|
|
 |
Archived News:
A free weekend has begun for
ARK: Survival Evolved,
the game of prehistoric survival, offering the chance to play for free until
4:00 pm EDT Sunday. The game is also on sale, and can be picked up for half-off.
Here's the pitch on the game: As a man or woman stranded naked, freezing
& starving on a mysterious island, you must hunt, harvest, craft items, grow
crops, & build shelters to survive. Use skill & cunning to kill, tame, breed, &
ride Dinosaurs & primeval creatures living on ARK, and team up with hundreds of
players or play locally!
Steam News announces a
free weekend is underway for
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six
Siege through midday Sunday, and that the tactical shooter sequel is
also on sale right now for 50% off. Here's word on the free weekend as well as a
livestream on Saturday: Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege will be available
for free from July 28 to July 31 for Xbox One and Windows PC players via the
Xbox store or Steam and Uplay on PC. Placing players in the center of dangerous
close-quarter confrontations, teams must work together to breach the enemy’s
position by utilizing competitive and strategic gameplay skills. Players can try
out the operators and experience the game’s destructible environmental tactical
gameplay.
Fans and players can tune in to watch a livestream of the Season Two Xbox Pro
League Finals and watch the top Rainbow Six Siege players compete for a prize
pool of $75,000. Viewers will also get a first live demo of the new Skull Rain
gameplay just before the final match. The livestream will be broadcasted on
Saturday, July 30 at 6pm PDT here:
https://www.twitch.tv/rainbow6
Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - First Assault Online is now in
open beta as a free-to-play game
on Steam and through the
Nexon Launcher, offering the
chance to play this Ghost in the Shell-based first-person shooter. Word on
Steam News is:
Join Section 9 in a first person shooter experience. Become a member of
an elite force of cybernetically enhanced combat operatives dedicated to the
defense of society, and use your advanced firepower, Tachikoma Tanks and unique
cyber skills to bring down cyber terrorists in a connected world.
Bethesda.net has details on a new update coming tomorrow to DOOM as
well as plans to launch the first premium DLC for the shooter next week. On a
semi-related note,
the DOOM demo has been updated with Vulkan support for those who want to
sample the performance improvements in the game running under the new API.
This Steam post sums up the news about tomorrow's patch and next week's DLC
release, all being celebrated with a double XP weekend that begins tomorrow:
DOOM's Free Update 2 launches tomorrow, July 29! The free update
kicks off with two new multiplayer modes, Sector and Exodus. Sector is a capture
and hold mode while Exodus brings capture the flag to DOOM. We're also adding
Hell modules and environments to DOOM SnapMap, plus new objects like Launch
Pads, and last but not least, the campaign weapon wheel comes to SnapMap! And of
course, the update will include tons of optimizations and improvements. Look for
full release notes when the patch goes live tomorrow.
Unto the Evil, DOOM's first DLC, launches August 5! We're thrilled to
announce that our first premium multiplayer DLC will launch on August 5. The DLC
includes three new multiplayer maps (Catalyst, Ritual, and Offering), the new
UAC EMG Pistol, and the new playable demon, "The Harvester." We're also
introducing a new feature called PartyPlay. Want to play the DLC maps, but don't
own Unto the Evil or the Season Pass? Party up with another player who has
purchased the DLC, and you can play the new maps! If a DLC map comes up as part
of the rotation, you and your party can play just as you have with the game's
original multiplayers maps. Conversely, if you have purchased the premium DLC
pack, anyone in your party can play any of the maps from the DLC as long as
they’re with you.
Double XP Weekend kicks off July 29! To celebrate the release of Update 2, we're
launching our first Double XP Weekend. Level up all weekend long while playing
our two new multiplayer modes.
To read all about today's announcements, including additional details, be sure
to read a note written by Executive Producer Marty Stratton on
https://bethesda.net/#en/events/game/doom-big-updates-new-content-and-partyplay/2016/07/28/160
Note: The deployment of Update 2 will require a maintenance, scheduled for
approximate 12pm ET on July 29. We anticipate the maintenance will end
approximately at 2pm ET. We'll be sure to update you when our multiplayer and
SnapMap servers are down for maintenance.
