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Archived News:
Runic Games
Announces October 27 as the official launch date for Torchlight, the
action/RPG from this developer founded by vets of Flagship's Mythos project,
Travis Baldree and Max Schaefer. The game will be available via digital
distribution for $19.99 USD, and here's a bit on what it will offer:
Torchlight sets itself apart from other action RPGs with its intuitive,
approachable interface, which enables gamers of all skill levels to quickly
immerse themselves into the rich game play and varied world of Torchlight. The
level randomizer will ensure that each adventure is unique, with different
monsters, treasures, puzzles and items for players to find, defeat, and unlock.
Through a powerful suite of development tools, Runic Games will empower players
and game enthusiasts alike to create and share their own content and
levels.
A new trailer on the
YouTube offers the promised revelation of the third game from
Twisted Pixel, which is titled Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley.
The clip offers a humorous introduction to the good captain and his sidekick,
who has a little of the Kuato in him. No details are offered, and this may be a
console-only project.
VG247 has details from their podcast interview with Capcom's Christian
Svensson, who reveals they are working on a couple of games designed for PC to
be ported to consoles, rather than their usual MO, which is the reverse. Word
is: "We do have a couple of products in development which are PC-lead,
that are not announced yet," he said. "That doesn’t mean that that content isn’t
also going to show up on console, because it will."
"But the pedigree of the team and the primary focus of the design is around the
PC, and the largest forecast is on PC for at least one of these
projects."
Electronic Arts sued over Fight Night Round 4 on Destructoid outlines a
legal action from Fighters Inc., a sports licensing group that claims to hold
group licensing contracts for an unstated number of the fighters depicted in
Fight Night Round 4. According to their complaint, EA "undermined the interests"
of these boxers by signing them to individual contracts rather than work through
Fighters, Inc. They say EA took "money out of the pockets of all professional
boxers who are participating in the group licensing program," and that "its
intentional misconduct could completely destroy what we are trying to build to
empower today's professional boxers with the same marketing and earning presence
that is enjoyed by professional athletes in all major sports." They are seeking
$15 million USD in compensation and damages.
A teaser trailer from DeathSpank is available on the
YouTube showing the
upcoming action/adventure game from Hothead Games and the notably zany mind of
Ron Gilbert. Ready your resolve, and view the hero and/or curse known as
Dispenser of Justice, Vanquisher of Evil, and Hero to the Downtrodden.
Another new Steam client update is announced on
Steam News. Word is:
A Steam client update is now available. To apply the update, click the
File menu inside of Steam and then select "Check for Steam Client Updates...".
The specific changes include:
Steam Client
• Fixed issue with scroll bars on HTML pages not showing after javascript DOM
modification changed page height
• Fixed issue where Steam can not be closed after playing Section 8
• Fixed Champions Online keys not always being available when Steam first
starts
Steam now offers sales of
Rascal & Cottonwood RailWorks
Expansion Pack, another new DLC pack for RailWorks. Word is: "Rascal and
Cottonwood comes with 11 scenarios ranging from simple unrestricted free
roaming, introductions and every day tasks, and even a bit railfanning
observation."
Steam News announces a
"major" free update for
Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy. The new version includes a new co-op mode
featuring 20 levels, new Steam achievements, and much more.
Look at that, I was right about PAX news trumping the Labor Day weekend. What do
I win?
Inspired by a question in our forums, we found a follow-up from a couple of
weeks ago on
MekTek.net to the announcement in early July that a free
release of MechWarrior 4 was coming "soon." It turns out the announcement
was almost as unexpected for them as for the rest of us, and they have been
working ever since to remove DRM from the game, update their matchmaking
software that's taking the place of Microsoft's now-defunct Zonematch service,
and finalize the software that will allow the game to be patched after release.
Other issues must also be resolved prior to release, including completion of
legal paperwork and the completion of proper server infrastructure: The
unfortunate aspect of all this great news is that all of these new developments
could have been ironed out before the announcement but they were not. Our
partners felt an initial announcement was necessary and so did we. We plan to
release Mechwarrior4 for FREE when developments are completed and considered
stable. We are also waiting on legal paper work from lawyers and as anyone out
there that has worked in the professional industry knows, something of this
magnitude takes time on all fronts. MekTek is not receiving any financial
support from the partners regarding this release and obviously no one can quit
their daytime job to get the job done faster either. The release has entered
beta status and will be delivered to the world very shortly. MekTek is supported
through donations from our community and thus far we have received 50% of our
goal to cover server infrastructure costs. We hope the community will continue
to support us during this very busy time to ensure we have the best possible
hardware in place for this release.
