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Archived News:
A recent Twitch
interview with Minh "Gooseman" Le includes some quotes from the
Counter-Strike co-creator and Tactical Intervention creator about
Half-Life 3, saying he has seen concept art from the shooter sequel, and
that Valve is "working on it" (thanks
NowGamer). The ex-Valve employee starts by saying "I don't know if I can
talk about that," before doing so, ending by saying he thinks that it's "old
news" and that "everyone kind of knows it's being worked on." He then goes on to
express his excitement over another unannounced project, the "new Left for
Dead." He jokes about being in trouble for the Half-Life revelation, but also
clearly thinks that both games have already been announced in some form. Here we
have transcribed the parts pertinent to the two games: "I think it's kind
of public knowledge that people know that it is being worked on, and so if I say
'yeah, I've seen some images, like some concept art of it,' you know, that
wouldn't be big news. I guess I could say that I did see something that looked
like kind of in the Half-Life universe. It wouldn't surprise anyone if I said
'yeah, they're working on it,' so I guess to go on a limb, I would say yeah, I
did see some concept art for Half-Life 3."
...
"The one thing I am really excited about is Left 4 Dead, the new Left 4 Dead...
It wouldn't be any news if I said I saw it and it looks great. So, I was really
excited when I saw that, I was like 'wow, this looks great'. Because I really
loved Left 4 Dead, it's just one of those games that changed the
industry."
Steam now offers a Linux
and SteamOS version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition,
CD Projekt RED's RPG, which is currently on sale for 80% off (thanks Xil). This currently only supports NVIDIA cards, as
is explained by this developer post from jaycee1980: The current AMD
Catalyst driver contains a problem which stops the game from running. AMD have
already fixed the problem, and the fix will be in the next driver release.
Intel is not supported simply because the driver performance is currently
insufficient to run the game well enough. It will run, but the framerate is not
good.
The open source Nouveau and Radeon drivers are simply not feature complete
enough to run the game. Witcher 2's RED Engine is making full use of OpenGL 3.2
features.
Nexon and Splash Damage reveal they have reverted the name of Extraction
back to Dirty Bomb, which was the original title of their upcoming
first-person shooter before they
changed it last summer. They are accepting beta signups on the
Dirty Bomb website, where they say:
"London is a post-apocalyptic wasteland with no law and no order, it's time to
call in the mercenaries. Suit up and go toe-to-toe with other soldiers of
fortune as you battle it out for riches and bragging rights." Splash Damage
explains to
Eurogamer.net that this is "to better fit the game's unique personality" and
will "almost definitely" be the last name change prior to the game's launch.
Word is the open beta should launch later this year.
Here's the launch
trailer for Watch Dogs, celebrating next week's release of Ubisoft's
open-world hacker action game. Here's the clip's description: You play as
Aiden Pearce, a brilliant hacker who saw something no one was meant to see. His
enemies came for him, but killed a family member instead. Now on the hunt for
those responsible, you'll be able to monitor and hack all who surround you by
manipulating everything connected to the city's network.
Use the city of Chicago as your ultimate weapon and exact your own style of
revenge. Watch_Dogs is out on 5.27.2014.
Continue here to read the full story.
4A Games and Deep Silver announce Metro Redux, an upcoming bundle of both
Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light coming to Windows, PS4, and Xbox
One, as shown in
this
announcement trailer. This will apparently come later this year, as they
also say to expect Linux and SteamOS editions in that time frame. In addition to
remastered versions of both first-person
shooters, Redux will also include some brand new content, as described
here: With new, never-seen-before content and new gameplay features, as
well as outstanding updated graphical fidelity and silky smooth 60FPS gameplay,
Metro Redux is much more than a simple HD upgrade. For the Redux edition, Metro
2033 has been completely overhauled:
- The original game has been rebuilt in the latest
and greatest iteration of the 4A Engine, bringing all the graphical and
gameplay improvements from Metro: Last Light to Metro 2033 Redux
- Experience radically improved gameplay: advanced
enemy AI, improved combat and stealth mechanics, superior weapon handling
and more responsive, intuitive controls plus signature features from Last
Light such as the atmospheric ‘mask wipe’ mechanic, weapon customization,
and silent kills and takedowns
- Enjoy completely re-mastered visuals: advanced
lighting, dynamic weather, more detailed characters with improved animation,
more dynamic destruction and improved smoke, fire and particle effects
Metro: Last Light Redux has also received a graphical facelift and gameplay
improvements that carry across both titles, including new melee animations, and
the fan-requested ‘Check Watch’ and ‘Check Inventory’ features. It also includes
all previously released Season Pass add-on content – a further 10 hours of
single-player gameplay.
With Metro Redux, players now have the choice to experience both Metro games the
way they want with the introduction of two unique ‘Play Styles.’