Publisher Headup Games and developer Pine Studio now offer the
promised release of SEUM: Speedrunners from Hell, the first-person
platform intended to satisfy your need for speed. You can pick the game up by
racing over to Steam,
and for a look at what to expect, check out
the release trailer.
Here's the lowdown: Slice every last millisecond as you race and blast
your way through deadly arenas. Teleport, jump, fly, bounce and drop in a
hundred merciless and fast paced maps for the ultimate prize: Your soul!
Like an unholy child of Quake 3 and Super Meat Boy, SEUM is truly hardcore and
focuses on speed and fast reactions. Race across and jump over platforms and
bounce pads while shooting fireballs as you battle to reach an exit portal in
the minimum amount of time. Reverse time and gravity.Compete with all players
for top times in the online high score ladder. Only the toughest players will
receive the Uber Skull medals!
If mind-blowing speed and adrenaline blasting its way through your body seems
too boring for your speed running blitzkrieg, then search for the beer cans
hidden in each level. Who knows which secrets can be discovered by finding all
of these delicious refreshments?
Continue here to read the full story.
A new short trailer
from Mafia III introduces Cassandra, aka The Voodoo Queen, a known associate of
Lincoln Clay, another of the characters in the upcoming open-world crime sequel.
Here's her dossier, "The N.B.P.D. has identified a prime suspect they believe to
be Lincoln Clay's accomplice on his path of retribution against the Italian
Mafia. Cassandra, rumored leader of the Haitian crime syndicate, is known in
some circles as the Voodoo Queen. Police cite her as a first-hand witness to the
Italian Mafia's most ruthless and gruesome trafficking rackets. It is certain
she has motive to take them out at any cost." Continue here to read the full story.
Epic offers a new trailer
revealing The Fey, the final character from Paragon, their upcoming MOBA. Word
is she will be added to the early access version of the game on August 2nd
(sadly the game will not feature her friend, The Poehler). Here's word on the
character: "Drawing from nature’s power, The Fey is a Support Caster who
specializes in crowd control and can harass Heroes in her lane. Her Untamed
Growth ability throws out a explosive plant that does AOE damage over time. Her
Bramble Patch creates a line of thorny brambles that can slow multiple Heroes.
Harvest Nettles refunds mana on successful hit while her Ultimate, Fly Trap,
summons a gargantuan plant that drags you in and applies serious damage." Continue here to read the full story.
The
Dota 2 blog announces the arrival of the 2016 Compendium Update for The
International, their global MOBA tournament. Along with elements to predict
winners and earn achievements in the tournament, this adds a full VR hub to
allow those with supported headsets, which, perhaps unsurprisingly are all HTC
Vives. Here's word: COMPENDIUM FEATURES
Undertake the Fantasy Challenge by unwrapping your 15 Player Card Packs to stack
up a roster of Dota elite; fill out a Bracket Prediction to see how close you
can predict the flow of the Main Event; or flex your knowledge of the overall
meta by making Tournament Predictions. Then, once the tournament begins, make
your in-game Battle Predictions during live matches of The International to work
towards a new set of Achievements. The stronger your performance, the more
Battle Points that await you.
DOTA VR HUB
This update also includes the release of the Dota VR Hub. Put on a headset and
join your friends and other Dota fans to watch live matches or replays in Dota
VR Theater, where you can stand surrounded by heroes and watch the action unfold
on an enormous screen. Immerse yourself further by jumping through the minimap
into the game itself. Watch from a bird’s-eye view or plant your feet on the
ground to watch the battles rage around you at full scale. We will continue to
improve the Dota VR Hub as we approach The International, so try it out and let
us know what you think.
Head over to the
Compendium Update page and VR Hub FAQ
to learn more. We’ve also added a convenient Notifications dropdown next to the
Armory button in the client to help keep track of all the new things included in
our updates.
Armies of Hell be warned that Tom is coming, as
Steam now offers the
release of Tom vs. The Armies of Hell, an isometric shooter for Windows
and OS X. This trailer
introduces the game's story and
this trailer shows off
some gameplay. Here's word: In Tom vs. The Armies of Hell, players shoot
demons in the face through more than six levels filled with a full cadre of
demonic entities -- including challenging minions and hair-raising boss fights.
