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Archived News:
Samorost 3 is now available for Windows and OS X on the
Samorost 3 website as well as
GOG.com,
Humble Store, and Steam, offering a new
installment in this puzzle series from Amanita Design, the makers of
Machinarium. In keeping with the game's general vibe,
there's almost nothing about the game on the website, thought they offer this recent release
date trailer which shows off gameplay and some of the game's unusual and
beautiful environments. Here's word on the release: Amanita Design, the
independent developer of award-winning puzzle games like Machinarium and
Botanicula, has launched Samorost 3 on Windows PC and Mac platforms. This
point-and-click exploration adventure is a loose follow-up to the original indie
hits Samorost (2003) and Samorost 2 (2005). It follows a curious space gnome who
uses the magical powers of a mysterious flute to travel through the cosmos in
search of its origins.
Samorost 3 is Amanita’s most ambitious experience yet, combining the intricate
logic puzzles of Machinarium with Botanicula’s more relaxed gameplay and tone.
Players will journey across nine uniquely alien worlds, each a distinctive
ecosystem teeming with colorful creatures, characters, challenges, achievements
and surprises to discover.
Brought alive by detailed artwork and expressive animations, Samorost 3’s
surreal landscapes and lifeforms draw a balance between stylishly bizarre and
believable. The game’s eclectic audio and soundtrack –composed by inventive
musician Floex – are both abstract and atmospheric, frequently playing key roles
alongside environmental clues in the game’s puzzles and mini-games.
Continue here to read the full story.
The latest game offered through the
Origin
Games On the House program is
Medal of Honor Pacific Assault, meaning anyone with an Origin account is
entitled to download the World War II shooter for free (thanks Allen). Here's
word on the game, which no longer offers multiplayer support due to the shutdown
of GameSpy: Step into the boots of Marine Private Tom Conlin, as you
fight your way through the iconic battles of World War II. Work alone and with
the help of squad members to complete missions. As squad members gain
experience, they develop their own personalities and fight more efficiently.
This first-person-shooter features incredible missions, weapons, and vehicles
that put you in the middle of the fight.
Total War Battles: KINGDOM is now available
on Steam for Windows and
OS X. offering a free-to-play installment in the Total War strategy series.
Here's a launch trailer,
and here's word from
the announcement: Today, you can take on leadership of a new realm in
Total War Battles: KINGDOM, now available as a free download on Steam for PC and
Mac, the Apple App Store for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch; as well as digital
download on Google Play™ for Android devices. For more information visit:
www.twkingdom.com
Forge your land into a mighty kingdom through the smoke of industry, diplomacy
and war, transforming your territory from a raw wilderness into a refined,
powerful, prosperous realm. Expand, conquer, and explore a persistent world
across multiple platforms while training and customising your very own army.
Take your troops into battle against AI and other players in realm-time battles.
The time has come for you to seize a hold of your destiny. What will your legacy
be? Watch the Launch trailer here:
Continue here to read the full story.
CapCom Unity has details on the March update for Street Fighter V,
saying the first of a two-part release will take place on March 28th, and
outlining all that it will add to the fighting game. They also have details on
what will not be coming, as plans to open the cash shop are being postponed.
They also inform anyone disappointed at not being able to purchase the new DLC
character that all characters will be provided to all players on a trial basis
until the ability to buy them with cash is worked out. Here's word: One
feature that will not be making it into the March update will be the Zenny (real
money) functionality of the in-game shop. We have taken a long hard look at this
part of the store, and after much review, have decided it is not ready to launch
just yet. As Zenny is purchased with real money, we wanted to be extra careful
and make sure it’s fully tested and optimized before launching it. There is
currently no ETA on the Zenny store and we will release it as soon as it’s
ready.
We realize that this causes an inconvenience to fans who want to purchase the
DLC characters, such as Alex, but do not have enough Fight Money or own the
Season Pass. To address this, we will be making Alex available for free as a
trial period to all players, until the Zenny shop launches. This also will apply
to any future DLC character that releases prior to the Zenny shop launching.
Once the Zenny shop launches, the free trial for any DLC characters that
released prior to the Zenny shop opening will end, and players will need to
either use Fight Money, Zenny, or the Season Pass to access those characters.
Any DLC character related content (such as costumes) that is purchased with
Fight Money during the trial period will remain in your account once the trial
period ends, but you’ll need to purchase Alex to use that content. The same goes
for colors and character progress, etc. that are earned during the trial period;
everything will be saved, you’ll just need to purchase the character to resume
your progress once the trial period ends.
As a special bonus to our Season Pass users, they will be the only ones who will
be able to access the premium costumes of the DLC characters until the Zenny
shop launches, and they also get to keep character access once the free trial
period ends. Additionally, we will be giving all Season Pass users a free, brand
new stage in the near future!
Game Tycoon 2 remains in early access
on Steam, which is news
simply because publisher KISS Ltd and developer Sunlight Games intended on
making today the game's official launch. They now plan on releasing this on
April 8th, saying the additional time is required to make the best game they can
about making games. "We took a last minute call to give extra time to deliver
the best possible game play experience," explains Marco Sowa, CEO of German
based indie dev studio Sunlight Games GmbH. "Instead of the game leaving Early
Access, we will be issuing a further code update today and a final update when
the game moves to a full release on Friday 8 April."
