Archived News:
The Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Facebook Page celebrates Star Wars day (May the Fourth be with you) with an official release date for the Windows edition of the Star Wars action game sequel. Word is the PC version will be available on October 26, 2010. Thanks MTV Multiplayer.
Frank Gibeau interview on IndustryGamers chats up the EA Games label president about the upcoming Medal of Honor reboot and the competitive military shooter market. He talks about all the action in this segment over the past couple of weeks or months, saying: "to be honest with you, we’ve been working on a strategy for the last two years to really take back the shooter category and put EA in a position where we’re making some spectacular products and we’re the leader in that category." He also freely admits to being pleased at the opportunity presented by the Infinity Ward meltdown at competitor Activision: "Yeah, I think it’s about being prepared and when your opponent makes a mistake or stumbles, you’re right there to step in and take advantage of that situation. And that’s kind of the way this category has shaped up with the competition and the developers out there. So absolutely, I was flabbergasted that it was unfolding the way it was, but I had a big grin on my face when I saw that we had an opportunity with them and we went for it. And we're very fortunate that Respawn and EA we [sic] able to come together on the deal and I couldn’t be more excited."
The Golden Joystick Awards Website now offers voting on the long list of nominees for the 2010 Golden Joystick Awards, to help create a shortlist for the upcoming 28th annual installment in the game award series. Long list voting will remain open between now and May 27. They say: "Last year’s awards were the biggest yet, with over 1.2 million votes cast. This year it’s down to you to make sure they’re even bigger and that your favourite games get the recognition they deserve."
Steam News announces an updated Aliens vs Predator client is now automatically available, along with a new version of the dedicated server for Rebellion's shooter remake. Here are the patch notes. Continue here to read the full story.
Steam News details a new automatic update that's now available for Garry's Mod. The list of major changes follow. Continue here to read the full story.
The Dave Georgeson interview on Ten Ton Hammer talks with the Sony Online Entertainment producer about the new EverQuest II Passport scheme, which allows three consecutive days of play per 30-day period for $5.00 USD. Dave explains why they went this route instead of an hourly fee: "Remember AOL? We don’t want to do that. Subscriptions are nice because they don’t force the “clock ticking” feeling while you play. You play at your own speed. Even two hours of play during a month is still money well spent. (And of course, most of our players find a way to do a lot more than that.)"
Another new "making of" trailer is now available for Split/Second, Black Rock's upcoming action racing game set in a fictional reality TV show. The new clip focuses on the tracks and cars in the game, as Game Director Nick Baynes and other members of the development team describe how much more content their tracks contain than those in a more typical racing game, as you unlock alternate routes over the course of playing the game and split routes can be exposed by the game's destructible environments. They also discuss unlocking new cars, and how game achievements are displayed on the surface of your car itself, providing opponents a visual warning of your skill level. The clip is embedded below. Continue here to read the full story.
The Humble Indie Bundle is another of those internet pick-your-price experiments, offering a bundle of five indie games: World of Goo, Aquaria, Gish, Lugaru, and Penumbra Overture, allowing you to chose how much to pay for these games, which would total $80.00 USD to purchase separately. All five games work equally well under Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and they are all completely free of DRM. The proceeds of the sale will be split equally between the developers of all five games along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Child's Play charity, but you can also choose your own way of distributing the price you choose to pay between any or all seven. They provide assurances that no middle-men are involved, so 100% of customer contributions will go where intended (after credit card fees).
The Stimulus Package DLC for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 released last month for Xbox 360 is now available for the PC and PlayStation 3 versions, as promised. The PS3 edition is on the PlayStation Store, while the PC edition is available on Steam, for $14.99 USD. The release kicks off nearly a week of double XP on each platform: "In celebration of the release, Infinity Ward will host nearly a week of Double XP for PlayStation®Network and PC gamers May 4 - 9."
A batch of new RAGE screenshots shows off id Software's upcoming first-person shooter. On a related note, VG247 interviews id's Tim Willits about the project. Tim confirms the game "probably" will not have dedicated servers, says he is uncertain about their E3 plans, discusses engine licensing, and more. He also makes the revelation that the game will not be released this year, meaning RAGE is still on track for its "when it's done" release date, but in a moment of candor unusual for id release dates, he says the game will be released next year. His explanation of where the project stands follows. Continue here to read the full story.
The BioWare Social Network now offers the promised PC edition of the new Equalizer Pack (shades of Edward Woodward!) DLC for Mass Effect 2, BioWare's RPG sequel. The DLC is available for 160 BioWare points ($2.00 USD). Word on the DLC's content follows. Continue here to read the full story.