Turn the souls of the fallen into specialized ammo -- transforming Tom’s gun
into a rapid-fire blaster, flamethrower, shotgun, and more. Close range combat?
Use Tom’s demon arm to smash enemies to a bloody pulp. Finally, if you’re caught
between lava and sharp teeth, it’s time to (temporarily) transform Tom into a
demon himself!
Continue here to read the full story.
Here's a new trailer
from Farming Simulator 17, the upcoming game where would-be farmers can return
to the virtual soil. Here's word on what we're seeing here: "Today's trailer,
From Seeds to Harvest, is the first in a series of gameplay videos where we will
be showing the new content and features of Farming Simulator 17! In this first
gameplay video, you'll discover the basics of farming one of the new crops,
sunflowers, using the latest brands, vehicles, and equipment in Farming
Simulator 17!" Continue here to read the full story.
- Apacer AS720 Dual Interface SSD 240GB on
LAN OC.
- ASUS RT-AC3200 Wireless AC Router on
Techgage.
- D-Link DIR-879 EXO AC1900 Wireless Router on
TweakTown.
- Eurocom Monster 4 (GTX970M) Laptop on
techPowerUp.
- Gainward GTX 1060 Phoenix GS Graphics Card on
Vortez.
- Gigabyte Z170X Ultra Gaming Motherboard on
Hardware Asylum.
- Inno3D iChill GeForce GTX 1070 X3 Graphics Card on
Overclocked Inside. German.
- Intel Core i7 6800K CPU on
PCGamesN.
- Keyboard roundup on
TechSpot.
- The Motorola Moto Z & Moto Z Force (Droid Editions) Cell Phones
on
AnandTech.
- Nitro Concepts C80 Comfort Carbon Class Gaming Chair on
eTeknix.
- QNAP TVS-882 High-Performance 8-bay NAS on
Mad Shrimps.
- RapidSpar Data Recovery Instrument on
PC Perspective.
- REEVEN Steropes Low-Profile CPU Cooler on
Nikk Tech.
- Sapphire AMD Radeon RX 480 8Gb Graphics Card on
Hardware Slave.
- Tesoro Gram Spectrum Gaming Keyboard on
Technology X.
We went out to dinner with my Step-dad last night and broke a bad luck streak I
was mired in. The last two or three times I was inspired to order a restaurant
hamburger I ended up sorely disappointed, causing me to start believing this
trend would remain in place because I was just used to my own cooking. We ended
up in a joint called DBGB in the bowery, a
pretty clear homage to CBGB (even though the defunct music club was never a
place to inspire an appetite). The place is quite meat-centric, so I went for
it, and the burger was great, helping restore a little of my faith in the world.
A new trailer from
No Man's Sky is now available, showing off more of Hello Games' procedurally
generated space game (thanks
GamesRadar). As the clip's succinct description notes, this features
the game's survival elements, "Hostile environments. Deadly lifeforms. Can you
survive? Your universe awaits." Continue here to read the full story.
New Lost Treasures DLC is now available for Galactic Civilizations III,
Stardock's 4X space strategy sequel. This can be found on
Stardock and
Steam,
and this forum post has all the
details. Here's the outline of that this adds: New Colony Events
As you colonize planets, new colonization events will challenge your people and
your integrity. Each new event provides new Ideology choices that may award
unique planetary improvements and ship components. Some of these events appear
later in the game, so keep your eyes open!
New Improvements
During your explorations, you will uncover new and unique planetary improvements
that may function differently based on your Ideology choice. Choose wisely - you
can only build one improvement of each type per empire!
New Ship Components
Discover dozens of new and powerful ship components like the "Ancient
Singularity Cannon", "Subspace Splinter", and the "Hyper Gate Core". Your
Ideology Choice may affect how these new components work on your ship. Work fast
against your enemies - each of these ancient treasures is unique and you can
only have one in a fleet at a time.
1C Company announces SHINY, an action/platformer in the works at Garage 227
Studios for release on Windows PC and Xbox One on August 31st. The
announcement trailer
helps introduce the game, and there are more details on the
its official website
and its Steam store page.
