Archived News:
The latest Team Fortress 2 Update gives us more news from the frontlines of the Soldiers versus Demomen conflict over ownership of a mystery weapon from the upcoming TF2 update. Word is: "In fact, judging from our most recent numbers (4923531 Soldiers killed to 5056134 Demomen killed), the Demo actually seems to be closing the gap as the War hurtles to a close." They also announce that a free Team Fortress 2 weekend will kick off on Thursday immediately after the update goes live, and that preloads are underway for that right now. They also offer a new newspaper dealie leading to word on the "Direct Hit" from the Soldier Update, a continuation of the comic strip, the Steam TF2 Page, and The Valve Store.
The Fallen Earth Website announces the release of a new version 1.2 patch for Fallen Earth, which they are calling a "social patch" for the MMORPG, saying it adds "many new and interactive social elements to gameplay, including a new tradeskill, social hubs and in-game Blackjack and slot machines." The site also announces a 20% discount on all purchases of the game through the Fallen Earth online store as well as a free 10-day trial, which is available here. Word is: "The free trial and promotional discount are just in time for the holidays and coincide with Fallen Earth’s in-game holiday celebration, 'First Night,' where players have the option to participate in special holiday missions to receive festive items such as Mistletoe, Eggnog and Gift Boxes."
Cheyenne Mountain talks about Stargate Resistance on Big Download talks about the recently revealed Stargate Resistance. They discuss various aspects of the third-person shooter, and get the explanation of the reason for the switch from the Stargate Worlds MMORPG to this project: "Since we are privately funded, our investment group felt very strongly that a title be released within a short time frame. But with minimal funding, there was no way to finish Stargate Worlds within the time frame and funds we had that would serve the fans and the game well. So, building and releasing Stargate Resistance became the best option for Cheyenne, and its investors, to ride out the economic wave, and keep Stargate Worlds on the top tier it deserves."
Sony Online Entertainment announces the December update is now live for Free Realms, adding winter holiday events, player housing, new pets, fishing, and more to their subscription-free MMORPG. A mind-boggling 300+ screenshots accompany the announcement, but we'll pass on those, and just post the related video to the YouTube.
The Games for Windows Website now offers a new Games for Windows client that includes the promised Games on Demand support. They kick off the service by offering the Windows editions of Shadowrun and Viva Piñata at 50% off for a limited time. There is also a GFWL Arcade game called Tinker that's available for free, and word is: "Live enabled World Of Goo and Osmos versions will be coming soon."
A new "dirty dozen" trailer from Mass Effect 2 offers an impressive cinematic recap of Commander Shepard's recruiting drive in BioWare's upcoming action/RPG sequel. You can view the clip on the YouTube, and it is available for download from WorthPlaying. The embedded version follows. Continue here to read the full story.
A new version 3.3.0a hotfix is now available for World of Warcraft, Blizzard's MMORPG. The WoW Patch Notes list the patch, but offer no information about it at all. Downloads of the US/Aus patch are mirrored on AtomicGamer, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying. The UK patch can be found on AtomicGamer, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying. You can find the German patch on FileFront, Gamer's Hell, and Worthplaying. The Russian patch is posted on Worthplaying. Finally, there's a Mac patch, which can be found on AtomicGamer. This forum post has some details. Thanks Brazor.
Direct2Drive announces the top 10 bestselling titles sold through their digital distribution service for the week of December 6-12:
- Dragon Age: Origins
- Dragon Age: Origins Digital Deluxe Edition
- The Saboteur
- Torchlight
- Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim
- Civilization 4: The Complete Edition
- Star Trek Online Digital Deluxe Edition
- Star Trek Online
- Borderlands
- Aion
Hi-Rez Studios announces February 1, 2010 is the release date for Global Agenda, their espionage-themed MMO shooter. They've also initiated preorders of the game, which can now be ordered through Amazon and Steam via the Hi-Rez Studios Website. They outline preorder bonuses, including early access to the beta, a special in-game helmet, the chance to reserve your player and agency name, and the chance to get a free month's premium subscription (the game can also be played online for free). The news is accompanied by a new screenshot and box render.
LucasArts and Sony Online Entertainment announce the launch of The Nightsister's Revenge, the sixth expansion for the Star Wars Galaxies Trading Card Game, the collectible card game that ties in with Star Wars Galaxies, SOE's Star Wars MMORPG. The new expansion adds more than 200 new playable cards and more than 20 new loot cards to the game. Word is: "Players can pit their skills against Kyrisa, an exiled Nightsister witch who has been using her Force sensitivity to control the minds of wampas and wreak havoc on the Imperial and Rebel forces stationed on the icy planet of Hoth." A free trial is available, and the game offers bonuses to SWG subscribers.
Viva Media and bitComposer games announce February 2, 2010 is the specific release date for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, this comes just five days after announcing the game's February, 2010 international release window (in true Groundhog Day fashion we expect another announcement tomorrow). Word is: New York, NY December 15, 2009—Viva Media and bitcomposer games announced today that they signed a North American publishing deal for S.T.A.L.K.E.R CALL OF PRIPYAT. Beckoning players to enter the Zone, Viva Media’s latest release clearly marks the publisher’s stake in yet another category of PC gaming.
Viva Media CEO Carlo Voelker commented, “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat is the third in the highly successful Shooter/RPG franchise developed by GSC Game World. The game opens up a dark world where players can immerse themselves into a gripping storyline full of action and suspense.”
bitComposer CEO Wolfgang Duhr stated, ““We look forward to working with Viva Media and anticipate a very successful release in the US for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat.” The game is slated to launch in North America on February 2, 2010.
