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Archived News:
Runes of Magic
Patch 1.9 'Naga's Awakening' Heralds Second Chapter is Frogster America's
announcement that the first content from Chapter II of Runes of Magic is
now live. Here are some new
screenshots, and there's a new
Runes Of Magic Elves Extended Trailer on GameTrailers. Here's a bit on the
new content in the subscription-free MMORPG: Players can explore the
‘Weeping Coast’ right away. In this swamp territory, adventurers will meet the
Naga for the very first time. New quests tell the history of the region and
ultimately lead to the bottom of the ocean. In the group dungeon ‘Heart of the
Ocean,’ alongside fish people and other ocean dwellers, there lurks a powerful
leader of the snake-like beings, ready to seize unwary players. With ‘Naga’s
Awakening,’ Frogster has also raised the level cap to 52.
The content update also expands Runes of Magic with more open combat, and a
Public Encounter. In ‘Varanas Nightmare,’ up to 150 players can step into
nightmare world where the regional capital Varanas is in ruins and under siege
by undead skeletons and nightmare beings. At the end of the three stage
challenge for experienced player groups, there is an encounter with the Demon
Lord himself – this is the first time that the eponymous fiendish lord of the
first chapter makes an appearance.
A Windows dedicated server for Wolfenstein is now available for those
interested in running a multiplayer server for Raven's just-released
supernatural shooter. The approximately 500 MB download is available on
AtomicGamer and
Gamer's Hell.
SouthPeak Games
announces plans to support Section 8 with a "ground-breaking"
clan and stats portal for the
upcoming science-fiction shooter. Word is: "This extremely robust online center
offers players unprecedented information and coordination for everything they do
in the game. It also allows for full clan management and recruitment. Everything
will be accessible at
www.joinsection8.com/stats and be available next week when the game ships in
North America."
The announcement has all the details. Also, there's a three-part ShakyCam
series on GameTrailers showing Section 8 being demonstrated at GamesCom, here's
part one,
here's
part two, and here's
part three.
Splash
Damage on Brink on Eurogamer is a video interview with Richard Ham about
Brink, Splash Damage's multiplayer shooter that's due in spring 2010. The
conversation with Splash Damage's seemingly well-caffeinated creative director
discusses single-player versus multiplayer play, storytelling in a multiplayer
game, aspects of the game that are different, and its "balls to the wall
action." As for the future, there are ambitious hopes for this to be a
franchise, and Richard says
they
already have plans for Brink 2 and 3.
The
Bethesda Blog announces the Fallout 3 Game Add-On Pack #2 is now
available in North America for Windows and Xbox 360, offering both the Broken
Steel and Point Lookout DLC in one retail package. This looks like it was posted
Tuesday, and word is the European release is tomorrow.
A running tally of this week's bargains:
The
Singularity walkthrough Part 1 of 3 on GameTrailers follows the theme
that "time is your enemy" as we once again have the time mechanics of Raven's
upcoming shooter explained to us. Having seen the tag line of the
previous Singularity trailer, we're guessing parts two and three
of this series are "Time is your weapon," and "Time is collapsing."
A movie showing off the jet-pack "hover" technique in Dark Void is now
available on GameTrailers in two parts. Here's
part one
of the narrated clip, and
here's
part two. There's also another "hover" clip in the members only area of the
Dark Void Website if you are willing
to register.
Two new trailers show off more of Kingdom Under Fire II, the upcoming
action/RTS sequel. The first clip is posted on
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
IGN; and the second clip can be found on
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and
IGN.
Monte Cristo's CITIES XL is on display in a new trailer from the urban
planning/management simulation. This clip is located on
FileFront,
Gamer's Hell, and
GameTrailers.
A new Mini Ninjas trailer shows off Kunoichi, another of the tiny martial
artists in the upcoming adventure game. Word is: "Kunoichi is the younger and
less mature of the girls. She looks up to Suzume like a big sister and adores
Hiro. She is very acrobatic and uses her Naginata (spear) as a prop in her agile
moves. Kunoichi is very quiet, doesn't reveal much about herself, and is a bit of
a loner." The trailer is posted on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
There's a
Dragon Age: Origins Video Game Voice Talent Featurette on GameTrailers.com
looking at some voice recording sessions for Dragon Age: Origins with the
game's just-announced voice talent. We hear from BioWare about
the process, as well as from Tim Curry, who seems to delight in playing the bad
guy.
Link of the Day:
Summer
Glau joins 'Dollhouse'. If that doesn't work will season three add Milla
Jovovich?
EA’s chief creative officer describes game industry’s re-engineering on
VentureBeat is an article offering EA chief creative officer Rich Hilleman's
outlook on "re-engineering" their business in the changing video game market to
appeal to a broader and less hardcore market. The article goes into detail on
what EA is doing to capitalize on this trend, and
IndustryGamers highlights Hilleman's comment that they expect to see further
interim console changes, referring to the Xbox 560 and a PlayStation 3.5 before
a true next generation cycle. The part we are especially fascinated by is the
description of what portion of a game's budget is devoted to marketing, saying:
"EA now typically spends two or three times as much on marketing and advertising
as it does on developing a game."