Here's the concept: SHINY – Robots can have a heart!
Left to fend for himself after mankind abandoned the doomed planet Aurora, robot
Kramer 227 must find a way to harvest energy and rescue his robotic friends
before Aurora crashes into its sun. In his journey, Kramer will probe the planet
itself and overcome challenging obstacles, all while trying to conserve his
limited life energy to power himself and his friends on their way to safety.
Kramer will gather and share energy with his fellow robots, helping them escape
dire situations and predicaments. He will have to jump and explore every
platform in every corner of the 20 extensive levels to find all of his friends.
Energy is running low on Aurora, so Kramer will have to collect batteries or use
generators to recharge, as every action drains his power. Various power-ups
collected along the way, such as jetpacks, energy spheres and temperature
regulators, can help him on this crucial journey.
Shiny is about saving lives, so it contains no blood or violence.
- Enjoy non-violent, platforming action
- Explore 20 extensive levels
- Manage your energy levels - the robots' source of
life!
- Make use of cool power-ups found along the way
Continue here to read the full story.
BioWare
announces The Battle of Odessen will begin next month in Star Wars: The Old
Republic with the release of the final chapter in the Knights of the Fallen
Empire storyline for the MMORPG. This
teaser trailer shows off a bit of what to expect, and here's the rundown: BioWare™
and Lucasfilm today announced details of its climactic chapter in the storyline
of Star Wars™: The Old Republic™ – Knights of the Fallen Empire. Early Access to
The Battle of Odessen will be available for qualified Star Wars: The Old
Republic subscribers on August 9* and to all active Star Wars: The Old Republic
subscribers starting August 11.
In The Battle of Odessen, Arcann launches an all-out assault against the
Outlander’s base. Still recovering from a shattering betrayal of the
now-renegade droid, SCORPIO, the Outlander’s Alliance must rally to defeat
Arcann’s forces in a desperate battle to determine the fate of the galaxy once
and for all. Play and be a part of the concluding chapter as you fight your way
to Knights of the Eternal Throne, the new digital expansion coming this fall!
There’s never been a better time to jump in and play Star Wars: The Old
Republic:
- As a Subscriber, players of Star Wars: The Old
Republic can play Knights of the Fallen Empire from the beginning of Chapter
1 through the final chapter The Battle of Odessen for free**.
- All summer long, players can join the Dark vs.
Light Event to complete exciting challenges, earn epic new rewards, and make
dark or light side choices that ultimately impact the fate of the galaxy –
and for those who complete the Eternal Level, you will earn a unique dark or
light side companion to join you in your future battles!
Find out more about Knights of the Fallen Empire:
www.swtor.com/fallen-empire.
Join the Dark vs. Light Event:
www.swtor.com/dark-vs-light.
Stay tuned for more details about Knights of the Eternal Throne:
www.swtor.com/eternal-throne.
Continue here to read the full story.
The comments here following
yesterday's
release of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2
on Steam along with the
rerelease of the original Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
on Steam note that the
reviews for both games are poor, with the original game's being "mostly
negative," and the sequel's being just plain "negative." This seems to be the
narrative, as the situation is inspiring headlines and warnings, such as,
The Marvel Ultimate Alliance PC Ports Are A Disaster,
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2 have to be the worst PC ports of 2016,
Oof! Marvel: Ultimate Alliance Re-Releases Are Messes, and
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 1 & 2 are a mess on the PC. We blame Hydra.
ArenaNet announces that Season 3 of Living World is now live in Guild Wars 2,
their MMORPG sequel. This
previously released FAQ has all the details along with
a trailer
celebrating the news. Here's an outline of what this adds to the game along with
word that it is currently on sale: Episode 1 of Living World Season 3,
titled “Out of the Shadows,” sees the land of Tyria licking its wounds after the
epic battle to defeat the Elder Dragon Mordremoth. With the dragon’s reign of
terror at an end, players gather with their friends to mourn the loss of fallen
comrades. All is not as it seems, though, and the players are soon alerted to an
emerging threat they must investigate. What’s the cause of the mysterious
happenings in the jungles of Maguuma? Has the death of Mordremoth awoken a new
threat?
