Archived News:
A reshuffling of THQ's release schedule is pushing the release of Red Faction: Armageddon two months to May 2011, after the earth-shattering shooter sequel was announced for a March release. This announcement also has word that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine has slipped to summer 2011 after being announced for release in "early 2011." This includes a statement from THQ CEO Brian Farrell which reads, in part: "We continue to execute on our plan to deliver great games, market them aggressively and release them in the most advantageous windows." They also adjust their financial guidance based on the news: "Primarily as a result of the updated release schedule for Red Faction Armageddon, THQ now expects to report fiscal 2011 non-GAAP net sales in the range of $800 million to $825 million and a non-GAAP loss per share in the range of $0.10 to $0.20."
Battlefront.com announces the release of Combat Mission Afghanistan, saying the standalone military tactical simulator is immediately available through the magic of digital distribution. Here's a thumbnail view of the game: "Combat Mission Afghanistan covers two periods of the Russian-Afghan wars - the initial phase 1980-1982, and the later years of highest activity 1985-1987 - in two campaigns and additionally ten standalone missions. The fully featured editor will of course allow players to create all new custom maps and missions." Also now available is a playable demo for the game, and here's word on that: "A free demo version is available immediately for download as well, including two playable scenarios (with full multiplayer capability) as well as sneak peeks at the editor and nag screens. The demo is not time limited."
TimeGate announces Section 8: Prejudice with the official press release for the upcoming first-person shooter sequel unveiled last week. "As you can see, we are very committed to this universe. The development team has tremendous passion for the IP," said Adel Chaveleh, CEO of TimeGate Studios. "Feedback from the community and media has been used to drive every single development decision on this project. Prejudice is taking everything popular about the first game of the series and pushing the envelope further. We’ve created a brand new and compelling story-driven single-player experience, expanded the world with new environments and massive amounts of new equipment. Prejudice is a full-blown sequel in every sense." Here's more: In addition to a brand new and lengthier story-driven campaign, Prejudice delivers a one-of-a-kind multiplayer experience that gives players unprecedented tactical control over ever-changing team-based combat. Players have the ability to drop spawn on the battlefield wherever they choose, while multiple game modes and Dynamic Combat Missions ensure diverse gaming experiences. Gamers can also expect more than 50 customizable weapons, tools and upgrades for an even greater level of control in defining their own play style.
House, M.D. is now available, allowing you to step into the running shoes of television's most unshaven physician to solve five medical mysteries. The game is available from digital distributors like GamersGate as well as Legacy Games themselves, and there's also a playable demo, which can be found on the Legacy Games Website and mirrored on AtomicGamer and Gamer's Hell.
Steam Wallet is a new service Valve is beta testing to offer an alternate method of paying for games on the Steam service. As the name implies, the service allows you to store funds in a Steam-specific account instead of keeping your cash stuffed in the mattress.
Activision announces a couple of preorder bonuses for Call of Duty: Black Ops, their upcoming military shooter sequel. Advance orders at Amazon.com will receive a Limited Edition Laser Cell & Wallpaper. On the other hand, preordering from GameStop will include a GameStop exclusive avatar flight suit.
Direct2Drive is now offering preorders of Sid Meier's Civilization V Digital Deluxe Edition in anticipation of next week's release of the turn-based strategy sequel. In addition to the game and all the digital deluxeness it offers, this preorder will also get you a free copy of Sid Meier's Civilization III: Complete to help catch up on the history of the history series, as well as the first Double Civilization and Scenario Pack post-release DLC.
A John Daly's ProStroke Golf Website is now live, offering info about this upcoming golf game. The site offers a video showing the game played with a PlayStation Move controller, and all sorts of console logos, but we are assured a PC edition will be included when the game is released next month.
Between now and the end of September, receive a $5.00 discount from Direct2Drive on all purchases over $15.00 by using the code "PAX" at checkout.
- NyxQuest- Kindred Spirits on Steam. Save 10% on pre-purchases.
- Star Wars Collection on Steam. Save 50%.
- Star Wars The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition on Steam. Save 75%.
Still on sale. Continue here to read the full story.
