Archived News:
A Dragon Age II Live Developer Chat took place earlier today, and is now available for replay, featuring lead designer Mike Laidlaw discussing the upcoming action/RPG sequel. The event kicks off with Mike informing everyone that just minutes before the chat began the game was declared gold for all platforms and all territories, so it is on track for its release in North America on March 8 and in Europe on March 11. Thanks GameBanshee, where they offer a rough transcript of the chat.
A story on Rock, Paper, Shotgun that's been picked up in many other places, states that a near-final build of Crysis 2 has been leaked onto torrent sites, saying this also includes a "master key for the online authentication" of the game.
Promising an official announcement "soon," the Croteam Website has a short update from CEO Roman Ribaric saying Serious Sam 3 is due this summer. Thanks Destructoid.
A new DiRT 3 'Keep It Real' Developer Q&A Trailer is online showing off gameplay from the upcoming rally racing sequel. Word is: "The video includes new gameplay footage, showcasing the blistering speed, jaw-dropping damage effects and stunning graphics for which the series is famed. Starring the game’s new rally locations of Kenya and Finland, a trio of iconic rally cars - the Audi Sport Quattro Rally, Lancia Fulvia HF and Kris Meeke’s 2009 Intercontinental Rally Championship winning Peugeot 207 S2000 - powerslide and redline their way through gruelling new stages. Exploring the most important aspect of the game, the handling, Gehan Pathiraja, Senior Vehicle Handling Designer, and Tim Dearing, Vehicle Handling Designer, explain how DiRT 3 will deliver the most exciting and realistic behind-wheel experience in the series." The note we got from Codemasters about the trailer also reveals that like its predecessor Colin McRae: DiRT 2, DiRT 3 will be using the unpopular Games for Windows LIVE service.
The Magicka interview on Big Download chats up Paradox producer Mattias Lilja about Magicka after learning that in spite of a buggy launch Arrowhead Game's action/adventure has sold over 200,000 copies in just 17 days. The conversation compares the pace of the game's sales to other Paradox games, reasons for this success, their ongoing patch releases (the latest of which was earlier today), plans to support the game with both free and paid DLC, and more. Paradox also sends word that they plan on unveiling a "surprise" about Magicka at this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco at the end of this month, coyly adding "it is not what you think it is."
The Arcen Games Website offers a batch of new screenshots from A Valley Without Wind and points the way to a new gameplay trailer, which, like the screenshots, comes from a pre-alpha version of this procedurally generated, side-scrolling action/adventure game. There's also A Valley Without Wind interview on Big Download where Erik Johnson and Chris Park of Arcen Games discuss the game and the future of their company.
Steam News announces a new automatic patch for Left 4 Dead 2 adding the new community mutation Death's Door to the zombie shooter. The Left 4 Dead Blog explains what this does: "This Co-op Mutation from Rayman1103 features death, death at a moment’s notice. No sitting around waiting to die. No wondering if your friends will save you. Nothing. You go down, you’re dead. So stick close to your friends and make sure to watch out for friendly fire."
StarCraft Universe is the new name for the StarCraft II modification previously known as World of StarCraft, reports TechSpot News, saying it will be released as a series of custom maps on Battle.net. After a video from the project got pulled from the YouTube, Blizzard explicitly stated it was not killing the project, though this news suggests they may have their own agenda for the name World of StarCraft. They reveal some planned features in the project, while also explaining that while this was originally perceived as an MMOG, it will only support up to 12 players due to limitations in StarCraft custom maps. Thanks Rock, Paper, Shotgun.
This video features Gearbox Software VP Steve Gibson interviewing himself about Duke Nukem Forever (he was previously a game journalist after all). He talks about all the DNF developers working on the game at Gearbox, how much fun the game will be, interactivity and cogn...things you have to figure out. The clip features some gameplay footage, including an interactive vibrator. Thanks [H]ard-OCP.
Link of the Day: Rubber Trailer. WTF? Thanks DrEnter.
MCV reports a rumor that Activision is looking to acquire rival publisher/developer Take-Two Interactive, saying these "rumours are circulating at the highest level" (whatever that means). They offer a quote from an anonymous source described as "a senior executive" (of an unspecified company) saying: "There are very strong rumours amongst people at a very senior level within the global business," though this is followed by some hedging and fuzzy math: "But there're not much more than that at the moment – they are just rumours. And, of course, given Activision's news this week, everyone is now looking to see what their next move is. But you can definitely put two and two together and make four-ish."
bitComposer Games announces The Rockin' Dead, a point-and-click adventure game using anaglyph 3D technology in the works at German developer Grasland Production for release on Windows in Q2 of this year. Here are some screenshots, including one in 3D and the rest in 2D mode, which the game also supports. Here's word on the game: "The Rockin’ Dead is a point’n’click adventure with a plot that is both kooky and fun! It is presented in best B Movie tradition and is in 3D for the first time. The player assumes the role of Alyssa, the leader of the heavy metal girl band trio 'Deadly Lullabyes', who are as gorgeous as they are unsuccessful! Alyssa and the two other band members set out in the band bus after an anonymous invitation to play a concert. However, shortly before arriving at their destination, they have a road accident in the boondocks. Alyssa regains consciousness only to find that all of the band’s equipment and the other two girls have vanished into thin air! The adventure begins here and, in her search to solve the mystery, it leads Alyssa ever deeper into a world of undead beings, rocking skeletons and a host of other bizarre creatures!"