In keeping with the wealth of content available in Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet is
also adding to both its Player vs. Player and Fractal sections of the game. In
the new PvP Conquest Map, Revenge of the Capricorn, players will fight for
control of a faction-divided seaside town and attempt to thwart the formidable
pirate ship the Capricorn and its marauding crew. In the new Fractal, Chaos
Isles, boundaries between fractals have fallen, and realities within the Mists
have begun to collide, causing adverse effects on the environment and its
inhabitants. In the course of the player's foray into the unstable madness,
players will be introduced to the Mysterious Asura, a curious and unknown entity
who seems to have some amount of control over the recent chaos.
Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is now on sale at 50%, until July 27, for anyone
who wants to join in and explore Episode 1. To unlock Living World Season 3,
players must have purchased Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns, however they don’t
need to have completed the storyline in the expansion to enjoy Season 3. Season
3 content is intended for level-80 characters. Every purchase of Guild Wars 2:
Heart of Thorns comes with a Level 80 Boost, meaning players can enjoy all the
content available in Guild Wars 2, including Season 3.
Continue here to read the full story.
Cyanide Studio announces today marks the release of The Undead, a new
race to compete in the fantasy-themed football of Blood Bowl 2.
Coincidentally, the game is on sale
on Steam midweek madness,
and they remind everyone that The Undead DLC can still be had for free by
purchasing it before it goes live as part of their Founder's Incentive. Here's
the deal: Blood Bowl 2, the sequel to the video game adaptation of Games
Workshop's famous board game that combines American football with the fantasy
world of Warhammer, welcomes a new race on its pitch: The Undead. The monstrous
new team with their fearsome "Regenerate" skill are available today on PS4, Xbox
One, and PC.
We remind you that PC/Mac Steam players of Blood Bowl 2 can still benefit from
THE FOUNDERS INCENTIVE: If you purchase the game before their release, you will
receive the Necromantic and the Nurgle teams for free.
The entire Blood Bowl franchise will be featured on Steam Midweek Madness this
week! Get the classic game at 75% off! Blood Bowl 2 and its respective DLCs are
also on sale, making it the perfect time to begin your new journey as an Old
World coach.
The Undead Team
Death comes often for Blood Bowl players, and the souls of the most passionate
sometimes rise up again to relive the scenes of their former glory. The Undead
team, raised by the Liche-lords of the Old World, have the unique skill
"Regenerate" which makes them very difficult to kill. They have incredibly agile
players, the Ghouls and the Wights, but they are often too fast for their
shambling, but fearsome, Mummy teammates to keep up.
Finally, two Star Players are joining the Undead: Ramtut III is a mighty and
powerful mummy who has spent countless years on the pitch. Morg n' Thorg,
someone who has faced Ramtut on the pitch and lived, happens to be his sworn
nemesis. Vampire Count Luthor Von Drakenborg carries impressive stats and the
Hypnotic Gaze ability, and is one of our most fearsome Star Players yet!
Battle.net announces
details about the upcoming version 2.4.2 patch for Diablo III. This will
bring changes to adventure mode, new and updated items, UI changes, and new
difficulty levels, as they are turning the Torment up to XIII. Here's what they
say: New Difficulty Levels
With new power comes a desire to test your strength. If you’ve sharpened your
weapons on Torment X and are ready for new challenges, you’ll be happy to hear
we’ve added Torment XI–XIII difficulties to the game, and filled them with
progressively better loot—so get out there and wreck face, nephalem!
New and Updated Items
As with previous patches, Patch 2.4.2 brings updates to many Legendary and Set
Items and also adds a few new items and Legendary powers. Here are some of the
items we’ve updated, and don’t forget to check out our PTR patch notes for all
the details.
User Interface Updates
Finally, we have a few changes to the user interface. Those who enjoy taking
screenshots will soon have a hotkey that hides the in-game UI for cleaner shots.
We’re also adding unique pylon minimap icons to Nephalem Rifts and Greater
Rifts, and a unique icon for the Menagerist Treasure Goblin.
