|
|
 |
Archived News:
Frogster America announces Secret of the Goblin Mine, a large upcoming patch for
Runes of Magic, their free MMORPG. The
Runes of Magic Website
has full detail on the update and their
videos page has a clip
showing off the new Goblin Mine mini-game the patch will add. Here's word on the
new version, which goes live on June 28: The ‘Goblin Mine’ solo adventure
sends the adventurer into a cave full of pesky green creatures, as well as some
weird and wonderful elemental beings. Players have 30 minutes in which to
perform three tasks inside the dungeon. They are allowed just one attempt per
day to do this, and anyone who dies during the adventure, loses their chance for
the day. Those who succeed, receive rare armor recipes and handcrafted objects
from the treasure chests at the end of the dungeon. There are also two new
titles to reward particularly diligent Goblin hunters, one of which being
‘Goblin Hero.’
Along with the ‘Secret of the Goblin Mine’ patch, an epic weapon quest series is
also being implemented for all players. Tasks which demand everything from
players and their companions are a part of the toughest quest series that Runes
of Magic has to offer. But, the effort will be worth it. Players who manage to
come out on top, battling against Taborea’s most challenging opponents, will
find themselves rewarded with some legendary weapons at the end of their
travels.
Now, players in Runes of Magic have the chance to cultivate plants in their own
homes. Seeds and pots of varying quality define the yield of the plants as they
grow. So only those who regularly water and fertilize their crops will find they
have a harvest in three to seven days. If players neglect their plants, they’ll
shrink after a few days. Once the plants have grown, players will see a reward
for their labor. Together with ore and wood, there is even a rare blue handwork
material which can be harvested.
Steam announces a new
patch for Defense Grid: The Awakening is now automatically available. A
number of balance tweaks are included in addition to bug fixes for the tower
defense strategy game.
GameStop's Batman: Arkham
Asylum Page outlines a preorder bonus for Batman: Arkham Asylum,
Rocksteady's upcoming superhero game. The bonus applies to the Windows and
console editions of the game, which also carry a street date guarantee that will
have the game delivered on its release date of August 25, though they add: "Not
responsible for orders delayed due to inclement weather, incorrect address,
credit card information, or because the postman was distracted by Joker in a
nurse's uniform." The bonus is an exclusive Challenge Map called "Dem Bones,"
which "pits Batman against Scarecrow's army of skeletons. In true core gamer
fashion, this map is among the most difficult Challenge Maps that the gamer will
face as Batman." The bonus is available to UK gamers through
GAME.co.uk.
Paradox
Interactive Tweets about Hearts of Iron III preorders starting today on all
major digital download providers. If you
preorder Hearts of Iron III from
Impulse you get Hearts of Iron II free, and
preordering from
GamersGate earns you two Hearts of Iron III sprite packs. Nothing on
Steam yet.
GameTap announces they've added
The Path
and
Rise of the Argonauts to the premium offerings on their subscription gaming
portal. They also announce
Cradle of Rome is their free game of the week. Finally, they also announce
they have added a full screen option to their roster of classic arcade games,
many of which (such as
Sonic the Hedgehog,
Pac-Man,
and Galaga)
are being offered for free play for the next week so they can be sampled in
their full screen glory.
The RAGE teaser trailer revealed in today's update to
After the Impact is now available,
offering a recruiting pitch to anyone who hates mutants. The clip is posted on
AtomicGamer and
Gamer's Hell.
A teaser trailer for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction was released
at the San Diego Comic Con, and is now on the web. The clip is available on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
GameTrailers.
Three new Dragon Age: Origins gameplay trailers show off more of
BioWare's upcoming fantasy-themed RPG. There's a Dwarf Commoner trailer on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
GameTrailers. A Human Noble trailer is on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
GameTrailers. Finally, there's a Tower Of Ishal trailer on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell.
A thread on the
Widescreen Gaming Forum offers info and downloads for a mod for Diablo II
that hacks support for higher resolutions and widescreen aspect ratios into
Blizzard's action/RPG, which only supports up to 800x600 resolution. Thanks
Hellforge/ GameBanshee/ Gamer's Hell.
Link of the Day: Flynn Lives
(thanks nin). As outlined on
io9 and
JoBlo.
