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Archived News:
THQ announces a change in direction for Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium, saying this will no longer be an massively multiplayer online game, as originally planned, but will rather be "an immersive single player and online multiplayer experience with robust digital content, and engaging community features." They say details on release timing and platforms will come at a later date. They also announce this has consequences for their staff, as it will cost over 100 jobs: "As a result of this change, team sizes at two THQ internal studios will be reduced by 79 full-time employees at Vigil Games in Austin, Texas, and 39 employees at Relic Entertainment in Vancouver, B.C." Here's the reasoning behind the shift away from the MMOG model: “As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO. However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features,” said Brian Farrell, President and CEO of THQ Inc. “Because we believe strongly in the high-quality and vast creative work that is in production, this is the right decision for both our portfolio and for gamers devoted to this powerful property.”
The Battlefield Blog post about the Battlefield 3 patch has been edited to announce the PC edition of the patch is now available. The post offers highlights of the new version like the new commo rose and improved mini-map. Here's word: "Today, we rolled out the big Spring game update for Battlefield 3 on PC! The focus of this massive package is to make the game more stable, fairer, and more balanced. You can find a comprehensive change list this earlier post. The ~1.6GB update is available now."
Jordan Mechner's Blog announces the discovery of the long-lost source code for the original Prince of Persia, saying: "I will now begin working with a digital-archeology-minded friend to attempt to figure out how to transfer 3.5″ Apple ProDOS disks onto a MacBook Air and into some kind of 21st-century-readable format." The story of how the source was discovered is pretty funny: My Dad (yep, the same guy who composed the music for the original Karateka and Prince of Persia) called from New York to tell me he was doing some spring cleaning and had shipped me a carton of old games and other stuff of mine he’d found in the back of a closet.
The carton arrived yesterday. My jaw dropped when I saw what was inside.
No, I don’t mean the stacks of Spanish Drosoft versions of POP and Karateka (though those are cool too, especially if you have an Amstrad computer with a cassette player). I mean those three little plastic 3.5″ disk boxes nestled among them… which appear to contain the ORIGINAL APPLE II SOURCE CODE OF PRINCE OF PERSIA that I’ve been searching for, off and on, for the past ten years, pestering everyone from Doug Carlston to Danny Gorlin and everyone who ever worked at Broderbund, and finally gave up hope of ever finding.
I KNEW it wasn’t like me to throw stuff out!
Steam News announces that Trine and Trine 2 are both on sale this weekend. To accompany the news, Frozenbyte announces a new hardcore mode for Trine 2, good news, since hardcore seems to be everybody's favorite type of core. Here's word: "The Hardcore Mode is our thanks to our most hardcore fans, and a throwback to the good old days," Frozenbyte CEO Lauri Hyvärinen says, and continues: "This is for the fans who thought the Tower of Sarek level in the first game was just right in its pre-patches state, for those who really want an extra challenge from the game. The Hardcore Mode adds a big value to replayability, especially in online and offline co-op, and really means you have to work together or face game over."
"P.S. We take no responsibility for broken relationships attributed to the Hardcore Mode."
Ubisoft announces the success of their preorder program for Assassin's Creed III. To paraphrase Jack Nicolson's Joker, they're shipping them out a whole new door: Ubisoft® announced today that Assassin's Creed® III, releasing on October 30, 2012 in North America, is on track to become the highest pre-ordered game in the company's history.
After only three weeks of the game being available for pre-order in North America, Assassin's Creed III has made history for Ubisoft in North America with reserves for the title being higher than any previous Assassin's Creed game in the same time period. Assassin's Creed III has more than 10 times the U.S. pre-order total that Assassin's Creed Revelations had in the same time period, and the game has already reached Assassin's Creed Brotherhood's life-to-date U.S. pre-order total. Assassin's Creed III is on track to match the life-to-date U.S. pre-order figures for Ubisoft's previously most pre-ordered game, Assassin's Creed Revelations, by E3 in June.
Continue here to read the full story.
A new trailer from Ghost Recon Online is now available showing off Ubisoft's upcoming multiplayer shooter. This "Assault Class Overview" presents a look at the weapon types, special abilities, and team upgrades of the Assault class. Continue here to read the full story.
A new trailer showing off more of Cyanide's upcoming role-playing game based on A Game of Thrones, the fantasy-themed television series. This Game of Thrones: The Game trailer includes conflict, combat, and spontaneous human combustion. Continue here to read the full story.
