Archived News:
Microsoft
announced Halo Wars 2 at Gamescom today, saying the sequel is coming to
Windows 10 as well as Xbox One with Total War developer Creative Assembly taking
the helm of the RTS spinoff. They offer
this trailer and this
announcement: Microsoft and Halo developer 343 Industries have been
waiting for years to find the right partner to collaborate with on the next Halo
Wars game, and Creative Assembly – the SEGA-owned developer behind the popular
Total War series and the award-winning Alien: Isolation – is that partner. Check
out our debut trailer above, and get ready for Halo Wars 2!
Halo Wars 2 is an exciting new strategy game filled with fast-paced action,
massive battles, and an all-new Halo story, launching simultaneously on Xbox One
and Windows 10 in fall 2016. It will continue the series’ legacy of redefining
the real-time strategy genre on consoles, while debuting on Windows 10 for the
first time.
Halo Wars 2 will feature a robust, story-driven campaign and plenty of
multiplayer action. While we’re not talking about the game’s story (or where it
takes place in the Halo timeline) just yet, we are very excited about the way it
contributes to the expanding Halo universe, and we look forward to sharing more
in the future.
Creative Assembly has a wealth of experience in creating high-quality real-time
strategy games, making them the ideal partner to develop Halo Wars 2. We are
thrilled to be working with Creative Assembly, and can’t wait for our fans to
see the studio’s unique and exciting contribution to the Halo universe with Halo
Wars 2.
Continue here to read the full story.
The latest
Activision Blizzard Quarterly Report is now online with updated financials
for the gaming giant.
Word is: "For the quarter ended June 30, 2015, Activision Blizzard’s GAAP
net revenues were $1.04 billion, as compared with $970 million for the second
quarter of 2014. On a non-GAAP basis, the company’s net revenues were $759
million, as compared with $658 million for the second quarter of 2014. For the
second quarter, GAAP net revenues from digital channels were a Q2 record $569
million and represented a Q2 record 55% of the company’s total revenues. On a
non-GAAP basis, net revenues from digital channels were a Q2 record $611
million, growing 27% year-over-year." The report also includes the latest
subscriber numbers for World of Warcraft, saying the MMORPG is down to
5.6 million subscribers, still likely the top performer in the genre, but well
down from the last reported figure of 7.1 million subscribers, much less
the game's peak of 12 million.
The
Battlefield Battlelog reveals Robbery is the second expansion for
Battlefield Hardline, the police-themed shooter. This will be released first
for premium members in September, offering what they call "the boldest, craziest
heists" in the game as well as a new Squad Heist gameplay mode. Here's word:
After getting organized in Battlefield™ Hardline: Criminal Activity, the
top gangs are drawing up plans, stockpiling gear, and risking it all to pull off
the boldest, craziest heists ever in Battlefield Hardline: Robbery, the second
expansion pack for Battlefield Hardline.
The theme of this pack is the Big Score: how to steal it, or how to stop it. The
new maps and game mode in Battlefield Hardline: Robbery are designed to let
criminal teams plan and execute the perfect heist; or, for law enforcement, to
get the crooks in cuffs before they can pull it off.
Whether it’s boosting jewels, double-crossing an international smuggling ring,
or extracting a high-value piece of intel from a precinct locker room, teams on
both sides of the law will have to pull together to make (or break) these epic
heists.
Here’s what’s on deck in Battlefield™ Hardline: Robbery…
- Four expansive maps: The Docks, Break Pointe,
Museum, and Precinct 7
- New 5v5 game mode: Squad Heist
- 4 new weapons
- 2 new gadgets
- 2 new factional vehicles and new vehicle upgrades
- New camos and vehicle paints
- The Legendary Super Feature
We also want to talk a bit about Squad Heist, the new game mode coming in
Battlefield Hardline: Robbery. Squad Heist feels refreshing and familiar. Built
as an homage to the beloved Squad Rush in Battlefield 4, this mode combines the
combat of Battlefield with the intimate fantasy of a classic heist.
Continue here to read the full story.
Frozenbyte announces an August 20th release date for Trine 3: The Artifacts
of Power, celebrating the coming of the next installment in their
puzzle/platformer series with
a new trailer. The
game is already available through Early Access, on
GOG.com,
Humble Store,
and Steam, and the
announcement mentions the release will be followed by versions for OS X, Linux,
and consoles: Finnish game developer Frozenbyte is excited to announce
that the puzzle-centric platformer, Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power will be out
of Early Access and officially released on August 20th. The Windows version will
be purchasable on Steam, GOG, and Humble. Mac and Linux versions are in
development and due later this year.
The Early Access price of $19.99/19.99 € will go up to $21.99/21.99 € upon
official release, and an epic soundtrack by Ari Pulkkinen is included!
Frozenbyte CEO Lauri Hyvärinen commented on the official release and the end of
the Early Access period: "I'd like to thank everyone who bought the game during
Early Access. We couldn't have done it without your support and feedback, and
we're extremely excited to present the finished game on August 20th!"
Next up for Frozenbyte are the Linux and Mac versions of Trine 3: The Artifacts
of Power, as well as the console versions.
Continue here to read the full story.
