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Archived News:
John Romero
tweets that he has created his first new level for DOOM in 21 years: "It's
been 21 years since I made a DOOM level. Here's my version of E1M8 using
DOOM1.WAD.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2x2ee3r51986dkt/e1m8b.zip?dl=0." It's noted in the
readme that this requires a version of the game engine with limits removed, and
you can find a list of source ports on
Doomworld, and
GameInformer offers a handy link to
an article on how
to play or start wads. The Romero outlines what was involved in this in a
reply to a question: "It took me several hours over the last 2 weeks in my spare
time. Lots of fun to make."
Steam News announces
this weekend you can play
CONSORTIUM for free
all weekend, offering the chance to sample this "first person science-fiction
role-playing experience." Here's word on the game, which is the first
installment in what's planned as a trilogy: An original, story-driven
first-person role-playing experience. Take on the role of Consortium Bishop Six,
a global peacekeeper in the year 2042, aboard the massive futuristic aircraft
ZENLIL. You have an unprecedented amount of freedom to control how the story
unfolds.
Square Enix
tweets that they are celebrating the life of David Bowie by giving away keys
for free copies of Omikron: The Nomad Soul, Quantic Dream's 1999
adventure game featuring Bowie music as well as couple of characters based on the
late musician's image (thanks
Kotaku via nin). This is available in North America though
this page and in Europe
here, and word is to use the code "omikron" to get it for free. This offer is good for the next
week "while supplies last." If you're curious about this collaboration, there's
a section on it in the
game's Wikipedia
entry explaining Bowie's contributions to the game: David Bowie, who
had some input on the storyline and game's design, makes two cameo appearances
within the game, although not as himself; first as Boz, a game character who's a
revolutionary wanted by authorities, and secondly as the nameless lead-singer of
the fictional musical group, "The Dreamers", who perform illegal concerts in
Omikron. In addition, select tracks from his (then) upcoming 'Hours...' album
were written specifically for the game and then rewritten for the album release.
For example, for the song "New Angels of Promise" (used in the game's intro),
Bowie changed the chorus lyric Omikron to Suspicious Minds.
The game's soundtrack is a main feature as well, featuring songs and
instrumentals by Bowie and Reeves Gabrels (most of which appeared on 'Hours...'
or as B-sides on the associated single for the song "Thursday's Child"), several
other instrumentals written by Gabrels, with additional composition work by
Xavier Despas. Most of Bowie's songs are then available (in-game only) for later
listening either if the player opts to "buy" the recordings or simply walk into
an apartment that already has some of the music laid out in plain view or in
hidden compartments. Bowie's wife Iman also makes a cameo as one of the numerous
Omikronian citizens the player can "reincarnate" into.
Steam News announces
that Dragon's Dogma: Dark
Arisen is now available as
promised for Windows. Word is: "The next exciting chapter in the Dragon’s
Dogma franchise delivering a huge brand new area, missions, enemies and more,
plus all of the content from the original game."
CapCom Unity offers a
launch trailer,
PC specs and more on the release: Featuring a series of PC specific
customization options, from 4K support and uncapped framerate (though 60fps is
already super smooth for my eyes) to new hotkey functions and the ability to
turn off Pawn banter, this is truly the definitive version of the epic fantasy
action RPG we already loved.
Continue here to read the full story.
Steam News announces
the release of Echoes Of
Aetheria, saying the retro-styled RPG for Windows is 15% off for the first
week. Here's word on the game: Two nations finally achieve peace, marked
by a momentous royal wedding. But just as they seal it with a kiss, a group of
soldiers sabotage the wedding and kidnap the bride! Follow the story of Lucian,
Ingrid, and Soha, as they uncover the secrets of the conspiracy and expose the
true villains! This Role-Playing Game begins an addictive whimsical adventure
and becomes to an unforgettable grand campaign.
Another new trailer
from Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is online, paving the way for next week's
release of the land-based installment in the Homeworld series. "The
Transmission" trailer offers a look at the game's story, and the description
covers the clip and your purchase options: On January 20, you're invited
to lead the expedition that started it all in Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak, a
ground-based sci-fi RTS from Blackbird Interactive, a studio founded by veterans
of the Homeworld and Company of Heroes franchises.
Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak takes players to the deserts of Kharak where danger
lurks over every dune. Before you can find your Homeworld, you must first unlock
the secrets of the desert.
Pre-order now on Steam and receive a FREE copy of Homeworld Remastered
Collection! Existing owners of Homeworld Remastered Collection on Steam will
instead receive 20% off their Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak pre-orders.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/281610
Continue here to read the full story.
UbiBlog
announces plans to test The Division, saying the closed beta for the
upcoming shooter/RPG will be a 24 hour exclusive on Xbox One before it launches
for Windows and PlayStation 4 on January 29th. They celebrate the news with
this trailer showing
off the game's RPG elements. You can
preorder to guarantee access, but there are
also signups to get in for free. Here's the deal: The Division doesn’t arrive until March 8, but if you’re itching to jump in,
you’ll get an early chance to explore Manhattan’s pandemic-ravaged streets
starting January 28, when the closed beta goes live. Xbox One owners will get
the first crack at the beta, with 24-hour early access, while PS4 and PC players
can begin on January 29.
Beginning on Manhattan’s Chelsea Pier, the beta will take you through early
story-driven missions that establish your foothold in New York. You’ll team up
with other agents to battle for loot and outwit other agents in the PvP-enabled
Dark Zone. The closed beta runs through January 31; you can
sign up for a
spot on the waitlist, or get guaranteed access on the platform of your
choice by
pre-ordering The Division.
Have more questions about The Division’s closed beta? Be sure to check out the
official FAQ for answers.
Continue here to read the full story.
An
unconfirmed report on MMORPG.com outlines problems with development of
Heavy Gear Assault, the crowdfunded MMO mech game. They quote a couple of
anonymous sources saying the developers of the game have not been paid since
July, and that the project is currently in the hands of a single programmer who
can afford to live without a regular paycheck. Their sources say there are
questions about where the game's funding has gone, and they have had limited
communication from management about what's going on. The site reached out to
Stompy Bot CEO Vince MacMillan for a response to this, and received a reply
which sidesteps the major questions: Heavy Gear Assault is currently
undergoing extensive regression testing and we are upgrading to Unreal Engine
4.10 along with a series of infrastructure upgrades to launch our eSports module
in Q2/Q3 2016. During regression testing the production has been
restructured.
The
Roberts Space Industries website announces a new version 2.1 alpha of Star
Citizen is now available for backers of Cloud Imperium's space combat game. Word
is this is more stable than the previous alpha, and adds a couple of new ships:
We are excited to announce that Star Citizen Alpha 2.1.0 is now available
on the Live server for all players via the Star Citizen launcher. Alpha 2.1
features an array of bug fixes and balance updates aimed at enhancing the Star
Citizen experience. Thanks to expert testing from backers on the PTU, we’ve been
able to significantly improve the experience and stability of Star Citizen from
the December 2.0 release. We’d like to thank everyone in the community who
contributed their time and effort to making this patch happen!
In addition to these fixes, Alpha 2.1 features two new flyable ships in
Crusader: the MISC Freelancer and the Aegis Vanguard Warden. (Surprise!) The
Aegis Sabre is now hangar ready, for those eager to explore their brand new
space superiority fighters! There’s more to discover in Crusader as well,
including a new type of mission surrounding the Covalex Shipping hub. You can
find a complete list of updates, fixes, balance changes and more in the
full patch notes.
Most of the NFL coaching carousel completed its rotation yesterday, and the Giants have
hired offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo as their new head coach. I've seen
many question if basically changing only the head coach means the organization
thought Tom Coughlin was the problem, but I do believe there's truth to the
theory that a coach's message gets too familiar after more than 10 years, so
there is a logic to this that doesn't require believing that Coughlin did
anything particularly wrong. If one can accept that, then there was nothing but
good news for Giants fans yesterday, as Eli gets the continuity of McAdoo
staying with the team, the 49ers tabbed Chip Kelly instead of Coughlin, and
Coughlin told the Eagles what
Steve Weatherford could have told you already. If the former Giants coach
wants another job, I'm happy for him, but I wouldn't have liked it if he ended
up with the 49ers, and I can't even fathom how upset I'd be if he ended up on
the Eagles.
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