Those who favored the more survival horror oriented gameplay of Metro 2033 can
play both campaigns in the ‘Survival’ Play Style, a fraught slow-burn fight for
survival with limited resources, deadlier enemy AI, and slower reload speeds.
Those who enjoyed the more action oriented gameplay of Metro: Last Light can try
the ‘Spartan’ Play Style, providing Artyom with a powerful set of combat skills
and more plentiful resources.
In addition, the legendary Ranger Mode returns to both games, providing the most
immersive and challenging experience as the HUD is stripped away and hardcore
rules apply.
Dedicated Linux and SteamOS versions will also release later this year.
Metro Redux is based on the internationally bestselling novel Metro 2033 by
Dmitry Glukhovsky.
Continue here to read the full story.
Indie developer Puuba announces a June 6th release date for Concursion, their
recently Greenlit multi-genre game. They celebrate the news with a
new gameplay trailer.
Here's what to expect from the game: "Concursion is a multi-genre game played on
the boundaries between worlds, in which you steer your hero through a dangerous
interdimensional universe. Switching between different genres on the fly,
pulling off high-speed puzzle-solving and feats of tight aerial acrobatics
otherwise unattainable in one genre alone." Continue here to read the full story.
Paradox Interactive announces a May 29th release date for Wealth of Nations,
the second expansion for Europa Universalis IV, their grand strategy
sequel for Windows, Linux, and OS X. They are currently accepting preorders on
their newly revamped
digital store, humorously noting this will help "keep pre-orders free of the
trade conflicts and questionable market practices featured in the game." They
also announce a new weekly Twitch show about the game: "To demonstrate the value that trade allies can have on a growing empire, Paradox
today also announced a new weekly live-streaming show that will debut on their
Twitch.TV channel, which will focus on the wide variety of games in Paradox's
library. “Paradox Live” will debut today at 3:15PM CEST and air every week in
the same timeslot at
http://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive."
German developer Crytek announces Arena of Fate, an online free-to-play
multiplayer action/strategy game (they don't actually use the term MOBA) coming
to PCs and consoles "soon," with PC Early Access planned for this summer.
Word is this offers the chance to play with some classic public domain fictional
characters, including Frankenstein, Jack the Ripper, Baron Münchhausen, and of
course, Little Red Riding Hood. The
news is accompanied by a
very
brief announcement trailer showing sophisticated cartoon graphics and
offering beta signups at the Arena of Fate
website. Here's what they are revealing for now, which should be
supplemented soon with info from E3 showings: Step into the shoes of
legendary heroes from history and fantasy and lock horns in "Arena of Fate"; an
action-packed online multiplayer game coming to PC and consoles soon from
Crytek.
Featuring fast-paced 5 vs. 5 battles, Arena of Fate expands Crytek's range of
Games-as-a-Service, and will be playable for the first time at this year's E3
expo in Los Angeles. Players will be free to choose from a huge roster of famous
characters before engaging in star-studded skirmishes with fresh gameplay
twists.
Among the iconic figures in Arena of Fate are the likes of Frankenstein, Jack
the Ripper and Baron Münchhausen. Tap into their famed traits in battle as you
bring Frankenstein back from the dead, use Jack's cleavers to gruesome effect,
and launch across the map on Baron Münchhausen's cannonball!
Managing Director of Crytek Black Sea and Game Director of Arena of Fate,
Vesselin Handjiev, said: “Imagine Joan of Arc and Robin Hood cooperating to hunt
down Little Red Riding Hood – Wouldn’t that be terrific? But besides the game's
iconic heroes, which everyone in the team really loves, we are also challenging
ourselves to carefully craft a streamlined player experience that allows for
both greater accessibility, and rich, deep, action-packed gameplay. We are very
excited to meet the first wave of players in the arena this summer, and will be
listening carefully to the feedback we receive and making the community's
contribution a key part of our efforts to perfect the fun.”
The game is being developed by Crytek's Sofia studio, which was established in
2008 following Crytek's acquisition of Black Sea Studios. Originally founded in
2001, Black Sea Studios made their name with critically acclaimed real-time
strategy game "Knights of Honor" and sci-fi online RTS/RPG hybrid, "WorldShift".
Arena of Fate is scheduled to enter Early Access Beta testing on PC this Summer,
and players can sign up for a chance to get in on the action at
http://www.arenaoffate.com. E3
attendees are invited to go hands-on with the PC version of the game from June
10-12 by visiting Crytek at booth 4500 in the Los Angeles Convention
Center.
Continue here to read the full story.
