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Archived News:
Steam News announces the
release of The Witness,
the new puzzle game from Thekla designed by Braid creator Jonathan Blow.
Can I get a witness?: You wake up, alone, on a strange island full of
puzzles that will challenge and surprise you.
You don't remember who you are, and you don't remember how you got here, but
there's one thing you can do: explore the island in hope of discovering clues,
regaining your memory, and somehow finding your way home.
The Witness is a single-player game in an open world with dozens of locations to
explore and over 500 puzzles. This game respects you as an intelligent player
and it treats your time as precious. There's no filler; each of those puzzles
brings its own new idea into the mix. So, this is a game full of ideas.
Torment: Tides of Numenera is now available as an early access title
on Steam, offering the
chance to try a prerelease version of his spiritual-successor to Planescape:
Torment. This early
access launch trailer offers a look, and
this post provides an overview: Welcome to the Torment: Tides of
Numenera Early Access launch on Steam! We’re really excited about having a new
audience come on board and are looking forward to your feedback. With Torment:
Tides of Numenera, we’re working to craft a game worthy of the legacy of
Planescape: Torment, a deep story-driven experience set in a unique setting,
with memorable companions, complex mind-bending dialogues, and places to explore
that are both beautiful and horrifying. Torment's world is highly reactive and
we hope you'll be able to enjoy not just a single play-through, but
experimenting with different builds and options in solving quests and
progressing through the game.
BANDAI NAMCO announces they will be the publisher of Warhammer 40,000:
Eternal Crusade, the MMOG revealed
a couple of years ago. This
game was previously referred to as an MMORPG, but they have refined the message
to now say this it an MMOTPS, and while it was originally planned for release
last year, but with a
switch
to the Unreal 4 engine and this genre shift, word is to expect it later this
year: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. a leading interactive
entertainment publisher and developer, today announces Warhammer 40,000: Eternal
Crusade, an all-new massively multiplayer third person shooter (MMOTPS)
developed by Behaviour Interactive. Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade features a
persistent world where players must choose from one of four factions and work
together to take down opposing forces. The game will be available later in 2016
on the PlayStation® 4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One system, and Steam
for PC.
In Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade, four factions -- Space Marines, Chaos
Space Marines, Eldar, and Orks -- plan their strategy and deploy their squads as
they assault strongholds, defend outposts, and delve into the Underworld to
combat hordes of Tyranids. Players must work in harmony both on and off the
battlefield in order to advance their faction’s goals and establish supremacy
over the enemy.
“Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade appeals to a wide variety of players,
bringing a massive playerbase along with third person shooter elements,” said
Eric Hartness, Vice President of Marketing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
America, Inc. “In Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade, players will join their
favorite factions and embark upon fierce large-scale battles set within the rich
Warhammer 40,000 universe.”
“It’s an honor to work on a Warhammer 40,000 game that’s already getting great
community feedback on our pre-alpha. We can’t wait to share what we’ve built
with a wider audience.” – Stephen Mulrooney, Senior Vice President, Behaviour
Digital
“We are really happy to have BANDAI NAMCO on board as a partner to complement
our collaboration with Games Workshop.” – Rémi Racine, Founder and CEO,
Behaviour.
The PC beta for Tom Clancy's The Division is getting underway on Friday,
offering the chance to check out the upcoming third-person shooter (thanks
Agent.X7). Word is participants can begin downloading the client now to prepare,
and The
Division FAQ has all the details. Here's the explanation on how to get in:
"There are a limited number of guaranteed access codes for the beta. In order to
receive one, you must pre-order Tom Clancy’s The Division for Xbox One,
PlayStation®4 system, or PC from a participating retailer. Find a participating
retailer by visiting
thedivisiongame.com/buy. You can also choose to register for the waiting
list, but this does not guarantee beta access."
The
Guild Wars 2 Forum has the full release notes for a winter update for Guild
Wars 2, revealing extensive changes to ArenaNet's MMORPG sequel.
This trailer offers
a look and
this page has all the details. Word is: "In our very first quarterly update
of 2016, you’ll be able to take to the skies of Central Tyria, do battle against
a deadlier Shatterer, organize your squad with map markers and promotions,
summon an old friend to fight beside you in Stronghold, celebrate traditional
Lunar New Year festivities, and more! You can read the full release notes
here." Continue here to read the full story.
Blizzard announces improvements to the reply files for Heroes of the
Storm, saying they have
open-sourced their "heroprotocol" project to assist the development of
community-driven replay analysis tools. They say far more data can now be
extracted from replays for their MOBA, and that they will be working in the
future to further improve replay files and protocols. Also, the Li-Mig patch is
now available on the PTR for testing, and
the patch notes are online, including one enigmatic bit: "You may find a
curious creature running wild at the start of your games on the PTR, but don't
worry --You'll learn more about him very soon!"
