Archived News:
EA announces a January 25 release date for Dead Space 2, including the PC as one of the target platforms for the horror-themed shooter sequel, something that was in in doubt as recently as February, though the PC version was mentioned in EA financials, and since. Here's word on the game: In Dead Space 2, engineer Isaac Clarke makes his return in a blood-curdling new adventure on an all-new space installation known as “The Sprawl.” The lone survivor of a horrific alien infestation, Isaac finds himself confronting a catastrophic new nightmare. Battling dementia, Isaac will do whatever it takes to save himself and dominate the relentless enemy onslaughts. Equipped with a new arsenal of tools to dismember the necromorphs, Isaac faces the challenge head-on. Players will see Isaac fight bigger, scarier and more epic battles that will keep them on the edge of their seats.
Epic Games and EA announce the release date for Bulletstorm, specifying February 22, 2011 as when to expect the upcoming shooter from People Can Fly. Here's the party line on Bulletstorm: "Taking on the role of Gray, players perform over-the-top combat moves with some of the most uniquely innovative weapons ever seen in a first-person shooter. Every enemy presents a new opportunity for stylish and ever increasingly bloody ways to take them down. The game’s signature ‘skillshot’ system guarantees unprecedented levels of frenetic gameplay rewarding players for inciting mayhem in the most creative way possible. The more insane the skillshot, the more points players collect to upgrade and unlock weapons, which in turn allows them to execute even more inventive moves and exaggerated skillshots."
EA announces Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, returning the series to the concept of two prior games in the Need for Speed series setting reckless (but not wreckless) speeders against their natural enemies, the equally reckless police. The game is in development at Criterion Games ( Burnout series), and it is expected to launch in November of this year, and it will feature the support of an online network with social elements, sharing a bit of the concept of Need for Speed World, due in July. Word is: "Need for Speed Hot Pursuit players will experience the thrill of the chase and the rush of the escape as they play through full careers as both a cop and a racer – solo or connected. The high speed busts and heart-stopping getaways are all connected via Need for Speed Autolog. This network not only connects friends for epic head-to-head pursuits and races, but also enables players to compare performances and stats, thereby setting the stage for the ultimate in social competition." Here's the game's E3 trailer, which is embedded below. Continue here to read the full story.
EA announces they are recruiting for the Medal of Honor multiplayer beta, which they say will kick off on June 21 and that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 VIPs who have pre-ordered Medal of Honor will be able to enter the multiplayer beta starting June 17. There are details on the Medal of Honor Website, clarifying that this is for preorders, and Direct2Drive is now offering preorders.
MCV has word that Microsoft has formally announced the Xbox 360 will have time-limited exclusivity on downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops, the upcoming military shooter sequel. Word is this exclusivity will run until 2012, but it is not clear how this will impact DLC releases for Windows, as the word exclusive is often used to represent deals that keep content off competing console systems. Thanks Joao, who points out that if the inference that this DLC is to be paid for is correct, then it seems logical to worry the game will not have mod tools.
THQ updates their Fiscal 2011 First Quarter and Full-Year Outlook. Word is: "For the fiscal first quarter ending June 30, 2010, the company expects non-GAAP net sales to be between $155 million to $165 million, which is below the company’s previous outlook of non-GAAP net sales in the range of $190 million to $200 million. The company also expects fiscal first quarter non-GAAP loss per share in the range of $0.20 to $0.30, compared with its previous outlook of breakeven."
The Bethesda Blog shows the way to the Hunted: The Demon's Forge E3 2010 trailer, offering a look at cinematics from inXile Entertainment's upcoming co-op fantasy/action game. Word is: "Hunted is an unforgettable cooperative action game, set in a dark fantasy world, pitting you and your partner against waves of vicious enemies. Taking control of either E’lara, a ranged weapon expert, or Caddoc, a master swordsman, you must use a variety of weapons, powerful spells, and cover tactics to battle your way through menacing dungeons, overgrown ruins, and downtrodden towns. Discover secrets and complete co-op-based puzzles whilst exploring the sinister world to discover answers to the game’s deep, dark mysteries." Here's the embedded version. Continue here to read the full story.
