Archived News:
The North American release of Operation Flashpoint: Red River is being pushed back to June 7, reports IGN, who say Codemasters informed them of the delay to the military shooter sequel that was previously expected in the U.S. on April 26. Oddly, they say the Codies rep told them the game's European launch is still April 24.
Gamigo announces King of Kings 3: Dragon God Resurrection, an upcoming expansion for King of Kings 3, their free-to-play PvP & clan war MMORPG. They say the add-on will be released sometime this month, and it "will open the gates to the dragon world, unleashing a slew of new dangers, quests and dungeons as well as introducing new items and an additional specialization for all classes." They add: "As if that weren't enough, these dragons are not just there to be fought against, they can also be tamed." Here are some screenshots.
The StarCraft II Maps and Mods Page now offers the official release of StarJeweled, Aiur Chef, and Left 2 Die, the three game homage mods that entered beta testing in January.
Examiner.com has word that id's upcoming first-person shooter RAGE can be completed in about 15 hours, saying this figure comes from id's Tim Willits in an interview with the new OXM. There isn't any concrete context on how this figure was arrived at, and how much time a more completionist player will spend exploring side-quests and the game's open environment.
Edge Magazine has excerpts from an upcoming print interview with Bizarre Creations, discussing the recent closure of the developer by owner Activision (thanks nin via Joystiq). Interestingly, they indicate Activision gave Bizarre an opportunity to buy itself back, which Bizarre declined. "Without going into details, yes, there was [an opportunity]," explains Martyn Chudley. "But I personally thought there was far greater potential for the security and well-being of the company if a third party could come in." Sarah Chudley adds: "Bizarre had grown even more since [Activision] took over, and we just didn’t have the skills, capability or finances to look after over 200 people. Martyn and I were always small-company people, which is why we stepped aside when we realised it needed big-company skills to manage."
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announces the availability of their free anti-submarine warfare game, which was developed by military simulation game specialists Sonalysts based on their Dangerous Waters. This is actually a research tool of sorts, and players can choose to upload the outcomes of their games to DARPA for analysis. Word is: This software has been written to simulate actual evasion techniques used by submarines, challenging each player to track them successfully. Your tracking vessel is not the only ship at sea, so you’ll need to safely navigate among commercial shipping traffic as you attempt to track the submarine, whose driver has some tricks up his sleeve. You will earn points as you complete mission objectives, and will have the opportunity to see how you rank against the competition on DARPA’s leaderboard page. [https://actuv.darpa.mil/LeaderBoard.aspx] You can also share your experiences and insights from playing the simulator with others.
As you complete each scenario in the simulation, you may submit your tracking tactics to DARPA for analysis. DARPA will select the best tactics and build them into the ACTUV prototype.
This trailer offers the second part of the Section 8: Prejudice behind-the-scenes trailer, attempting once again to derive laughs from the desperate non-gamer chick. The clip also features the developers from TimeGate Studios, discussing the story in their upcoming shooter sequel.
This Orcs Must Die interview on GameSpot talks with Patrick Hudson, Harter Ryan, and Chris Rippy of Robot Entertainment about Orcs Must Die, the upcoming game in the works at this new developer formed by vets of Ensemble Studios. Here's a bit on what lead to this project: "We were inside Microsoft for so long--most of the people here came from Ensemble Studios--we've hired some fresh blood since then. And we were always prototyping something different outside of the [real-time strategy] realm and especially outside of Age of Empires and Halo Wars. There's been a lot of pent-up creative energy in this group of folks for a really long time, so getting independent finally allowed us to go and pursue some of these ideas. We've had guys in here that have been making more or less the same franchise for a dozen or 14 years and just [have] a strong desire to do some different things."
Thanks Acleacius and Ant.
Gamasutra offers some calculation based on a Reddit comment by Notch where the Minecraft designer says the indie sensation sold 800,000 alpha copies and another million more since, for an estimated $33 million in gross revenue before PayPal fees, taxes, etc. Here's what he says about where this "huge wad of money" is: "It all ends up in an account somewhere, and I try not to look at it. I get a normal salary these days for day to day stuff, but there's a big pile somewhere." Thanks Joao.