There's a
The Road Ahead post on the Star Wars Battlefront website with details
on future plans for the futuristic action game, including free content tomorrow,
more free content next month, and details on season pass contents, including one
DLC pack based on the Death Star. Here's word: We began our post-launch
journey together last month with the Battle of Jakku DLC, adding two new maps
and the new mode Turning Point. Tomorrow, we are adding more free content to the
game for all Star Wars Battlefront players, including:
- The Tatooine Survival map will now support the
Blast, Droid Run, Drop Zone, Hero Hunt, and Heroes vs Villains multiplayer
modes, and is called Raider Camp.
- New Hoth-themed outfits for Luke Skywalker and Han
Solo, both of which will be available to all fans when they play as these
two iconic characters on Hoth – these were unlocked by our players for
completing our Heroes’ Holiday community mission last month.
- We are giving players the ability to create
Private Matches, which makes playing with friends even easier.
- The introduction of Daily Challenges and Community
Events. These are designed to rally the Community around certain goals and
objectives, giving players the chance to earn credits and unlocks even
faster. We'll have more news regarding Community Events and Daily Challenges
in the days ahead.
- And of course, we are also including some overall
balancing tweaks to both weapons and multiplayer modes.
In February, we will continue to add more free content for all players,
including a new Survival mission on Hoth, and a brand-new Hoth multiplayer map
that will support our larger game modes including Walker Assault, Supremacy,
Fighter Squadron and Turning Point. Speaking of Turning Point, we are also
excited to make this popular mode available on all maps that currently support
Walker Assault and Supremacy in the February update.
In March, we will be adding another exciting new multiplayer map on Endor that
will support Walker Assault, Supremacy, and Turning Point, and an additional
Tatooine Survival map.
In addition to the free content we will be delivering through March, we will
continue to listen to our community throughout the year and provide updates
designed to make Star Wars Battlefront even more fun for everyone.
Now, a lot of you have been asking for more details around Season Pass, and we
want to give you some more information today. Season Pass is going to give you
more of the content you love -- maps and modes, Heroes, weapons, and more. We
are thrilled to share with you the names of each digital expansion pack, as well
as some details on what players can expect with each one and when they will be
available.
- Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Outer Rim (March
2016) - Fight among the factories of Sullust and battle within Jabba the
Hutt's palace on Tatooine
- Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Bespin (Summer
2016) - It's hunt or be hunted in this action-packed experience set in the
Cloud City of Bespin
- Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Death Star (Fall
2016) – That’s no moon! One of the most iconic locations in the Star Wars
universe makes its debut in Star Wars Battlefront.
- Star Wars™ Battlefront™ Expansion Pack 4 –
Title TBA (Early 2017) – We will have more details to share about this
exciting new expansion pack in the coming months.
All this content is available as part of the Star Wars Battlefront Season
Pass, available now for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and on Origin for PC. Each
digital expansion pack will also be available separately. Head on over to our
website to learn more about all the exciting content you can expect.
A new "Der Eisendrache"
trailer from Call of Duty: Black Ops III - Awakening shows off the first
chapter in the next installment in the zombie saga in the upcoming shooter
sequel expansion. Word is: "Der Eisendrache, the first chapter of Call of Duty:
Black Ops III's Zombies DLC adventure will take players on an epic journey with
the Origin characters Richtofen, Nicolai, Takeo, and Dempsey. Set in an eerie
medieval castle built upon an ancient site of unspeakable horror, massive
deposits of Element 115 have recently been discovered, delivering inspired new
gameplay and - in Zombies tradition - a variety of exciting plot twists and
surprises that fans will have the opportunity to discover for themselves." Continue here to read the full story.
The Political Machine website now
offers an official release date for The Political Machine 2016, saying
the next installment in the election simulator will leave early access on
February 4th. A post on the
Stardock forums has further details: Take to the campaign trail on
February 4, 2016 and win the hearts and minds of America’s voters to win the
presidency in Stardock’s popular political strategy game, The Political Machine
2016.
The game offers the player a choice to compete for the presidency as one of more
than a dozen candidates such as Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton,
and more. The player can also choose to create their own custom candidate,
complete with their own unique avatar, political party, and hometown.
"The Development Team has been working on some new features for this release,"
said producer Patrick Shaw. "The game deals with topics that are current and
relevant to this year’s election and we’ve added a poll tracking feature so that
you can see how your own political races are matching up to what’s going on in
the United States right now."
Dozens of national issues including the Keystone XL Pipeline, human trafficking,
and the Iran Nuclear Deal have been added for the 2016 campaign season. New
issues will continue to be added even after the game releases.
The Political Machine 2016 is now available in Early Access on Steam for $9.99
at http://store.steampowered.com/app/404620. Visit www.politicalmachine.com for
more information.
A Survive the Nightmare
trailer from Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition shows off a new
Nightmare difficulty level this will add to Dying Light. Here's word: Today
Techland published another episode of its ‘Highlights’ video series, in which
the developer details the multiple improvements and additional content being
added to the upcoming Dying Light: The Following - Enhanced Edition. The new
video focuses on the Nightmare Mode -- a new difficulty level that restricts
overpowered Easter Egg weapons, introduces XP penalties for dying, ramps up the
difficulty of enemies, and more.
