Building extensively on the successes of Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Red River brings wide-ranging advancements including a deeper narrative-led campaign, streamlined inventory and control system, a refined enemy and squad AI system, player class roles including customisable XP upgrades and loadout choice, close-quarters combat, new air support options and comprehensive tutorials.
“Operation Flashpoint: Red River is being built around four player co-op online play, complete with a strong narrative, new enemies and combat scenarios to deliver gameplay that immerses players in the reality of war like never before. The new setting of Tajikistan is a diverse and exciting backdrop for the wide range of military challenges the US Marines face around the world in real life. We’re excited to push the series in new directions while staying true to the core tactical combat that is the hallmark of Operation Flashpoint,” said Sion Lenton, Creative Director.
Among the key findings: Annual shipment volumes for the PC Gaming hardware market in 2009 were over two times larger than the combined Wii™, PlayStation® 2, PlayStation® 3 and Xbox 360® console units shipped in the same period. This trend for the PC Gaming hardware market to outpace all console shipments combined is expected to continue through the forecasted period of the research. In addition, revenues from consumer PCs capable of gaming that shipped with a discrete GPU (excludes Netbooks and integrated graphics-based PCs) totaled approximately $54.6 billion in 2009 and are forecasted to grow to $61.3 billion by 2014. These revenue figures are based on an estimated 61.5 million PCs (Desktop and Laptops) shipped in 2009 that can largely be associated with PC gaming as a key usage scenario.
The report also estimates the worldwide number of consumers gaming with discrete graphics solutions on their PCs (Desktop and Notebooks) to be 212.6 million for 2009 and expects this to grow to about 322 million by 2014. The report also includes detailed breakouts of various PC configurations (e.g. Basic, Mass Market, etc), by form factor and by geographic territory.
StarCraft 2- help us mourn the death of content freedom. Thanks Mike Martinez.
StarCraft 2 comes with a powerful set of tools for making your own maps and game modifications, but there is no local storage; you have to upload your content to Battle.net and let users grab that content from Blizzard's servers. If your content is considered inappropriate or obscene, Blizzard can take it down. The story is making its way around the gaming press, but this shouldn't be a shock... gaming content has long fallen under the control of the company that created the tools.
Does this hurt us as gamers? Absolutely.The 'FarmVille' Ruse- How Zynga's Creation Ruins Gaming and Steals Your Time. Thanks Ant via Digg.
There it is: Zynga's dirty technique for making its $500 million. It ropes players into the game with the promise that absolutely anyone can play. It will even float you coins the first time you run out, not unlike the casino that gives a high-roller luxury accommodations in anticipation of making back the house's stake. It dangles the prospect of a bigger, prettier, better farm; as the game loads, you're faced with idyllic images of well-off farms, not unlike the glossy ads for high-end residences. But it's nearly impossible to get some of those goods without ponying up a buck or two here and there. When Zynga's got a user base of 61 million digital farmers, it's easy enough to make ends meet, to say the least.The Escapist Extra Credits - The Future of MMOs. Thanks Morris.
"This week we explore why most modern MMOs fail and what the future of MMOs might be..."
Grateful Links: | Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius. |
Play: |
Victorian BMX. Moonster Safe. The Fog Fall 3. |
Links: | 5 Annoying Trends That Make Every Movie Look the Same. |
Science: |
Amazing telescopes produce hot space images. With Glimmer of Chance, Stardust Is Identified. Thanks j.c.f. |
Media: |
Tron Legacy Trailer. Incredible Catch In The Outfield. |