Gamescampus Announces Shot-Online GNGWC Regional Winners

Gamecampus, run by California-based OnNet US, has announced the official winners of the Shot-Online Challenge at the 2008 Regional Game and Game World Championship Finals recently held in Los Angeles.

The three lucky winners of the golf simulation MMORPG are as follows, with in-game character names in parentheses:

1st prize  Christopher Rea (8ballxpress)

2nd prize  Rober Alexander (Slosh)

3rd Prize  Cheyne Last (cadaviar)

The winners will be sent to Korea in an all-expense paid trip to compete against other top gamers in the Grand Final Championships that will be held on November 16, 2008.

First place winner Christopher Rea commented on his recent achievement, and he certainly sounds excited for it:

"Shot-Online is the first online game I have ever played. For me it's all about the interaction with other players that makes the game enjoyable. Making the US Regionals was my goal and I was shocked that I made it and won! It just goes to show you that you should always strive to do your best because you never know when someone is watching.

I'm so excited about going to Korea. I was stationed there in the mid 90's at Osan Air Base as a mechanic for the Air Force. I love the food, the people, the culture and have always wanted to go back so I am thankful to gamescampus and the GNGWC for helping make that happen. SEE YA IN KOREA!"

Indeed, that sounds like sound life-advice for gamers everywhere.

The 2008 Tournament is the 3rd annual GNGWC, in which a total of six countries participated by holding local contests.  The November finals held in Korea will be hosted by KIPA Korean Industry Promotion Agency) and sponsored by KT Corporation.

Even more amazing is the fact that a game like Shot-Online even exists.  A hybrid massively multiplayer online golf simulation that incorporates "elements of traditional role-playing" enhanced by "proprietary" physics software -- who'da thunk it?

Trouble in Hyboria? Age of Conan server merger coming

A post on the Age of Conan forums by game director Craig Morrison explains that a server merger is coming soon to promote "more healthy populations on each and every server."

In the realm of MMORPG, this is known as a bad sign. It means that the expected numbers aren't playing it up as much as anticipated.

So what went wrong with Funcomm's Conan? Personally this gamer only played the game briefly, but I've been keeping my eyes on the Internets, and watched the whole thing go down. The problem with Conan was actually the same bunch of problems that are commonly found in MMORPGs:

First off, the game could have been in better shape. Sure, no MMORPG hardly ever launches anywhere close to %100 done -- gamers don't even expect that anymore. Developers can be like -- "Hey you know all those game modes we've been telling you about for years? Well, they'll be out, in a patch in March." But a game has to be in a reasonable shape -- you know, not that many game crashing bugs, not severely unbalanced. Game zones finished.

Second, not enough high level content. As I've said, I never got too far in the game -- but from all over forums from all over the place, I've read Conan players saying there isn't that much to do in the end-game at all. The PvP was good (although it had a few flaws), but the big Realm Vs. Realm meta-game never really fully materialized.  

Third, the game had pretty high system requirements. Sure the game looked awesome when cranked, but I remember when it first came out, I was using one of the most powerful video cards out at the time (I believe it was a 8800 GTS 512MB) and my frame rates stunk. I can only image what it would be like to play the game in sorta-of existing DX 10 version, or if I had a system that was anywhere close to the minimum requirements, which many, many gamers use.  

But hey, it's a tough MMORPG market out there. Warhammer seems to be one of the few MMORPGs of 2008 that seems to be shaping up pretty well -- but then again, it does seem like their is always a great buzz for any MMORPG for about a month after release, and then things get more pessimistic.

Part of the problem could be that abundance of fantasy games out there. To this gamer, it doesn't seem like Age of Conan, World Of Warcraft, Warhammer : Age of Hamburgers, Lord of the Rings, Darkfall, The Chronicles of Spellborn offer worlds different from each other by all that much at all. Sure all fantasy games are going to be pretty similar rip-offs of Tolkien, but developers might want to try mixing up the forumla just the slightest amount, to at least appear like they have some original stuff going on.

Like throw in some underwater space werewolf mutants, or allow the player play as the game as a carnivorous plant or something. Or make the game world currency shrunken animal heads. Anything besides another YAMFRIES ( Yet Another MMORPG Featuring Rangers, Imps, Elves or Sorcerers.) 