EA announces their Gun Club, sort of a frequent shooters club for their shooter games. Word is: "Electronic Arts Inc. today announced the ‘Gun Club’, an affinity program that rewards gamers for doing what they love best – enjoying their favorite games. ‘Gun Club’ members will receive benefits ranging from in-game content unlocks, early access to beta tests and demos, as well as the hottest news and exclusive access to development teams. The ‘Gun Club’ brings together some of the world’s biggest and best games, including Battlefield: Bad Company™ 2, Medal of Honor™ and a brand new paid digital expansion pack for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 set in Vietnam. Additional games will follow, including offers from Battlefield Heroes™ and Dead Space™ 2, among other titles."
Steam is holding an EA sale all week, with a new special every day. They kick things off with Crysis and Crysis Warhead on sale for 50% off, saying you can save even more with the Crysis Maximum Edition Package, which in fact offers the same 50% discount.
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Website now has a remixed version of the Call of Duty: Black Ops trailer featuring Eminem's Won't back Down as a soundtrack.
Ooops, would have completely forgotten to mention that today is Flag Day here in the U.S. if Jim hadn't mentioned it in the forums. This would be especially bad considering I'm related to Betsy Ross, though her actual role in creation of the flag is questionable at best.
R.I.P.: Country Music Star Jimmy Dean Dead at 81. Had a very memorable turn as Willard Whyte in Diamonds are Forever. "Bert Saxby?? Tell him he's fired!"
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North Website is online as home to this just announced action/RPG set in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings continuity. The site offers a teaser trailer from the game and the official announcement, saying the game will launch next year for Games for Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Word is: "Developed in association with Middle-earth Enterprises, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North explores both original and familiar narrative elements as Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment holds the rights to develop video games based on both the literary and motion picture content from The Lord of the Rings. Breaking new ground as a mature RPG video game set in Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North advances the RPG paradigm through innovative online, interdependent co-op play for up to three players who form their own Fellowship to fight Sauron’s forces in the North."
DICE announces Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam, a multiplayer expansion for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 that will take the military shooter series back to the jungles of Vietnam when it is released later this year. The Battlefield Blog has a trailer from the expansion. Word is: "The Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam digital expansion pack takes all of the intensity, action and addictive gameplay of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and ups the ante with enhanced persistence, new weapons, vehicles, unlocks, awards, achievements and trophies. Featuring four new maps playable in classic Battlefield modes including Conquest and Rush, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam will be available worldwide this winter for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Price will be announced at a later date." Here's the embedded trailer. Continue here to read the full story.
As part of its Kinect reveal (the technology formerly known as Project Natal), Microsoft has unveiled a new black Xbox 360 that will go on sale this week, featuring built-in 802.11N wireless networking and a 250 GB hard drive. The new 360 is also slimmer than it's predecessor (though arguably not exactly "slim"), and is said to run quieter, as well. Several games were shown off on the revamped console, as outlined in this Live Blog of Microsoft’s E3 2010 Press Conference. Word is this will carry an MSRP of $299.99 USD, same as the current "Elite" model. Word is that older models will receive price cuts, with Elites to cost $249.99 USD and Arcades to be $149.99 USD.
EA announces the release of a playable demo for Mass Effect 2, also saying to expect the release of the promised Overlord DLC for the sci-fi RPG sequel tomorrow for Windows and Xbox 360 (560 MS points/space bucks/$7.00 USD). The demo is now available for PC and Xbox 360, and here's word on what to expect: "In the demo, players step into the role of Commander Shepard and must escape from a Cerberus space station under siege. Players can jump ahead to a later mission where they must rescue Subject Zero, a hardened, dangerous criminal from a heavily guarded prison ship. Once they play the demo, players will be able to create a save and carry over their character along with the experience points, story decisions, achievements and weapons earned into the full version of the game – picking up right where they left off, on both PC and Xbox 360." The English Windows demo is available for download from AtomicGamer, FanGaming, FilePlanet, and Gamer's Hell. There's also a German language demo on Gamer's Hell and a Spanish-language demo on AtomicGamer. There's also a new "the story so far" trailer (with Mass Effect 1 spoilers) on the Mass Effect 2 Website narrated by the Illusive Man (Martin Sheen). The embedded clip follows. Continue here to read the full story.