Adventure Mode Changes
We’re also sweetening Adventure Mode rewards, starting with Nephalem Rifts.
You’re now guaranteed a Greater Rift Key when completing any Rift, with a chance
to get a second (or even a third) key as you increase the game’s difficulty.
We’ve also adjusted drop rates for Infernal Machines, with a 100% drop chance in
Torment IV, and an increasing chance for a second machine to drop as you go up
in difficulty.
2K announces that NBA2K17 will feature the 2016 USA Basketball Men's
National Team as well as a celebration of the original influx of paid
professionals into amateur athletic with the inclusion of the 1992 USA
Basketball "Dream Team," which sliced through the Olympics with an average
margin of victory of 44 points. They also reveal this time around the game will
also feature the misshapen face of Coach K, current coach of the U.S. team and
an assistant on the Dream Team (explaining the nearly unexplainable inclusion of
recent Duke grad Christian Laettner in the '92 games). Here's what's happening:
2K has also revealed that renowned Duke University and USA Basketball
coach, Mike Krzyzewski, will be making his debut in the NBA 2K series.
Krzyzewski – or “Coach K,” as he’s widely known - will appear on the sidelines
coaching the 2016 USA Basketball Men's National Team in NBA 2K17. His likeness
will also be found in a revamped tutorial mode focusing on teaching fundamental
basketball strategies including pick and roll execution, proper defensive
positioning, ball movement, boxing out, court awareness and more.
“Basketball has become an iconic part of American sports heritage, and I’m
thrilled that fans can play with this year’s roster in NBA 2K,” said Krzyzewski
who, since 2008, has coached the USA Basketball Men’s National Team to four
straight international tournament gold medals. “NBA 2K17 is the best way to
connect to legends of the past ‘Dream Team’ while celebrating the success of
this year’s roster.”
Comprised of NBA Hall of Famers, including Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic
Johnson, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone and David Robinson, the 1992 “Dream Team” is
universally considered one of, if not the greatest, team ever assembled in
basketball history. Fans will be able to pit that roster against this year’s
athletes on the USAB Men’s National Team, which includes NBA 2K17 cover athlete
Paul George and Team 2K athletes Kevin Durant, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, and
Kyrie Irving.
- The
Atomy by Rusty Knights — Kickstarter. "This is a shooter about killed in
fortieth gangster[?], who tries to wash away his guilt in the personal hell.
He will have to pass a long way, because he is also responsible for the
deeds of his ancestors and children." Already
on Steam after a
greeenlight.
-
Fort Triumph -- Steam Greenlight. "Fort Triumph is a fantasy Turn Based
Strategy/Tactics RPG. The world of Fort Triumph allows your heroes to take
cover, push enemies, knock down pillars, collapse walls, burn trees, sink
enemies in lava, freeze rivers and traverse them, leap chasms to flank
opponents, and more. All of these make for fantastic innovative gameplay."
-
System Shock by Nightdive Studios — Kickstarter. One day to go. "New
Stretch Goals for VR, Graphic Novel, and Modding Support."
- MDD BP5e 480GB M.2 SATA III SSD on
TweakTown.
- AMD FX-8320 vs Core i5-6600K CPU on
ocaholic.
- Angelbird Wings PX1 Heatsink PCIe Adapter on
PC Perspective.
- Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum RGB Tunable Gaming Mouse on
Nikk Tech.
- Mionix Castor Mouse on
PC & Video Games Examiner.
- Palit GameRock Premium GTX 1070 Graphics Card on
eTeknix.
- Reeven Six Eyes II Fan Controller on
Modders-Inc.
- Sapphire Nitro+ RX 480 OC 8GB Graphics Card on
eTeknix.
- Tesoro GRAM Spectrum RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard on
Big Bruin.
I noticed a Hazardous Weather Outlook has been posted in this area, which makes
sense, since it's going to be a million degrees again here today and tomorrow.
The funny thing is that the warning is not about those temperatures, it's for
when the heat wave is expected to break on Friday. They say at that point we
should worry about showers, thunderstorms, a cold front, and stuff like that. I
may live to regret this, but I am looking forward to the relief the hazardous
weather should bring.
|
Twitter 