Sega announces the completion of development on Alpha Protocol, saying Obsidian's espionage-themed RPG is expected for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 in North America and Europe on May 28. Word is: "Alpha Protocol unites role-playing, stealth, and action gameplay into a single experience that captures what it feels like to operate as a modern day spy. With production values on par with a blockbuster action movie, the consequences of the player's actions in the high stakes underworld of arms dealing can be explosive. Perhaps unleashing on suspected terrorists with the Pentagon's latest weaponry is the best move... or maybe just stay in the shadows and stay cryptic in your interactions. There isn't a single correct approach." The announcement is accompanied by a new trailer asking the pertinent question about the game's protagonist, "Who is Michael Thornton?" The embedded clip follows. Continue here to read the full story.
Konami announces PES 2011, the next installment in the long-running association football/soccer series. The announcement is accompanied by some screenshots and this trailer with cinematics and some especially vague quotes about the project. Here's a bit on the game from the announcement: "The PES range has long been regarded as offering incredible realism and control, but PES 2011 will reinvigorate the series with the most advanced raft of gameplay additions, control options, and animations to meet the evolution of real-life football. Central to its total freedom of play, PES 2011 introduces a power bar for each player that allows the user to determine the exact strength and placement of every pass and shot. Balls can now be spread absolutely anywhere with utter precision, with long balls into space, short passes to feet and intricate one-twos allowing the player to dictate play and control the tempo of a match." The embedded trailer follows. Continue here to read the full story.
SouthPeak Games announces release dates for Two Worlds II, saying the second installment in TopWare Interactive's fantasy role-playing series will be available in the US, Canada, and South America on September 14, and in the UK on September 17. Here's a bit on the game: Building upon the storyline from the first installment, Two Worlds II offers the willing adventurer the thrilling experience of a perilous and daring journey throughout a vast magical land. While undoubtedly rich in story, detail and content, the game also offers an array of unique approaches to classic game elements that push the envelope for the fantasy RPG genre.
Featuring the all-new GRACE™ game engine, Two Worlds II seeks to offer an immersive blend of two of the most important role playing elements - strong atmosphere and dazzling visuals. Incorporating cutting-edge technology features such as Real Eye Adaptation, HD Dynamic Motion Capture, and Multi-Source Dynamic Lighting, the world of Antaloor comes alive like never before as a true role-player’s paradise.
The World of Warcraft Forums have word that "friends and family" testing of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm is underway (thanks GamePron). Word is: Yes, we can confirm that the Family & Friends phase of the testing process for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm has begun. The closed beta test phase has not yet started, but we will provide updated information when it does.
The MekTek Website has a follow-up on the problems with the MTX program and the free MechWarrior 4 release. Word is a standalone installer for the mech combat sequel will be released in a few days via BitTorrent, and they are working on a way to deliver game updates outside of the MTX system. This installer will be for a new version of MW4 that fixes some bugs, and they will also issue a patch to update the previous version for those who were able to overcome MTX problems and install the game.
Clint Hocking tweets about an updated on Click Nothing, his personal blog, where he announces he has parted ways with Ubisoft, where his most recent project was as creative director of Far Cry 2 following his work on several Splinter Cell games. He looks back on his career and his 451 weeks at Ubisoft, which is part of his motivation for making the change, describing himself as a creature of habit, and expressing discomfort with the comfort level he had attained, saying: "I am too comfortable. I am too content. And I know where that can lead for me."
A new version 1.26 of X-Motor Racing is now available, offering an updated version of this independently developed automobile racing simulation. The demo version with two tracks and one car is available on this page, and the full version is available here. The list of what's "imroved" from version 1.25 to 1.26 follows. Continue here to read the full story.
New York News Today - Classic Gaming. Thanks Mike Martinez.
First, PC gamers’ values are changing – the audience is moving away from graphics-hungry teenagers and into a breed that’s more prepared to judge a game on its less superficial merits. In short, a game consisting of 320×240 pixels, each the size of a baby’s fist, no longer causes quite so many people to scoff dismissively at it. Secondly, digital distribution services – notably Valve’s Steam and the great-in-the-States-but-crap-over-here Gametap – are gradually adding classic games to their online stores – legal, free from floppy disks, and dirt-cheap. A slight spot of whimsy and a few dollars is all it takes to enjoy yesterday’s finest.
- Starcraft II on MacGamer. Beta for Mac: What You Don't Know Yet.
A few readers expressed interest in that salsa I mentioned yesterday, so I checked the jar and found they have a pair of websites: Jose Madrid Salsa and Salsaguy.net. We had our pineapple habanero salsa over chicken breasts last night, and it was very tasty.
R.I.P.: THQ, Jakks Founder Jack Friedman Passes Away At 70.
|
Twitter 