 

Steam Weekend Deal: 50% Off All Rockstar Titles

Attention bargain shoppers! Valve Software's Steam digital distribution service is holding a special deal this weekend, knocking 50% off the entire Rockstar Games catalog. The list of titles include Max Payne 1 & 2, the Grand Theft Auto series, Manhunt, Midnight Club 2 and Wild Metal. You can buy them individually or purchase the entire collection for $30. The deal ends this Sunday, so act fast!

Age of Conan Server Merges Planned

Does your Age of Conan server feel a little empty? Then we have some good news! Funcom's Craig Morrison has confirmed that they're planning server merges in both North America and Europe to boost server populations and offer a better gameplay experience. Here's the scoop:

Another aspect which has popped up in the forums recently is whether we are going to do a server merge or not, and I can today confirm that we are actively working on an approach to merge servers, both in Europe and North America. It’s important for us to ensure the best gameplay experience for you all, and more healthy populations on each and every server will make sure we maintain healthy communities for the game in the future. Still, there are many complexities involved in this, and we want to ensure that everything happens as fair and streamlined as possible. That work has now started, and we are naturally making sure that guilds and players can get to new servers in the best possible way. We will come back with more info on this, 20f6 but I hope that this will serve as a positive injection to the social scene in the game.

No word on when these merges will go live, but we'll be sure to keep you posted!

10 things PC games should do, but don't

(Image courtesy of CounterAgent.)

Like anything really, PC gaming has its upsides, and its downsides. Really I suppose it's a matter of whether or not either is excessive. Alec Meer on Rock, Paper, Shotgun seems to think the downsides are, as he's compiled a rather comprehensive list of things PC games should do, but don't. I've republished the list here with some excerpts of his grievances:

1. Alt-tab support ("Quickly and smoothly, and in the original release of the game, not in a patch down the line")

2. Use standardised install and savegame folders ("This is doubly true of savegames. We need to be able to back those suckers up in case of disaster or a Windows reinstall. Know where STALKER hides its savegames in Vista? C:\Users\all users\documents\stalker-shoc, that’s where.")

3. Automatically set themselves to your desktop screen resolution / 4. Support widescreen resolutions

5. Uninstall in seconds.

6. Don’t require the CD/DVD in the drive to play. ("Requiring PC gamers to scrabble through a vast pile of discs just to play the game they’ve already installed is contrary to the nature of the platform, and lures people towards less than legal solutions that may ultimately push them further towards piracy.")

7. Keep the quicksave and quickload keys far apart.("Hitting quicksave when you’re reaching for quickload is the worst thing in the world, including being licked to death by a pack of hobos.")

8. Escape means menu/pause ("Please respect that button’s purpose. Please respect your players - and if you make any of your cutscenes unskippable, you don’t.")

9. Auto-backup quicksaves

10. Patches should fix, not break ("If your patch renders savegames from previous versions of the game inoperable, it’s just not ready for release. If people have to restart a game from the very beginning because of this, they will hate and distrust you for it. If there’s honestly no way around this, because the under-the-hood changes really are that absolute, then the patch needs to say as much in giant red letters when it’s run: “INSTALLING THIS WILL BREAK YOUR SAVES. OK?” A footnote in the readme file is not enough. Better yet, the lead designer should show up at the door of anyone installing the patch with a box of chocolates and an apologetic hug.")

I suspect PC gaming could ascend to a god-like status if all of his suggestions became the standard by which to follow. Why do PC games get all these troubles? I'd say to heck with it, just leave gaming to consoles, but there's too much to love, too much that is unique, here. Keep fighting the good fight, PC gamers, developers, and publishers.

The weapons of Far Cry 2

Website neocrisis.com has gotten a hold of the full list of weapons found in upcoming sand-box FPS, Far Cry 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360.)

The list is yet another piece of encouraging information on this promising game -- it has a total of 29 weapons on it, and all the guns resemble real-world designs. Most FPS games have closer to half Far Cry 2's amount of usable weapons. Here's hoping that things like recoil and aiming are different between say, the MP5 and the SPAS-12.