MCV has word on NCsoft's latest financial results. Here's word on the South Korean developer/publisher's profitable year: "MMO publisher NCsoft’s sales rose to 647.9bn South Korean Won (or £360.6m) last year. The consolidated sales increased by two per cent year-on-year, while operating profit rose by four per cent to 242.9bn Won (£145.7m). NCsoft broke its own records with Lineage reaching its greatest annual sales ever, generating 181.2bn Won. Combined sales and operating profit of the firm’s three biggest titles – Lineage, Lineage II and Aion – reached three trillion Won. Aion achieved its third consecutive year of growth."
Results of the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards are now online. Mass Effect 2 took a few honors including the game of the year award, StarCraft II took a couple, and the most awards went to Red Dead Redemption, including action game of the year.
2K Games and Gearbox Software announce plans for a Duke Nukem Forever Balls of Steel edition with additional content in the eternally in-development first-person shooter to be released exclusively at GameStop and Amazon on May 3 along with the standard edition of the game. Here's word on the additional content in the $99.99 package:
- Collectible bust of the greatest alien ass-kicker of all-time
- Numbered, limited-edition certificate of authenticity
- 100-page hardcover book: The History, Legacy & Legend: Duke Nukem Forever Art from the Vault
- Duke Nukem Forever postcard series
- Duke Nukem Forever radioactive emblem sticker
- Duke Nukem Forever collectable comic book
- Duke Nukem Forever foldable paper craft
- Duke Nukem Forever poker chips
- Duke Nukem Forever mini-card deck
- Duke Nukem Forever radioactive emblem dice
A post on the NeoGAF forums offers a couple of complaints about the new You Don't Know Jack trivia game (thanks Joao), pointing out the game only supports two players at the same PC. The YDKJ Twitter feed follows the game's self-described "irreverent" philosophy in response: "Aren't most PC players too fat to fit more than two at a keyboard?"
A Conversation With Black Swan Composer Clint Mansell on The Quietus has word that the composer of the soundtrack of the acclaimed ballet film is also scoring BioWare's upcoming Mass Effect 3: "I'm doing a video game this year actually. Mass Effect 3. Funnily enough, talking about Mike, we've exchanged emails about the possibility of doing a show featuring the Quartet and people they've collaborated with. It'd be a Kronos show, with different rooms for other people to do their thing, then bringing it all together. It's pretty cool-sounding." Thanks MCV. On a related note, a post on the BioWare Social Network by Jack Wall offers a farewell from the composer of the soundtracks of the first two Mass Effect games. Thanks Game Stooge.
Matrix Games announces a new patch for The Operational Art of War III, updating the strategy game to version 3.4.0.202. Matrix Games' David Heath describes the update: "This update includes so many significant and exciting improvements to The Operational Art of War III, it’s practically a new release! The TOAD team has put so much extra detail and shine into this classic wargame with this update that there’s never been a better time to jump on board and try your hand at the premiere simulation of operational warfare!" The patch is located on this page.
Bitmob - Death in video games: A minor inconvenience made major.
BioShock essentially makes you immortal through the majority of the game, sending you back through Vita-Chambers with almost Super Meat Boy speed. It did little to stop the game from being praised as a worthy and engaging title. Kirby's Epic Yarn, in its own way, eschews death and places its challenge in collecting beads and items to open up new levels. Get hit and instead of your life bar going down, you lose merit and reward.
- Metro 2034 on IGN.
- Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution on Gaming Nexus.
I've been putting out suet cakes for the birds this winter using a couple of basket feeders, which has been a huge hit. This morning when I let the doggies out I noticed one of the feeders was on a lower branch than I left it, and the other seemed to be missing. It turns out the second feeder was still in the tree, and I just didn't see it because the suet cake was missing. This was fortunate, because when I looked for the feeder I found the suet cake lying in the snow beneath the tree, right about the time it was discovered by Hudson the wonder dog, so if I hadn't noticed it, she surely would have had a high-cholesterol breakfast. This raises the question of why the squirrels didn't polish off the suet, as they were surely the culprits in dislodging everything, since I've caught them eating the suet on several occasions. I see there are squirrel-proof suet feeders, so maybe I need to look into these, since I've had great success with my squirrel-proof seed feeder.
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