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Archived News:
Steam News has word on
another new update that's now automatically available for Left 4 Dead.
Here's word on the two fixes it offers: • Added packet limit to help
users with AT&T Speedstream routers sometimes getting disconnected
• Added mm_server_search_inet_ping_window convar, which can be used to further
reduce packet burst when contacting Left 4 Dead servers
Steam News announces
pre-purchases are now being accepted for 3000AD's long-gold sci-fi first-person
shooter All Aspect Warfare
as well as Angle of Attack,
the AAW aerial combat spin-off. They offer a 10% discount for either and a 20%
discount on both for those who purchase before August 10. In the meantime, a
playable demo for each game is available on Steam, and The Angle of Attack demo
is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell. The updated All Aspect Warfare demo is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell. There's also a patch to update the previous version of the AAW demo on
AtomicGamer and
Gamer's Hell. Finally,
these developments and other related points of interest are discussed in a new
developer blog on
the All Aspect Warfare Website.
Shacknews has some
details from Valve's Robin Walker and a European Team Fortress 2 clan on
beta testing that's underway on some balance tweaks for TF2. As it turns out,
it's easy enough to collect data from schlubs like us (or "the non-competitive
TF2 community" as Robin puts it), but they've enlisted some top clans to help
test competitive balance from their elite perspective. "This doesn't reflect any
change of our attitude towards non-competitive TF2 play, it's just going to give
us more data," Walker tells them. "We'll continue to talk and listen to the
non-competitive TF2 players, as we have done in the two years since we shipped.
The more data we have, the more effective we'll be as we continue striving for
design choices that work for all TF2 players."
This Tweet and
related Twitpic depicts an Assassin's
Creed 2 Collector's Edition for the US and Canada. It's not clear if this is
one of those console-only SEs, but we suspect it might be, as the image of the
PS3 box also includes a reference to GameStop's preorder bonuses, which do not
seem to apply to the Windows version of the assassination sequel.
A new trailer from Batman: Arkham Asylum is online, promoting the
just-announced release of a demo for the superhero game, due this Friday. The
clip can be found on
AtomicGamer, Gamer's
Hell, and
GameTrailers.
Warner Bros. refutes rumors that This Is Vegas is cancelled, as a report
that Surreal Software's open-world debauchery game was a casualty of the Midway
Games break-up surfaced earlier on
WorthPlaying.
G4tv.com has a statement from a Warner Bros. spokesperson, "This is Vegas
has not been cancelled," they were told. "The game is currently in production."
The Champions Online Official
Site announces pre-purchases of Cryptic's superhero MMORPG are now being
accepted by
Direct2Drive, where a couple of perks are being offered to those who are
willing to buy the game sight unseen. Champions Online pre-purchasers
will receive an in-game Mechanoppendage Backpack, described as: "A multi-armed,
multi-use backpack for the on-the-go gadgeteer. Ideal for heroes who juggle
ideas, experiments—and enemies!" Pre-purchasing also guarantees a spot in the
game's open beta test, which suggests that test may not actually be "open" to
the general public. On a separate note related to the game,
GameSpy offers a new Champions Online "Champion Trailer."
1C Company announces Theatre of War 2: Kursk 1943, another upcoming game
in the Theatre of War series in addition to the recently
announced Theatre of War 2 - Centaurois expansion. Both projects are due this
year, but Kursk 1943 sounds like a standalone project, and not an add-on.
There's a full description and some screenshots on the
Theatre of War 2: Kursk 1943 Website; here's a portion: The game will
feature over 20 new story-based missions with realistic military commanders such
as Lieutenant General Ivan Chistyakov and Major General Walter Hoerlein. 40
types of military weaponry (including air defense guns, missile launchers,
mortars), new vehicles and thirty types of small arms will be available in both
the single player campaigns and the brand new multiplayer modes. The title will
also ship with a built-in campaign generator to create numerous game scenarios
for amazing value and replayability.
Eidos Interactive announces a Batman: Arkham Asylum demo will be released
on Friday for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, also revealing what to expect
from the sample of the superhero game: Monday 3rd August/...The consumer
demo for Batman: Arkham Asylum™, published in the United Kingdom by Eidos
Interactive, will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment
system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 entertainment system and Games For Windows®
LIVE worldwide on August 7. The full game will be available at retail stores
nationwide in the United Kingdom beginning August 28th.
