Archived News:
SEGA seems to be today's big hacking victim in the gaming world. Below is an email forwarded by Mouser that is being sent to SEGA Pass account holders: As you may be aware, the SEGA Pass system has been offline since yesterday, Thursday 16 June.
Over the last 24 hours we have identified that unauthorised entry was gained to our SEGA Pass database.
We immediately took the appropriate action to protect our consumers’ data and isolate the location of the breach. We have launched an investigation into the extent of the breach of our public systems.
We have identified that a subset of SEGA Pass members emails addresses, dates of birth and encrypted passwords were obtained. To stress, none of the passwords obtained were stored in plain text.
Please note that no personal payment information was stored by SEGA as we use external payment providers, meaning your payment details were not at risk from this intrusion.
If you use the same login information for other websites and/or services as you do for SEGA Pass, you should change that information immediately.
Continue here to read the full story.
The Hollywood Reporter has the latest on Vince Zampella and Jason West's legal battle with Activision, saying a recent court ruling means this is probably headed to trial (thanks GamePro). Here's the summary: In March, Superior Court judge Elihu Berle ruled that Activision had sufficient claims against Electronic Arts. On Tuesday, the judge ruled that West and Zampella had sufficient claims against Activision.
Together, the decisions make it highly likely that the dispute will survive the preliminary stage, and barring any settlement, reach trial later this year or early next year.
Iceberg Interactive announces a retail release date for Star Ruler in some territories, saying those in Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia can expect to find the space strategy game from Blind Mind Studios on store shelves on September 16. Word is: "Pre-orders of the ‘4X’ Space RTS are now available with free shipping in the Iceberg Webshop ( http://www.iceberg-shop.com/star-ruler-en.html). A fully localized German version will be on sale in German retail stores on the same date."
The TaleWorlds Website now offers a new patch for Mount&Blade: With Fire & Sword, updating the action/RPG to version 1.141. Word is: "Patch 1.141 introduces a gamut of great new additions as well as hefty bug fixes to With Fire & Sword. Grab the patch or full client today to experience the new With Fire & Sword!" The automatic patch for the Steam edition is also now available. The patch notes follow. Continue here to read the full story.
The launch trailer for F.E.A.R. 3 sets the stage for next week's release of Day 1 Studios' installment in the horror-themed shooter series. The clip features cinematics and gameplay, all set to the strains of Marilyn Manson's Four Rusted Horses. The clip follows. Continue here to read the full story.
A new Raven's Cry Website is live as a home to this recently revealed open-world third-person action/adventure in the works at Octane Games. The site offers some artwork and a "mature" rated trailer. Here's word on the game: TopWare Interactive and Octane Games will be releasing a game that finally doesn’t paint pirates as the funny and playful ones we have to come to accept in pop-culture, but rather the ruthless and blood thirsty portrayal of historical relevance. With the announcement of the release of TopWare’s next big title, Raven’s Cry, even real pirate fans will be shaking in their buckled boots.
Continue here to read the full story.
Steam News announces they are selling the Razer Hydra PC Gaming Motion Sensing Controller, a PC peripheral providing motion control (this was mentioned last night, but seems worthy of more notice). This is a $139.99 unit that comes with a free copy of Portal 2 as well as the Portal 2 Sixense MotionPack DLC, and it is not clear if this DLC will be released for the rest of us, but it seems unlikely from the gameplay trailer, as the DLC clearly makes use of some new game mechanics. Here's word: "The Sixense Portal 2 MotionPack™ is custom-designed for use with the high-performance Razer Hydra motion tracking controllers. The MotionPack was designed from the ground up to provide the most advanced and immersive motion control experience ever seen. Reach, rotate and scale your way through both Portal 2 and the exclusive MotionPack test chambers. Intuitively interact with Portal Test Chambers using the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device in full three dimensions; fire portals at precise angles and throw Weighted Companion Cubes with measured force."
A new Apogee Software Website is online.
Games
- Alice: Madness Returns on Steam. So much for that theory.
- Dungeon Siege III on Steam. In many territories. North America next week.
- Revenge of the Titans (Mac) on Steam.
- Solar 2 on Steam.
Patches
No weekend promo, but save big on your summer ‘staycation’ starting Monday - GOG.com.
- Left 4 Dead 2 on Steam. Save 66%.
- Sins of a Solar Empire - Trinity on Impulse. Save 50%.
- Solar 2 on Steam. Save 10%.
Still on sale (previously reported). Continue here to read the full story.
id Software is considering a return to the QUAKE series, John Carmack tells Eurogamer, though while id's technical director says "strong factions" within the company are in favor of this, he also notes this is speculative as they continue work on RAGE and DOOM 4, saying: "Nothing is scheduled here, people are not building this." His comments indicate that if this comes to pass, their leaning is towards a reboot of the Cthulhu-style mash-up of the first game, rather than the Strogg-oriented sequels. "We went from the Quake 2 and the Quake 4 Strogg universe. We are at least tossing around the possibilities of going back to the bizarre, mixed up Cthulhu-ish Quake 1 world and rebooting that direction," he tells them. "We think that would be a more interesting direction than doing more Strogg stuff after Quake 4. We certainly have strong factions internally that want to go do this."
The Battlefield Blog has the overnight showing of Battlefield 3 on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. This is the console debut of the first-person shooter sequel, as they play the PlayStation 3 edition. That is actually the newest aspect of the clip, as the gameplay is set on the same level as previous footage from the game. DICE's Johan Andersson tweets a response to a comment about the visuals: "why would anyone expect that console would look the same as PC? if that was the case we would have failed with the PC version."
The World of Planes Website is now online, offering a home to Gaijin Entertainment's upcoming aerial combat MMOG. The site offers information and media, as well as signups for the game's upcoming beta test.
MrsBlue and I had a lovely dinner last night in honor of her birthday. We went to her favorite place, a local restaurant set on a farm where all the food is grown and raised on the grounds, and you don't actually order off the menu, but are provided with a multi-course meal based on the preferences you express to your server. The food was exceptionally fresh and interesting, and made for a nice special occasion. Weirdest moment: The server sets down a couple of reddish chips and says it is "face bacon." MrsBlue asks what that is and gets the obvious response: It's bacon made from the pig's face. I told her they should consider renaming it "TMI Bacon."
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