Dead Space 2 will feature better controls on the PC than the original Dead Space, Visceral executive producer Steve Papoutsis tells Computer and Video Games, responding to complaints about juddery controls playing the console port with mouse and keyboard. He admits that playing the original Dead Space on PC basically requires a gamepad, but that they are working on this for the sequel. "That's the thing when we're working on it that we have every day and we have readily available. But this time out we have people dedicated on working to improve the controls for PC players," he tells them. "Out of the box, we're hopeful the PC version this time will respond a lot better and that people will be a lot more comfortable and happier with the controls. That is feedback we've heard and we're certainly trying to address it." Thanks joao.
StarCraft II lead producer Chris Sigurty explains to PC Gamer how StarCraft II will feature the ability to upload and download replays to Battle.net. He's not sure this will make it in time for the game's release, but it is their long-term goal. "Our long term intention with replays is to make them much more accessible," says Sigurty. "Our intention with Starcraft 2 is to save them up to the network and let people download them and watch them, paying attention to the pro and platinum leagues, so they can learn."
PC Gamer quotes Deus Ex: Human Revolution lead designer Jean-Francois Dugas on the topic of Deus Ex: Invisible War, the second installment in the action/RPG series. Dugas says the game was "actually fun to play," but he is critical of the length of time it takes for the player to start to learn who his character is. He also thinks the Invisible War time-frame was a problem, which they are looking to address: "It was more futuristic and less grounded in a reality that we can relate to. I’m not talking about universal ammo – that’s a whole different debate – it’s more about the broader appeal. In the first Deus Ex you have an identity already clear in your head. You’re a super-soldier, you work for UNATCO, a branch of the UN. It’s the near future, and you immediately see the Statue of Liberty with its head on the ground. There’s something strong that you can relate to, that Invisible War lacked." Thanks joao.
Cloud-Gaming service plans to launch its full game service next year, reports Develop. This is similar to this report promising the launch "early next year," except that one is from last summer, promising the launch would be this year. They quote Gaikai co-founder Andrew Gault on the topic: "We'd like to do it tomorrow but it’s all about picking you battles. I think we’d like to start it in a year or so, all the company’s founders would like to target that."
MCV reports November 16 is the official release date for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood , the next installment in Ubisoft's stealth/action series. They say this appeared at the end of a trailer that's already been removed from YouTube by Ubisoft's incredibly active YouTube yoinking team. A November release was already revealed through the announcement of the game's preorder bonus, news we found so compelling we actually reported it twice.
The Obsidian Conflict Website now offers a new version 1.35 of Obsidian Conflict, a co-op modification for Half-Life 2. The update includes numerous new features and fixes, and word is that in addition to a bunch of new maps, the new version includes bug-fixes and visual improvements for many of their existing maps. They also announce that the next version of the mod will include Steamworks support. Thanks Ant via Planet Half-Life.
There's a Spiderweb Software interview on rpg codex chatting with, we'll guess Jeff Vogel, about Avadon: The Black Fortress, Spiderweb's recently announced role-playing game. Topics include the party system, their skill tree, classes, tactical combat, dialog, abilities, the story, creating a new IP, and more.
Koku Gamer - Why Roger Ebert Was Wrong. Thanks Ant via Digg.
Essentially, Ebert is saying that…
At least we won't hear about "Natal" anymore. Thanks Joker961.
Well it's E3 week. Grab your popcorn!
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