A new Magicka Website is online as an official home to Paradox Interactive's and Arrowhead Game Studios' action/adventure game based on Norse mythology scheduled for release in early next year. The site includes information and a gameplay trailer, and Paradox announces a new trailer on GameTrailers.com with a humorous explanation of "How the Gold Master Was Delayed." Here's a reminder of what the game is about: "Save the world of Magicka from doom as a co-op effort of four or single handedly using a fully dynamic spell system. Prepare to defeat the evil wizard as you wreak havoc and devastation on the minions of darkness in thirteen different levels of play."
Video games lead to faster decisions that are no less accurate reports the results of testing by cognitive scientists from the University of Rochester show some real-world benefits of playing action games on the ability to make proper decisions in a short time span. Word is: "The researchers found that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn't just make them better at playing video games, but improves a wide variety of general skills that can help with everyday activities like multitasking, driving, reading small print, keeping track of friends in a crowd, and navigating around town." Here's more on this research: The researchers tested dozens of 18- to 25-year-olds who were not ordinarily video game players. They split the subjects into two groups. One group played 50 hours of the fast-paced action video games "Call of Duty 2" and "Unreal Tournament," and the other group played 50 hours of the slow-moving strategy game "The Sims 2."
After this training period, all of the subjects were asked to make quick decisions in several tasks designed by the researchers. In the tasks, the participants had to look at a screen, analyze what was going on, and answer a simple question about the action in as little time as possible (i.e. whether a clump of erratically moving dots was migrating right or left across the screen on average). In order to make sure the effect wasn't limited to just visual perception, the participants were also asked to complete an analogous task that was purely auditory.
The action game players were up to 25 percent faster at coming to a conclusion and answered just as many questions correctly as their strategy game playing peers.
"It's not the case that the action game players are trigger-happy and less accurate: They are just as accurate and also faster," Bavelier said. "Action game players make more correct decisions per unit time. If you are a surgeon or you are in the middle of a battlefield, that can make all the difference."
Silverlode Interactive announces their MMORTS game SAGA will go free-to-play as of tomorrow. They say that players who register at that point "will receive the same fully enabled account that was formerly sold for $19.95 on such sites as Direct-2-Drive. All former paid features such as the ability to form guilds, trade in the auction house and quest with friends will be activated." Tournaments are now free as well, as word is: "In addition to free registration, all tournaments (which formerly costed [sic] tournament tokens to enter) will be free as well. Players will still win tokens for playing in tournaments, allowing for the purchase of rare and powerful items from the tournament store." They cap this news off with word that they will also patch the game tomorrow to raise level caps and add new quests: "The Tuesday Patch will also bring a lot of new content to the game, as well as removing the old alliance restriction, which means players of both the Brotherhood and Order Factions can quest and chat with each other. Some of the additions include raising the nation level cap to 40 and the unit level cap to 15. New territory quests have also been added, allowing players to expand their kingdoms."
The 31st Chris Taylor's Kings and Castles - Video Blog is online, with more on the real-time strategy game in the works at Gas Powered Games. This week Chris introduces us to his close friend the coffee machine before terrorizing more of his employees into showing what they are creating for the game. No cracked-out mailbag this week, but the chicken makes another cameo (and they're still "low on nuts," though these videos tend to suggest otherwise).
Cliffski’s Blog has an update from Positech CEO Cliff Harris on new Gratuitous Space Battles DLC shedding light on his recent comment about plans to reveal the new Nomads race for his space strategy game "in a slightly strange way." The plan is to release the DLC at two price points, $5.99 like the previous DLC and a "discount" version at $2.99. Both versions have the exact same content, and the only difference is how much gets paid to him, the developer, as Cliffski explains: "This is a bit of a sudden manic experiment to see what happens." More details on the Nomad expansion can be found here, there's a video showing it off on the YouTube, and the DLC can be purchased on this page.
