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Archived News:
Perfect World Entertainment
announces open beta testing is now underway in Dungeons & Dragons
Neverwinter, Cryptic Studios' upcoming MMORPG. Signups are underway at
the game's official website. The game
will be free to download and play, and with the promise of no further character
wipes, this amounts to a soft launch: The major milestone of Open Beta
marks the beginning of unrestricted access to Neverwinter and its content
creation system, the Foundry, along with no further character wipes. All skill
upgrades, profession choices, personal customizations, companions and mounts are
persistent and shape the way adventurers rebuild the city of Neverwinter, saving
it from Valindra Shadowmantle's evil forces. Neverwinter's Foundry further
enables and empowers gamers and authors to create their own unique adventures,
publish their own self-generated content directly to the game world, review the
missions and quests of others and even tip creators with in-game currency.
"After four successful Beta Weekends and many months of internal Alpha tests, we
are thrilled to be in Open Beta," said Cryptic Studios Executive Producer and
COO, Craig Zinkievich. "On behalf of the entire team at Perfect World and
Cryptic Studios, I'd like to thank the Founders, Beta Weekend participants,
Alpha testers, fans, and press for their feedback and continued support in
making Neverwinter the best game we've ever launched."
Open Beta also brings a new feature to the Neverwinter community. Neverwinter's
Gateway is a web portal that allows players to remotely access in-game status
information via their desktops, tablets, or smartphones. In its initial state,
players can craft, view their characters, buy and sell in the Auction House,
monitor guild activity and daily events, and access their mailboxes.
bitComposer Entertainment announces Adventure Park, a theme park
simulator in the works at German developer B-Alive for release in Q3 of this
year for €29.99. Word is: "Setting up and managing a theme park has never been
so enjoyable. A wide range of different attractions provide maximum freedom of
choice to the player, and the straightforward rollercoaster building system
makes it even more fun to create spectacular rides with only a few clicks."
Here's a feature list:
- Build the theme park of your dreams! Play in
campaign mode or start a free game on one of the 8 different maps.
- Roller coasters and more! Offer visitors at your
park many sensational attractions (e.g. free-fall tower, big wheel). Create
spectacular rides with the intuitive, grid-free coaster building system and
choose from different types of coasters. Your park’s visitors will be
thrilled!
- Adventures make people hungry and thirsty! Build
an appropriate infrastructure in the park, with food stands, souvenir shops,
and appropriate service personnel (e.g. gardeners) so that your guests
always feel comfortable.
- A top manager always has everything under control!
If you keep an eye on all the processes in your park, and manage them
adeptly, your park will be a success. The comprehensive management system is
intuitively structured, and it offers challenges even for experienced
players.
- A lively park where there is always something
going on! A variety of different objects for the park, including statues,
lamps, fences, rocks, and plants, provide you with many options for
decorating and beautifying your park.
Publisher ATLUS announces that Zeno Clash II is now available
on Steam, offering the
Windows edition of ACE Team's first-person brawler sequel. The game is being
offered in three flavors: a standard version USD $19.99, a Special Edition with
a digital artbook and the 45-track soundtrack for $29.99, and a two-pack version
that is $29.99 "for those who want to punch things with a friend." Here's how
the sequel differs from the original: Zeno Clash 2 has beefed up its
combat engine with precision punch targeting, blocking, and high-impact hits
that only make the bone-crunching, face-rattling fistcuffs more satisfying. The
new "Lock-on" function gives players a wider range of control for dishing out
the damage. New RPG mechanics will allow Ghat and Rimat to punch harder, defend
better, and recruit more powerful allies to aid in their quest. Zeno Clash 2 now
harnesses the full power of the Unreal III engine to bring the bizarre and
beautiful world of Zenozoik to life. ACE Team's boundless imagination brings
gamers into a universe of surreal foes, fantastic locations, and truly unique
visuals that is unlike anything else you will ever play. With the newly added
drop-in/drop-out co-op play, Zeno Clash 2 invites you AND a friend to dive once
more into the fray!