Matrix Games announces the release of Team Assault: Baptism of Fire, and if you are guessing this is a tactical World War II strategy game, give yourself a prize. Here's word: Team Assault: Baptism of Fire focuses on realistic, turn-based combat on tactical platoon-level scale. Players will experience realistic combat, utilizing more than 20 Allied and Axis accurately-modeled weapons that take into consideration of weapon accuracy, penetration versus cover, recoil and encumbrance. Soldier’s morale, cover, and using flanking maneuvers are just some of the factors players will have to keep an eye on.
Team Assault: Baptism of Fire also features nearly endless customization with a Force Builder to create custom squads for use in battle. Create new battlefields with the in-game map editor to create new tactical situations. Take the fight online to engage in battle against other players, complete with ranking system, using custom-created squads.
- Gotham City Impostors on Steam. Save 50%.
- Penny Arcade Adventures: Precipice of Darkness Combo Pack on Steam. Save 75%.
An edit to GameSpy's New SimCity Preview backtracks from the statement that the upcoming return of the urban planning series will only be playable while online. The preview originally confirmed this now-debunked report before being fixed: "Yes, you will have to register an Origin account in order to play, and yes, you must be online at all times while playing in order to start playing. EA has confirmed that you will not be kicked out if your connection is interrupted."
Nixelpixel reports indications they've uncovered suggesting Epic Games is planning an MMOG. They have a CV for a game developer intern at Epic Games China listing "game developer on a next-gen MMORPG" as one of his projects, and one for a Game Play Programmer at Epic Games China who lists "Code for a next-gen MMORPG" as a credit. Thanks BeyondUnreal.
The Solar Struggle Website has word that the Windows PC edition of this indie space action game is now available on LittleIndie. The game, which has seen great success on Xbox LIVE Arcade, is on sale at first at a 25% discount. They stress the effort they put into creating a proper PC version with the following new features:
- Fully customizable keyboard controls
- Mouse-optimized game menus
- New graphics style
- Higher resolution textures
- Free choice of display resolution
- Integration of the LittleIndie online platform
Carbon Games announces plans to show off AirMech at PAX, including PAX-exclusive content for this free-to-play online action/RTS game. Word is: "AirMech is a fast paced, F2P game featuring competitive, coop, and solo game modes. Players pilot a variety of transforming robots each with their own special abilities, and field their own selection of units to support them. AirMech can be played right now in Chrome by visiting http://airmech.com or players can register for the closed PC test." This teaser trailer offers the first look at the game. Continue here to read the full story.
The second beta phase of UFO Online - Fight for Earth is now available, showing further progress on this browser-based tactics game. Here's word on the new beta:
- Significantly expanded PvE content (two new aliens, new loot system, missions more dynamic with random spawns and maps)
- Completely overhauled base that provides a better overview, more interaction and visual feedback
- Increased tactical depth through character target zones with varying amounts of armor
- Improved user interface with additional features to increase ease of use (drag & drop, direct control by double-clicking)
- Comprehensive tutorial that explains all of the games most important features in 10 minutes
- Improved graphics effects in general and weapons effects in particular
- Optimization of the performance, especially in the Flash part of the game
A new trailer from Sniper Elite V2 shows off a preorder incentive from the upcoming stealthy sharpshooting game. The clip shows an opportunity to be the inglorious basterd who heroically ends World War II early. The concept can be summed up my Private Jackson's quote from Saving Private Ryan: "What I mean by that, sir, is if you was to put me and this here sniper rifle anywhere up to and including one mile from Adolf Hitler... with a clean line of sight... Pack your bags, fellas. War's over. Amen." Continue here to read the full story.
3 Sprockets now offers Cubemen, a tower defense/RTS game for Windows, OS X, and iPad 2/3 described as "a fast paced, action packed, original 3D Tower Defense game that mixes TD with RTS in single player & online multi-player awesomeness." The Windows/OS X editions are available on Desura and Steam, the OS X edition is on the Mac App Store, and the iPad edition is on the iTunes App Store.
Trying to find the perfect replacement grill is turning out to be a slow process. Every time I do any poking around online I find more choices to complicate the matter. I'm not complaining, though, it's sort of fun to see all the different approaches being taken to the same concept, with as many grills showing their genius in simplicity as those where complexity is the claim-to-fame.
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