“We’ve designed the Nightmare Mode for those seeking a really challenging and
immersive experience. Nightmare Mode takes everything that was brutal in our
Hard Mode and twists it even more” - says producer Tymon Smektała. “We’re trying
to bring the Dying Light experience closer and closer to the feeling of a real
apocalypse survival experience where every move you make can really determine if
you live or die. We’ve added one bit of salvation though. Playing Nightmare Mode
in co-op will earn you XP faster and increase your chance of finding gold tier
weapons.”
Continue here to read the full story.
A "Freedom Fighters"
trailer from Homefront: The Revolution shows off four-player co-op gameplay
from the upcoming shooter sequel. The accompanying announcement has details on a
"Revolutionary Spirit" pack that's a bonus for preordering the game along with
details on cooperative gameplay. Here's word: Resistance Mode is a brand
new four-player co-operative online experience. Form a Resistance Cell with your
friends online and wage guerrilla warfare against the KPA military in thrilling
narrative-driven missions across occupied Philadelphia. Customize your personal
roster of Freedom Fighters as you and your teammates go from rookie civilians to
battle hardened soldiers. Unlock new skills, earn weapon blueprints, rare
equipment and combat gear to upgrade.
Xbox One owners can be the first to try it out when the Closed Beta runs
February 11-14 exclusively on Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment
system from Microsoft. In addition, registered members of the Homefront
community may also be invited to participate in a sneak preview of Resistance
Mode via one of the upcoming Closed Beta Stress Tests which will take place on
Friday, January 29th and Friday, February 5th on Xbox One.
"Homefront: The Revolution is this team's most ambitious project yet," said
Hasit Zala, game director at Dambuster Studios. "In addition to our epic 30-plus
hour single-player campaign, we expect to launch Resistance Mode with 12
Missions, packed with re-playability, and hope to release another 20 Missions
within the first year. To ensure our community can always play together, all
Resistance Mode Missions will be free to download."
All pre-orders for the game will receive the "Revolutionary Spirit" pack. The
"Revolutionary Spirit" pre-order offer gives players unique skins and instant
unlocks of select weapons for the campaign. The Revolutionary Spirit pack
available at all retailers includes: the Red Skull motorbike skin and the Golden
pistol skin for campaign along with instant unlocks of the Marksman Rifle,
Sniper Scope and Remote Explosives for your Resistance Mode
character.
Continue here to read the full story.
"Music as the Voice of the Game" is the theme of
this new trailer from
Unravel, the upcoming game that hopes to spin a touching yarn. The clip relates
how the game's music will be integral to the experience, and there's more on the
topic in this blog
post. Word is: "The music of Unravel, composed by two local Swedish
musicians, becomes the voice of the game helping to establish the mood,
atmosphere and inspiring emotions as players progress through their journey with
Yarny." Continue here to read the full story.
Activision, Nickelodeon, and PlatinumGames announce Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan, a third-person action game based on the comic
series. This trailer
offers a look, and word is this will come to Windows and consoles this summer: Activision
Publishing, Inc., Nickelodeon and PlatinumGames Inc. have joined forces to
create Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™: Mutants in Manhattan, a third-person
action game featuring New York City’s crime-fighting Heroes in a Half-Shell.
Players will protect The Big Apple from aliens, mutants and the Foot Clan in a
single-player campaign or partner with up to three friends in four-player online
co-op. But be prepared – defeating Bebop, Rocksteady, Shredder and other iconic
bosses won’t be easy.
PlatinumGames’ flair for stylish visuals and fluid combat are on full display in
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Fast-paced, team-based
brawling will challenge gamers of all skill levels. Each Turtle has a
distinctive combat play style and can be customized with a unique set of
Ninjutsu moves, combat items and special bonuses.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan also features gorgeous,
cel-shaded art design, with an original story from prolific author of IDW
Publishing’s acclaimed ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Tom Waltz.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan is expected to arrive this
summer as a retail and digital release on the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3
computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows PC via
Steam.
Continue here to read the full story.
Blizzard's
Dustin Browder tweets about the future of Heroes of the Storm, and
progress on features like the ability for teams in Team League (and perhaps Hero
League) games to select heroes to be banned from individual matches. That
feature was first promised over
the summer, but to the unhappiness of many, he now explains that this and
other new features are still months away: "Rolling the season, grandmaster
league and bans are the top of our priority list. We are not weeks away.
Months." He also makes
this tweet
saying bans will come first, and
this one
triaging the problems: "I don't know when everything will drop. Bans are the top
priority followed by season roll + Grand Master."
Time for me to thank Frans once again for his indispensible technical assistance
keeping things properly here. There was a glitch in our registration system that
failed to recognize some email providers as valid. This started out only
impacting a certain small number of ISPs, but over time this was getting worse,
and was preventing some users from being able to access their accounts using the
same email addresses they originally registered. Frans whipped out his duct tape
and power tools and has managed to beat this problem into submission, so it
should now be eradicated. If you've previously encountered an error incorrectly
claiming an email address is not valid, this should be cleared up. Thanks Frans.
#salute.
R.I.P.:
Jimmy Bain, Bassist for Dio and Rainbow, Dead at 68.
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