Your merc in the game will be able to hold one primary, secondary, and special weapon at any given time. Guns also will require maintenance, else you might run the risk of bullets jamming in firefight.

Far Cry 2 is coming to North America on October 21st, and Europe on the 24th.

Grenades, explosives and mines are suspiciously absent from the following 'complete' list; but here it is:

Primary Slot Weapons

Silent MP-5 AK-47
G3-KA4
AR-16
FAL Paratrooper
Homeland 37
SPAS-12
USAS-12
M1903 Sniper Rifle
Dragunov SVD
AS50
MGL-140

Secondary Slot Weapons

Makarov
Silent Makarov 6P9
Star .45
Eagle.50
MAC-10
Uzi
Flare Pistol
M-79 Grenade Launcher

Special Slot Weapons

M-249 SAW
PKM
RPG-7 Rocket Launcher
Carl G Rocket Launcher
LPO-50 Flamethrower
Type 63 Mortar
Dart Rifle

Mounted Weapons

Mounted M-249 SAW
MK-19 Grenade Launcher
M2 .50 Cal.

 

Mercenaries 2 Demo Released

Hitting the web today is a brand new singleplayer demo for Pandemic Studios' recently released open-world Action title, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. Weighing in at 1.6GB, the demo allows you to play an objective from one of the early missions in the game, armed with a customized load out of "awesome vehicles and airstrikes, so that players can get a taste of the toys and destruction that combine to make Mercenaries 2 the premier explosive action game of the summer!". Mirrors are available at the following websites:

YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FilePlanetFileShackWorthPlaying

Just in time for the weekend. w00t! :D

C&C3: Kane's Wrath World Builder v1.1 Released

Wrapping things up this weekend, the fine folks over at Electronic Arts have released an updated version (v1.1) of the World Builder tools for Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath. Weighing in at 6MB, the new version includes some crashing fixes and improvements to the Tile feedback and Terrain Panting Modes. Head over to the official World Builder page for more details and a download link. Mirrors are also available right here at YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell) and the FileShack.

Multiwinia Patch v1.0.6 Released

Keeping busy this weekend, the guys over at Introversion Software have released a small patch (v1.0.6) for their latest Action-RTS, Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest. The update addresses a handful of translation issues, exploits, and some other bugs. You can check out the full changelog right here or just launch the game's auto-updater to start downloading.

Need for Speed: Undercover - Police Chase Trailer

Getting our adrenaline pumping tonight, the guys over at Electronic Arts have released a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming racing title, Need for Speed: Undercover. The minute-long video features an intense escape from the police. Pretty hot stuff! Check it out:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers.com. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackWorthPlaying

Need For Speed: Undercover is scheduled for release on November 18th.

Kivi's Underworld Screenshots

Keeping things interesting today, Soldak Entertainment has sent over three new screenshots from their upcoming Hack 'n Slash title, Kivi's Underworld. These latest shots highlight the game's environments, various traps and a handful of enemies. Check 'em out:

Kivi's Underworld is scheduled for release in Q4 2008.

Mirror's Edge Story Trailer

Kicking things off today, the folks over at EA DICE have thrown together a new teaser trailer for their upcoming First Person Action-Adventure title, Mirror's Edge. Running just under two minutes long, the video gives us a small taste of the game's storyline and Faith's past. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Prefer a ma 20a6 nual download? We have you covered:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackWorthPlaying

Mirror's Edge is scheduled for release this Winter.

Warhammer Online's keep now over 500,000 strong

Funcom's Age of Conan managed to snare around 400,000 subscribers during the first week it went live, and for a while it was one of the hottest PC gaming titles in North America.  Now Electronic Arts and Mythic believe they've set a new standard in MMORPG popularity with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.  According to EA, WAR scored over 500,000 new players since the title's launch just last week.  Such subscription numbers help make WAR the fastest selling MMORPG yet.  By Crom, will we hear the lamentations of Conan's women?

Warhammer Fantasy franchise owner Games Workshop ought to be smacking its lips at the potential number of new gamers it stands to attract to its own tabletop miniatures war game as a result of WAR's mainstream popularity.  Now the question is whether or not EA and Mythic can keep the launch numbers steady as the days progress.  Meanwhile some of us are wondering when more Order players will actually start showing up.