Steam News has word that
Activision has added five new titles to the service, and all five are on sale
for 25% off between now and July 30.
Aces of the Galaxy,
TimeShift, and
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
are now available, as well as Sierra classics the
King's Quest Collection
and the Space Quest
Collection. Both Sierra collections list Windows 2000/XP as a system
requirement, though The King's Quest Collection has a note saying "Some games in
this collection may run under Windows XP 64 and Vista 32/64, but are not
officially supported."
GAME.AMD.COM now
offers all the version 9.7 Catalyst reference drivers for ATI accelerators.
Vista and Win7 drivers were released yesterday and now the
Windows XP drivers are available as well.
The Dawn Of War II
Website has scads of statistics from the recently completed beta test for
the upcoming There is Only War patch for Relic's futuristic RTS sequel. They
have some charts and breakdowns of these data outlining the number of
participants in the test, battle durations, most popular races and maps, and
other trends. Word is: "The numbers we’ve shown here are but a fraction of the
data we’ve collected from the beta period, but crucial data used in the ongoing
support we’re putting into Dawn of War II. The beta period was successful mostly
due to your support and feedback, and the game will be even better upon the full
release of ‘There is Only War’."
Codemasters announces an X Games component will be included in Colin McRae:
DiRT 2, the upcoming rally racing sequel. This will involve three new stages
that will unlock as players reach landmark achievements within the game's World
Tour: X Games America, X Games Europe, and X Games Asia, which "infuse added
realism by bringing the series' unique action sports atmosphere to the game."
The news is illustrated by some new
DiRT 2
screenshots, and here's more from the announcement: Each X Games event
will consist of two knockout rounds (quarters and semis) rounded off with a
dramatic final held at spectacular locations including London (X Games Europe),
Tokyo (X Games Asia) and Los Angeles (X Games America). The X Games America
competition is identified from the very start of the game as the pinnacle event
in Colin McRae: DiRT 2’s racing world and the ultimate test for any off-road
racer.
New Left 4 Dead 2 videos are now available showing off Valve's coming
zombie shooter sequel. There's a direct-feed Swamp Fever movie from Comic Con on
GameTrailers. Also,
GameSpy has three new clips,
Car Alarms,
Shanty Town, and
Swamp. IGN
has three,
City Roof,
Bridge Run, and
Plantation. Finally
GameVideos
(thanks Shacknews) has
three more, Bloody Ax and
More, Zombies Over the
Bridge, and Zombies
Attack in the Forest.
The final of the promised updates has been applied to
After the Impact, the official
website of RAGE, id's upcoming post-apocalyptic shooter. The update
brings us up to "today" (in that futuristic sense), and lives up to the
website's name by showing us the impact they are talking about. More multimedia
Flash tidbits await your clicking pleasure.
The Spore Website announces the release
of Patch 5 for Spore, EA Maxis' life simulation. PC users can acquire the new
version automatically through the EADM program, while Mac users are told they'll
need to check back "soon" for their edition of the patch. The new version has
fixes and improvements for the space game, adds options for asymmetrical
creatures, and more. A manual edition of the patch is also available, which can
be downloaded from
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer, and The
Patches Scrolls.
Legacy Interactive announces plans for Ghost Whisperer: Shadowlands, a
game based on the Ghost Whisperer TV series; saying a Windows game based
on the hidden object paradigm (I see dead pixels!) is in the works, though no
release schedule is yet offered. Here's a bit on the game: "With its stories
penned by Emmy award-winning television writer Lance Gentile, Ghost Whisperer:
Shadowlands combines light adventure and hidden object-style game play where
players need to help the recently departed move on to the afterlife and provide
closure to loved ones left behind. Gamers must collect objects for their
inventory to solve challenging puzzles while unraveling the mysteries of five
enthralling stories with more than 30 hauntingly beautiful environments."
