Archived News:
Semi-retired internet sleuth supererogatory (aka superannuation) tweets about new (well, recent) copyrights filed by Bungie for Seven Seraphs, Osiris, New Monarchy, and Dead Orbit. A later tweet also notes that Bungie has also registered domains for three of those terms. Thanks Examiner via VG247.
Online games mavens Bigpoint announce they have hired 37 former Planet Moon Studios developers and artists for their San Francisco studio, adding some PC and console experience to their browser-based games. "We were very happy to work with our colleagues and Heiko's team over the holidays to affect this transition," said Aaron Loeb, CEO, Planet Moon Studios. "The Planet Moonies joining Bigpoint are world class talents. Together with the existing Bigpoint team, they form a particularly formidable studio." There's a bit more on this on GameSpot, where they get some clarity on what's going on here from Loeb, who explains he's happy to find work for his colleagues while Planet Moon explores its legal options after being left high and dry at the end of last year. "In December 2010, Planet Moon was proceeding in earnest on an important project, and we were delivering our usual high-quality product," the Planet Moon CEO told them. "To Planet Moon's surprise, the project went into financial default during the holidays. Planet Moon is owed a substantial amount of money and has claims against several parties. We are preparing legal action. We will issue further statements when we can."
Viva Media announces plans to publish Black Mirror 2 and Black Mirror 3 over the next two months in another North American deal with dtp Entertainment following news that they will be publishing Gray Matter. They say next month will see the release of Black Mirror 2: Reigning Evil at both retail and online, to be followed in March by the release of Black Mirror 3: The Final Terror. Here are descriptions of the games: Black Mirror 2: Reigning Evil- the latest chapter of this critically acclaimed series takes place in the 1990’s, where players will follow Darren, and explore superbly crafted recreations of the quaint fishing village of Biddleford Maine, the English village of Willow Creek, as they experience this unsettling story.
Black Mirror 3: The Final Fear offers a rich and exciting story that takes place in the 1990’s, twelve years after Black Mirror I and just seven minutes after the cliffhanger ending of Black Mirror II. It starts all again when Darren is arrested and accused of homicide and malicious arson…
A playable demo is now available for Alien Hallway, offering the chance to roam the corridors of this action/strategy shooter from Sigma Team, creators of the Alien Shooter series. The demo is available on the Sigma Team Website, and here's a bit (also from their site) on the game: "Control an entire army in a tough single-player campaign mode with a simple click of the mouse. With an easy approachable interface, players can go through three-dimensional battlefields destroying the enemies with superpowered weapons, throwing various types of grenades, using airstrike skill, and upgrading both the base and the units. Players make serious rational decisions saving the soldiers and earning gold bonuses which are vital in this intense confrontation." The download is mirrored on AtomicGamer and Gamer's Hell.
Battle.net has details on a new version 1.2.0 of StarCraft II that is now live. The patch notes are ginormous, so here's the Reader's Digest version: "StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty patch 1.2.0 is now live! This patch features adjustments to race balance, notable StarCraft II Editor improvements, the addition of Battle.net Chat Channels, and several bug fixes. Be sure to check out the full patch notes below to learn all about the latest changes."
Independent publisher Wadjet Eye Games announces plans to release Gemini Rue on February 24, which will offer the chance to play this 2010 Independent Game Festival Student Showcase winner developed by Joshua Nuernberger using the Adventure Game Studio engine. Preorders are being accepted on the Wadjet Eye Games Website, and the limited edition CD is only being offered during the preorder period, after which the game will only be available through digital distribution. Here's word on the game: "Gemini Rue (formerly known as Boryokudan Rue) is an intense adventure set in a bleak future dominated by the corrupt Boryokudan crime syndicate. Players assume the roles of two very different characters: Azriel Odin, an ex-assassin searching for a defector from the Gemini system, and 'Delta-Six,' a hospital inmate whose memory has been wiped by mysterious, Big Brother types. As fate brings the two men together, players explore a world where life is cheap, identities are bought and sold, and a simple quest for redemption can change an entire galaxy's fate."
The Defy Gravity Website now offers online sales of Defy Gravity, the debut title from Fish Factory Games. A playable demo is available to try before you buy, and a gameplay trailer is available to see before you try, if necessary. Here's word on the game: "Defy Gravity is a core action platformer that is a mix between Super Metroid, Mega Man X and Braid. Kara, our heroine, has access to a unique gameplay mechanic that she uses to manipulate the world around her. Kara has a gun that is able to alter the laws of physics through the creation of pockets of gravity and anti-gravity. By mastering the use of these abilities Kara is able to augment her jump in order to almost fly past obstacles. These powers can also be utilized to move objects that block her path and platforms that Kara stands on in order to traverse the levels."
The Dejobaan Games interview on Videospielkultur.de talks with Dejobaan founder Ichiro (Lambe) about their indie games, focusing on 1… 2… 3… Kick It! (Drop That Beat Like An Ugly Baby), their upcoming music game. Topics include their 75 (or so) years in game development, their 13.5 (or so) games, who creates their inventive titles, their pre-order alpha approach with Kick It!, comparisons with Beat Hazard and Audiosurf, their feelings about PC development, a look back at Aaaaa!, and more.
Andrew from Bonus EXP sends word he's uploaded a video to YouTube that's a bit of an internet time capsule, as it shows about ten minutes of web-surfing and other online activities shot on VHS tape almost 13 years ago on April 4, 1998. The clip shows the blazing speed of dial-up internet, the aesthetics of Windows 95 and the Netscape browser, and the elegant design of sites at the time, including this one, which shows up a bit after the five minute mark.
Link of the Day: BOND IS BACK! Daniel Craig and Sam Mendes Set For Nov. 9, 2012 Release Date. Thanks nin. And thank goodness.