Hybrid town-builder, action RPG Hinterlands PC game gone gold

Hinterlands is a game that you have probably not heard of, but perhaps might hear whispers of over the next few weeks.

It's a PC game by US based developers Tilted Mill Entertainment (makers of Sim City Socities, and Ceaser IV.) The game is pretty much unique, as far as gameplay goes. Here's the premise in a nutshell: you have a hero who founds a town in a medieval, fantasy setting. The game is a cross between a ARPG (like Titan's Quest or Diablo) and a small-scale city-building game, like Settlers or Sim City.

In order for your town to prosper, you have to go and adventure. Need back up? You might want to recruit one of your townsmen. For example, you have a carpenter in your village, make him a warrior. Have a priest in town? He can cast spells for ya.

So you get your party together and set out on the game map to secure treasure and resources. Randomness is the name of the game here -- each new game will have different parameters and stuff on the map, leading to interesting new twists on your town.

It seems hardly anyone knows about this game, yet it is "about to gold" on it was announced today that'll be on Steam next week -- for the fair price of $19.99. The formula for the game looks like fun, so hopefully they'll put out a demo, or some websites will review the game, so we can all figure out if it is worth downloading or not -- because it sure seems like a neat twist on two established genres.

Here's a list of features found in the game, taken from Titled's website.

Party-based RPG Action - A variety of characters, weapons, and strategies are at your disposal -- will you lead the charge with a devastating two-handed strike, or stand behind the herder in plate mail with your trusty bow?Town Building - Choose which of a huge cast of characters will settle in your town and arm them for defense, or give them tools for production.Character Development - Develop lowly farmers in to great warriors and customize your character with a variety of specializations to help adventure or improve life in your village.Random fantasy world - Each game of Hinterland takes place in a new location for maximum replay with different resources, items and sets of enemies and challenges from orc war camps, dark elf raiding parties, goblin infested mines, ruined cities filled with undead, and more.Customizable Gameplay - From a hardcore game to a world without raiders you make the choice about the type of game you want to play.

Unfortunately, no videos could be located online for us to download and show you, so if you want to see what the game is like in action, you'll have to go check out Titled's website. 

 

Warhammer Online's fort now over 500,000 strong

Funcom's Age of Conan managed to snare around 400,000 subscribers during the first week it went live, and for a while it was one of the hottest PC gaming titles in North America.  Now Electronic Arts and Mythic believe they've set a new standard in MMORPG popularity with Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning.  According to EA, WAR scored over 500,000 new players since the title's launch just last week.  Such subscription numbers help make WAR the fastest selling MMORPG yet.  By Crom, will we hear the lamentations of Conan's women?

Warhammer Fantasy franchise owner Games Workshop ought to be smacking its lips at the potential number of new gamers it stands to attract to its own tabletop miniatures war game as a result of WAR's mainstream popularity.  Now the question is whether or not EA and Mythic can keep the launch numbers steady as the days progress.  Meanwhile some of us are wondering when more Order players will actually start showing up.

Dead Space Video Dev Diary #7

Keeping things rollin' tonight, Electronic Arts has thrown together a new video developer diary for their upcoming Survival-Horror title, Dead Space. Running just over four minutes long, the video discusses the game's animations, how they were created and how everything blends together. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. The video is also available for download at the FileShack. Stay tuned for more mirrors!

Dead Space is scheduled for release on October 20th.

Jack Thompson Disbarred

Adding to the unemployment line today, the Florida Supreme Court has ordered the permanent disbarment of controversial anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson. According to the official court documents, Mr. Thompson will have 30 days to close out his practice and will not be eligible for a rehearing without the signed backing of another Florida Bar member. Never one to follow rules, Thompson has filed an emergency motion for a rehearing, claiming conspiracy is afoot:

The timing of this disbarment transparently reveals its motivation: This past Friday Thompson filed a federal civil rights action against The Bar, the Supreme Court, and all seven of its Justices. This rush to disbarment is in retribution for the filing of that federal suit. With enemies this foolish, Thompson needs only the loyal friends he has.