A thread on the
TimeGate Studios Forums inquires about plans for a demo for Section 8,
the first-person shooter from TimeGate Studios that was released in North
America just today (thanks DG). Unfortunately, the reply from
TimeGate's community liaison indicates there probably will not be one: "We do
not have plans to release a Section 8 demo for the PC at this time. Currently,
we only have a demo for the Xbox 360 version."
The minimum system requirements for Need for Speed: SHIFT are now posted on
Needforspeed.com, though they don't have recommended specs for the upcoming
racing sequel. The specs say a wheel is optional but an internet connection is
required, so we contacted EA to see if this internet requirement was related to
DRM, and were told that it is not, and that in spite of what these requirements
specify, an internet connection is not mandatory. For DRM the game will
use SecuROM for a disc check with no online component at all, though if players
do choose to play online, there will be an online authentication for software
updates and online play. Having settled that, we move on to the minimum system
requirements: Required – Internet Connection
OS - Windows XP (Service Pack 3) or Windows Vista (Service Pack 1) / Windows 7
Processor – Intel Core™2 Duo 1.6 GHz or faster
Memory – XP: 1 GB RAM; Vista/Windows 7: 1.5 GB RAM
Hard Drive – 6 GB
DVD Drive - 8 SPEED
Video Card – 256 MB Video Card, with support for Pixel Shader 3.0*
Sound Card - DirectX 9.0c compatible
DirectX - DirectX 9.0c compatible
Online Multiplayer – 512 Kbps or faster; 2-12 Players
Input - Keyboard, Mouse
Optional – USB Steering Wheel / Dual Analogue Gamepad
*Supported Video Cards: ATI Radeon X1800 XT 512MB or greater; NVIDIA GeForce
7800 GT 256MB or greater. Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not
supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.
Valve announces their plans for showing off Left 4 Dead 2 at the Penny
Arcade Expo, where they will unveil the Dark Carnival campaign, the Jockey boss,
the "uncommon common" Zombie Clown, and items "being offered as a pre-sell
exclusive with select retailers." This is accompanied by a batch of new
Left 4 Dead
2 screenshots showing off these characters, and here's word: Left 4 Dead
2 (L4D2), the sequel to the best-selling and critically-acclaimed action
thriller from Valve is being shown this weekend at The Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)
in Seattle, Washington.
The game is available to play, by the press and public, at Valve and Microsoft's
Xbox 360 booth.
After debuting "The Parish" campaign (set in the New Orleans' French Quarter) at
E3 and "Swamp Fever" at Comic Con San Diego, Dark Carnival is the third 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 Jockey" this is the third new Boss infected from
L4D2 revealed thus far (the Charger was revealed at E3, The Spitter at Comic
Con). The Jockey lets you attack lone Survivors and wrestle control of their
movement away from them-into fire, off ledges, or straight into the middle of a
zombie horde.
In addition to the new campaign and boss monster the PAX showing of L4D2 marks
the debut of the "Zombie Clown," the "uncommon common" exclusive to the Dark
Carnival campaign, and a few more of the 20-plus new items coming in the full
product (electric guitar, machete, and the American baseball bat being offered
as a pre-sell exclusive with select retailers).
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.
Ten Ton Hammer reports on a
rumor they've heard "from an inside source" that Sony Online Entertainment is
planning to team with LucasArts for another Star Wars-based MMORPG, which will
be targeted towards a more casual audience. The details they have are pretty
scant, but they indicate they've heard the game will use the browser-based game
engine from Free Realms and the game will be set during the Clone Wars.