Stardock announces details on Fallen Enchantress, the first expansion for Elemental: War of Magic, their fantasy-themed turn-based strategy game. The expansion will include "significant changes to the existing game as well as massive new content additions, including spells, magical equipment, quests, locations and creatures," when it is released in the second quarter of this year, and true to their word, Stardock will be offering it for free to all who purchased Elemental during 2010. Here's a bit more on the add-on: "In Fallen Enchantress players will be able to explore the world of Elemental and discover a wide range of unique locations, including dangerous wild lands that can’t be settled until they are conquered. There are areas like the Bhinadmi Fissure, a massive chasm that spawns demons and earth elementals, until a player goes to the edge and challenges the elemental lord that dwells within. These undiscovered lands contain new characters and creatures: from the tragic Butchermen who wander the lands around Red Springs trying to pass their curse off to another victim, to Morian the Ruin of Summer, who was once a powerful nature elemental who has been driven mad by the Cataclysm and the destruction of his forests."
Viva Media announces they've made a deal with dtp Entertainment to bring Gray Matter to retail next month, which will finally offer gamers the chance to play this long-in-development adventure game from Gabriel Knight creator Jane Jensen. Here's a bit on the game: "When student and part-time street performer Samantha Everett shows up at his doorstep, she unexpectedly becomes his assistant. Hailing from America, she has been traveling through most of Europe the last couple years. Her first task: finding six test subjects at Oxford University for one of Styles experiments. The experiment starts off innocently enough, but then inexplicable incidents start mounting." The announcement also includes the game's very modest system requirements, which follow. Continue here to read the full story.
The Miner Wars 2081 Website now offers a pre-alpha demo for this upcoming first-person shooter featuring space-based and interior combat. The demo is available in their downloads section, and here's word on what to expect: "The demo version of the game will run much like the full version. It will include all of the same features (i.e. harvesting, drilling, weapons, etc.) and receive regular updates. The only restriction will be the limitation that confines players to one particular sector in space." Those wishing to play more can purchase an account upgrade and play through the prerelease version of the game. The demo is mirrored on Gamer's Hell.
A report on Eurogamer.se in the site's native Swedish, has a confirmation of plans for a sequel to Sniper: Ghost Warrior, City Interactive's first-person shooter. This comes from an upcoming interview with producer Michal Sroczynski, who confirms the game will use CryENGINE 3 and will come to Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, though it's not confirmed that it will be titled Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2. Thanks VG247.
The Epic Games Forums now offer minimum and recommended system requirements for Bulletstorm, People Can Fly's upcoming first-person shooter (thanks BeyondUnreal). These specs follow. Continue here to read the full story.
A CCP Games job listing is seeking participants for some videogame focus testing in the Atlanta, GA area next week. They say those interested should apply by "Midnight, Tuesday, January 13, 2011." This is a bit confused, as midnight Tuesday passed several hours ago, but midnight the 13th is some time off, and we're presuming that's probably the actual deadline for applications. Word is: "If selected, you must be 18 or older, will be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement and must consent to be video recorded, which will be used for internal use only. Approximate playtest time will be 1-2hrs. Lunch and snacks will be provided. This is not a paid position but should be a fun opportunity to hang out with some game developers." Thanks World of Darkness News.
Electronic Arts will unveil Battlefield 3 for the press at the Game Developers Conference on March 1, 2011, reports IGN, where they say EA will also use the occasion to offer showings of Shadows of the Damned, Alice Madness Returns, Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning, and Crysis 2. Thanks mulder.
A new DC Universe Online Trailer shows off the Oolong Island area in DC Universe Online, SOE's superhero MMORPG that's slated to launch today. In this clip game director Chris Cao introduces this "very odd place" that's filled with mad scientists, and while some of them may be looking to perfect the art of brewing tea, most of them were engaged in creating robots, until things go wrong, as so often happens with mad scientists. The embedded version follows. Continue here to read the full story.
A second Test Drive Unlimited 2 video diary is now available, offering another look at Eden Games' upcoming racing sequel. The new diary is titled "Power is Nothing Without Control," discussing how the game engine was rewritten after the first game. Here's word on what to expect: "Gearing up for its highly anticipated February 8th release, the TDU2 Dev Diary series Part 2 takes you behind the scenes with the developers to hear about the new racing engine, how they reworked and upgraded the handling experience and much more. Hear from Atari Executive Producer Vince Farquharson, Eden Games Executive Producer David Nadal and Game Director Alain Jarniou as they walk you through the next iteration of Test Drive Unlimited 2." Here's the embedded version. Continue here to read the full story.
Behind The Scenes Of Skyrim on GameInformer includes a video of Todd Howard giving them a full tour of the Bethesda Game Studios offices. Todd shows them some of the diversions they offer, provides a glimpse of the map of Skyrim from the upcoming Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and more.
GRL Games announces the launch of Clandestiny on the new Mac App Store. This family-orientated puzzle/adventure game was designed by industry veteran Graeme Devine, formerly of Trilobyte, id Software, Ensemble, and most recently of Apple Software. The game is described as a combination of classic adventure, animated story, and fun puzzles.
We were heading out on a day trip on Sunday when the car made a funny noise pulling out of the driveway, which we assumed was snow under the tires until it persisted on the completely plowed street, when it became apparent we had a flat. I couldn't get a couple of the lug nuts loose by hand, perhaps due to the cold, though it could be thanks to the air-gun the tire place uses when they put them on, so I had to call roadside assistance right to our house to help change the tire. I'm all set with my goofy little donut spare, and will head off to the tire place at some point to see if the original tire can be repaired or if it must be replaced, hopefully getting an answer along the way to why the tire went flat for no apparent reason while sitting in the driveway.
Oh yeah, and happy birthday Ant!
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