Paradox Interactive announces preorders for Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom
Sim are underway on
GamersGate and
Impulse. They say Steam preorders should follow and also mention
Direct2Drive preorders, but the game
doesn't seem to actually be listed there yet. The Preorders carry a 20% discount
and a bonus of a free copy of Majesty Gold upon the release of the RTS sequel
that's not actually titled
Battlefield 942.
Also, there's a new gameplay overview video from the game on the
YouTube.
NCsoft announces
Aion Open Beta, Pre-Select and Headstart Program details, saying open
beta testing of the westernized edition of this MMORPG will run from September
6-13. They also announce how the headstart program will operate and outline and
the various improvements in the version 1.5 to be tested. Here's the pertinent
part: Within the next four weeks, NCsoft will treat European and North
American gamers to two opportunities to jump into the world of Aion and explore
Atreia as Asmodian or Elyos characters ahead of its release in Europe on 25nd
September and North America 22th September. Aion’s Open Beta Test featuring
version 1.5 will take place 6-13th September and will include numerous Western
enhancements, including improvements to Aion’s innovative character
customisation with a host of Western styles, as well as new zones, instances,
skills, quests and continued game balancing and improvements. Open Beta will
retain a level cap for both Elyos and Asmodians characters at 30 allowing
players to focus on getting to the same level so they can explore the lands of
Atreia together, as well as the Abyss.
Players who have pre-ordered Aion will be treated to a Pre-Select and a two-day
Headstart period giving them the opportunity to explore, organise and progress
through the game prior to the official launch. Pre-Select will take place on
18th September, while Aion’s Headstart will begin 20th September. Players can
still participate in the Aion’s Pre-Select and Headstart programs by
pre-ordering the game through several participating online and brick-and-mortar
retailers. For a complete list please go to
www.aiononline.com.
Kalypso Media announces
October 16 as the new worldwide PC and Xbox 360 release date for Tropico 3,
confirming the slight delay reported yesterday for the island
dictator sequel (the one exception is Germany, where the PC edition is due on
September 24). They also announce a playable demo will be released "the week
commencing 7th September, 2009." Word is: "Tropico 3 goes back to the roots of
the hit strategy series closely following the original Tropico story-line.
Tropico 3 is being developed by Haemimont Games who previously developed the
popular Imperium Romanum and Grand Ages: Rome for Kalypso Media." On a related
note, Gametrailers has a three-part ShakyCam Tropico 3 walkthrough video shot
off a monitor at GamesCom, here's
part one,
part two,
and part
three.
The
Battlefield Blog has the update first mentioned yesterday
about the version 1.50 patch for Battlefield 2 first mentioned
during the Bush administration. DICE says the patch will be released next
Tuesday, though skepticism on this point should be forgiven, since at
one point release of this patch was promised for before Christmas 2008. They
also announce the free release of both the Euro Forces and Armored Fury booster
packs for all players, which will make for a ginormous update. The full update
includes the change log, and here's a bit: After nearly a year of
development and three public beta tests Battlefield 2 v1.50 is ready for
release. The update will be released on Tuesday 1st September at 5pm UK, 6pm
Europe. Stay tuned for release announcement in the near future!
As part of Update 1.50 we are glad to announce that not only is Highway Tampa
now a required install included in the update but Euro Forces (Great Wall,
Taraba Quarry and Operation Smoke Screen) and Armored Fury (Midnight Sun,
Operation Harvest and Operation Road Rage) is now FREE for all Battlefield 2
players. Including the brand new map, Operation Blue Pearl this brings EIGHT new
maps that everyone can play and will be added to ranked Battlefield 2 servers
world wide. The Booster Pack content is included in the update and has made the
file just over 2Gb in size.
Server providers around the world will have access to the client file so find
your closest host for best download speeds. To install Battlefield 2 Update
v1.50 you must have Battlefield 2 updated to version 1.41 or Battlefield 2
Complete Collection from EA Store installed.
BioWare
announces some of the voice talent in Dragon Age: Origins, saying
the upcoming fantasy-themed RPG "has the largest cast of characters of any
game BioWare has ever made," and will feature the voices Tim Curry ( The Rocky
Horror Picture Show) and Kate Mulgrew ( Star Trek: The Chick Captain)
among others. Here's a bit: EDMONTON, Alberta--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading
video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS),
has secured a star-studded voiceover cast for its upcoming blockbuster game,
Dragon Age™: Origins. Featuring Tim Curry, star of The Rocky Horror Picture Show
and Broadway’s Spamalot, as well as Kate Mulgrew, well-known for her role as
Capt. Kathryn Janeway in “Star Trek: Voyager”, Dragon Age: Origins also includes
notable cast members Tim Russ (“Star Trek: Voyager,” “Samantha Who?”), Claudia
Black (“Stargate SG-1,” “Pitch Black”) and Steve Valentine (“Estate of Panic,”
“Crossing Jordan”). Dragon Age: Origins marks BioWare’s return to fantasy,
created from the ground up to take players through a dark epic tale filled with
violence, lust, and betrayal.
