Archived News:
The Assassin's Creed Facebook Page offers a new "exclusive sneak peek" at the next installment in the Assassin's Creed series for those who hit the "like" button. This leads to Flash animation and in a bit of a bait-and-switch, word that you should "spread the word" to trigger this revelation, with an activity meter showing this effort currently stands at only one potato percent. The Ubisoft forums have a discussion of the clues in the obscured imagery in the video. Thanks NeoGAF.
Gazillion Entertainment and Marvel Entertainment announce the launch of Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, a youth-oriented superhero MMORPG. On a related note, Wired.com reveals details about Marvel Universe Online, a free-to-play MMORPG in the works at Gazillion Entertainment with a story by comic writer Brian Michael Bendis. The first game with that title was in development at Cryptic Studios before it was cancelled about three years ago, though Gazillion's plans for MUO were revealed two years ago. At that time the game was slated for a 2012 release, but the project currently carries no set release date. Word is: "Marvel Universe will allow players to take on the personas of classic comic book characters like Captain America and Spider-Man, which should make for some interesting interactive match-ups. The game’s main villain will be Dr. Doom." How an MMOG with players playing established characters is supposed to work is not explained. Thanks Joseph via ComicBookMovie.com.
The Firefall Website now offers a new Sunken Harbor PvP trailer showing off combat in this co-op shooter in development at Red 5 Studios for release later this year. The trailer is accompanied by an announcement that they will be showing off the game next Friday at 9:00 pm EDT in a live broadcast on Justin.tv. Word is: "We’ve invited a group of e-Sports broadcasters to the studio to not only provide their insights into the game and help us tune the competitive side of Firefall, but they will also be broadcasting an internal dev match live."
The Star Wars: The Old Republic Website has a new trailer showing off Sith Warrior character progression in the Star Wars MMORPG in the works at BioWare. Word is: "Take a look at this Sith Warrior as he develops and amasses power in The Old Republic™. While there are many paths to choose from, this example gives you a small glimpse of the armor and abilities a Sith Warrior can claim as he pursues his own destiny." The site also offers a developer blog on the game's user interface.
There's an interview roundup on Bitmob talking with Croteam and the indie developers working on a slew of new titles set in the Serious Sam universe. They discuss how these partnerships came to be, and "how much leeway each team had with the shenanigans they could put Sam into."
"The nature of social games is that you look first at the monetization model," Paradox Interactive's Fredrik Wester tells Kotaku. "And then you look at the [game design] idea … We started a Facebook game and decided: 'This is just going to be so boring.' It's basically like we're trying to steal people's money."
- Deus Ex: Human Revolution on Bitmob.
- Rise of Immortals on YouTube. Closed beta Developer audiocast.
- Warhammer 40K: Space Marine on Games On Net.
Valve officially announces plans for the first DLC for Portal 2, their puzzle/platformer sequel, which will be a free release on all platforms, adding new test chambers, leaderboards, challenge modes, and more. As was revealed earlier this week, this downloadable content is expected this summer ( Valve Time). Here's word: April 29, 2011 - Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the first game add-on for the year's highest rated multiplatform game, Portal 2, is in development and targeted for this summer.
Portal 2 DLC #1 will offer new test chambers for players, leaderboards, challenge mode for single and multiplayer modes, and more.
Targeted for release this summer, Portal 2 DLC #1 will be offered free of charge for the PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PS3.
Portal 2 was released April 19 and currently holds a Metacritic score of 95%, making it the top rated multiplatform game of 2011. Portal also captured the number 1 chart position in the UK, Germany, and the Nordic countries during its first week of availability, making it the fastest-selling Valve release since Half-Life 2.
A hilariously mind-bending adventure that challenges you to use wits over weaponry in a funhouse of diabolical science, Portal 2 features expansive single and cooperative multiplayer game modes.
Update: Thanks for all the interest in the giveaway, but our supply of beta keys is finally exhausted. Our supply of Age of Empires Online beta keys has not yet been exhausted, so if you are interested in checking out the MMORTS game, you can reply to this thread and we'll send one along. A few folks are posting their email addresses in these requests, but that's an unnecessary exposure to potential spammers, we'll just send it to the address associated with your account. Also, while we appreciate those expressing their disinterest, we can cleverly infer this from a lack of reply as well. Participation in the beta is conducted through Games for Windows Live. Update: Thanks for all the interest in the giveaway, but our supply of beta keys is finally exhausted.
