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Tuesday, Aug 16, 2011

Warface Coming West Next Year
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 8 Comments

Crytek now plans on showing its Warface to western markets, after the initial announcement that this free-to-play online PC first-person shooter set in the near future was targeted at "the Korean and other Asian markets." GameSpot reports the company made the announcement today at Gamescom. Word is the game's Western launch is planned for sometime next year.

Warhammer Online Wrath of Heroes Announced
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 10 Comments

BioWare announces Warhammer Online Wrath of Heroes, a free-to-play MMOG online game set in the Warhammer universe that's expected to launch this autumn. The site offers an Official Announcement Trailer along with screenshots and beta signups. Here's word on the game:
Welcome to the world of Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes where the war is fought on not one, not two, but three fronts. Group with friends or plunge recklessly into the fray with complete strangers. Enjoy fast paced mmo style combat within multiple thematic environments. Choose your Hero and put them to the test. Change your Heroes mid-match to ensure victory. Reap the benefits of conquest and recruit additional Heroes to your banner. Then prove your mettle by clawing your way to the top of the leaderboards.

Football Manager 2012 Announced
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

The SEGA Blog has the official announcement of Football Manager 2012, saying the next installment in this soccer/association football series is planned for release by Christmas of this year. "We’re delighted to finally be able to start talking about Football Manager 2012," says Miles Jacobson, Studio Director at Sports Interactive. "It’s another year of evolution, with some revolution thrown in for good measure so we’re pretty sure our dedicated communities, and hopefully lots of new people too, get to play and enjoy the game when it’s released later in the year." They offer some screenshots and a work in progress gameplay trailer, and an adaptable layout trailer. There are more screenshots on the Football Manager 2012 Website where they note the game will once again be coming for both Windows and OS X. They offer an extensive feature list, and here's an overview:
Counting over 800 new features, not including changes to the rules of the games 50+ leagues, Football Manager 2012 promises to be the most realistic, immersive and playable football management simulation ever for any fan who has ever dreamed of making the big decisions, both on and off the field.

Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes PC Date, DLC Plans
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

Eurogamer has word on I Am The Boss, a Tony Danza-free expansion coming to Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes later this year. This is germane to PC gamers because this is accompanied by word that this puzzle game will be released for Windows on September 22, as word of a PC version slipped under our radar when it was revealed a few weeks ago as part of Ubisoft's financial reporting. According to VG247 the Windows DLC will be free to those who preorder the puzzle game from UBIShop, though we can't seem to find this there at the moment.

DOTA 2 Beta Signups
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 6 Comments

The Dota 2 Website now offers a link for logging on to Steam and register your interest in the upcoming beta test of DOTA 2, their Defense of the ancients sequel. There's no indication of when testing of this MOBA sequel will commence.

Renegade Ops Upgrades Trailer
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments

SEGA Blog now offers an upgrades trailer from Renegade Ops, Avalanche Studios' upcoming military-themed co-op shooter. Here's word: "Upgrades come in many forms, both in direct pickups like the flamethrower or as purchases which affect different abilities in game. Emp suddenly adds a bit of damage to the stun effect or you can reflect shots on your armor plating. Take a look at the trailer to see how it all comes together!" Here's the embedded trailer. Continue here to read the full story.

Dishonored Interviews
 [10:12 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments

There are interviews on Destructoid and AusGamers each talking with Arkane Studio's Creative Directors Raphaël Colantonio and Harvey Smith about Dishonored, their upcoming first-person shooter. The Ausgamer's interview is on video with a text transcript, and they discuss the game's showing at QuakeCon and get into a lot o nuts-and-bolts about game design and gameplay. The Destructoid piece is a bit more meta, talking about The Crossing, their on hold project, and what elements from that are finding their way into Dishonored, as well as other game influences, reflections on Arx Fatalis, the direction of current FPS games, console considerations, and more. They conclude with a perspective from Harvey on what he considers the game's genre to be: "We always use the term 'immersive simulation.' It’s that school of thought that it’s a first-person game, but it’s not a shooter. It’s a first-person game with depth and world cohesion."