The demo will be offered on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360 and
PlayStation®Network for the PLAYSTATION 3. Fans can visit
www.batmanarkhamasylum.com for
details on how to download the Games For Windows LIVE version.
The Batman: Arkham Asylum™ demo opens as the DARK KNIGHT and COMMISSIONER GORDON
return The Joker back into confinement at ARKHAM ASYLUM. But things soon fall
apart as THE JOKER gains the upper hand and springs a trap, setting Arkham
Asylum’s occupants upon Batman. The demo offers gamers a taste of the fierce
FreeFlow™ combat system, the cunning stealth of the Invisible Predator™
mechanic, and the feeling of becoming the WORLD’S GREATEST DETECTIVE as they
navigate Arkham Asylum’s imposing Intensive Treatment facility. Players can
unlock character bios, as well as get a sneak peak at some of the infamous foes
that BATMAN will encounter within the cavernous and macabre confines of Arkham
Asylum.
Featuring amazing graphics within an intense, immersive setting, Batman: Arkham
Asylum™ exposes players to a unique, dark and atmospheric adventure that takes
them to the depths of Arkham Asylum – Gotham City's psychiatric hospital for the
criminally insane. Gamers will move in the shadows, instigate fear amongst their
enemies, and confront The Joker and Gotham City's most notorious villains,
including Harley Quinn, Bane, Killer Croc and Poison Ivy, and the newly revealed
Scarecrow, who have taken over the asylum.
The
Paradox Interactive Forums say to expect a playable demo for Hearts of
Iron III around noon eastern time (9:00 am PDT), preparing for
Friday's promised launch of the World War II RTS sequel in North
America and via digital distribution. In the meantime, they've posted a link to
download the user manual for the game, and offer word on the demo contents: "You
will be able to play the 1939 scenario for 4 months, until January 1940, as
either Germany, Poland, France or United Kingdom, with full access to all
gameplay features. The demo will also contain the tutorial."
The Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta DLC is now available via
Games for Windows
and
Xbox LIVE. Here's the rundown on the latest addition to Bethesda's
action/RPG sequel from Major Nelson's page: A strange Alien signal is
being broadcast throughout the Capital Wasteland, originating from a crashed
UFO. Is it a distress call, or something far more sinister? That question is
answered when you find yourself beamed aboard an enormous Alien spacecraft, with
only one alternative – to fight your way to the bridge of the ship and secure
your escape. Mothership Zeta takes Fallout 3 in an entirely new direction –
outer space. Meet new characters and join with them in a desperate bid to escape
the Aliens’ clutches. To do so, you’ll wield powerful new weapons, like the
Alien Atomizer, Alien Disintegrator and Drone Cannon, and deck yourself out in
brand new outfits, like the Gemini-Era Spacesuit and even Samurai Armor.
This press release reveals plans for World Adventures, the first expansion
for The Sims 3, with the only surprise about plans for additional content for
the lifestyle simulator being that the announcement took so long. The add-on will
be released worldwide the week of November 16, 2009, and here's a bit on what it
will offer: Players can take their Sims on new journeys to famous
real-world inspired destinations around the globe for the first time ever and
seek out new adventures. While exploring the landmarks of an exotic city, there
is no telling what the Sims will find. From mastering martial arts in Shang
Simla, China, discovering rich culture and famous landmarks on a romantic
getaway to Champs Les Sims, France or exploring the depths of ancient tombs in
Al Simhara, Egypt, players can take their Sims on a journey that will change
their Sims’ lives. Players can accept challenges to search for secret treasures,
learn new skills and chase down new personal opportunities, meet new Sims with
unique personalities, share their culture and bring them home, discover new
styles on their travels, and share everything they encounter on their adventures
with the world through personal photographs, movies, and stories. Additionally,
players will receive 1,000 SimPoints to be used online in The Sims 3 Store***
for the PC/MAC versions of the game. Exclusive online content, available only
for the expansion pack at launch, will be revealed soon.
There's an
Alan Wake for PC Petition looking to convince the powers-that-be at
Microsoft Game Studios that Remedy's upcoming psychological thriller should be
released for Windows as well as consoles. We're placing more stock in this one
than the typical petition because Remedy has already indicated they
are interested in releasing a PC version and we spotted this news on the
Remedy Twitter
Feed.