Take-Two Interactive announces an October 21st global release date for
Evolve, the upcoming first-person shooter from Left 4 Dead developer Turtle
Rock Studios. In the meantime the game is
available for preorder, and they
will be showing it off next month at this year's E3. Here's word: 2K and
Turtle Rock Studios, creators of the cooperative shooter classic Left 4 Dead,
today announced that their upcoming multiplayer shooter experience Evolve™ will
be released globally on October 21, 2014 for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and
entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system
and PC. Everyone who pre-orders Evolve from participating retailers will receive
the Monster Expansion Pack, which includes the Savage Goliath skin at launch,
and a new monster character when available after Evolve is released.
Evolve expertly blends cooperative and competitive multiplayer experiences as a
team of four hunters face off against a single, player-controlled monster. Set
on an alien planet in the distant future, players hunt their prey in
adrenaline-pumping 4v1 matches. Evolve includes multiple monsters, hunters, game
modes, and more than a dozen maps, providing gamers with incredible gameplay
variety and nearly limitless replayability.
Evolve will be playable at E3 from June 10-12, 2014, at 2K’s booth (#1301)
located in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. Evolve is
available now for pre-order at participating retailers.
A Forum post
by Blizzard designer Travis Day announces that they have heard the clamor, and
have decided to make the anniversary buff to the legendary drop rate in
Diablo III permanent going forward, instead of reverting to the previous
drop rate today as was planned. The double drop-rate for Rift Fragments,
however, has
just
ended as planned. Here's word: I come bearing exciting news. Due to
the overwhelming popularity of our Anniversary buff we have decided to keep the
increased Legendary drop rate once the Anniversary celebration ends. Once the
buff is disabled tomorrow
morning, you will find that the new base line drop rates for Legendary items
will be the same as those you have all enjoyed for the last week.
Blizzard announces they
are offering free World of Warcraft faction changes for select realms: We
consistently watch queue times for all areas of the game to try to identify
problem areas where we can step in and make an improvement. Battleground queue
times specifically tend to be a direct result of how many people are entering
the queue at any given time from both the Horde and Alliance, within an entire
region. While a number of factors can lead to longer queue times, faction
interest in queuing for PvP tends to be the primary influence. For that reason
we're going to be trying something new. For a limited time, and only for select
realms (for this first test just a single realm), we'll be opening faction
changes for Horde characters to change to Alliance for free.
These changes will be provided on a limited basis to realms where we see the
greatest potential for changes to occur. Guild leaders who want to Faction
Change their guild for free will first need to pay for the initial transaction,
but will be granted a refund* if they change to the eligible faction within the
free change time frame.
The Early Access version of Interstellar Marines
on Steam has just
received an update 11, adding a new game mode to the sci-fi FPS/RPG along with a
new weapon and a new map. Here's word: Deadlock is an intense new game
mode designed from the ground up for tactical gameplay. To succeed, you and your
team will need intelligence, skill and situational awareness to decide when to
push your enemy, when to hold back, and when to strike for the kill. Players win
in Deadlock by capturing all 7 control points or by eliminating the enemy team.
When a player dies they can be respawned by team mates capturing a control
point, or by waiting 120 seconds, or by the last team mate alive fragging an
enemy, whichever occurs first!
To enhance and expand the new gameplay opportunities Deadlock brings, the update
introduces the first of several new weapons: the AR 03 Assault Rifle with 4x
ACOG scope. The AR 03 is a highly effective mid-long range weapon which excels
at engagements at those ranges. The original weapon in Interstellar Marines, the
CE-6 SMG, has been re-balanced to make it more effective at CQB ranges,
cementing its role as the designated close-in weapon.
The new update also introduces Stronghold, a second map using the Astrodome
framework. Stronghold is the first map to include two very distinct play styles
and areas. One half of Stronghold is a dense, lush forest, which gradually
blends into a tight, claustrophobic urban area which conceals a few surprises
for the unwary.
Ars Technica - It’s time for Nintendo to move beyond white characters.
Japanese company too Caucasian-centric?
By the time fan-service fighting series Super Smash Bros. expanded to a
34-character roster, it too reflected Nintendo’s narrow palette: 20 “human”
characters populate Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s roster, and they’re all white.
In fact, that game operates as a sort of Nintendo museum, thanks to its
giant “trophy” selection, and its diversity offerings are just as scant.
Made a batch of ribs yesterday on the smoker that were delicious, but, for my
tastes were a little overdone, as they hit that "fall off the bone" stage that
is a little too tender. At least that's the case from a purists point of view:
This is the second time this has happened this year (I'm experimenting with some
variations on my technique), and the problem is that most people really react
favorably to the tenderness, even though it would lose significant points at a
barbeque competition. I guess that's the good news... most meats get tough when
you overcook them, and no one ever praises a hockey puck hamburger the way they
will gush about mushy ribs, so I'll just go with it.
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