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Archived News:
2K Games announces the first DLC for Borderlands, even though Gearbox
Software's role-playing shooter isn't due until next week. The DLC called The
Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is due for release by the end of this year. Here's word:
New York, NY - October 15, 2009 – 2K Games announced today that the first
piece of downloadable content for Borderlands™, The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, is
planned for release later this year for all available platforms for $9.99 (800
Microsoft Points). The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned is in development at Gearbox
Software and is the first in a series of downloadable expansions that will
enhance the Borderlands mayhem in fun and exciting ways.
Tasked with keeping the workers of Jakobs Cove alive, Dr. Ned (who is not
related to Dr. Zed from Fyrestone) does his job a little too well, creating
zombies and other abominations that now run rampant in this region. Players will
have to work alongside Dr. Ned as they embark on a quest to cure the inhabitants
of Jakobs Cove in this full-fledged expansion filled with new enemies, new
quests and rare loot drops.
JoWooD Productions and DreamCatcher Games announce Painkiller: Resurrection
is gold, and will be bringing the pain to North American stores on October 27:
Toronto, Canada. October 15, 2009: JoWooD Productions and DreamCatcher
Games proudly announce Action Shooter for Windows® Painkiller: Resurrection has
gone gold. The Austrian development studio Homegrown Games has just wrapped up
production on the latest sequel in the successful Painkiller series and the game
will hit stores across North America on October 27th.
Get ready to take on Purgatory (and the various creatures inhabiting it) as you
take on the role of ‘Wild Bill’ Sherman who gets drawn into the endless War
between Heaven and Hell… a devilishly hot hell-ride of a game!
Gearbox Software announces they will be attending the midnight madness launches
for Borderlands at two GameStop locations in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth
area for the game's release next Tuesday: Gearbox Software will be
personally attending the midnight releases of Borderlands on the night of
October 19th/20th at two GameStop locations. We would like to invite gamers in
the DFW area to come join us!
Lines will start forming around 10pm. The Plano location will have a 4 player
lan setup available to play starting around 9pm.
Plano, TX
2201 Preston Rd
Plano, TX 75093-2306
Ft Worth, TX
6245 Rufe Snow Dr
Fort Worth, TX 76148-3321
The Depths of Peril
patches page now offers new patches for Depths of Peril, updating the
Windows and Mac editions of Soldak Entertainment's action/RPG to version 1.015.
This change
list outlines what's new and different. There are also updated version
1.015 demos for Windows and Macintosh on
this page. The
Windows patch is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell; while the Mac patch is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, and Gamer's
Hell. Both versions of the demo are mirrored on
Gamer's Hell.
Manual patches of the X3: Terran Conflict update released
yesterday via Steam
are now available for the non-Steam editions of the space combat simulator. The
EGOSOFT Website
offers info and downloads, and the version 2.1 to 2.5 update is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and The Patches Scrolls
while the full version 2.5 patch is mirrored on
AtomicGamer,
FileFront, Gamer's Hell,
and The Patches Scrolls.
There's also a version 2.11 patch for the Mac edition that seems to be new, this
can be found on
AtomicGamer and The
Patches Scrolls.
Steam News announces the
release of an automatic update for Dreamkiller to fix the display of
leaderboards for the horror-themed first-person shooter when they contain more
than 100 entries.
VG247 quotes Infinity Ward’s Rob Bowling explaining that Call of Duty:
Modern Warfare 2 was to contain a full co-op mode, but this was axed for the
dedicated co-op structured missions of Spec Ops. Here's why co-op was killed:
"But it really broke the cinematic experience, took the immersion out of it, out
of the story and the pacing and everything we’d spent so long crafting. It just
ruined the experience we were aiming for, so we took it out, kept the
single-player for that one player intact and polished it." There's also a new
Modern Warfare 2 Infinity
Ward Interview Video on GameVideos and a
Spec Ops Mode Interview video on GameTrailers.
A new trailer from Siege of Mirkwood shows off the upcoming expansion for
Lord of the Rings Online, Turbine's
Tolkien-inspired MMORPG. You can find the trailer on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
The Tokyo Game Show walkthrough video for Splinter Cell Conviction is now
available, offering another look at the next installment in the stealth
adventures of Sam Fisher. The clip is available on
ActionTrip,
FileFront, and
Gamer's Hell.
Two new trailers are now available for PT Boats: Knights of the Sea,
showing off the upcoming game that allows you to get in touch with your inner
JFK or Quinton McHale as skipper of your own PT Boat. There is an intro trailer,
which can be found on
FilleFront and Gamer's
Hell, and there's a gameplay trailer, which is posted on
FileFront and Gamer's
Hell.