Final Fantasy XIV ‘Famitsu Wave’ Interview Pours Information on SCRAWL digs
through an interview in the new September 2009 issue of Japanese game magazine
Famitsu Wave. They outline how the races from FFXI are being redesigned
for the next MMO installment in this RPG series, discuss the game's setting, and
describe how Square Enix is considering including large-scale battles in the
game. Here's a bit: "Final Fantasy XIV revolves around character growth. There
will be no experience points or leveling system this time around, and a new
system will come in to play. Square Enix wants to deliver an experience where
new players have the freedom to try out any quest and many different things,
growing naturally from their experiences. A deep story will be in tact in Final
Fantasy XIV, including cut-scenes, but they're going beyond that by also
delivering a wider variety of stories and quests. They want players to enjoy the
process of character growth." Thanks Mike Martinez.
Sales
and losses down at Sega reports on SEGA's latest financial results, which
show losses, but not as severe as for the same period last year, as while sales
were down, operating costs were also lower. Word is: "Net sales for the period
reached YEN 60.47m, a decline of 19 per cent year-on-year. However, operating
loss was also down, climbing from YEN 10.3m in the same period in 2008 to YEN
7.82m this year. Net loss was down from YEN 10.53m to YEN 10.3m."
Gearbox keeping Heat on ice on GameSpot catches up with Randy Pitchford of
Gearbox Software to ask about the status of plans to create a game based on
Michael Man's Heat, which we haven't heard about in almost two
years. Word is this project may eventually land at another developer: "It's
possible that he is and he might be even pursuing that with somebody else. I
don't know. That's cool because I'd love to play a Heat game, so part of me kind
of hopes that. But another part of me hopes that it's waiting for me when I can
have an opportunity to do it." As for its current status, Randy says: "I think
the correct way to categorize the status of it right now is 'indefinite hold.'
It's an idea there's a lot of passion and a lot of interest towards, but it's
not something that's being actively pursued right now. But if there comes a time
where that makes sense to actively pursue it, it would be something that I
believe could happen."
There's a
Borderlands interview on PC Games Hardware also talking with Gearbox CEO,
Randy "DuvalMagic" Pitchford about Borderlands, focusing on the graphics in the
upcoming shooter/RPG. Randy declines to use the phrase Cel-Shading, referring to
the game's "unique Concept Art Style look," and he explains why the PC will
offer the best visuals of their target platforms by a full one percent:
"Although the source content for each version of the game is largely identical
(with very few exceptions), the image rendered for each platform is specific to
the hardware's capability on that platform. The high-end PC version will feature
the crispest image possible. Higher fidelity rendering of the content (including
high resolution materials) is just one obvious advantage the PC version will
have in terms of image quality. Having said that, both the Xbox 360 and the
PlayStation 3 are capable of rendering the game in high definition to a fidelity
where 99% (guessing here - I haven't done an actual study) of the general
population would not substantially notice or feel the quality difference between
the platforms."
Gamesquad.com - Awesome Boredom.
There is a sort of genius to be had in Egosoft’s approach to game design.
Like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001, X3: Terran Conflict is brilliant just because
it allows the participant to take time to marvel at the unremarkable. It is
not in a rush to ram a flood of quick-action stimuli down the throat of its
player. Rather, it is content to simply ask the player to slow down and
experience the mundane against a remarkable backdrop.
A couple of follow-ups on yesterday's discussion of NYC
destinations. On the topic of getting good pizza elsewhere, I'm sure it
happens all the time, but as for authenticity, I've grown fond of the theory
that the reason local cuisine like New York bagels and pizza don't taste quite
the same elsewhere is due to the water. Also, someone mentioned Nathan's for hot
dogs, but I think they are a national chain.
Also, I didn't realize Chumley's was under re-construction, sorry. Hope it's
just as cool when it reopens.
And I didn't include any Italian or Asian food recommendations, because all my
good insider places from when I lived in Chinatown are out of date, and I like
Italian food enough that I don't discriminate. There's a lot of fun to be had
eating in Chinatown and Little Italy (well, it was little when I was a kid, now
it's miniscule}, which can be touristy, but qualifies as the touristy stuff
natives do.
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