Battle.net now has a
preview of the upcoming patch for Diablo III that will bring the
action/RPG sequel to version 2.3.0. They describe a new overhaul of the crafting
system, a new zone that will help usher in new bounties and changes to the
bounty system, changes to Nephalem and Greater Rifts, and a better payoff for
Infernal Machines. They don't specify when the patch will go live, but they do
invite players to preview it on the PTR.
The official Gamescom
2015 trailer from Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege shows off more of this
special forces sequel featuring the best of the best of the best. The new clip
pays homage to the German trade show by introducing the German operatives of GSG
9. Apparently there's a chance to sample this in Cologne, as word is: "Team
Rainbow is composed of members from the best Special Forces Units from around
the globe. Come to Gamescom and play Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege for the
first time as the elite GSG-9 Operators." Continue here to read the full story.
This video is the
"official Gamescom 2015 comic trailer" for Skyhill, the upcoming
survival/horror roguelike-like set during a biological catastrophe. The
announcement of the clip covers things nicely: "Daedalic Entertainment is happy
to present a new trailer for Skyhill, the rogue-like survival game from
Mandragora and Daedalic Entertainment. The game focuses on entrepreneur Perry
Jason, who survived the Third World War in the Skyhill Hotel's Penthouse Suite,
while the rest of the city fell victim to a missile strike that created a mutant
apocalypse. Finding his food and supplies almost exhausted, Perry needs to leave
the 100-story building to survive this nightmare. He can only achieve his goal
if he skillfully budgets food, medicine and other supplies, which he finds in
the mutant-infested floors and rooms of the hotel. Skyhill will be released for
PC and Mac in the fourth quarter of 2015."
- Nom Nom Galaxy on
Steam. Save 20%.
- Reign Of Kings on
Steam. Save 50%.
- Savage Lands on
Steam. Save 60%.
Link of the Day:
Russian International Tank Biathlon; Drifting quarter finals. Driving like a
boss. Recording like an employee.
Here's a new gameplay
reveal trailer for Dark Souls III, offering a look at FromSoftware's
upcoming action/RPG sequel. Word is: "Dark Souls III continues to push the
boundaries with the latest, ambitious chapter in critically-acclaimed and
genre-defining series. As fires fade and only embers remain, journey once more
into a world filled with more daunting and colossal enemies and environments.
Players will be immersed into a world of epic atmosphere and darkness through
faster gameplay and amplified combat intensity. New to the series are the Battle
Arts attacks. You'll be able to deliver powerful attacks that will break through
enemy defenses. Each weapon will have its own unique Battle Arts." Continue here to read the full story.
A new "Thank You" trailer
from Homefront: The Revolution is a new Gamescom 2015 trailer for the upcoming
shooter sequel set in an occupied United States. Here's the description of the
clip: "Citizens in the United States live under foreign occupation. A force that
is stronger and more technologically advanced now watches over the People. But
in the city of Philadelphia, a Resistance is preparing to start a Revolution. A
new day has dawned, and a brighter future beckons." Continue here to read the full story.
A new Gamescom trailer
for Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 (it's such a relief when
it's not written in all caps) shows off more of the upcoming anime game. The
clip shows "the new generation of ninja battle" this will offer, and also reveals a
delay, as it concludes showing a February 9, 2016 release date. The game
was announced
late last year for release this year, but no reason for the setback is offered.
Thanks
DSOGaming. Continue here to read the full story.
The Mirror's
Edge Twitter account offers an act of faith with a short clip showing a
glimpse of gameplay from the upcoming continuation of Mirror's Edge, the
parkour action game. The post indicates they are looking to leverage this into
some YouTube subscriptions: ""Faith's journey is just beginning. Subscribe to
see it first: http://bit.ly/1M6KA6Y
#MirrorsEdge #EAgamescom." Thanks
PC Gamer.
A new "Stronghold
Trailer" from Mad Max shows off more of Avalanche Studios' upcoming
action game based on the post-apocalyptic movie franchise. Here's word on the
only anti-hero with the balls to take on Scrotus: "In the new trailer, Max
visits some of the game's diverse strongholds and encounters a number of
intriguing characters, including Jeet, Gutgash, Pink Eye and Deep Friah. In a
world where Max faces both his internal and external enemies, these strongholds
hold the pieces essential to the puzzle he tries to solve. Max will need to make
some uneasy alliances as he prepares to take on merciless Wasteland tyrant,
Scrotus." Continue here to read the full story.
A DRM-free version of Sylvio is now available on the Humble Store by way
of the official website for this
first-person horror game for Windows and OS X after previously only being
offered on Steam.
This trailer shows off
gameplay and there is also a playable demo for a hands-on sample. Here's word on
the game, and its firm roots in not science: "Sylvio is about a ghost recorder
called Juliette Waters, who finds herself trapped in an old family park
destroyed by a landslide in 1971. She uses her skills in EVP (Electronic Voice
Phenomena) to find voices of deceased in the radio static, and slowly learns the
horrific story of the surroundings. Solve environment puzzles, have séances,
disturb black orbs, and explore a park left to its demise."
The summer trade show season rolls on in force, as Gamescom officially gets
underway in Germany tomorrow. That means there will be the usual pre-show
conferences and announcements today, and of course it's several hours later in
Germany than here in the U.S., so from that perspective, the show is practically
over already.
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