Dragon Age: Origins - The Interviews on Gaming Nexus offers a pair of audio
interviews with BioWare to discuss Dragon Age: Origins, their upcoming
RPG. One interview chats with Doctors Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka "about how the
company has changed over the years and some of the ideas and concepts behind
Dragon Age: Origins." The other talks with lead designer Mike Laidlaw, "that
covers more information about the game and among other things about how he
thinks people will deal with the mature themes in Dragon Age: Origins."
Steam's THQ Week will
offer a sale on one THQ title each day this week. Also Dealzon reports an
Amazon Console sale: Buy two, get one free.
- Beyond the Spirit's Eye on
Impulse. Save 50%.
- Circus Empire on
Impulse. Save 30%.
- Company of Heroes Tales of Valor on
Impulse. Save 50%.
- Crazy Machines series on
Steam. Save 25%.
- Hollywood Pictures II on
GamersGate. Save 50%.
- Light of Altair on
Impulse. Save 20%.
- Saints Row 2 on
Steam. Save 75%.
- Street Fighter IV on
Impulse. Save 25%.
- Sword of the Stars: Ultimate Collection on
GamersGate. Save 67%.
- X-Com Complete Pack on
GamersGate. Save 50%.
Still on sale (previously reported)
- Adam's Venture on
GoGamer. Save 34%.
- Bionic Commando on
GoGamer. Save 25%.
- Borderlands on
Direct2Drive. Save 10% on preorders.
- Borderlands on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchase of the game or the four-pack.
- Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood on
GoGamer.
- Champions Online on
GoGamer. Save 20%.
- Cricket Revolution on
Steam. Save 10% on
pre-purchases.
- Dawn of War Complete Pack on
Steam. Save 50%. Sale
also applies to individual titles.
- DCS- Black Shark on
GoGamer. Save 18%.
- Death to Spies: Moment of Truth on
GoGamer. Save 34%.
- East India Company on
Direct2Drive. Only $5.00.
- Eufloria on Steam.
Save 25% on pre-purchases until October 20.
- Fallout 3 on
GoGamer.
- Grand Theft Auto- The Trilogy on
GoGamer. Save 24%.
- Gratuitous Space Battles on
Impulse. Save 13% on
preorders.
- Guild Wars Trilogy on
GoGamer. Save 40%.
- Machinarium on
Direct2Drive. Preorders save 25%.
- Metal Drift on Steam. Save 20% on pre-purchase and get beta access.
- Nemesis of the Roman Empire on
Impulse. Save 47%.
- Painkiller: Resurrection on
Steam. Save 10% on
pre-purchases and get PK: Black and PK: Overdose free.
- Raven Squad on Steam. Includes a free copy of Legendary.
- Raven Squad: Hidden Dagger on
GoGamer.
Save 38%.
- Risen on
GoGamer. Save 26%.
- SFI Mission 4-Pack on
the Strategy First Website. Four games for $19.99.
- Sid Meier's Civilization IV- The Complete Edition on
Steam. Save 50%.
- Spiderweb Software Store. All games 10% off through October.
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars- Republic Heroes on
GoGamer. Save 34%.
- Supreme Ruler 2020 Gold on
GoGamer. Save 34%.
- Team Fortress 2 on
Best Buy and
FRYS.com.
Only $9.99. Thanks Johnny.
- Terminator: Salvation on
GoGamer. Save 67%.
- THQ Classic FPS Bundle on
Impulse.
Save 25%.
- Tropico 3 Pre-purchase on
Steam. Save 10%.
- Tropico 3 on
Direct2Drive. Preorders save 10%.
- Wanted: Weapons of Fate on
GoGamer. Save 60%.
- Warlords Battlecry III on
Impulse. Save 47%.
- Wolfenstein on
Amazon. Save
41%.
- Wolfenstein on
GoGamer. Save 50%.
- X Blades on
GoGamer. Save 40%.
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition on
GoGamer. Save 63%.