Publisher Atari Europe and developer Eden Games announce closed beta testing of Test Drive Unlimited 2, saying "an elite group of dedicated beta testers" are currently test driving the game to ensure it "delivers the ultimate blend of exhilaration, open-world racing and luxurious, fast-lane lifestyle living." Word is: "With TDU2’s patented Massively Open Online Racing® system, closed beta testers will be immersed with day/night cycles, changing weather and automatic updates of new content. As they help shape a revolution in multiplayer racing communities, players will compete, team up, and share their achievements and creations online." They say the racing sequel is still on track for release in Q1 of next year.
Civilization V Website has details on 2K Games' plan to show off the upcoming turn-based strategy sequel in a live video stream this afternoon. Word is: "Well, I have heard your requests and have decided to show you how the game looks in action in the best way I could think of: A 2-hour live stream of the game during which Garrett Bittner, our Producer for Civilization V, will be there to answer your questions while I play through a game!" This all gets underway at 4:00 pm EDT today, on the 2K Games Live, Ustream.TV Channel. Thanks Ant via Voodoo Extreme.
Battlefront.com now offers three new teaser trailers from Combat Mission Shock Force - NATO, the upcoming global strategy game. There's a new German Teaser "showing German Bundeswehr forces in action," a Dutch Teaser featuring Dutch forces, and Canadian troops are shown off in a new Canadian Teaser. They also offer three new trailers from Combat Mission Afghanistan, one featuring urban combat, one on armored engagement.
Bethesda Softworks parent ZeniMax has filed a trademark registration for Oblivion as a film title, reports GameSpot. The filing covers: "Motion picture film production; entertainment services, namely, providing motion picture theatrical films in the field of fantasy games." Thanks Ant.
CNN.com - Video game piracy: Is it good for business? Thanks scorsese.fan.
More about microtransactions. Can't find a quote that really relates to the sensational headline.
- AC Ryan Playon!HD mini Media Player on Techgage.
- Arctic Sound S111 USB Speakers on XtremeComputing.
- ASUS ENGTS450 TOP DirectCU 1 GB Graphics Card on Hardware Canucks, HEXUS, PureOC, and techPowerUp.
- Axle GeForce GTS 450 OC 1 GB Graphics Card on techPowerUp.
- Corsair Force 40GB SSD on Technic3D.
- CyberPower Gamer Dragon Phenom II X6 Gaming System on ThinkComputers.org.
- EVGA GeForce GTS 450 1GB FTW Single & SLI Graphics Card on Hardware Canucks and Rage3D.
- Galaxy GeForce GTS 450 Super OC 1GB Graphics Card on PC Perspective and TweakTown.
- GIGABYTE GeForce GTS 450 1GB Graphics Card on Hardware Canucks, ProClockers, and PureOC.
- iMac 27″ i7 2.93GHz Gaming Performance on Techulous.
- Inno3D GeForce GTS 450 iChill Graphics Card on Legion Hardware.
- Lian Li PC-T60 PitStop Test-Bench on Tweaknews.
- MSI N450GTS Cyclone OC 1 GB Graphics Card on [H]ard-OCP, techPowerUp, and TweakTown.
- MSI 870A Fuzion Motherboard on OCIA.net.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 Graphics Card review roundup on Guru3D, Legit Reviews, and Overclockers Club.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 1GB Single & SLI Graphics Card on Benchmark Reviews, Hardware Canucks, Hardware Heaven, HotHardware, Neoseeker, Ninjalane, techPowerUp, and The Tech Report.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 Tech Report on Tech ARP.
- NVIDIA GeForce GTS 450 SLI Scaling Performance on Benchmark Reviews.
- Palit GTS 450 Sonic Platinum Graphics Card on TechSpot.
- Rosewill RK-V1TP Multimedia Keyboard and Touchpad Combo on Bjorn3D.com.
- Sapphire PURE CrossFireX 890GX AM3 Motherboard on OverClocked inside.
- Synology DiskStation DS210j on Vortez.
- ZOTAC GeForce GTS 450 AMP! Edition 1 GB Graphics Card on Overclock3D and techPowerUp.
This is a historical date in science-fiction history, as September 13, 1999 was the date given for the explosion that sparked the storyline in Space 1999. Here's a bit of crossover Space 1999 trivia: One episode featured Ian McShane, aka Deadwood's Al Swearengen.
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