Section 8 for Windows is now on sale in North America, offering PC owners
to get in on the first-person shooter action from TimeGate Studios that Xbox 360
owners have been experiencing for a while now. The Games for Windows LIVE
edition of the jetpack-powered shooter is due in the UK and Asia on September 11
and in Europe on September 18. Here's a bit from
the announcement:
Section 8 allows players to join the epic conflict between the 8th
Armored Infantry – nicknamed ‘Section 8’ - and the Arm of Orion by taking part
in fierce combat across majestic alien worlds. Players create their own unique
game experiences by customizing equipment Loadouts, and dramatically impact the
flow of battle through strategic vehicle and asset requisitions. Dynamic Combat
Missions (DCMs) are player-driven objectives, generated during the course of
combat, that affect gameplay with tangible rewards for completion. In addition
to the deep single-player campaign and multiplayer mode for up to 40 combatants,
Section 8 features an Instant Action mode where players can challenge the game’s
competitive AI on any of the multiplayer maps. For the competitive gamer,
Section 8 will implement an online stats portal on Friday, September 11, which
boasts a phenomenal in-depth stat-tracking system, showing clan and individual
rankings on over 50 unique fully-searchable Leaderboards.
A new patch is now available for Hearts of Iron III to update Paradox
Interactive's World War II grand strategy sequel to version 1.2, adding a number
of player-requested features. The new version can be applied automatically by
selecting "check for updates" in the game launcher. Also, there's a new "meet the
team" video on the YouTube
offering a behind-the-scenes look at the game's development, where we learn the
one word to describe their feelings about the response to the game is "happy,
happy, joy, joy" (whatever points they lose for math they earn back in Ren &
Stimpy-ness). Here's word on the patch: - Expanded interface including
new map options, as well as more flexible control over what you can automate.
- Significantly improved AI, providing a greater challenge to the player.
- Improved game balance, with major focus on making diplomacy and officers more
fun.
- Optimization to allow the game to run much smoother for most players.
Turbine Unveils
The Lord of the Rings Online: Siege of Mirkwood, a new expansion for the
Lord of the Rings Online due this fall. The add-on will raise the level cap
in the MMORPG, add a new region, and introduce skirmishes: "a new system where
players will train customizable soldiers and take them into battle as part of
the War of the Ring." A teaser website
is online, and here's the feature list:
- The Epic Conclusion to Volume II: Mines of Moria™ – Under the command of
Celeborn and Galadriel, players will fight through vast armies of Orcs
alongside the Elves of Lórien in a battle that will take them to Dol Guldur,
the fortress of the Ringwraiths. This update includes Book 9 and the
Epilogue to the sweeping epic tale begun with the award-winning Mines of
Moria expansion.
- Increased Level Cap — Players will be able advance their characters up
to level 65, gaining access to new traits, virtues, skills and class quests.
- Answer the Call of War! – Jump into the heat of battle with the new
Skirmishes feature. Skirmishes offer endless action in repeatable,
randomized instances where players can create and lead customizable soldiers
into battle, training them to greater skill as they earn victories against
the forces of shadow. Answer the call of war wherever violence erupts with
the new “World Join” function that lets players and their fellowships band
together to fight in various locations throughout Middle-earth.
- Take up Arms! – Infiltrate the dark jails, deadly arenas and savage
stables of Dol Guldur, the fortress of the Ringwraiths, and strike a blow
against Sauron’s forces in new 3 and 6-player instances. Call upon your
fellows to adventure into the most deadly 12-player raid yet and face the
ultimate challenge – the Nazgûl Lord!
- Major Gameplay Enhancements – Turbine continues to improve the
award-winning experience of LOTRO with major improvements to the combat and
Legendary Items systems. Players will experience improved responsiveness
when in the heat of battle. Players will also be able to create and craft
their own customized Second and Third Age Legendary Items from raw materials
and grow their weapons’ power to level 60. Achieve new Legacies, new titles,
and a fourth Runic slot that will make Legendary Items even more unique and
powerful.
Lock Your
Doors, Then Nail Them Shut as Paradox Interactive Unleashes Fort Zombie
This Fall announces plans for a "lite" action/RPG title that will be
available via digital distribution this fall. The announcement is accompanied by
a
batch of screenshots, and here's word: In Fort Zombie, players will
find themselves trapped in the small town of Piety, Indiana. Faced with no other
choice but to find shelter from an impending wave of zombies migrating from a
nearby metropolis, players will be challenged to choose a building to be their
fort throughout the entire campaign. By effectively focusing efforts on building
up this structure in between scouring the town for supplies and searching out
and training survivors, players will have a shot at surviving the massive zombie
onslaught.