Steam News announces the
release of an automatic update for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II,
Relic's RTS sequel. This probably went live yesterday, as it mentions The Last
Stand, yesterday's DLC. Here's word: • Added The Last
Stand, a new arcade survival mode where teams of three fight waves of
increasingly deadly enemies
• Added new unique wargear, abilities and effects to the three heroes in The
Last Stand
• Added The Last Stand leaderboards
• Hero progress is stored online and is associated with a player's gamertag
• Added (2p) Quest's Heresy map
• Added (4p) Hydris Chasm map
SEGA of America has issued
an announcement
about the new Spring 2010 release date for Alpha Protocol, this coming
over two weeks after first indications the espionage-themed RPG
was being delayed, and over a week after the release date it obviously already
missed, though the date on the
Alpha Protocol product
section was changed to "Spring 2010" last week. The
announcement explains the reasoning for the change: “Alpha Protocol is a
new take on the RPG genre and from day one the team has been working to make
Alpha Protocol a truly unique game for players to experience.” says Feargus
Urquhart, CEO of Obsidian Entertainment. “We’re very happy that SEGA has made
the decision to hold back the shipment of the game in order to give it the best
chance at becoming the publishing success that we at Obsidian and our partners
at SEGA are striving for”.
“Since the inception of Alpha Protocol, SEGA has recognized the potential for
the game to establish itself as an AAA title.” says Masanao Maeda, President and
COO, SEGA of America, Inc. “We’ve worked in conjunction with Obsidian
Entertainment in making the decision to move Alpha Protocol’s ship date to
spring 2010 to ensure that we have the best game possible at launch.”
Valve announces details for the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, reminding us that
early access to the demo is reserved for those who preorder the game, even
though they obviously won't need to be sold on the co-op zombie shooter sequel
at that point. The demo will include part of the "Parish" campaign, and be
available for preorder customers as promised on October 27, for
all PC owners and Xbox LIVE Gold members on November 3, and for all other Xbox
LIVE members on November 10. There is no indication that this demo will expire
when the game is released like the demo for the original Left 4 Dead did, but we
have contacted Valve for clarification about this in case that was omitted from
the announcement, and we will follow-up if we learn anything new: Oct 15,
2009 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life and
Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today
announced details and timing for the demo of its upcoming zombie thriller, Left
4 Dead 2.
The Left 4 Dead 2 demo will feature gameplay taken from "The Parish" campaign,
set in the New Orleans French Quarter. Playable by 1 to 4 players over local or
Internet connections on both the Xbox 360 and PC (with two-player split screen
available on the Xbox 360), the demo features all the new boss infected zombies
and all the new melee weapons included in the full product.
Those who pre-order the game (at participating retailers or via Steam) will
obtain early access to the demo on October 27. The demo will then be made
available to Xbox LIVE Gold members and all PC gamers on November 3. Then all
Xbox LIVE members will obtain access to the demo on November 10.
The Galactic Command Online website
now heralds the coming of Galactic Command Online, the MMOG that 3000AD
started teasing at the beginning of this month. The game will
follow 3000AD's focus on space and planetary combat, and it is said to be "due
to be released between Q4/2010 and Q1/2011," offering both a
microtransaction-supported subscription-free mode as well as premium
subscriptions. 3000AD also tells us this is intended as their last game, not
because they are leaving the game business, but that they foresee supporting
this over the years going forward with expansions and other updates. The website
offers some pre-alpha screenshots and a pre-alpha video trailer along with an
extensive FAQ covering various aspects of the project. Here's the bulleted
feature list: • Seamless space and planetary game worlds with the
ability to travel between space and planets seamlessly.
• Real time twitch (no dice rolling) based action gameplay.
• Trading and exploration are complimentary and not a primary focus of
gameplay.
• Twelve player races and eight careers to choose.
• Short career path with each career having the ability to reach a high rank
rapidly and without an endless grind.
• A vast number of player controlled crafts including capital ships (carriers,
cruisers, transports), fighters, vehicles etc.
• Basic and intuitive trading model with ability to trade with NPC units,
space stations, planetary bases and other players.
• Player fleet owned space stations, planetary bases and cities.
• Ability to build a variety of assets based on career and rank. No complex
crafting.
• Space flight combat action as well as first person, aerial and vehicle
combat action on planets.
• Full 3D cockpit/bridge interface for all player controlled assets.
• Over 100+ player controlled space and planetary assets ranging from
planetary vehicles to massive battleships.
• First and third person perspective gameplay.
• Ability to exist in first person mode inside stations.
• Ability to exist in first person mode inside capital ships (carriers,
cruisers, transports) supported via add-on expansion module.
• Supports a variety of controllers including mouse, joystick, analog
gamepads, XB360 Controller For Windows etc.