More on Thompson's response to the disbarment and his motion for a retrial are available at Kotaku.

Dead Space (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) video developer diary

A whole slew of great looking games are coming in October. One of the many big titles coming out is EA"s Dead Space -- the first survival horror game set in the great big black darkness of outer space. 

A developer diary was released today. In it, Michael Condrey talks about a couple elements of the game -- mostly focusing on how zero gravity comes into play.

Dead Space's release date was pushed forward recently. It is coming out for for the consoles on October  14th, and coming to the PC on October 20th.

Far Cry 2 Africa Dev Diary Part 2

Kicking things off today, the guys over at Ubisoft have released a new video developer diary for their upcoming open-world first person shooter, Far Cry 2. This second installment continues to follow the team on their trip to Africa, where they did some research for the game. What kind of wildlife do they see on day one? Hit play to find out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:

FileFrontStrategyInformerWorthPlaying

Far Cry 2 is scheduled for release in North America on October 21st and in Europe on October 24th.

Chris Taylor Rejoins Interplay to Work on Fallout MMO

Creating a little buzz tonight, Interplay has announced that Chris Taylor, designer behind the original Fallout, has rejoined the company and will be acting as Lead System Designer on an upcoming MMO codename "Project V13". Interplay doesn't outright say this is the much talked about Fallout MMO, but the press release does mention that he'll be working alongside other members of the original Fallout team and the game's artwork (seen on Interplay's main page) does feature a "familiar" style. So I think it's safe to say that's what it is. Great news for fans of the series if this turns out to be the case! :D

Spore is number one despite DRM controversy

With Blizzard's Wrath of the Lich King on the horizon, EA Maxis still holds the most spots on weekly PC software sales in the US. 

Despite all the bad press surrounding Spore, the game has taken both number one and two on last week's top ten PC games sold.  NPD Market Research clearly shows that Spore's restrictive DRM was not enough to dissuade most consumers from picking up a copy of the game.

While Blizzard's various Warcraft titles remain on the list, they've been overshadowed by EA Maxis' Sims expansion pack and Spore.  Not much has changed since end-of-August reports came in, with The Sims 2 Apartment Life expansion still at the top even after being knocked down a couple notches by Spore's regular and collector's edition.  Not to be outdone, Spore Creature Creator swaps places with WoW to take number four.

Spore Galactic EditionThe Sims 2 Apartment Life Spore Creature CreatorWorld Of Warcraft: Battle ChestThe Sims 2 Double Deluxe World Of Warcraft World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Warcraft III Battle ChestCrysis

Whatever happened to Deadliest Catchbreaking the monotony?  Looks like that job goes to Spore and Crysis now.

LEGO Batman Launch Trailer

Getting in on the action tonight, TT Games have whipped up a brand new gameplay trailer for their highly anticipated Action-Adventure title, LEGO Batman: The Video Game. The minute-long video feature a mix of humorous cutscenes and in-game action. Enjoy:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers.com. Mirrors are also available at the FileShack and WorthPlaying.

LEGO Batman is scheduled for release in North America on September 23rd and in Europe on September 31st. So keep an eye out for it! ;)

Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization Ships

Hot off the presses, 2K Games and Firaxis Games have announced that their highly anticipated turn-based strategy title, Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization, has begun shipping to stores across North America today. A "reimagining" of the 1994 classic, the game offers all-new graphics, improved diplomacy options, a revamped UI, mod tools and much, much more! Here's a little snippet from the press release:

"The decade-long groundswell of fan enthusiasm around Colonization was the driving force behind our decision to make a new version for today's gamers," said Sid Meier, direct 2033 or of creative development at Firaxis Games. "The terrific community support for the game, coupled with the opportunity to design a new edition using our Civilization IV engine, made it the right time to create this title for loyal fans and everyone else who loves great strategy games."

For those of you living outside North America, the game is expected to ship internationally on September 26th. So keep an eye out for it! :D

LEGO Batman swoops into stores

LEGO Batman has been on a promotional tour for ages it seems like, the game promising a huge array of elements for gamers familiar with LEGO series titles or just new to the entire game.