Rock Hippo Productions announces a new "zombie mode" to launch on May 5th in MicroVolts, the toy-themed, free-to-play online third-person shooter. This batch of screenshots shows off some undead toy action, and here's a bit from the announcement: With the introduction of Zombie Mode, even toys can become zombies as infected players take on the role of a Zombie Toy with unique abilities to hunt players with uninfected toys. Uninfected players will have all weapons available but may not have as much ammo as they are accustomed to playing with which may leave them vulnerable to a "Zombie Toy."
Just Add Water is working on a revival of Oddworld: Hand of Odd, a spin-off of the Oddworld series which was cancelled back in 1998, reports Eurogamer. The game is a real-time strategy take on the oddness of Oddworld, and word is: "JAW plans to modernise the original design, making it more 'casual rather than more intense'. It is working from the three-inch thick design document Oddworld Inhabitants created in the nineties." Word is they are targeting Windows, OS X, iPad, Android tablets, and Facebook, but that console releases are unlikely.
EA now offers the official announcement of Need for Speed The Run, their just-revealed continuation of the racing series. This includes word that the game will be released on November 15, and that it will be making use of the Frostbite 2 engine that DICE developed for their Battlefield series. Here's a bit: Need for Speed The Run lures players into an underground world of illicit, high-stakes racing. The heat is on – and it isn’t just the fuzz who are after you. Entering the race is just the beginning as you blow across borders, weave through dense urban traffic, rocket down icy mountain passes and navigate narrow canyons at breakneck speeds. Powered by DICE’s state-of-the-art Frostbite™ 2 engine, Need for Speed The Run takes the action racing genre to new heights with stunning visuals and car physics that hug the road even at top speeds all built around a gripping storyline. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story will have you at the edge of your seat… all the way from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Empire State building.
Blizzard now offers a bunch of new previews of the upcoming version 4.2 update for World of Warcraft, their MMORPG. They offer BlizzCast 16 on World of Warcraft Patch 4.2, a preview of The Regrowth and Molten Front Daily Quest Hubs, a preview of A Legendary Engagement, and a preview of The Firelands.
A fourth ArcaniA: Gothic 4 patch is available to update the role-playing sequel with texture and animation fixes and remove the game's online activation requirement. The download is available automatically from within the game, and there's a manual patch on German site World of Gothic and mirrored on Gamer's Hell, GamePron, and WorthPlaying.
A new patch for SHIFT 2 Unleashed is online, which brings the latest installment in the Need for Speed series of racing games to version 1.01. The download is available on the Need for Speed Website, and it is mirrored on GamePron, Gamer's Hell, The Patches Scrolls, and WorthPlaying. The change list follows. Continue here to read the full story.
New patches for The Sims Medieval are available to update the recently released installment in the strategy/simulation series to version 1.3.13. There are two versions of the patch, one for the retail edition, and another for the digitally distributed edition, and both are available on Gamer's Hell, The Patches Scrolls, and WorthPlaying. There's a change list on the EA Forums, which is reproduced below. Continue here to read the full story.
A new patch is available for Battlefield Academy, updating the turn-based strategy game to version 1.5.3. The patch is available on Matrix Games, where word is: "New languages supported, more scripting features, two new unit orders and more!" The download is mirrored on Gamer's Hell, GamePron, and WorthPlaying.
A new patch is now available for Blood Bowl Legendary Edition to update the Warhammer-style tackle football game to version 2.0.1.2. The patch is available on the Cyanide Studio Forums where word is this is for all versions of the game except the one distributed through Steam, which will automatically update. The patch is also mirrored on Gamer's Hell and The Patches Scrolls. The new version fixes "a possible crash when placing players on the pitch."
The manual version of the new Cities in Motion patch is now available, updating the urban transportation simulation to version 1.0.17. The download is available on Gamer's Hell, The Patches Scrolls, and WorthPlaying.
We're celebrating the new royalty here in the BlueTower, which of course is because the Giants drafted Prince Amukamara last night, who is actually descended from Nigerian royalty. I hope you didn't think I was going to say we got up in the middle of the night to watch William and Kate's nuptials, because that was not going to happen, though MrsBlue does have a huge chunk of coverage of the event in the DVR to watch (without me). Anyway, the Giants getting the Prince with the 19th pick is pretty cool, as he was projected as a top 10 guy, and this is widely regarded as one of the biggest steals of the first round.
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