Developer Born Ready Games announces the release of Strike Suit Infinity
on Steam,
offering a standalone "frantic high score chaser" for Windows PCs based on
Strike Suit Zero, their space combat game. Here's
the launch trailer and
here's the deal: Strike Suit Infinity is a frantic high score chaser
where your skill is the only thing that matters. Whatever combat experience you
have had so far is considered irrelevant. There is no end to the enemies you
will face. There is no winning. There is only the fight for survival. Take to
the cockpit of one of three Strike Suits, engaging waves of enemies, building
your multiplier and putting as many points on the board as possible. You’ll need
to use your head, though. In between rounds, use credits to purchase upgrades
and reinforcements, maximizing your potential in the next round. The longer you
can stay alive, the bigger your score, and the higher up the leaderboard you’ll
find yourself.
Continue here to read the full story.
Paradox Interactive announces Leviathan: Warships is now available via
digital distribution, offering turn-based cross platform play for Windows and OS
X strategy gamers. Here's the game's
jazzy release trailer,
and here's word: Paradox Interactive, a publisher of games and an
all-around ship-shape bunch, today announced that Leviathan: Warships, a
strategic turn-based cross-platform game developed by Pieces Interactive, has
left drydock and is officially launched. Available today on PC and Mac
platforms, Leviathan: Warships is a single-player and multi-player game that
challenges amateur admirals everywhere to guide a customized fleet of ships to
victory in strategic battles. Leviathan: Warships is on sail for $9.99 on PC and
Mac, with a single purchase allowing players to play on both platforms. The iPad
and Android tablet versions will be available on May 2 2013 and are $4.99 each.
All four ports (and starboards) can play together in multi-player co-op and
versus modes.
The DCS Forums
announces that DCS: UH-1H Huey is now available for pre-purchase via
digital distribution, and that this commitment to the next installment in the
DCS combat flight simulator series comes with instant access to the game's
closed beta test (thanks ScottishMartialArts). The game is the first in the
series to offer multiple player positions, as it supports a co-pilot and a door
gunner in addition to the pilot, and word is: "A variety of realism and gameplay
options, a number of single missions and a handcrafted campaign storyline
featuring custom voiceovers provide ample fun and immersion for both the realism
buff and the casual enthusiast." The game also includes a tutorial, a mission
editor, and compatibility to play online versus the other titles in the DCS
series. Here's a feature list:
- Unmatched flight physics providing the most
realistic and dynamic conventional helicopter experience on the PC.
- Multiple player positions, including pilot,
co-pilot, and door gunner.
- Accurate and highly detailed 3D cockpit featuring
six-degrees-of-freedom technology.
- Interactive cockpit controls that allow you to
operate the systems using the mouse.
- Realistic modelling of the UH-1H instruments,
weapons, engine, radios, fuel, electrical, and hydraulic systems.
- Highly detailed UH-1H external 3D model, liveries,
and weapons.
- Accurate and engaging audio environment based on
actual UH-1H sound recordings.
- Missions that include transport and combat support
operations.
- Training that includes interactive and video
lessons.
- Multiplayer coop mode for crew members of the same
helicopter under development for a later update.
- Developed in close cooperation with real UH-1H
operators.
Steam News announces
preorders are now available for
Shadowrun Returns at
10% off the regular price: Based on the venerable Shadowrun tabletop
roleplaying game of the 80s and a spiritual successor to the console games of
the 90s, Shadowrun Returns brings back one of our most original & cherished game
settings as a single player, turn-based tactical RPG.
The year is 2054 and your old friend Sam has been murdered in Seattle. You’ve
been hired to find the killers and bring them to justice, one way or another.
Soon you’ll be embroiled in a mystery that expands from missing organs, an
antagonistic detective and biker gangs all the way up to the dynastic control of
one of the largest Megacorps.