Another new trailer
from the new DOOM game is up on
Bethesda.net, offering a look at the demons, power weapons, and power-ups in
the shooter remake. The accompanying article fills in a lot of details about all
these elements, kicked off by the following introduction: For more than
two decades, the DOOM marine has shot, smashed, blasted and chainsawed his way
through heaving hordes of hellspawn. But come May 13, when DOOM releases on
PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, the demons will finally have their day. For the
first time in the history of id’s seminal shooter, players can actually become a
demon and wreak all kinds of havoc in intense multiplayer matches.
But that’s not all. Along with the newly playable demons, combatants can also
grab hold of devastating power weapons and unique power-ups that enhance the
intensely fun multiplayer mayhem. For a look at just a few of the demons, power
weapons and power-ups in DOOM multiplayer, watch our new video.
Continue here to read the full story.
A new Guerrilla Warfare
101 trailer from Homefront: The Revolution offers some basic training for
the upcoming shooter sequel, showing off combat in an effort to liberate an
occupied Philadelphia. Here's word on the clip, which is said to be the first in
a series: The first in a series of new gameplay trailers, the “Guerrilla
Warfare 101” trailer for Homefront: The Revolution is now available, showcasing
the type of gameplay and combat variety you can expect in the game’s
single-player campaign as well as the online co-op Resistance Mode.
Faced with the technologically superior forces of the KPA who are occupying
Philadelphia in 2029, the Resistance needs to fight their war for liberation on
their own terms. Urban guerrillas use their knowledge of the environment, their
custom homebrew weapons, and their Guerrilla Toolkit to their advantage to even
the odds.
Continue here to read the full story.
Focus Home Interactive announces an April 21st release date for Battlefleet
Gothic: Armada, the Warhammer 40,000 real-time strategy game in development
at Tindalos Interactive. They also offer a
new trailer showing
off some Ork action, celebrating the addition of this new race to the beta. Word
is you can gain access to the beta by preordering the game, and doing so will
also gain you two factions that will be presumably sold separately to non-early
adopters. Here's word: There's another important thing we'd like to
announce. Currently, the Space Marines fleet is offered for free to all Early
Adopters. With the support of our publisher Focus, we've decided to develop
another faction that we'll unveil soon. This new faction, available in a few
months, will also be offered for free to all Early Adopters - people who
pre-ordered the game or purchase it during the first two months after release.
We wanted to show you, the community, that we're passionate about supporting
this game and its players. We're always paying attention to your feedback, and
this is how together we'll make the game we've all dreamt about."
Continue here to read the full story.
PolyRace is now available
on Steam, offering a
futuristic racing game for Windows, OS X, and Linux. Here's word on the game and
its procedural level generation: Description
PolyRace is a fast-paced futuristic racing game with a procedural level
generator. Choose between 4 different hovercrafts with each of them having its
own physic properties and a unique sci-fi hull. Run on generated terrains shaped
with valleys, hills and mountains, mixing long straight lines and narrow curves
while paying attention to your shield.
Features
- Hurtle through randomized tracks (using procedural
algorithm) with four difficulty levels and three landscape environment:
desert, continental, arctic.
- Challenge your friends in a turn by turn
multiplayer and race against your opponent’s ghost.
- Which kind of racer are you: a Time Attack girl,
Distance type of guy or an endless person?
- Race against the developer’s ghost in the
Missions, and challenge the rest of the world in the Race of the Day.
- Choose between four hovercrafts with their own
physics.
- Playable on keyboard and gamepad with insanely
fast-paced music.
Dungeon Defenders developer Trendy Entertainment has filed a lawsuit
against Studio Wildcard, the startup behind Ark: Survival Evolved, the
early access survival game.
Kotaku reports on the situation, saying this centers around Jeremy
Stieglitz, and whether Trendy's former creative director violated a non-compete
clause in working on Ark and poaching Trendy employees. They accuse him of "tortious
interference" and argue that Ark competed for both audience and developers with
Dungeon Defenders, and word is that Wildcard has called these accusations
"irrelevant, immaterial, impertinent, and scandalous" in asking that the charges
be dismissed. According to the story, this will all hit the courts late next
month when the court will decide whether the game can remain for sale while all
this gets sorted: The lawsuit, which is ongoing, is filled with
allegations about Stieglitz and his involvement with Ark: Survival Evolved.
Wildcard’s leadership has denied that Stieglitz played a major role in the
game’s creation, but Trendy argues otherwise, and they’ve filed for “injunctive
relief and damages” in the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Florida. On April 27, the
court will hear arguments on Trendy’s most recent motion, which asks for a
temporary injunction until the case is settled. If granted, the injunction could
temporarily halt development on Ark: Survival Evolved and even force Wildcard to
pull the game from Steam as the lawsuit continues.