New Via Digital Distribution
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments

Games

  • Call of Duty: Black Ops on Impulse.
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on Impulse.
  • From Dust on Direct2Drive.
  • HOARD: Dynamite Roll! on Steam.
  • RollerCoaster Tycoon 2: Triple Thrill Pack on GOG.com.
  • Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines on Impulse.

Patches

On Sale
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

  • Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Deluxe Edition on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Brothers in Arms Earned in Blood on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Dark Messiah Might and Magic on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Driver Parallel Lines on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Far Cry Bundle on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Front Mission Evolved on Steam. Save 75%.
  • IL-2 Sturmovik 1946 on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • IL-2 Sturmovik: Cliffs of Dover on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Peter Jackson's King Kong - Gamers Edition on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Prince of Persia Bundle on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Prototype on Steam. Save 66%.
  • R.U.S.E. on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • R.U.S.E.: The Chimera Pack on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • R.U.S.E.: The Pack of the Rising Sun on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Section 8: Prejudice on Steam. Save 66%.
  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Bundle on Impulse. Save 60%.
  • Wheelman on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • XIII on Impulse. Save 25%.
  • Zeit² on Impulse. Save 25%.
    Still on sale (previously reported). Continue here to read the full story.

Gatherings & Competitions
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

Evening Screenshots
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

Evening Consolidation
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

Evening Mobilization
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 3 Comments

Evening Metaverse
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 11 Comments

Evening Tech Bits
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

Evening Safety Dance
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment

Evening Legal Briefs
 [10:11 pm ET] – Share – Post a Comment

etc., etc.
 [10:10 pm ET] – Share – 4 Comments

Into the Black
 [10:10 pm ET] – Share – 2 Comments

Link of the Day: 10 Suckiest Fake Video Games That People Play In Science Fiction. Thanks Neatorama.

TrackMania 2: Canyon Presales and Multiplayer Beta Access Underway
 [6:00 pm ET] – Share – 9 Comments

ManiaPlanet now offers online presales of TrackMania 2: Canyon, Nadeo's upcoming racing game sequel. As was previously announced, this advance commitment entitles one to join the multiplayer beta test for the game. Word is: "Partake in the official Beta by purchasing TrackMania² CANYON today. You will automatically receive all further updates enabling you to play the entire game as soon as it is released on the 14/09 at midnight GMT+1." Thanks Frans.

Steamships Ahoy - Dawn of War II: Retribution Ultramarines DLC
 [5:34 pm ET] – Share – 7 Comments

Steam now offers digital distribution of the new Ultramarines DLC for Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II: Retribution. Here's word on what this pack adds to the Warhammer 40K RTS sequel for your $7.49 USD:
The Ultramarines Pack adds the iconic Space Marine chapter to Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War® II: Retribution™ with eight unique models for the major multiplayer units as well as new color schemes for the others. The Force Commander is replaced by a Ultramarines Captain complete with roman style helmet and Ultramarines livery, the Tactical Marine squad all sport the iconic Ultramarines white helms and livery. The Dreadnought is decorated with a banner displaying the corpse of a Tyranid creature. Additionally, the Scout Squad, Assault Marine Squad and Terminators all receive similar chapter-specific revisions. The Space Marine vehicles also get a visual makeover with this DLC pack, adding custom designs and emblems to differentiate them from the standard vehicles.

F1 2011 Handling and AI Video Diary
 [3:35 pm ET] – Share – 1 Comment

A second video developer diary from F1 2011 features the developers of Codemasters' upcoming Formula One racing sequel discussing car handling and artificial intelligence in the game. Along the way we hear from chief game designer Stephen Hood, F1 test driver & advisor Anthony Davidson, and senior producer Paul Jeal, who explain that the suspension system has been changed completely since F1 2010, as have car aerodynamics, and players will "feel more involved with the car now." This is tied into the diary's other theme of the AI, as they explain in F1 2010 they were trying to balance handling and AI at the same time, and having a handle on that allows them to enhance each of them, and that the AI in F1 2011 is more dynamic in its decision making, and it can now alter its tactics based on changing conditions, rather than staying committed to what had initially been the "right" decision. The diary can be found below. Continue here to read the full story.

