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Archived News:
Total Gaming Network has what they report to be an update that briefly
appeared on the RSS feed for the Team
Fortress 2 Blog, which if real, is either an error, or proof Valve is now enamored of the
leak-style announcement like they joked about after the leak of the Meet the Spy video. They have an
image of the story, and summarize the details it provides, including new maps, a
new King of the Hill mode that folks have been anticipating, and an item trading
system. Popular sentiment seems to be this is a fake. Thanks Mike Martinez.
The F.E.A.R. 2
Reborn Interview on IGN talks with Monolith's Lucas Myers about Reborn,
another upcoming DLC pack for F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin. The article is in
their Xbox section, and makes no mention of a Windows version, but previous
F.E.A.R. 2 DLC eventually was released for free for Windows. The pack is due on
consoles in August, and will offer four new single-player maps, and word is:
"For this outing, you'll get to experience the F.E.A.R. 2 story from a different
perspective as you take on the role of replica soldier foxtrot 813." The
interview discusses all this, revealing that new achievements and trophies will
be included. Thanks
VG247.
That VideoGame Blog has a tidbit from THQ's post-earnings conference call
yesterday, saying it's been revealed that Homefront is expected during THQ's
fiscal year 2011, which runs from April 2010 through March 2011. Homefront will
be the second title from KAOS Studios, a first-person shooter where American
Civilian Resistance does battle with a North Korean occupation. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Steam News announces the
availability of Watchmen:
The End Is Nigh Part 2 on Valve's online service. In other Steamy news,
they also announce the release of
Mata Hari as well as
Steam Cloud Support for Trine,
saying: "The indie hit Trine has just been updated with Steam Cloud support for
save game files. Now you can play anywhere and resume right where you left off.
In addition to that, language support for French, German, Italian and Spanish
has been added."
This
thread on the Command & Conquer Forums offers additional details from
gameplay designer Jeremy Feasel about Command & Conquer 4 in Q&A format.
The post was penned a couple of weeks ago, but
Command and Conquer DEN highlights a couple of bits that were just added
(thanks Ant). Word is: Q: Is there a population cap? What are the
numbers (X/100) seen above the units on the UI?
A: The numbers shown above the units tab indeed represent a population cap. In
C&C4, players are limited in the number of units they can make by Command
Points, which allows the player to make smart decisions about which units they
want to produce depending on the current state of the battlefield and limits
single-unit spam and snowballing of attack power.
Q: Does the Crawler gain experience and level up during a match, like a hero?
A: While the Crawler can gain veterancy, just like a unit, all of the experience
gained on the battlefield is gained directly by the player, allowing the player
to unlock additional units, structures, powers, and upgrades, once the battle is
complete.
Gameforge announces
Gates
of Andaron is live, offering subscription-free gameplay in a westernized
edition of this fantasy-themed MMORPG from Korean developer Zemi Interactive.
Casual MMO publisher OGPlanet announces
Rumble Fighter is live in Europe, saying: "Following a successful Beta
period, all European PC gamers are now invited to join forces with friends in
the rumble zone, in battles of up to 8 players." They are also offering a prize
to all early participants in this subscription-free online mixed martial arts
game: "To celebrate the full launch of Rumble Fighter, OGPlanet will be giving
all players a random in-game Astro item. All players who will have logged in
before Sunday, August 2nd at 23;59 will receive their very own surprise!"
A new movie from Colin McRae's DiRT 2 is now available, called "Racing on
DiRT with Ken Block," as it features Subaru Rally Team USA driver (and DiRT 2
Technical Consultant) Ken Block talking about the joys of off-road racing to the
melodic strains of Scars on Broadway. The clip includes live action, gameplay
footage, and the combo platter of live footage of Ken playing the game. The clip
is available on the DiRT2 Website (which
is far less of a crime against HTML now that it's been redesigned) and it is
mirrored on AtomicGamer
and Gamer's Hell.
Champions Online Interview on
Ten Ton Hammer talking with Cryptic's Bill Roper about Champions Online, its
Nemesis and Omega systems, and the high-level content they will offer players of
the upcoming superhero MMORPG. The conversation goes into great detail,
demonstrated by the fact that half the four-page article consists of the answers
to two questions.
