphics with Dual
Core
Sound:DirectX Compatible Soundcard
HDD:5GB Free Disk Space
Network:ADSL / Cable Modem
Disc:DVD-ROM
Driver:DirectX 9.0c
Recommended System Configuration
OS:Windows XP/Vista
CPU:2GHz Dual Core or Better
Memory:2GB RAM or Better
Video:NVIDIA GeForce 8800 or Better / ATI Radeon HD3850 or Better
Sound:DirectX Compatible Soundcard
HDD:5GB Free Disk Space
Network:ADSL / Cable Modem or Better
Disc:DVD-ROM
Driver:DirectX 9.0c
Joystiq has an explanation that the recently announced Two
Worlds II is not actually a reworking of Two Worlds:
Temptation, the add-on that was subsequently called a
sequel. According to Zuxxez PR director Joerg Schindler Temptation was axed
because it was outdated: "The Temptation had been canceled due to technical
outdating [sic]. We use a complete new engine for Two Worlds II."
Ars Technica - The pillars of PC gaming- why StarCraft 2 LAN play matters.
Blizzard was so loved because it was a gamer-friendly company that gave
us more than we asked for, and surprised us with things like a free online
service and the spawned installs. Now, if you want to hook up a few
computers in your basement without an Internet connection, you may not be
able to play against each other at all. The LAN party is a dying thing in
the world of built-in voice chat and high-speed Internet connections, but
it's not dead yet... especially among those who grew up playing StarCraft.
IndustryGamers - The Implications of DLC.
The bottom line is that while PDLC has been welcomed with open arms by
consumers, there exists a threat to both retailers as well as competing
publishers. Albeit the threat is minimal in the short-run, but with the pace
that this industry moves we could see some struggles a year or two down the
road, and once troubles begin for the retailers, they might not end. The
downside is especially concerning for retailers that rely on second-hand
markets, because they are hit twice by the effect; once for consumers
delaying other purchases and another time for consumers delaying trading
their game in.
Significant Bits - The greatest collectible of all time.
Collectibles seem to speak to the kleptomaniac side of our personality,
encouraging us to take all that we see. In console RPGs, it’s common to
break into people’s homes, rummage through their belongings, and generally
pillage the entire world that you’re trying to save.
We got a little clarity on the slowly ongoing process of figuring out how to
keep our basement dry. We had a guy come out this morning to look to see what
was going on in the one area where our gutters drain underground. He used a
remote camera (which was neat) to look through the pipes to see what was up, and
determined that we have a series of old-fashioned clay pipes down there with
leaky joints every few feet, all running about a foot from the house. It was
pretty obvious why it seemed like the way to go when they did it that way, and
it is equally obvious now why this is a problem. Fixing the pipe that runs under
a concrete driveway is not going to be a very practical job, but the good news
is that it should be pretty easy to fashion a workaround that bypasses this
broken underground drainage anyway.
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