The game is packed with an array of suits, combination tactics and improvements from the prior games, on top of this the team has come up with a way to mix it up by allowing players to use villains as controllable elements in the game giving a new dynamic to all situations with new specific levels and locations unique to them and their partners. In a sense the game tailors itself to all the various elements they included be it flying suits, wall crawling abilities or any of the various elements brought in by enemies such as Mr. Freeze.

For fans of prior games many changes have come in to change up the dynamic of play as well, removing infamous points where death just looped while the partner camped on the edge of the landing the game wanted to spawn you on.

The game launches today for $49.99 on the PS3, Wii and Xbox 360 and it also launches at $29.99 on the PS2, PC, PSP and DS

Here is a brief rundown from Warner Bros on the game:

"Gotham City’s most notorious criminals have broken out of ARKHAM ASYLUM and it’s up to the DYNAMIC DUO to stop them. Based on the iconic DC Comics’ heroes BATMAN and ROBIN, as well as many other memorable characters from the DC Comics Universe, LEGO Batman: The Videogame blends the wildly popular Batman universe with the versatility of LEGO building and the humor of the LEGO minifigure. Unlike any LEGO game done in the past, players can now explore their wicked side and play the game as the villains, not just the heroes.

 

From the rooftops to the sewers, players will experience Gotham City like never before as they choose to play from the perspective of either the villains, entering the game from Arkahm Asylum, or the heroes, swinging into action from The BATCAVE. LEGO Batman: The Videogame features fifteen hero levels and fifteen villain levels – for a total of thirty unique action-packed levels. Play as comic heroes Batman, Robin, ALFRED PENNYWORTH and BATGIRL, or wreak havoc as The Joker, HARLEY QUINN, MR. FREEZE, TWO-FACE and many more!"

Now check out the latest trailer for the game, celebrating the official launch:

Spider Man: Web of Shadows - Black Cat Trailer

Grabbing our attention tonight, the guys over at Activision have released a brand new teaser trailer for their upcoming Action title, Spider Man: Web of Shadows. Clocking in at just over a minute long, the video features a short interview with actress Tricia Helfer regarding her role as the voice of the Black Cat. Check it out:

215e Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:

GamersHellFileShackWorthPlaying

Spider Man: Web of Shadows is scheduled for release on October 21st.

New Rise of the Argonauts Shots

Keeping us drooling today, the fine folks over at Liquid Entertainment have released a new batch of screenshots from their upcoming Action-RPG, Rise of the Argonauts. These latest shots show off the game's impressive visuals, lush environments and some character interaction. Check 'em out:

Rise of the Argonauts is scheduled for release this Fall.

PC fantasy TBS Kings's Bounty: The Legend released

A new tactical role playing game came out this week for the PC. It's called King's Bounty: The Legend.

Though it's not totally brand new. It is actually a sequel in many ways to a game that game out a full 18 years ago now, called King's Bounty. The original King's Bounty was made by New World Computing, and inspired the popular Heroes of Might and Magic series, which began in 1995, and continues today (the latest iteration in the series being an online version, Heroes Kingdoms.)

The game is a tactical RPG. In many ways it is a standard RPG: you go around with your Mage, Warrior or Paladin and do heroic things, like kill goblins and such. You develop your character, and you can get yourself married and have heroic and semi-heroic children.

All the battles take place in a turn-based, tactical combat map. Your hero combines spells with his massive army to overcome the bad dudes, like necromancers and dragons and stuff.

This game was made by a Russian studio called Katauri. It came out in April in the motherland, and now, the English version is ready to go for all you English speaking people out there. I'm not sure how competitive the Russian PC game market is, but the Russian game hacks loved the game, giving the Russian version scores like 9 stars out of 10, and 4.5 bottles of vodka out of 5.

A 720MB demo is available here.