The City of Heroes
interview on Ten Ton Hammer is a conversation from Comic-Con '09 chatting
with NCsoft's Matt Miller and Joe Morrissey about the superhero MMORPG. The
topics at hand are "Power Spectrum," the upcoming Issue 16 update for the game
and the City of Heroes: Going Rogue expansion. We like Matt's ideas for
alternate titles: "I really wanted to do Issue 16: When Pigments Fly, because it
played off the saying "When pigs fly." But it was a little too campy for even
us. The other one we bounced around was Issue 16: Going Rouge, which of course
plays off the misspelling of our upcoming expansion. It was just a little too
confusing for people."
Gamasutra
quotes a report by games industry analysts discussing StarCraft II. The
article discusses the possibility that Blizzard's RTS sequel will be delayed
into next year, and quotes oft-quoted games industry analyst Michael Pachter
saying he expects the game to sell about four million units when it does ship,
though given the level of anticipation for this title, that estimate almost
seems low.
Gyromancer is the latest Trademark reported by the Trademark Watchers™ at
superannuation.
The new TM is registered by Square Enix, and it seems to cover about every use
possible. We're just hoping the game is somehow involves conjuration of the
spirits of the dead by the use of Greek food.
The Dawn of War II Website
announces that the "There is Only War" patch that recently left beta
testing will be released tomorrow for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II.
This page outlines
all the changes in There is Only War (remember when patches just had version
numbers?), including bug fixes, map fixes, networking improvements, and
extensive balance tweaks, though it neglects to mention the eight new maps it
adds to Relic's sci-fi RTS sequel. The patch is expected at 11:00 am PDT, which
is 2:00 pm EDT.
Spore owners still running Patch 5 are so last week already, as
the Spore Patches Page now offers a
newer update for EA Maxis' life simulator. The update is available through the
EADM program for PC users obnly, and Mac users are told to "check back soon."
The new patch clears up a couple of bugs, and has been designated Patch 5.1,
sending them down the slippery slope towards the actual version numbers they
have clearly tried to avoid. Downloads of a manual edition of the patch can be
found on AtomicGamer,
Gamer's Hell, and
The Patches Scrolls.
A new Marine trailer from Aliens vs Predator is now available to reveal
the heavily armed Colonial Marine class from Rebellion's upcoming first-person
shooter. The clip offering a mix of cinematics, game footage, and explosions can
be found on
ActionTrip,
AtomicGamer,
FileFront,
and Gamer's Hell.
Hero to Zero, Vortex Throws, and So Long Mako in Mass Effect 2 on PC World
concludes a four-part conversation with BioWare's Casey Hudson about the
upcoming sequel to their science-fiction RPG (here's
part one,
part two, and
part three). As they describe: "we cover Commander Shepard's level drop, the
game's updated abilities, new vehicle attributes, the overhauled interface, and
Casey explains why storytelling in at least some games doesn't suck."
CCP has released a new movie from EVE Online to illustrate "the butterfly
effect" in the game, which has nothing to do with
Ashton Kutcher. The clip
highlights the impact of the actions of an individual on a game world that
boasts a population of over 300,000. The clip is available on the
YouTube, where there is
also a high definition
version.
The Hollywood Reporter outlines plans for another game movie, this one based
on Infamous, the PS3 exclusive action game. The movie will be penned by
Sheldon Turner ( The Longest Yard,
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The
Beginning). They report: "Sony Pictures has pre-emptively [sic] picked up a
pitch from Turner to adapt the Sucker Punch Prods. video game into a feature
film. The deal is for seven figures." Thanks
Gamasutra.
Don't blink or you'll miss another Blood Bowl patch, as a new version
1.0.1.6 update is now available for Cyanide's fantasy-themed tackle football
game. The patch is available through
this page, where they also have patch notes describing fixes for match save
corruptions, improvements to the player invitation system, and a couple of
additional bug fixes. The patch is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
Gamer's Hell, and
The Patches Scrolls.
Gamasutra
says that World of Warcraft has sold approximately 8.6 million units,
reporting data from the NPD group that adds further perspective to our
understanding of the huge success of Blizzard's MMORPG that boasted 11.5 million
subscribers as of December. While the game has not sold as many
copies as there are subscribers ( update: according to Dagok, these are US figures only), NPD has rolled up data on multiple SKUs of the
game and its expansion packs to come to that 8.6 million figure, and Gamasutra
guesstimates that this could amount to about $258 million in sales, a staggering
sum, except when compared to subscription revenue, which would pass that in two
months if all 11.5 million players were paying a full $15.00 a month.
A story on
VentureBeat describes cuts at Foundation 9
Entertainment due to a downturn in the video game business. Foundation 9 is
currently developing Assassins Creed II for PSP, Where the Wild Things
Are, G.I. Joe, an unannounced Green Lantern game, and more.