The Need for Speed Website has news that support for D-Box chairs is
included in the first patch for Need for Speed: SHIFT, though it's not
entirely clear if this was part of the patch that was released last
month or has been added into an updated version of the patch, as at one point
they say: "Imagine our surprise when the dev team told us the patch also include
[sic] support for D-Box chairs," but later saying "Just to be clear; this is not
a new patch, but an update to the first patch released last month." It seems
likely that this is just an update to the patch notes, as the patch
they are currently
offering is the exact same size as it was when it was first released. D-Box
adds to immersion in racing games by tilting as your virtual car corners, and
it's a little surprising support for it was patched in, as it was included
out of the box in NFS Undercover. Word is they are also working on
a new patch as well: "We are currently working on a second patch for PC and will
have some info about the availability soon."
The
Evochron Legends Website now has an updated version 1.158 of this space
combat and trading simulation game, as well as a new playable demo and an
updated dedicated server. The downloads are available
on
this page, and their
news
page has the full change list.
Although the IP and staff of Oxygen Games were rescued from the company's
insolvency when they were purchased by OG
International (run by former Oxygen CEO Jim Scott),
Develop reports that several developers they were working with are still
owed money by Oxygen, and must deal with the company's administrators. They say:
"Oxygen Games developers included Rebellion Studios, Magellen Interactive and
Destineer Games, who produced titles including Cate West: The Vanishing Files
and PDC World Championship Darts 2009." They also quote Scott as saying: "I’m
not involved with the company now. I don’t think there were many developers owed
[money], to be fair."
GamesIndustry.biz has coverage of this as well, quoting a "disgruntled"
anonymous source: "There's some fairly hefty bills outstanding and the question
is how much of this has gone to the administrators, how much have they bought
their own assets back for and what has been agreed to the creditors? Presumably,
not anywhere near what it should have been."
The Greg Zeschuk interview on Games On Net (NSFW music) is a video of an
interview with the BioWare cofounder that was conducted in Sydney last week.
They ask Greg some reader-submitted questions, and the seemingly
well-caffeinated doctor discusses Mass Effect 2 testing, differences
between ME2 and the original Mass Effect, improving side missions, romance in
ME2 and Dragon Age: Origins, character customization, user-created
content in Dragon Age, and more.
The
Agency interview on The MMO Gamer chats with Lorien Gremore, Lead
Producer on SOE's upcoming espionage-themed MMOG. They cover topics like
branching away from the fantasy theme, session-based gaming, replayability, the
question of whether the Agency is a true MMOG, balancing expectations of MMOG
player and shooter players, and more.
The interview with
Jakub Dvorský on Adventure Classic Gaming talks with the founder of Amanita
Design about Machinarium, their adventure game that's due tomorrow. They
discuss his background, the indie scene in the Czech Republic, the reasons he
prefers Flash, puzzle design, Samorost and Samorost2, art style,
music, games as art, and more.
The Escapist - Obsolescence Pending- Rating the ESRB.
After successfully weathering moral panics, evading legislation and
surviving Jack Thompson, the ESRB must now contend with something altogether
different, and it might turn out to be its Achilles' heel. Years of sameness
can be grueling, but it also breeds familiarity, even mastery. Change, on
the other hand, brings the unexpected, demands new tricks and reveals weak
points you never knew you had. In this case, the changes are multiple:
converging technologies, dissolving monopolies and a Web 2.0-infused games
culture that's going to require a lot more than the ESRB's current
disclaimer of "Online Interactions Not Rated."
Jezebel - Why Is Marketing To Female Gamers Considered Challenging?
Instead of paying attention to why women play certain games or speaking
to women who identify as gamers, it appears that game companies prefer to
work with stereotypes. This isn't something that is characteristic to the
gaming industry - it plagues advertising in general, as we last discussed
when talking about the Femme Den and their aversion to the "shrink it and
pink it" strategy of marketers trying to reach women. This attitude runs
rampant at all levels of game marketing, from the games that are even
recommended to women down to store displays.
G4tv.com: Sessler’s Soapbox - Adventures in Storytelling.
"G4 Editor in Chief Adam Sessler dissects the art of storytelling in
video games, where it’s been and where it’s going. Taking a look at
Uncharted 2 and Brutal Legend as the best of the recent crop, Adam chats
about what makes for a good story, and how dialogue and acting have vastly
improved in games over the years. Yes, back in the day, the story just got
in the way of the action, but now the story often drives the game. Why? What
changed? Tune in and find out. Enjoy!"
Consumed - The Cult of Mexican Coca-Cola (thanks j.c.f.) I still haven't
been able to find the Mexican version, dammit. Also, count me as one of those
who has always believed "the entertaining conspiracy theory that the 1985 New
Coke fiasco was an intentional failure, orchestrated to distract consumers from
an ingredient switch in Coke Classic."
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