Archived News:

Monday, Oct 15, 2012

Diablo III Version 1.0.5 Tomorrow

A post to the Diablo III Forums announces that the version 1.0.5 patch for Diablo III will be deployed tomorrow:
We will be performing scheduled maintenance for Diablo III starting tomorrow at 3:00 a.m. PDT in order to deploy patch 1.0.5. We anticipate that maintenance will conclude and that all services will be available by approximately 1:00 p.m. PDT.

Important: Please note that you will not be prompted to download patch 1.0.5 until the patch is live in your home region. If you are logging in from a European or Asian client, you will need to wait for this patch to release in that region before it can be installed. Additionally, if your home region is the Americas, you will be unable to log into Europe or Asia using Global Play after patch 1.0.5 is live until those regions have also patched.

For reference, here are the scheduled maintenance times for each region:

The Americas: 3:00 a.m. PDT (10/16) to 1:00 p.m. PDT (10/16) Europe: 6:00 p.m. PDT (10/16) to 4:00 a.m. PDT (10/17) Asia: 11:00 a.m. PDT (10/17) to 9:00 p.m. PDT (10/17)

Pressure Announced

TopWare Interactive announces Pressure, an upcoming top-down shooting and racing game with a cartoony, steampunk setting. The game is coming to Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, but does not yet carry a release date. The Pressure Website features a cinematic trailer, and we have the following announcement:
Players take control of a buggy that runs on steam power to speed through the tremendous levels of “Pressure’s” vibrant, cartoonish world. The sinister Earl of Wellness is attempting to expand his exploitative empire of wellness spas, and must be stopped. The classic top-down view gives players full vantage of the race track, enemies, giant bosses, and vile tire-busting traps.

The hero awakes to find the usually cool waters lake where he takes his morning bath completely dry and filled with cruel machines. The sinister Earl has drained the lake to be the site of his new Wellness Spa Temple. Thwarting his sinister plans and returning the valuable water to the citizens of the world is the main objective of the game… as well as destroying his countless, caltrop-laying minions.

A sophisticated shop and upgrade system allows players to upgrade their buggy in between races.

BioShock Infinite Devs Join MS

Superannuation tweets that the LinkedIn profiles of Don Norbury and Clint Bundrick show that the pair now work for Microsoft Game Studios, revealing they have parted ways with Irrational Games, where they served as AI and combat lead designers on BioShock Infinite, the apparently troubled first-person shooter sequel. Thanks Kotaku, where they say their request for comment from Irrational has gone unfulfilled.

Call of Duty Elite Features Free for Black Ops II (Except for Maps)

Activision announces that the formerly premium Call of Duty Elite service will be free with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and that the DLC map packs will be sold separately from the service, either a la carte, or as part of a season pass:
With the launch of Call of Duty®: Black Ops II less than 40 days away, Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that all of its Call of Duty® Elite service features for Call of Duty®: Black Ops II will be free when the blockbuster game hits worldwide on 13th November. With Call of Duty Elite free for Call of Duty: Black Ops II, both new and veteran Call of Duty Elite members alike will be able to enjoy the full range o f Call of Duty Elite’s robust service and features integrated into the highly-anticipated new game in development by award-winning studio Treyarch.

“We’ve learned a lot in our first year of Call of Duty Elite, and we’re very proud that we over delivered on our commitment of playable content to our premium members,” said Activision Publishing CEO, Eric Hirshberg. “What we have realised is that several of the Call of Duty Elite services which are currently only available to our premium members for Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3 are things that would further unite, engage and delight our player community. So we are going to make them free for Call of Duty: Black Ops II.”

Supporting Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Activision will be selling four epic new Downloadable Content (DLC) Map Packs both á la carte and through the introduction of the Call of Duty: Black Ops II Season Pass.
Continue here to read the full story.

Transformers Universe Beta Signups

A Transformers Universe Website is online, and is accepting signups to beta test Jagex's MMORPG based on the Transformers series of toys, cartoons, and movies that was announced with the title Transformers Online. Details are still scant, though from appearances, this is likely a PvP game. Here's all we know for now: "Transformers Universe; An action packed massively multiplayer war that throws you into the fire of the most epic conflict online– noble Autobots vs. malevolent Decepticons. Recruit your squad from dozens of battle-ready Transformer Warriors - Only the most astute and daring commanders will prevail. "

Ships Ahoy - The Lord of the Rings Online: Riders of Rohan

WBIE and Turbine announce that the Riders of Rohan expansion for The Lord of the Rings Online is now live, offering new content for this fantasy-themed MMORPG. Here's word on what the add-on offers:

  • Explore Largest Landscape Yet -- Join with the Rohirrim and ride across the sprawling plains of Eastern Rohan. Raise high your sword to fight for honor and glory in the name of Théoden King! Experience hundreds of new quests, earn new favor, get new gear, achieve new deeds and more!
  • Experience Mounted Combat -- Ride into combat atop your loyal War-steed as you defend the people of Rohan from the forces of Isengard and Mordor. Charge into battle using strategic maneuvers to outflank and defeat your opponents. Team up with a fellowship to challenge groups of enemies and use the combination of varied skills to triumph. Stomp, trample, kick, and charge your enemies in all new mounted combat throughout the plains of Rohan.
  • Master New War-steeds -- Enter the lands of the Rohirrim upon a new War-steed to aid you in mounted defence of King Théoden’s land! Hailing from a long line of majestic, highly intelligent, and kingly creatures known as the Mearas, War-steeds are faster, stronger, and more trained for battle than normal mounts. Advance your War-steed's skills over time and customize your mount with unique appearances.
  • Continue The Epic Story -- The Fellowship is on the move once again and must achieve their task at all costs. It falls to you to clear the path and turn the Eye of the Enemy away from their progress as you aid the Rohirrim in their own struggle close by. Witness the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen; forge alliances with the Ents of Fangorn; and aid Éomer, adopted son of Théoden, as he seeks to protect his homeland from the growing Shadow.
  • Advance to Level 85 -- Learn what it means to be Rohirrim as you face new challenges throughout the Riddermark on your journey to level 85. Continue your legend as you grow in power with new skills and deeds and get new armor and gear to aid you in the battles to come.

Prey 2 "In Limbo"

Though Bethesda stated in August that Prey 2 has not been cancelled, but that the first-person shooter prequel is "not coming out this year," a tweet by Human Head's Nathan Cheever makes the game's future sound even more uncertain, saying: "P2 hasn't been officially canceled, only in limbo." Kotaku contacted Bethesda to learn more about this limbo state, and got nothing, as they received the following reply: "We don't have any additional information to share on the status of Prey 2."

GOG.com Announcements This Week

GOG.com sends a reminder that they are holding and online event on Thursday to discuss what the future holds for this digital delivery service as well as at developer CD Projekt RED. Here's word:
GOG.com, the digital distributor of DRM-free gaming goodness, would like to remind you about the CD Projekt & GOG.com Special Event that’s taking place on the Thursday, the 18th of October at 18:00 GMT, streamed live to the web from www.gog.com or www.facebook.com/gogcom.

GOG.com will have a lot of news about new games, classic games, and even big news about an exciting new direction that the digital distributor formerly known as 'Good Old Games' will be taking. The crazy minds behind GOG.com posted this video today to get you wondering what the annoucement is: http://youtu.be/yLZEqi9U-wY

After GOG.com finishes thier part of the presentation, developer CD Projekt RED will take the stage of the live stream to share news of their own about The Witcher 2, their in-development modding toolset called the REDKit, and even some tantalizing new details about the upcoming Cyberpunk® RPG that they’re working on.

Anyone looking to watch should go to www.gog.com or www.facebook.com/gogcom at 18:00 GMT (That’s 14:00 in New York , 11:00 in Los Angeles, and 20:00 in Warsaw) to check it out live.

BigHead BASH Launches

American McGee's Spicy Horse Games announces that BigHead BASH is out of beta, and this deathmatch game is now live for all browsers. Here's word:
"BigHead BASH" is a realtime player-versus-player deathmatch game pitting collectible toys against each other in zany combat environments. Spicy Horse's innovative multiplatform technology means all players from all platforms can play together on a single set of servers for all platforms and portals.

The launch features Andox and Box from "Happy Camp", one of China's most popular shows, player-created content placed into the game by Spicy Horse, and politicans like Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, George W. Bush, and Ron Paul.

Spicy Horse will be licensing leading IPs from around the world for use in the game, from popular TV characters to famous faces from music and comics.

Other future additions to BigHead BASH include new maps, new game modes, and a "Make it Now" button enabling players to purchase selected models in the game, then receive a physical copy of the toy at their home.

Project Eternity Documentary & Soundtrack Plans

This Kickstarter update from Project Eternity outlines plans to create a documentary covering the development of Obsidian's upcoming RPG, saying that while this will not be funded with any of their ever-larger pile of Kickstarter loot, the in-progress documentary is now part of all of their Kickstarter reward tiers via stream, download, or physical copy. A subsequent update offers the opportunity to get a physical copy of the game's soundtrack. There are just 27 hours remaining before this campaign wraps up, so we probably shouldn't expect more than seven or eight more updates.