Tim Curry will play the villainous Arl Rendon Howe. Howe is the calculating
villain, cultured and charming, with an insatiable lust for power, who never
hesitates to harm anyone who gets in his way. Kate Mulgrew will lend her vocal
flair to Flemeth, a powerful witch who maintains her immortality through the
darkest of means, and who plays a pivotal role in the player’s survival. Both
roles provide the actors with the opportunity to bring their considerable
talents to bear in their portrayal of these characters.
The Champions Online
Website outlines the return of their
six-month and
lifetime subscription offers through Monday after announcing
they were sold out (thanks Zanger). Perhaps unsurprisingly, this has sparked
demand, and they ask patience if you experience problems with their account
server, though these issues may be worked out by now. Here's the deal:
Earlier this week, we gave notice that we were running out of special
Lifetime and 6-month promotional subscriptions. Within a day, the rest of our
supply had been sold out, leaving a number of you confused and upset. The
response to this promotion has been overwhelming and we want to thank everyone
who posted on our forums, called customer service and sent e-mails over these
past few days.
After further consideration, and to meet the needs of our community, we have
decided to
reinstate the Lifetime and 6-month subscription promotional programs with no
supply limit until 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on August 31st.
At Cryptic, we are dedicated to our community. We look forward to seeing you
when Champions Online launches this September!
gamigo announces the
English commercial launch of Neo Steam,
their subscription-free MMORPG that combines steampunk sensibilities with anime
art direction set in "an alternate reality where electricity was never invented"
(thank goodness someone at least had the wherewithal to "invent" steam). Here's
a bit from the
launch announcement: "NeoSteam is set in an impressive, cool 3D fantasy
world full of challenging quests and thrilling PvP-battles. Players enter an
alternate reality where electricity was never invented - everything is instead
powered by NeoSteam. Alas, the supply of NeoSteam is finite, dragging the two
major powers to an inevitable war. Battles rage between the Elerd Kingdom and
Republic of Rogwel over Rope Isle – the last available source of NeoSteam."
Colonists
receive call for help from the new Planet Calypso announces with the
transition to the CryEngine 2 complete, the project formerly known as MindArk's
Project Entropia is now First Planet Company's
Planet Calypso. The game
remains subscription-free, relying on taking a rake from in-game transactions,
as the game's economy is based on real money (using a fixed exchange rate of
10:1 between PED currency and the USD). They celebrate the relaunch by offering
"elite" items for a limited time. Here's a bit: As an exclusive benefit to
players who sign on now, Planet Calypso's 'Second Golden Age' has been declared.
As the new version is brought fully online, and new and improved features are
added, players are being given a chance to find elite items that will never be
made public again. Additionally, as a thank you for helping to make sure the
planet is ready, veteran and former colonists are all being given a very special
gift. A brand new pair of Gullaldr sunglasses, now more important than ever
since the introduction of day and night cycles, will be waiting. Colonists will
have the ability to directly impact the new world as they can interface directly
with the development team should they have any problems. This will help Planet
Calypso smoothly implement its new and improved features.
Matrix Games has a new patch for Empires in Arms they call a "major
update" for the Napoleonic strategy game. The new version 1.06.03 patch comes
with a new scenario editor and updated documentation, and here's a bit on the
patch: "This major comprehensive update comes with dozens of bug fixes, an
updated manual, several improvements leading to a smarter AI, and a few rule
tweaks. It is strongly recommended that all Empires in Arms customers upgrade to
this version."
The
Borderlands Interview on Strategy Informer chats with talkative Randy
Pitchford and one-time web entrepreneur Steve Gibson about Borderlands,
the "role-playing shooter" in the works at Gearbox Software. They highlight a
couple of topics that have already been discussed fairly extensively,
Diablo has a huge influence on Borderlands and
Borderlands art style took a massive shift that Pitchford initially knew nothing
about.
- Champions Online on
Games32.
- Hearts of Iron III on
Examiner.com.
- Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Complete Edition on
GameZone.
- Tales of Monkey Island: Launch of the Screaming Narwhal on
GameZone.
- Wallace & Gromit Episode 4: The Bogey Man on
GameZone.
We have some work being done on the chimney here at the Blue Tower, as it was
starting to deteriorate to the point where we feared it would come tumbling down
one day. Contradicting that theory is just how much effort was required to
remove the old brick, as the whole place was shaking at times as this process
unfolded. Thankfully, that part of the project is complete, and in just a few
weeks the headache the demolition gave me will start to ease.
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