The story offers a quote from the company saying: "It’s important to F9 to
remain a strong and profitable studio, so that we can continue to provide the
best possible services to our publishing partners and employees. As such, we
continuously monitor our production capacity and capabilities to make sure it’s
in tune with the market. From time to time we make decisions to grow or shrink
capacity in relation to market conditions, and we do not make public comments on
these decisions. We can confirm that we recently merged the operations of our
two Kirkland studios, Amaze and Griptonite. Having separate ‘console’ and
‘handheld’ studios under the same roof simply didn’t make sense in light of the
convergence in capabilities of modern game hardware! J.C. Connors, studio head
of Griptonite, will lead the combined studio. As part of that restructuring, and
our normal practice of monitoring business conditions, we made the decision to
close our Austin, TX handheld studio, Fizz Factor." Thanks
Gamasutra.
The NVIDIA Unix Drivers Portal
Page offers new version 185.18.29 drivers for NVIDIA accelerators running
under various flavors of Linux and Unix. Thanks Mike Martinez and
LinuxGames.
Got Game Entertainment
announces Memento Mori is now available in North American stores and
via digital distribution. Memento Mori (Latin for "remember you shall die") is a
point-and-click adventure centered around the theft of some classic fine art.
Here's the deal: Weston, CT – July 29, 2009 - Imbued with the mystery and
intrigue of contemporary detective work, classic art thievery, and a religious
brotherhood shepherded by a centuries-old guide to death, “Memento Mori” brings
thrills and chills to retail across North America this week as Got Game
Entertainment announces the point-and-click adventure for PC has shipped. Join
an unlikely team of investigators on a provocative and brain-teasing trail of
clues that begins in the hallowed halls of a famous art museum, but ends in the
realm of obsession.
In “Memento Mori”, when three priceless works of art are stolen from the
Hermitage in St. Petersburg, circumstances suggest that a secret society is
behind the heist. Ambitious Interpol detective Lara Svetlana teams with reformed
art forger and informant Max Durand to find the missing art, and unlock the
mysteries of an ancient brotherhood obsessed with the 15th Century Latin work,
“Ars Moriendi” or the “Art of Dying”. As the investigation deepens, the trail of
clues takes you through 46 locations across 5 European countries and where,
along the way, you may discover that when the powerful worlds of art and
religion collide, the result can be murder!
“Memento Mori” immerses you in spine-tingling adventure in every aspect, from
its smart story to the meticulously and authentically detailed museum (including
the Winter Palace). With its innovative and comfortable dialogue system,
immersive 3D aspects, unexpected plot twists, cinematic flair, seductive
soundtrack, and 8 possible endings, “Memento Mori” is the entertainment steal of
the summer.
VideoGamer.com reports that Neowiz Games and Blueside ( Kingdom Under Fire)
have revealed general plans for Project T (working title), a project that
looks to fill the gaping hole in the marketplace for a fantasy-themed MMORPG.
The story describes the game as featuring "highly stylish action and unique
story-telling elements." They include a quote from Blueside CEO Sejung Kim:
"With Neowiz Game’s undoubted speciality [sic] and strength in the worldwide
online game publishing, I strongly believe that we together will be able to
pioneer the global market of online gaming more widely and successfully than
ever." Word is the game is slated for a worldwide launch in 2011. Here's more
from Gaming Bits:
Departing from the ‘Kingdom Under Fire’ series, “Project T” is a
completely new franchise being developed by BLUESIDE with a tremendous focus on
stylish action and various aspects of online experience, some of which can be as
sweet as a bed of roses or as bitter as a bed of nails in the world of
M-M-O-R-P-G. With much ambition, though not too anxious to prove themselves,
since they have demonstrated their expertise in creating games with spot-on
action game-play and unprecedented graphic presentation through the ‘Kingdom
Under Fire’ series and ‘Ninety-Nine Nights’, BLUESIDE is once again setting a
new coordinate, and this time, towards a destination of fantasy wonderland to
deliver an unparalleled MMO featuring highly stylish action and unique
story-telling elements that will instantly draw in the players and immerse them
in a whole new world full of excitement and adventures.. “Project T” is
currently being aimed for a 2011 release.
The QUAKE LIVE
Website outlines the latest changes to id Software's free online
first-person shooter, saying: "Included in today's update are some often
requested clientside features and important fixes." They also outline future
plans, saying: "As we continue to work through the remainder of this week our
current focus is geared towards competition and shoutcasting features for
QuakeCon 2009 - to be held this coming August 13-16." Thanks
Voodoo Extreme.