Steam Greenlights 21 More Games

Valve announces that 21 titles are slated to be made available on Steam after being approved in by their Greenlight program. Word is: "This second wave of titles was originally targeted to include at least 10 titles. Given the number and quality of games submitted, and the ship date of many of the top-ranking titles, the decision was made to increase the size of this group." Here's the list of games that will be added, which in some cases will have to wait for the completion of development:
Afterfall InSanity Extended Edition
AirBuccaneers
Blockscape
Contrast
Fly'n
Folk Tale
Forge
Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams (Project Giana)
Gnomoria
Interstellar Marines
Lost Story: The Last Days of Earth
Miasmata
Miner Wars 2081
NEOTOKYO
Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Perpetuum
POSTAL 2 COMPLETE
Secrets of Grindea
The Intruder
The Stanley Parable: HD Remix
Yogventures!

New War of the Roses Content Next Month

Paradox Interactive announces the will soon be releasing new content for War of the Roses, starting with the November release of a weapons pack for their multiplayer melee action game. Word is: "Content updates will automatically add new items to be acquired in the game. The system is designed to reward players who have invested a lot of playing hours into the game and items will be immediately available for players to redeem though accumulated in-game currency. For those who are too impatient, there are also options to purchase in-game currency to secure content." Here's the whole story:
The battles within War of the Roses have been brutal to say the least, but soon players will receive a whole new arsenal to wield havoc with on the field. Paradox Interactive and Fatshark today revealed more details on new content coming to medieval melee action title War of the Roses, including brand new sets of weaponry and armor, additional game modes, and some wintry new maps.

This November, War of the Roses will see its first new content drop, which will introduce a wide variety of weapons, including a horn-spanned crossbow for ranged enthusiasts and a Hospitaller pollaxe made famous by the company of knights bearing the same name. Players will also be able to get their gritty hands on the Milanese Knights Hospitaller crafted Heavy Armor, which can be customized with any of 10 different paint options, as well as an assortment of new visors and one new helmet.

Come winter, knights should start preparing for two new challenging game modes and snow-laden maps as the war for the crown of England heads into the harshest months of the year. The first mode being introduced is Pitched Battle, where soldiers for the houses of Lancaster and York will soon learn to value their lives. The upcoming mode is launching into beta very soon, and interested players should keep an eye on the forum for more details.
Continue here to read the full story.

Magicka DLC Livestream Today

The Paradox Interactive TwitchTV Channel will play host to a live stream of the Dungeons & Daemons expansion for Magicka, Arrowhead's action/adventure game they humorously refer to as an "accidental death simulator." The session gets underway at 2:00 pm EDT (7:00 pm GMT/11:00 am PDT), and here's what to expect: "Magicka fans can chat with Dan Eriksson, Game Designer at Pieces Interactive and John Hargelid, Magicka Producer at Paradox Interactive, and ask them all the embarrassing questions they can think of. Go ahead, ask, we like seeing them squirm a bit."

New U.K. Sales Charts

The new GfK Chart-Track list is now available, detailing the best-selling full-price PC games in the U.K. for the week ending October 13th. This week there's a new sheriff in town, as Dishonored debuts at number one and XCOM: Enemy Unknown enters at number two. There is also a shakeup on the all-platforms chart, where FIFA 13 retains the top spot: Dishonored enters at number two, Pokemon Black version 2 debuts at number three, Pokemon White version 2 is the new number five, and XCOM: Enemy Unknown joins the chart in the number seven spot.

Morning Previews

Game Reviews

Hardware Reviews

Out of the Blue

Thanks to Quboid for noticing that the hidden counter at the bottom of this page surpassed the 666,666,666 mark, meaning the site has had over two-thirds of a billion visits since 1996. This makes me recall looking at that counter years ago when it passed the 36,000 mark and being shocked because I never imagined it would get to that point (so you can imagine my current level of disbelief). Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for the support over all these years.

R.I.P.: Centrist Sen. Specter died fighting for moderation.

Loads of Links: Thanks Ant and Acleacius.
Play: Blinkz 2.
Links: A Space Shuttle on the Streets of Los Angeles. Thanks nin.
Every Call of Duty Game Has the Same Plot.
The Avengers Celebrate Their Victory.
Stories: Softball-sized eyeball washes up on Florida beach. Thanks brother19.
Law Students Charged With Decapitating Exotic Bird at Vegas Casino. Infuriating.
Images: Mercury Craters Look Like Cookie Monster in NASA Photo. Thanks nin.
Batstache.
Master Chef Cosplay.
Media: Amazing Video of the Supersonic Space Jump.
Auction: Moon rocks, chunks of Mars auctioned in New York.
The Funnies: Skyrim Afterlife.
Follow-up: Skydiver breaks speed of sound after jumping from edge of space.
About That Ad Blocker
We see you're using an ad blocker. While we strive to make our ads behave, we understand your desire for peace and privacy. So please consider becoming a supporter to take advantage of the no ads version of Blue's News. This will help sustain our efforts to bring you the best in gaming and tech news without requiring you to see ads or suffer a guilty conscience. You'll even get a nifty forum badge that will be the envy of the neighborhood!
Support the Site!