And here is a feature list taken from the game's website:

Up-to-date engine that supports the latest graphics solutions.Flawless graphics style following classical fantasy traditions.Attractive, elaborate and user-friendly interface.Thrilling plot worked out under the guidance of renowned sci-fi writers.A combination of a dynamic adventure and tactical turn-based battles.Heroes can move freely across the game world which consists of dozens diverse locations.Three character types with different game progress styles.A rich role-playing system including 7 parameters and more than 30 skills and perks and a highly-developed system of tasks and relations.More than 70 spells to use on the battle arena and in everyday life.An alternative option for magic development are the Spirits of Rage to be summoned in combat.More than 60 unique creatures with special abilities and skills ready to fight in your army.Unique enemies and boss characters.Dozens of different battle arenas. Unique arenas for castle sieges.Various traps and bonuses on battle arenas that can change the course of fight.Unique system of live items acting of their own will and changing their essence.

Warhammer's Mark Jacobs offered big bribes from gold farmers

While he wasn't giving away any numbers, Mythic's lead Warhammer Online designer, Mark Jacobs, said recently in a blog that gold farmers have offered him huge bribes to allow them to ply their ill-gotten ingots.

Here is the direct quote from his blog: "BTW, for those who might be tempted to think that we are doing this so we could offer our own service or because we do make money off their boxes (traditionally, gold sellers will quickly shift to buddy disks and free trials though to lower their costs) let me tell you this. I’ve been offered “a piece of the action” both personally and corporately in the past if I will either turn a blind eye or help them in their actions. This would have netted me and/or Mythic a very, very tidy sum, far more than we would see from box sales. My answer was and always will remain the same: Go to hell."

In the rest of the blog, Mark Jacobs just says "no thanks" to all the gold farmers spammin' it up. 

Makes me wonder about some other MMORPGs that I've played, that seemed to be stuffed to the gills with gold farmers -- were those studios taking bribes, perhaps? It seems like it would be easy enough to report and ban gold farmers spamming chat channels -- but many MMORPGS seems to have trouble doing so.

The true size of the gold farming (and power leveling) industry is unknown. But one initial study that tried to gauge the size of this industry believed that 400,000 people where employed gold farming, racking in profits of over 500 million USD (which seems absolutely incredible.)

The vast majority of gold farming is done in China. A recent trend has also shown that Chinese gold farmers have been increasingly out-sourcing their work to even poorer countries, such as Vietnam and Cambodia.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Upgrade Patch

As promised, the guys over at CD Projekt RED have released an "upgrade patch" for their hit Fantasy-RPG, The Witcher. Split up into four separate downloads, this update includes all the content featured in the recently-released Enhanced Edition of the game. Just hit any of the following mirrors to start downloading:

GamersHell - Patch / English Language Pack / The Price of Neutrality Advent 2104 ure / Side Effects AdventureFileShack - Patch / English Language Pack / The Price of Neutrality Adventure / Side Effects AdventureFileFront - Patch / English Language PackFilePlanet - Patch / English Language PackWorthPlaying

Note: The Patch and English Language Pack are required, but the two Adventures are optional downloads. If you have any questions, consult the installation page or the official FAQ.

Spore v1.01 Patch Released

Keeping our modems nice and toasty today, the folks over at Maxis have released a new patch (v1.01) for their hit evolution title, Spore. Weighing in at 90MB, this update features a load of bug fixes, some balancing tweaks, animation improvements, new cheat codes, additional style filters and a whole lot more! You can check out the full changelog right here or just launch the game's auto-updater to start downloading. Mirrors are also available at GamersHell, the FileShack and WorthPlaying.

Chronicles of Spellborn EU Release Date Confirmed

Finally tonight, the folks over at Spellborn International have announced that their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Chronicles of Spellborn, will be hitting stores in Europe on November 27th. No word on when the game will be released in other regions, but we'll be sure to let you know when there is. So stay tuned!

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Blood Hotfix

Live in North America? Then you may have noticed that your brand new copy of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is severely lacking in the blood department. Apparently this was just a goof-up and to correct the issue, CD Projekt RED have released a small hotfix. You can grab this bad boy from any of the following mirrors:

YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileFrontFileSha 20bd ckWorthPlaying

Let the bloodbath commence! ;)

New Blood Bowl Screenshots

Spicing things up tonight, the guys over at Cyanide Studios have cooked up a new batch of screenshots from their upcoming action-sports title, Blood Bowl. These latest shots feature a gritty match between the Goblins and Skaven races. Enjoy the carnage:

Blood Bowl is scheduled for release in Q1 2009.