The
Alien Breed Evolution Interview on VideoGamer.com talks with Martyn
Brown of Team17 about their upcoming remake of Alien Breed. Along the way the
savagely negative reviews of Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust comes
up, and while Martyn acknowledges the game had more than its share of problems,
he doesn't think this should harm the reception for the new game: "Certainly
with Alien Breed, if anybody's got any grumbles about what we can and can't do,
they'll see the amount of effort and care put into a product where we're
unbridled by any nonsense we had to deal with in the Larry project." He later
outlines what this "nonsense" was: "Would we have self-funded, would we have
done Larry by ourselves? Would we bollocks. We wouldn't have done that. We were
making a game based on somebody else's script, somebody else's ideas, and it's
very difficult in that position. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't
work at all, and that was unfortunate."
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Ludia Announce The Bachelor & The
Bachelorette Videogames announces these reality shows are getting game
adaptations. No platforms are specified, but they announce the games "will
launch the videogames across multiple platforms following the conclusion of The
Bachelor’s 14th season in 2010 on the ABC Television Network."
Mythic Entertainment announces the launch of Mondain's Legacy, a free
seventh expansion for Ultima Online, the seminal MMORPG. The expansion
will automatically download for existing subscribers, and they are taking this
as an opportunity to invite former subscribers back to check out the game in its
current state with a 14-day evaluation program that's open to new players as
well. According to Mythic Executive Producer Jeff Hickman: "Our goal is to
continually provide fresh and rewarding experiences for our thriving UO
community. By opening up our 7th expansion to all players, we hope to get
everyone excited for the upcoming summer release of our 8th addition, Stygian
Abyss." Here's word on the trial: "For players that are new to Ultima Online or
for those interested in returning to the world, they can download the 14-day
free trial which now features all seven expansions, including Mondain’s Legacy.
Now all players can experience the Elves, new human racial abilities and new
dungeons with dozens of new monsters to battle and weapons to wield."
The Zeno Clash
Wiki now offers the promised
SDK
files & documentation for ACE Team's fantasy-themed action/fighting game.
Thanks Shacknews.
The
Splash Damage interview on PC Games Hardware is a conversation with Splash
Damage Technical Director Arnout van Meer to dig for details about
BRINK, the upcoming action game built
on id Software's Tech 4 engine. The game is being developed for Windows, Xbox
360, and PlayStation 3, and the conversation takes particular interest in how
they will take advantage of PC hardware, discussing Virtual Texturing and other
advanced rendering features, multi-core CPU support, physics simulation, Windows
XP support, why they probably won't support Direct X 11, and more. BRINK is
currently slated for release in Spring 2010.
Bethesda
Game Studios Forums have word on a new patch that's automatically available
from
Games for Windows LIVE for Fallout 3 to bring the post-apocalyptic
action/RPG sequel to version 1.7. We've been waiting for a manual patch to
arrive, but nothing has happened on that front so far, but the good news is the
update sounds pretty small, described as adding new achievements for Mothership
Zeta. Thanks Bill. Also, there are interviews about the new Mothership Zeta DLC
on
Go! Gaming Giant and
Talking about Games. Thanks
No Mutants Allowed/ RPGWatch.
Though still not listed on the
appropriate Slitherine Strategies Downloads Page, a new patch is now
available for Conquest! Medieval Realms to update this turn-based
strategy game from Illustrious Software to version 1.5. The update fixes a bug
impacting typing in a non-masked text box and reduces video memory usage to
prevent out of video memory errors. The patch is available from
AtomicGamer,
FileFront,
Gamer's Hell, and
The
Patches Scrolls.
A new version 1.3 is now automatically available for The Sims 3, the
latest installment in this lifestyle simulator. A large list of fixes are
included in the patch, all outlined on
this page. The
manual patches were tough to come by, but
The Patches Scrolls
found them after some detective work. Also, a patch is available for The Sims 2
to fix a problem that could prevent users from uploading custom content to The
Sims Exchange. Posted on
The Patches Scrolls (who discovered this one as well), this patch is
mirrored on AtomicGamer,
FileFront,
and Gamer's Hell.
Another new patch for Blood Bowl
is now available, updating this game that combines the strategy of Warhammer
with the brutality of tackle football to version 1.0.1.5.
The patch is posted on Gamer's Hell and
The Patches Scrolls.