Mass Effect 3 Trailer and Screenshots
 [2:38 pm ET] – Share – 18 Comments

A new Squad Leader Trailer from Mass Effect 3 is part one of the combat reveal from BioWare's upcoming action/RPG sequel, as it shows Shepard and his squad fighting a Cerberus assault, culminating in a firefight against a mech. There are also new screenshots from the game on Twitpic: one, two, three, four, five of them to be precise. Here's the embedded trailer. Continue here to read the full story.

Ghost Recon Future Soldier MP Trailer
 [12:48 pm ET] – Share – 9 Comments

A sneak peek trailer from last week for Ghost Recon Future Soldier takes a look at multiplayer support in Ubisoft's tactical shooter sequel. The clip is narrated by creative director Tommy Jacob, who shows off footage of the game as it was shown off at E3, and explains the elements that they hope will make for a compelling multiplayer experience. He says the game's three areas of emphasis are shooting mechanics, the intel loop ("a unique aspect of gameplay that gives players a new and visceral way to play a support role"), and teamwork, as the clip demonstrates various ways they will reward players who play well with others. He describes the factions in the game, the three roles each includes, and shows off cover mechanics, suppressing fire, equipment, and much more. Thanks MCV. The embedded version follows. Continue here to read the full story.

DmC Devil May Cry Gamescom Trailer
 [12:48 pm ET] – Share – 6 Comments

The Gamescom trailer for DmC Devil May Cry shows off some fast and furious gameplay from Ninja Theory's upcoming installment in this hack-and-slash action series. The clip shows Dante dispatching mobs, sometimes in groups, and sometimes one at a time, as they politely take turns attacking him (thanks VG247, where they also have some screenshots from the game). Here's the embedded clip. Continue here to read the full story.

Project Osborn Revealed?
 [11:48 am ET] – Share – 10 Comments

Siliconera has unconfirmed details on a project with the working title Project Osborn that a "source" tells them is in the works at Ubisoft. They call this "a squad shooter with stealth elements" in development for "high-definition machines," with a plot that sounds like it comes straight from someone's most paranoid fantasies. This involves a soldier directly descended from George Washington named John Washington (they say Ubisoft describes him as a "modern day William Wallace") who is prevented from his "chance to stop Al Qaeda" because "the [U.S.] military turned on him" and sent an airstrike to destroy his unit. This leads him to reform the Minutemen "to save America… from itself" by waging a guerilla war on U.S. soil against a group called "Osborn" lead by a Navy SEAL. They also say the game will be playable from both sides of this conflict. Thanks Computer and Video Games.

Battlefield 3 Jet Combat Trailer
 [11:27 am ET] – Share – 66 Comments

A new trailer from Battlefield 3 shown today at Gamescom features 64-player combat on the Caspian border multiplayer map in DICE's upcoming military shooter sequel. The clip has some vehicular action and finally shows off some jet combat from the game. The embedded version follows. Continue here to read the full story.

Nexus 2 Announced
 [11:19 am ET] – Share – 32 Comments

Most Wanted Entertainment announces Nexus 2, an upcoming sequel to Nexus: The Jupiter Incident, their space-based tactical real-time strategy game. The original Nexus was was released in May 2005, and the following year what seemed to be a teaser for a sequel popped up, but no more has been heard of this since. "We re-launched the original Nexus on Steam a while ago, and even now we see a substantial amount of new players buying the game each month", says MWE owner Mike Horneman. "We have a very vocal fan base, and know that there's a large number of people out there who would love to see a sequel made." The game is being self-funded by Most Wanted Entertainment with the assistance of crowdsourced financing through GamesPlant, and while they don't share any details about the game at this point, they do outline how the financial part of this will work:
"We're happy to put a large chunk of our own resources into making Nexus 2", said Horneman, "but realistically we cannot fund the whole project ourselves. So, with GamesPlant, we can offer all our fans out there a chance to be part of the Nexus 2 project. The more you pledge, the more you will benefit; from digital pre-orders, through special boxed editions and your name included in the game, right up to profitsharing; everyone can be a part of this."