The website for Torment: Tides of Numenera announces that though the
Kickstarter for the upcoming RPG appears to have concluded with just under
$4.2 million in pledges, they have actually achieved the game's final stretch
goal (thanks nin via
Shacknews). Here's the explanation: We’ve been having a good run at
the final stretch goal and saw some real spikes and increased activity far
beyond what we’d normally expect from our PayPal pledges at this stage. Thanks
to all of you for your effort in rallying to the cause! However, it’s looking
really unlikely we’ll make the $4.5M stretch goal, with our current PayPal total
being $239,438, which means our total money raised so far is $4,428,365, with
only two days left to reach the stretch goal.
But! Our percentage of dropped pledges was way below our estimates, proving yet
again that you guys rock! As you may recall, our Lead Tormenter Brian Fargo and
superfan Steven Dengler matched pledges between $1M and $3M, adding a total of
$200K. That money was set aside primarily against failed pledges, but because of
your dedication, we can apply enough of it toward our budget – combined with the
PayPal totals – so as to have reached $4.5 million.
Which means? We made it! Because you guys are so awesome (and because
Fargo and Dengler are so awesome) we can implement
every single one of our
stretch goals, including not just the player “stronghold” but also our ideas
for expanded reactivity, length and depth, pursuing some of our crazier ideas
concerning choice and consequence. As we outlined in
update 19, while the classic “stronghold” concept might not fit this game
the potential is there to do some really interesting things to tie it into our
theme of legacy and the unique weirdness of the Ninth World. Colin’s been hard
at work hashing out the overall plot as well as resurrecting and moving forward
with ideas we had for features such as the stronghold, and he’s come up with
some pretty great ones.
Thanks to all of you, we can now make those ideas happen. Thank you!
Ubisoft announces the release of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, Ubisoft
Montreal's "retro futuristic cyber shooter" loosely based on the Far Cry series.
The game is available for Windows and consoles via digital distribution for USD
$14.99, and they say the game's soundtrack by Power Glove will be released
tomorrow on iTunes for $9.99. Reviews are already live on
GameSpot,
IGN,
IncGamers,
Joystiq,
Polygon,
Shacknews, and
The Verge (thanks nin), and the PC edition currently has an 82
metascore.
Here are some
screenshots, here's a
launch trailer, and here's word: Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Far
Cry 3 Blood Dragon lets players get the girl, kill the bad guys and save the
world in a VHS-era vision of the future! As Sergeant Rex Colt, you are part man,
part machine, all American. You are a state-of-the art Mark IV cyber-commando on
a mission… of vengeance. You’re out to bring down your old commanding officer
and his battalion of ruthless killer cyborgs and you’ll stop at nothing to get
the job done. Hollywood action icon Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens, and
The Abyss), returns in this explosive 1980s style sci-fi vision of a dark
future. Turn off your VCR, plug in your video game cabinet, and get ready to
experience all of the thrills of Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, released as a
stand-alone digital title.
“Out of the ashes of Far Cry 3, a few chosen devs came together to define a
retro vision of the future. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is an all-out,
balls-to-the-wall cyber shooter that doesn’t take itself too seriously. In a
genre saturated with super-serious narrative and realistic settings we felt it
was time to inject some good old-fashioned robofun into the mix,” said Dean
Evans, Creative Director.
Continue here to read the full story.
Rockstar Games now offers three trailers (NSFW) from Grand Theft Auto V,
offering cinematic tidbits for three characters in the upcoming sandbox action
sequel: Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, each of whom has their own flair. The
clips conclude with a reminder that the console editions of the GTA5 are due on
September 17th. Continue here to read the full story.