A small team is working on a sequel to EndWar, the Tom Clancy-themed RTS
game, reports
VideoGamer.com (thanks
Shacknews). At the Develop conference Ubisoft creative director Michael De
Plater told them Ubisoft Shanghai is working at improving upon the original
game's single-player story and depth, but that he "couldn't put a time" on when
a sequel might be released. According to De Plater: "It’s a really good position
to be in, in a way. After the first one, now we have a really good understanding
of what to do, and we’ve solved lots of the hardest problems, which are
accessibility, camera, controls, rendering that many characters, having that
game work in 3D, our online as well, having persistent campaigns, having
persistent player armies, so we’ve kind of done the hard stuff. There’s a really
clear path forward there."
Computer
and Video Games has word on plans for an Alice in Wonderland game for
Windows, Wii and DS based on the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie being
directed by Tim Burton. Word is: "Developed by Etranges Libellules in France,
The Wii and PC versions follow the film's storyline as well as introducing new
fiction and locations. An 'upgradeable combat system' is included, as well as a
level setup where players collect 'impossible ideas' to replay levels and unlock
Underland's secrets." We kind of thought this movie was based on American
McGee's Alice, but this seems to indicate otherwise.
A post to the
Quarter To Three Forums reveals English screenwriter/game designer/video
games journalist Gary Whitta
had been working on a script of the Warcraft movie for two years, though
it sounds like he's off the project now that Sam Raimi has been
signed as its director (thanks
superannuation). Word is: I had actually been working on this for the
past two years. Had to keep it under wraps at the time but it doesn't really
matter now.
I worked very closely with Legendary and Blizzard to come up with a screenplay
that distilled the sprawling Warcraft mythology into a narrative that was easily
accessible to the non-player, and everyone was really pleased with the results -
I personally thought my last draft of the script in particular was really
kick-ass and did a good job of introducing the Warcraft world to non-players
while also satisfying hardcore players who knew every nook and cranny of the
universe. When Sam expressed interest in the property, however, he had his own
pretty specific vision of what he wanted to do story-wise so that's the version
they're now pursuing. I'm no longer involved but I wish them all the best with
it; so far as I'm concerned Raimi is the best possible director for
this.
Recently formed German publisher
bitComposer Games announces they've acquired global rights to RACE On,
the upcoming racing simulation from SimBin
Studios. The RACE On
Website offers video previewing the Formula Master series, a clip that can
also be streamed via the
YouTube. "I am really excited that we can add SimBin's new title to our
games portfolio," says bitComposer Managing Director Wolfgang Duhr. "RACE On
will give players the most extensive racing game of all time on PC, and we aim
to work closely with SimBin and our distribution partners to build on the
success of the series." The game is scheduled for release for the PC in
September/October of this year in eight different languages.
MCV
reports that All Points Bulletin (APB) will be released for Windows and
Xbox 360 in March 2010. They also report rumors that EA is on the verge of
acquiring Real-Time Worlds, the Scottish developer of the open-world action
game, but say that insiders have "scotched" the rumors. We're not sure if that
means the rumors have been confirmed, debunked, or perhaps were just the result
of a drinking binge (according to
Webster this
would mean the rumors are killed).
Valve announces plans to show off Left 4 Dead 2 at Comic Con 2009 (albeit
the Xbox 360 edition), which gets underway today in San Diego, CA. Here are
some new screenshots
showing the Swap Fever map and the Spitter infected, and here's the
outline of what they're bringing to the show as a preview of the many previews
that will follow: Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2), the sequel to the best-selling
and critically-acclaimed co-operative multiplayer thriller, is being shown this
week at Comic Con, San Diego.
The game is available to play, by the press and public, at the EA Gaming Lounge
presented by Xbox 360 (from 2-9 pm Thursday-Saturday, and 12-5 pm on Sunday) and
the Xbox 360 booth, (booth 5225 Hall G) all day on Saturday July 25th. The EA
Gaming Lounge is located in the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter Hotel, 401 K.
Street.
After debuting "The Parish" campaign (set in the New Orleans' French Quarter) at
E3, the Comic Con showing unveils "Swamp Fever", the second of the five
campaigns shipping with L4D2 this fall.
Valve is also unveiling a new Boss infected monster coming in the full version
of Left 4 Dead 2. Known as "The Spitter" this is the second new Boss infected
from L4D2 revealed thus far (the Charger was revealed at E3). The female Spitter
has an area attack that can split up Survivors or flush them out of their hiding
spots. At least one more new Boss infected is expected to be revealed before
launch.