For the few remaining citizens of Piety, each new day brings more fear. Only the
most prepared citizens of Piety will stand a chance against the zombie
infestation. Choose from a variety of daily tasks and efficiently build up your
character's stats and skills as you battle blood-thirsty invaders and attempt to
avoid total infestation. Most importantly, you must build up your fort for
anyone to have any hope of surviving the last, big stand-off against the coming
undead swarm.
This fall, stay alive and be prepared for the fight of your life in Fort
Zombie!
The promised "epic world premiere trailer for BioShock 2
multiplayer" is now available on
GameTrailers.com after debuting on GTTV in the wee hours. The clip starts
with a pleasant duck-and-cover style intro before segueing into some chaotic
multiplayer footage, where big daddies, little sisters, splicers, and more all
battle it out with guns and plasmids, resulting in loads of chaos.
IGN reports on
potential legal hurdles the recently announced MechWarrior
revival from Piranha Games may have to overcome before its release. They have
received a cease and desist order from Harmony Gold, co-copyright owner of the
television series Robotech, demanding they remove the related
MechWarrior teaser movie. IGN contacted Smith and Tinker about this, but
received a "no comment" for the moment, and here's their outline of the dispute:
The letter claims that the use of certain trademarked figures from the
Robotech/Macross universe are prohibited as a result of a prior settlement that
dates back to 1996. While MechWarrior isn't part of the Robotech/Macross
universe, the similarities between vehicles has been enough to cause legal
issues and raise questions. Apparently, some of those trademarked figures appear
in the trailer used by Piranha Games in its announcement of the MechWarrior
reboot earlier this year, and a request has been made for that trailer to be
pulled from IGN.
This development could put the future of MechWarrior in jeopardy. A trademark
dispute could derail the game's development. On the flip side, it could also
simply result in specific characters, logos, or other trademarked material from
being included in the final product.
The Star Trek Online Website
announces they are now
accepting sign-ups for closed beta testing of Cryptic's upcoming Trekkie
MMORPG, saying they'll randomly select testers from that group. Those who have purchased a six-month or lifetime subscription to
Champions Online are already accepted into the upcoming testing, and they tell
these people: "We’ll have more information about how and when you can join the
beta at a later date."
The intro video from Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising outlines the war
torn history of Skira Island starting in the 15th century and on into the near
future setting of Codemaster's military shooter. The cinematic clip is available
on the YouTube.
Keyboard Sam on the YouTube
offers a cinematic pre-PAX teaser for Splinter Cell: Conviction, the
upcoming stealth sequel. The clip is good for a chuckle, recalling a certain
internet meme
from a few months ago. Thanks
Kotaku.
The release date for Madballs in...Babo:Invasion in last
night's announcement about distribution plans for the arcade shooter changed
almost immediately after it was posted.
The original
announcement listed a September 7 release, but
a subsequent revised
announcement this date is listed as September 17, and it seems pretty
apparent that the change corrects a typo in the original, rather than a delay.
Gamasutra - The First-Person Immersion Myth.
Are first-person games inherently more immersive? A lot of developers
seem to presume that they are, but let’s take a second look. Consider the
last time you felt like you actually were the character in a game you
played. I’d be willing to guess that most people will say “never.” We don’t
generally take on the role of the character we’re playing, except as
children in imaginary play.
What most of us do is identify with the character -- and how can you
identify with a character you can’t see, a character who usually doesn’t
even talk or have any opinions about the horrible things going on around
him? This goes back to the “silent hero” dilemma that has existed ever since
role-playing made its way into the electronic world, notoriously perpetuated
by the Japanese console RPG.
Well, today kicks off the Labor Day weekend here in the US, a holiday large
enough that it would normally suppress game news a bit. On the other hand, today
also kicks off Penny Arcade Expo 2009, an
event large enough that it would normally produce a load of game news. It seems
pretty obvious who will win in this conflict between an irresistible force and
an immoveable object, and I imagine we'll see a good deal of news out of the
show.
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