Full Control announces a new bonus for
the Kickstarter for Jagged Alliance: Flashback, saying those who kick
in more than $5.00 to support their upcoming installment in the tactical shooter
series will also receive a collection of classic Jagged Alliance titles
updated to work under Windows 7. This involves a couple of layers of
fulfillment, involving Kickstarter and the Humble Bundle, and a couple of
different qualifying price points of $5.00 and $25.00, but if any of this is
confusing, there is an IAMA session with Full Control on
reddit conveniently scheduled for 2:00 pm
EDT today. But perhaps you can work things out from this explanation:
Copenhagen, Denmark – April 30th, 2013 - Danish development studio Full
Control announced today that it has partnered with Humble Bundle to give each
backer of the Jagged Alliance: Flashback Kickstarter campaign a copy of the
limited-edition Jagged Alliance Classic Pack. Upon successful completion of
project funding, all backers who have contributed $5 or more will receive a
collection of Jagged Alliance titles, including Jagged Alliance, Jagged
Alliance: Deadly Games, Jagged Alliance 2 and Jagged Alliance 2: Unfinished
Business in English. Additionally, the Classic Pack features Windows 7 support –
a first for the franchise.
All Jagged Alliance Classic Packs will be distributed through Humble Bundle a
few weeks after Kickstarter funding is successfully reached. The DRM free
Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Jagged Alliance: Flashback will also be
shipped through Humble Bundle to backers who pledged $25 or more upon commercial
launch of the title in 2014. To contribute funds and qualify for the Jagged
Alliance Classic Pack, please visit:
http://kck.st/11A8VYf
“We are excited to be able to offer our Kickstarter supporters this valuable,
limited edition Classic Pack to keep them entertained during the full
development phase of Jagged Alliance: Flashback”, said Thomas Lund, CEO of Full
Control. “Humble Bundle is a great partner, and we are grateful for their
support during the funding phase of what we know will be an excellent addition
to the Jagged Alliance brand”.
Wolfire Games announces Receiver is now available
on Steam for Windows,
Linux, and OS X after recently
receiving a greenlight from the Steam community. Here's a description of this
manages to be the rare innovative first-person shooter: "Receiver was created
for the 7-day FPS challenge to explore gun handling mechanics, randomized
levels, and unordered storytelling. Armed only with a handgun and an audio
cassette player, you must uncover the secrets of the Mindkill in a building
complex infested with automated turrets and hovering shock drones." The game is
on sale for 20% off for the first week, and includes a free content update,
which is shown off in this
trailer, while this
trailer shows off the main game and its gun mechanics. Finally,
this blog
post discusses the game's journey to being greenlit.
The 16 Bit Arena website outlines plans to
begin offering 16 Bit Arena as a free download with donation support for two
weeks as an experiment to see if this will be a sustainable way to distribute
this retro multiplayer battle game. They will be offering donors the chance to
be included in the game, and will be giving 10% of the donations to
ChildFund. The game will be free on
Amazon, GreenManGaming, Desura, ShinyLoot, IndieCity, and IndieVania, though
this promotion won't start for a couple of weeks, so sales will probably suffer
in the meantime. Here's the scheme: This giveaway is planned as a one-time
thing, but during the promotion, if we get enough people (filling even one
server completely with 9v9s), we'll be experimenting with something new. We'll
open up donations, and every $5 you send will put you in a drawing to get a
character made just for you! And if this is successful enough, we'll keep the
game free permanently and do the drawing on a regular basis. If you don't win,
10% of everything sent will still go to ChildFund (supports hungry children
around the world), so either way somebody wins.
Happy Koninginnedag to Frans and all our Dutch friends, as today is Queen's Day
in the Netherlands, celebrating the birthday of Queen Beatrix (which is actually
in January, but she seems to have inherited her mom's date for Queen's Day along
with the crown). Today will actually be the last Queen's Day for
(hopefully) a long time, as Queen Beatrix is taking the opportunity to abdicate
today, and her son Prince Willem-Alexander will take the throne (I'm not sure
they actually have a throne, but I know I would). Next year the event will be
King's Day (Koningsdag), to be held on the King's actual birthday of April 27th
(apparently it being warm enough for outdoor activities influences the date for
this), so it will be that much easier to associate the event with our
anniversary, as MrsBlue and I have an affection for this occasion after getting
to experience it during our honeymoon. Here's a
live blog of today's festivities, and of course, long live the king!
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