In addition to the new campaign and boss monster the Comic Con showing of L4D2
also includes the debut of the "Mudmen," the "uncommon common" exclusive to the
Swamp Fever campaign, and a few more of the 20-plus new items coming in the full
product (cricket bat, AK47, and grenade launcher).
Coming exclusively to Xbox 360 and PC on November 17, Left 4 Dead 2 promises to
set a new benchmark for co-operative action games and become one of 2009's
marquee titles.
Matrix Games now offers a new patch for World War One: La Grande Guerre
to version 1.06H. The patch for the turn-based strategy/war game is located on
this page, where word is: "This update includes well over a dozen bug fixes,
some minor enhancements to the diplomatic AI, a more robust multiplayer engine,
user interface tweaks for browsing HQ units, and several other improvements."
The Game Reviews - Why Games Fail to Emotionally Connect.
The binary choice in Infamous felt very ham-fisted and artificial.
Although my character changed visually depending on my choices, it had no
effect on the actual story. Also, the game spelt out these choices in the
most ridiculous way, giving me such pantomime good-or-evil paths that I felt
like I was playing a Sesame Street game. Diluting the narrative in this way
ultimately didn’t work, and Infamous would’ve been better served by
restricting its story to just one linear thread. This was Prototype’s
method-of-choice, and it felt a stronger game for it. But where it succeeded
in narrative, it failed with its characters. The dark, brooding Alex Mercer
was immediately unlikable, and he seemed a totally different person in the
game compared to within its cut scenes. This fuelled my feeling of
disassociation with Prototype, and made it’s world an entirely uncomfortable
place to be in.
Sessler's Soapbox- Censorship's Gone But Not Forgotten. It's gone?
Yesterday, July 21st was the 50th anniversary of the
Lady
Chatterley's Lover case, which is essentially the basis all media
censorship cases are based on today. In case you're unfamiliar with the
subject, check out
the Wikipedia
article about it. Now that you've done your homework, sit down with The
Sess and listen to this week's Soapbox. Adam uses this date as a springboard
to discuss how video games appear to have dodged the censorship bullet, if
only temporarily. Is this the time to celebrate a small victory? Or is this
just another calm before the inevitable storm? You decide.
Christian Science Monitor - Are "mature" video games worse than rated-R
movies? Feburary?
The gaming industry has long complained about a double-standard. As the
Monitor reported in Feburary, in the past few years, state legislators in
California, Louisiana, and Massachusetts submitted or passed bills outlawing
the sale or rental of mature games to children. Judges have consistently
thrown out such measures as unconstitutional. In Feburary, a California
appeals court struck down such a law. It ruled that targeting violent or
sexual video games, while not expanding the law to cover R-rated movies or
suggestive books, unfairly singled out the free speech rights of a
particular industry. California lawmakers vow to continue the appeals
process.
Game Informer - Retro Resuscitation – Why Are We Going Where We’ve Been?
Thanks Ant and
ClassicGaming.
Game developers everywhere have apparently found the magic tonic, and
it’s being splashed around like champagne in a rap video. From the Blue
Bomber to the Ninja Turtles, no childhood idol is being left behind in the
ravenous rampage to revamp retro classics. The digital and retail
marketplaces are being proliferated with stellar throw backs to yesteryear.
Whatever a given publisher’s reason for updating an old series may be, an
obvious pattern has emerged; when a classic franchise begins to struggle,
hop in the time machine to remind people why they fell in love with the
series in the first place. Using Metacritic’s aggregate scores as a rough
guideline, we argue that two distinct types of retro-revivals have emerged,
and that each has marked success compared to recent, non-retro efforts.
- Borderlands on
G4tv.com. Co-op mode.
- DC Universe Online on
Wired.com.
Inside S.T.A.R. Labs, DC Universe Online's Chaotic Skunkworks.
Thanks Mike Martinez and Ant.
Today is a pretty significant anniversary as far as we're concerned, as it is
the anniversary of the full version of QUAKE, which started appearing in
customer mailboxes 13 years ago today. It was in anticipation of this 3D
first-person shooter from id Software that originally inspired the creation of
the website that became Blue's News. Happy birthday QUAKE!
|
Twitter 