Frogster Interactive announces the Zurhidon Stronghold instance will go live in a new patch tomorrow for Runes of Magic, their subscription-free MMORPG. This page offers screenshots and a trailer from the add-on, we've also posted the trailer to the YouTube. Here's word on the update: "With an additional epic quest series, an expansion of the plant system, new elite skills for Elven characters, and the launch of the Snowflake Festival, a winter in-game event for Christmas time, the update delivers a lot of new features. The core of 'Patch 2.1.5. – The Gates of the Acropolis’, is the Zurhidon Stronghold, a massive bulwark built by the Naga as a part of their gigantic Acropolis on the Aotulia Volcano. In amongst fiery lava streams, raid parties can explore the Zurhidon Stronghold, pressing on to uncover the secrets of its demonic inhabitants."
Virtual City is now available, offering an urban-planning/city building simulation. The game is available from G5 Entertainment, where they offer sales as well as a free trial of the full game that can be played for 60 minutes. Some screenshots accompany the announcement, as does a gameplay trailer, which can be viewed on the YouTube. Here's a bit: Trade with neighboring cities and accomplish the construction of landmark buildings like Marina, Train Depot, and Spaceship Launch Pad. Help troubled cities get back to prosperity, deal with economic downturn, population crisis, and consequences of natural disasters. Achieve balance between key parameters of your success: Time, Income, Environment, Population, and Happiness. Play over 50 challenging levels, and unleash your inner mayor in Free Play mode on 5 large sand box maps.
• 50 Challenging Levels in 5 Settings: Colorado, California, Michigan, Montana, New York
• 18 Distinct Mission Scenarios
• Free Play Mode on 5 Large Sand Box Maps
• More Than 50 Types of Buildings
• 25 Types of Goods to Transport and Trade
• 7 Production Chains to Master
• 16 Special Achievements to Earn
• Tens of Upgrades and Buildings to Unlock
Europa Universalis III: Heir to the Throne is now available via digital distribution, announces Paradox Interactive. This expansion requires Europa Universalis III and the previous two expansions, and there's also a new Europa Universalis III Complete bundle with the whole package that's currently on sale on GamersGate. Here's word on content in the historical strategy expansion: • Brand new Casus Belli system, where wars have specific goals from start to finish
• Monarchs now belong to dynasties, with new influence on the diplomatic model
• Increased Holy Roman Empire and Papacy options for more powerful ruling
• New diplomatic options for Merchant Republics
• Enhanced "Cultural Tradition" and recruitment of specific advisor types
id Software parent ZeniMax Media will be publishing RAGE, id Software's upcoming first-person shooter, reports USATODAY.com. According to the report, the shooting and driving game will be published under the Bethesda label. Thanks Neutronbeam.
A new patch for the Windows edition of Wolfenstein is now available, offering the promised new version of Raven's supernatural World War II shooter. The version 1.2 patch is available on ActionTrip, FileFront, Gamer's Hell, Strategy Informer, The Patches Scrolls, and WorthPlaying. There's also a patch for the German version on Gamer's Hell. The new version 1.2 dedicated server can be found on Gamer's Hell. The change list follows. Continue here to read the full story.
A thread on the Electronic Arts UK Community Forums discusses widescreen support for Battlefield Bad Company 2, since DICE earned a 2008 Narrow Minded Award from the Wide Screen Gaming Forums for their shortcomings in this regard (thanks PC Games Hardware). One reply from DICE says "Yes it will be supported, the game is widescreen on the consoles," and a later post adds: "We support Eyefinity and with a wider FOV, although the integration isn't fully done & tested just yet." That subsequent post indicates they don't consider it an unfair advantage playing the military shooter sequel using multiple monitors under ATI's Eyefinity: I don't think it will be unfair in MP, saying it would be would be the same as saying it would be unfair for someone to have a really high mouse precision so he can run and super-quickly turn around and as such see everything that is going on around him. But that is obviously something we all accept.
We have to do more testing and see how it turns out, but I'm not worried.
Ever-sleuthy superannuation points to Joel Cuellar's Résumé ( Adobe Acrobat format), which contains the following line: "Monolith Productions, Inc. Project Hades- XB360, PS3, PC … 04/2007 - 07/2009 Kirkland, WA." This prompts them to speculate that this project might be F.E.A.R. 3, which seems as good a guess as any, so feel free to speculate yourself if you want.
The Team Fortress 2 Blog points out the Demoman still slightly trails the Soldier in the war over the final weapon in the upcoming Team Fortress 2 update. In sympathy, they have a new newspaper report, a report on the Demoman Update with details on a sword called the Eyelander (apparently there can be only one Demoman) and a shield called the Chargin' Tage, and a new comic that is 100% soldier-free.
So after having the obvious point made for me that birds don't need feeding during the summer, I suspended my bird-feeding operation in the backyard until a few weeks ago, as it's now slim pickings for food out there. Unfortunately the slim pickings are impacting the squirrels as well, as they have resumed their assault on my stores of bird seed. The seed is in a metal garbage can after the little rodents ate through the lid on the plastic one I was using, but now they've figured out how to get the lid off. I placed a chunk of cinderblock on the lid, and they've still managed to get in there. I'll have to find a more effective way to keep them out, but in the meantime I'm tempted to rig a camera out there just so I can watch the process of getting the lid off the can.
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