The Section 8: Prejudice Website offers release dates for Section 8: Prejudice, TimeGate's first-person shooter sequel. The Windows edition is expected via Steam and the Games for Windows Marketplace on May 4, which will follow the Xbox LIVE Arcade release on April 20, and precede the game's availability of the PlayStation Network this summer (thanks Joystiq via TimeGate's twitter feed). They also reveal the opportunity to get special unlocks for players of the first game though a "loyalty program." Here's the deal: TimeGate also unveiled a loyalty rewards program for its dedicated Section 8 fans. TimeGate will unlock Section 8: Prejudice equipment upgrades for players of the original Section 8, based on the Level they attained as of April 20th, 2011. Anyone who played the original Section 8 will instantly unlock Aegis Armor and the Reactive Plating upgrade, while those who reached Level 25 will additionally unlock the Ablative Plating upgrade. The very dedicated players who attained Level 50 will also get the Explosives Amplifier upgrade. Provided players have not changed their Microsoft Gamertag or PlayStation®Network ID, the upgrades will be unlocked automatically.
“As the release of Prejudice quickly approaches, we’re really excited to unveil loyalty rewards for players of the original Section 8. We think the very attractive $15 price point of Prejudice will introduce the franchise to a ton of new fans,” said Adel Chaveleh, President and CEO of TimeGate Studios. “Xbox LIVE Arcade is the perfect platform on which to debut our large-scale launch. With a little extra time on the PC and PlayStation®Network launches, we will be able to ensure that gamers get the best possible experience and a solid launch on each and every platform.”
There's a newsletter signup field at the bottom of the Scrolls Website, and registering there offers the opportunity to opt in as an alpha tester for the upcoming game from Mojang, the developer formed by Minecraft creator Notch. There's no word on when such testing may commence. Thanks Buddyp450 via Reddit.
The Bethesda Blog has a new trailer from Brink, showcasing player abilities in Splash Damage's upcoming first-person shooter. Here's word on what it offers: "Titled Ready and Able, the video shows off several of the many skills you can purchase for your character, mixed in with plenty of exciting in-game action. There are over 50 unlockable abilities in the game, offering up many different ways for you to specialise your character and build one that’s perfect for your preferred playing style."
There's a new trailer showing off the future of the Unreal Engine 3 on Kotaku. The clip includes a number of DirectX 11 features and more updated graphical goodness. There's also an article on Gizmodo where Epic's Tim Sweeney and Mark Rein discuss the engine's future and their mobile aspirations.
New patches are now available for The Sims Medieval, updating the historical Sims game to version 1.2.3. There are patches for the retail version and the digitally distributed editions, either of which can be downloaded from ActionTrip, AtomicGamer, Gamer's Hell, The Patches Scrolls, and WorthPlaying. The two-bullet change list follows. Continue here to read the full story.
Matrix Games announces the release of a new patch for Distant Worlds: Return of the Shakturi, updating the sci-fi strategy game to version 1.5.0.8. Here's word: "The comprehensive 1.5.0.8 update has a notable concentration on AI improvements that cover a wide variety of fields such as how the AI handles fleets, invasions, colonization and research. The update also includes a long list of bug fixes and other changes effecting colony balance, diplomacy, and the Ancient Guardians." The patch is available on this page.
Charlie Sheen has registered trademarks for no fewer than 22 of his catchphrases, including "Duh, Winning," "Vatican Assassin," "Tiger Blood" and "Rock Star From Mars," reports the Associated Press, saying videogames are one of the possible applications for the TMs. Thanks GameSpot.
IndustryGamers - GameStop 'Struggling' to Avoid Becoming 'The Next Blockbuster'. By GamersGate CEO Theo Bergquist.
GameStop has been struggling to redefine the company. While it is still the dominant force in traditional video-game retail, the firm is certainly aware of the trend away from OEM purchases for console games. With almost every comparable industry becoming digital (TV, movies, music, books) and Steam becoming the powerful player in interactive entertainment in its own right, it certainly seems absolutely necessary for GameStop to aggressively enter this space. As GameStop puts it in their press release, “GameStop doesn't care how you get your games; it just wants to be the company that gets them to you”, or to paraphrase “we will do whatever we can to not be the next Blockbuster.”
Today is the anniversary of the release of 2001: A Space Odyssey back in 1968, making this a genuine landmark date in cinematic history. "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage. But you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two."
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