A
report on Bloomberg Business has the latest on Ubisoft's efforts
at fending off a hostile takeover by Vivendi, saying the threat of a talent
exodus may be the company's best defense against the financial assault (thanks
PCGamesN). Some of the story is based on feedback from financial analysts
Michael Pachter and Richard Maxime Beaudoux, who often hold views that diverge
from those of the hardcore gaming audience, but they do also quote those more
directly involved in the situation, including company founder Yves Guillemot. He
explains that their dedication to retaining employees is not the norm, and they
make a case for how this could work against an acquisition. Here's a summary: Ubisoft,
the third biggest independent game maker, is behind some of the most popular
games of today including “Assassin’s Creed” and “The Division.” Guillemot and
his four brothers, who own about 9 percent of the company, are on the defensive
after Vivendi, the media conglomerate headed by Bollore, started buying into
Ubisoft last October. Vivendi’s initial 10 percent stake is up to just over 15
percent now. The company said this month it plans to keep buying shares and seek
board representation. Potentially more worrisome, it began a hostile bid for
Gameloft SE, another game company founded by the Guillemot brothers.
For 30 years, Guillemot has been running Ubisoft, based in the Paris suburb of
Montreuil, as a family business where creatives are given time, space and a
little extra budget when they need it. That’s a far cry from the iron fist
culture of Bollore, who took control of advertising agency Havas SA and
installed his son as chief executive officer.
Vivendi risks turning Ubisoft into an “empty shell” unless it can keep its
approach friendly and retain Guillemot as a top executive, said Richard Maxime
Beaudoux, an analyst at Bryan Garnier & Co. “This industry’s all about star
developers and creatives -- they create the added-value. And at Ubisoft,
Guillemot has their support.”
Dark Souls III has launched in Japan, and is coming westward on April 12th.
In celebration, Bandai Namco offers a new
accursed trailer
showing off the action/RPG sequel. Here's word: "A new gameplay trailer for Dark
Souls III is now available for download from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America
Inc. The new “Accursed Trailer” immerses viewers into the darkly beautiful world
of Dark Souls III, the gripping and rewarding action-RPG fueled by sinister
enemies, lethal weapons and the classic sword and sorcery combat. Contrasting
light and dark, life and death, the trailer showcases the grotesque and stunning
sights and intense conflicts that have made the Dark Souls franchise hugely
popular around the world." Continue here to read the full story.
Steam News announces the
release of Way of the
Samurai 3, a Windows version of the third installment in this series
based on these noble warriors that have gone the way of the dodo. The game is
20% off for the next week, and there are a few DLC packs that carry the same
discount. The best description from the Steam page is truncated, saying: "Honour,
sacrifice, betrayal… Your choices make you who you are. How will history
remember you? Choose your friends and enemies carefully in a game where every
decision has far-reaching consequences, and where finishing the game is just the
beginning of your..." We're going to guess the missing word is "journey," though
it could be "adventure," or even something else. Samurai are mysterious like
that.
The
BAFTA website announces plans to honor famed programmer John Carmack with a
BAFTA fellowship at next month's BAFTA Awards. Here's word on this honor for the
former id co-owner who is now at Oculus: Awarded annually, the Fellowship
is the highest accolade bestowed by BAFTA upon an individual in recognition of
an outstanding and exceptional contribution to film, television or games.
Fellowships previously presented for outstanding work in games include David
Braben OBE, Rockstar Games, Gabe Newell, Peter Molyneux, Shigeru Miyamoto and
Will Wright.
John Carmack is celebrated as a leading voice within computer and game
engineering and is one of the pioneers of 3D graphics. For the past two decades,
Carmack has driven adoption of many popular techniques that have changed the
landscape of gaming, including adaptive tile refresh, raycasting, binary space
partitioning and surface caching. He is recognised worldwide as a visionary for
the part he played in some of the most popular video game franchises in history.
- Accessory Power Enhance GX-H3 Gaming Headphones on
Technology X.
- Asus Strix GTX 980Ti OC Edition on
Overclocked
Inside. German.
- Azza Nova 8000 CSAZ-8000B Full-Tower Chassis on
TweakTown.
- Cooler Master V Series 650 W PSU on
techPowerUp.
- Logitech G633 Artemis Spectrum RGB Wired Gaming Headset on
TweakTown.
- MSI Z170A GAMING PRO Carbon Motherboard on
Vortez.
- Mushkin IMPACT 256GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive on
Nikk Tech.
- Samsung Portable SSD T3 500GB on
ocaholic.
There's something new here you can help us check out if you have a moment, as
thanks to the work (and patience) of Frans, we now have an SSL certificate,
which will support secure connections to the site. While we don't store any
particularly sensitive information here, it's a much better practice to transmit
logins and passwords via HTTPS, so this could be considered long overdue. You
can now access the site via SSL, and
if you do, hopefully you will see things exactly as you do now. As far as we
know, the only hairs at all out of place now are how the images for
the Amazon buttons are called via HTTP, which could cause some browsers or
security software to warn of mixed content. We're looking into how that
can be worked around, but other than that, if you do notice anything odd or
different when using HTTPS, please let us know so we can work it out before we
make that the default method for accessing the site.
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