The GamesPlant site allows users to "pledge" funds to projects, with the money only actually deducted if the project meets its start criteria. If Most Wanted's Nexus 2 plan succeeds, it will be the largest game ever started on the site.

Epic Working on 5 New Games, Unreal Engine 4, Has PC Plans
 [11:07 am ET] – Share – 35 Comments

At GDC Europe/Gamescom in Cologne Mike Capps today announced Epic is hard at work on Unreal Engine 4 and has five new games in development, with Develop quoting the Epic president explaining that Epic now has a renewed focus on the PC, saying: "The PC has for too long been a port-to platform." Details on the five games and their target platforms are not offered, but a post on GamesIndustry.biz (registration required) has further quotes from Capps' keynote suggesting that these will not all be full-scale AAA projects, as he says: "At Epic we didn't multiply the studio size by five when we started working on these multiple projects, so you can make some assumptions about the size of those projects." Here's more of his explanation of the new landscape of game development:
"Everyone knows the middle class is disappearing from the console business. Gears of War, I hope will do really well, but a pretty good game doesn't make its money back any more. A game like Homefront sells a couple of million copies and they close the studio, right?

"That's not enough any more. That's pretty depressing. You don't want to see what happens to an industry where it's Call of Duty, Halo and Gears and no-one else has enough money to make any games any more. That's not a fun industry.

"I can't bet my entire company every time I make a game, that's a really dangerous business," Capps added.

Nordic Games Acquires JoWooD & The Adventure Company
 [10:58 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments

Develop has word that Nordic Games is acquiring JoWooD, the insolvent Austrian videogames publisher, along with The Adventure Company, revealing they plan to relaunch the labels and republish their back catalogs. "This new venture will be a fresh start, and we will be introducing new systems, procedures and business ethics to ensure the company goes from strength to strength," said Nordic Games CEO Lars Wingefors. "This is the beginning of a new era and over the coming months product development will start on a variety of well loved and respected brands and products."

The Secret World Beta Signups Next Week
 [10:54 am ET] – Share – 3 Comments

During the EA at Gamescom 2011 Press Conference Funcom's Ragnar Tørnquist announced that signups to beta test their conspiracy-themed MMORPG The Secret World will begin next week on August 26th.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning in February 2012
 [10:50 am ET] – Share – 4 Comments

From the ongoing EA at Gamescom 2011 Press Conference comes release dates for Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, the RPG in development at 38 Studios' Big Huge Games: "Ken just officially announced the release date for Reckoning: February 10, 2012 in Europe! And he didn’t say it, but we just happen to know the North America release date will be February 7th."

World of Battleships Announced
 [10:41 am ET] – Share – 7 Comments

Wargaming.net announces World of Battleships, a free-to-play massively multiplayer online naval combat which will join World of Tanks and their upcoming World of Warplanes to form a trilogy of multiplayer action combat games, covering the land, sea, and air. The game doesn't yet carry a launch date, but we have some World of Battleships screenshots showing the game in action, and some details on the game:
Keeping with the best traditions of the series, World of Battleships will offer a straightforward interface, easy-to-use controls, and a common economic system that will allow players to distribute resources between the three games for the ultimate progress in each of them.

The large assortment of available warships will give various tactical opportunities, as all the machines have a unique combination of firepower, speed, armor, and endurance. Various naval maps with changing weather conditions will enrich the gameplay, and the realistic graphics will transport players into the epic battles that changed the course of human history.

Ships Ahoy - Hacker Evolution Duality
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

Hacker Evolution Duality is now available via digital distribution for Windows, OS X, and Linux, announces exosyphen studios, calling the latest installment in the series an "intense hacking simulation" game. The Hacker Evolution Duality Website offers the Windows, OS X, and Linux demos along with links to the various e-tailers where the game can be bought, with one purchase entitling the user to play on all three platforms (word is: "If you purchased the game and want to receive copies for additional platforms, please contact us"). The site also features screenshots and trailers on this media page, and the following description of what to expect:
You have to hack into computers using various tools, from a basic firewall cracker, to sophisticated voice print authentication systems. Steal money to finance your objectives, buy hardware upgrades or bribe off other hackers that are present in the game. Go as far as bypassing complex security systems to make your way into buildings and steal data. Frame people or even murder them using ingenious traps. You are not alone in the game. Other hackers controlled by a complex artificial intelligence, will stop at nothing to destroy you.