Also, a new "meet our champions" movie shows how the game is played Goblin
style. Word is: "Showcasing their devious secret weapons and somewhat awkward
techniques, they show you how a team that doesn’t seem to be made for winning
may still score, win a match and, in some rare cases, make it out alive!" The
clip is posted on the
Blood Bowl
Website and mirrored on
AtomicGamer and
FileFront.
There's a conversation on SimHQ
that talks with 1C's Oleg Maddox and Team Daidalos' Martin Kubani about the
pending version 4.09 patch for IL-2 Sturmovik. They discuss the
circumstances leading to Team Daidalos taking control of patch development and
the new maps and aircraft the new version will include. The article
includes screenshots and videos from the new version.
After last night's post about
Alganon beta testing, we got a
clarification on how to register for the ongoing closed beta test of this
fantasy-themed MMORPG in the works at Quest Online, and the subsequent open beta
that begins in September. If you sign up for an account on the
Alganon Website, there is an option to
opt-in to the beta. You can increase your chances of being selected before the
beta opens to all by posting to
this forum
thread.
Gearbox Software sends along another pair of job openings at their Dallas, TX
studio: Gearbox Software is hiring! We’re looking for an Environment
Artist with loads of experience (read- shipped games) as well as a Senior Level
Designer. Our generous compensation/ benefits package and awesome work
environment make for a FANTASTIC opportunity in Dallas, TX. If you want to work
with some of the most creative minds in the industry, check out the jobs
information on our website at
www.gearboxsoftware.com. And be sure and send your resume/portfolio to
gamejobs@gearboxsoftware.com.
Creative Worldwide Support offers new version 2.18.0011 drivers for Sound
Blaster Audigy series audio cards (well, recent, they're a couple of weeks old).
The drivers are for Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. The drivers come
with a warning that applications from the original Sound Blaster Audigy CD will
not work under these drivers on Windows 7 and Windows Vista, and they offer
links to download alternatives. They also say: "DO NOT install this driver for
Sound Blaster Audigy LS, Sound Blaster Audigy SE, or Sound Blaster Audigy
Value." Thanks Ant.
Games
That Design Themselves on h+ Magazine is an interesting article on varied
approaches to artificial intelligence in games. One example they use is a
project called The
Restaurant Game, a research project at the
MIT Media Lab, and the other is
Façade, "a one-act interactive
drama," involving a family squabble (thanks David). Both games have been around
for a while, but they use each as examples of fresh thinking from an AI
perspective. Here's a bit from the description of The Restaurant Game, which
will credit anyone who has played a game as one of its designers: This
project attempts to address two frustrations I experienced as a professional
game developer. 1) Convincing human social behavior is difficult to model with
existing hand crafted AI systems. 2) Play testing by people outside of the
development team typically comes too late to have a major impact on the final
product. This experiment aims to generate AI behaviors that conform to the way
players actually choose to interact with other characters and the environment;
behaviors that are convincingly human because they capture the nuances of real
human behavior and language.
The Escapist - The Downside of Direct Downloads.
Think about it: What if, 10 years from now, 50 percent of software sales
for Microsoft's latest console come through Xbox Live? Or, in an even
scarier scenario for consumers, what if there is no physical media drive at
all, and everything goes through Xbox Live? Sony's marriage to the Blu-ray
format ensures its continued support of game discs, but Microsoft has no
such restrictions. They could cut console production costs and take control
over the entire supply chain in one fell swoop.
Gamasutra - Persuasive Games: This Is Only A Drill.
There aren't many games like this, but there could be. Think of all the
other things you would benefit from trying out once before having to do them
in earnest: changing a diaper, threading a needle, negotiating a car
purchase, hiring an escort, loading a dishwasher, carving a turkey, waxing a
sports car, ironing a shirt, wrapping a gift, tasting a wine, assembling a
bookshelf, staging a pick up, scolding a child, recording a television
program. None of these are terribly monumental or interesting acts; indeed
many are about as banal as it gets. But almost anything is challenging once.
I had a spate of incidents with spider webs a while back that prompted me to
joke I thought they were trying to eat me, but since then my encounters with
webs have reverted to a more expected (as in rarer) rate. This morning I was in
the backyard with the dogs when I saw the Gunnar-man stretching a web across his
chest that was so thick it was visible from a few feet away (it looked like he
was crossing a finish line). This web had to be a bunch of strands bunched
together to be so visible, and I wish I had a camera handy to record the scene,
as it looked like the web might me large enough to actually trap him. Maybe the
spiders gave up on me when they set their sights on him? Probably not, huh?
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