The game features a single player mode where you follow the game's story and an open world mode, where you play a death match against other hackers.

Borderlands 2 Trailer
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – 8 Comments

The first teaser trailer from Borderlands 2 is now available, promoting the role-playing/first-person shooter sequel in development at Gearbox Studios. The clip shows Gunzerker "as he unleashes his special brand of dual-wielding justice on the poor and unsuspecting baddies of Pandora." You can view the clip below. Continue here to read the full story.

Hard Reset Story Trailer
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

This trailer introduces the story in Hard Reset, the first-person shooter in development at Wild Hog Studios. Word is: "Polish developer Flying Wild Hog has released a two minute teaser that shows the background of the man vs machine plot that you'll find in their upcoming first person shooter, Hard Reset. Using comic book paneling, the animated trailer tells the story of a bleak future where renegade AI turns against its human creators." The embedded trailer follows. Continue here to read the full story.

King Arthur II Trailer
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

This Gamescom 2011 trailer from King Arthur II: The Roleplaying Wargame offers a cinematic from the upcoming RTS/RPG hybrid, showing hoards of soldiers doing battle with giants and dragons. Word is: "The never-before-seen trailer depicts a battle on a grand scale with hundreds of characters enveloped in fire and arrows, offering players just a glimpse of what to look forward to when they return to Britannia in Q1 2012." Here's the embedded version. Continue here to read the full story.

New Neverwinter Nights 2 PrC Pack
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments

A new version 1.41.4 of Kaedrin's PrC Pack v1.41.4 for Neverwinter Nights 2 is now available. The pack offers dozens of new PrCs, 123 new spells, and more. Kaedrin's Work in Progress Page has more on the project. Thanks LittleMe.

Gatherings & Competitions
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

Morning Previews
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Morning Consolidation
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments

Morning Mobilization
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – 8 Comments

Morning Metaverse
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

Thanks Ant.

Morning Tech Bits
 [10:40 am ET] – Share – 3 Comments

Morning Safety Dance
 [10:39 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

Morning Legal Briefs
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Game Reviews
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Hardware Reviews
 [10:39 am ET] – Share – Post a Comment

etc.
 [10:39 am ET] – Share – 2 Comments

Thanks Ant.

Out of the Blue
 [10:39 am ET] – Share – 7 Comments

I don't know of any weddings I will be attending on the horizon, so I don't know when I'll get to do this, but I recently came up with a gag that I want to pull the next time I'm at one. What I want to do is sidle up to whoever is performing the ceremony before things get underway, and surreptitiously ask them: "I just wanted to make sure this ceremony is going to include that question asking if anyone has any reason why this marriage should not take place." I'd just love to see the reaction that gets.

Links: Thanks Ant and Mike Martinez and Acleacius.
Play: CycloManiacs 2.
Battle Blocks Defense.
Links: Economist Paul Krugman Endorses 'Watchmen' Alien Invasion Plan for Fiscal Recovery.
Stories: Did Butch Cassidy Survive?
Science: Cancer discovery offers hope of tackling spread of disease.
Swapping Meat for Nuts to Lower Diabetes Risk. Thanks j.c.f.
15-minute daily exercise is 'bare minimum for health'.
Images: Portal Wedding Rings of the Day.
Futurama Meets the Simpsons of the Day.
Watching Futurama today and noticed this - wow.
Media: Emmitt the Great Dane Welcomes Home His Dad From Deployment. Always gets me.
Western.
Lightbulb Ballet.
The Funnies: Awkward Zombie: Carry On.
Dog Park Regulars.
Ditching Velma.
Follow-up: Australian collar bomb suspect arrested in Kentucky. Thanks nin.
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