Keeping things interesting on this slow news day, the folks over at 3000AD have released a new patch (v1.01.01) for their popular space combat sim, Universal Combat Collectors’ Edition. Weighing in at 30MB, this update features a handful of minor bug fixes and gameplay tweaks. You can check out the full changelog right here or just hit any of the following websites to start downloading:
Official MirrorFileFrontStrategyInformerGrab it while it's hot!
Hitting the web tonight is a brand new singleplayer demo for Dreamspike Studios upcoming RTS, Space War Commander. No word on what this demo includes exactly, but if you're still interesting in checking it out, you can grab the 54MB installer from any of the following mirrors:
Official FTP (direct link)FileFrontWorthPlayingThe full edition of Space War Commander is scheduled for release on New Year's Day. So keep an eye out for it!
Keeping us droolin' this afternoon, the guys over at BioWare have released eight new screenshots from their highly anticipated MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. These latest shots give us a taste of the game's environments and detailed characters models. Pretty hot stuff! Enjoy:
Star Wars: The Old Republic's release date is still TBD.
Wrapping up our pre-Christmas news coverage, the fine folks over at Dagger Games have released five new screenshots from their upcoming Episodic Action-RPG, Hazen. These latest screenies give us sneak peek at the game's visual style and a handful of different environments/monsters. Enjoy:
Hazen: Episode 1 - The Dark Whispers is scheduled for release in Q1 2009.
Getting us back in the swing of things tonight, Volition Community Manager "V-Singular" has revealed some official system requirements for the upcoming PC edition of their Open-World Action title, Saints Row 2. So what kind of setup will you need to run this bad boy? Here's the scoop:
Minimum Requirements:
Windows XP / Vista2.0 GHz Dual-Core Processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2)1 GB Available System Memory15 GB Available Hard Drive Space128 MB 3D Video Card w/Shader Model 3.0 Support (Nvidia GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon X1300)DirectX Compatible Display Capable of 640x480 16-bit Color ResolutionDirectX 9.0c Compatible 16-bit Sound CardBroadband Connection for Internet MultiplayerRecommended Requirements:
Windows XP / Vista3.2 GHz Dual-Core Processor (Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD Athlon X2)2 GB Available System Memory256 MB 3D Video Card with Shader Model 3.0 Support (Nv 2226 idia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD3850)DirectX Compatible Display Capable of 1024x768 in 32-bit ColorDirectX 9.0c Compatible 16-bit Sound CardRecommended System Requirements Required for 2-12 Player Multiplayer or Co-OpV-Singular also notes that you'll also need an internet connection to activate the game via Steam. So keep that in mind when the game hits stores on January 6th, 2009! ;)
Thanks for the tip Big Download.
Keeping things interesting today, BioWare has released a brand new teaser trailer for their upcoming RPG, Dragon Age: Origins. Running just under three minutes long, the video takes an in-depth look at the Grey Wardens, their background, armor and physical appearance. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. The video is also available for download at FileFront, ActionTrip and WorthPlaying.com.
According to an update on the official Braid website this afternoon, the PC edition of Jonathon Blow's critically acclaimed time-altering platformer has been pushed back a few months in an effort to dodge the flood of Holiday season blockbusters. Originally scheduled for release in late 2008, the game is now expected launch in February-March 2009. We'll let you know when an exact date is nailed down. So stay tuned! ;)
Also available for download tonight is a new gameplay trailer for Gaijin Entertainment's upcoming Action-Adventure title, X-Blades. Clocking in at just over a minute and a half long, the video gives us a taste of the game's combat system, ruined environments and colorful special effects. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:
GamersHellFileFrontWorthPlayingX-Blades is scheduled for release on January 14th, 2009.
Also available for download tonight is a new gameplay trailer for Gaijin Entertainment's upcoming Action-Adventure title, X-Blades. Clocking in at just over a minute and a half long, the video gives us a taste of the game's combat system, ruined environments and colorful special effects. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:
GamersHellFileFrontWorthPlayingX-Blades is scheduled for release on January 14th, 2009.
Giving us a peek behind the scenes today, the guys over at Eidos Interactive have released a new video developer diary for their upcoming Action-Strategy title, Battlestations: Pacific. Running just under four minutes long, the video touches on the game's epic battles, multiple campaigns, visual details, secondary objectives, menu system and more! Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:
YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileFrontFileShackWorthPlayingBattlestations: Pacific is scheduled for release in 2009.
Also available for download tonight is a new singleplayer demo for Isotx's recently released Iron Grip: Warlord - The Winter Offensive expansion. Weighing in at 503MB, the demo gives us a taste of the full game and some of the new expansion goodies. You can grab this bad boy from any of the following mirrors:
YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileFrontFilePl 2087 anetLet the bullets fly! Muhahaha
Breaking out the eyecandy tonight, Cyanide Studios and Focus Home Interactive have sent over eight new screenshots form their upcoming free-to-play MMO, Dungeon Party. These latest shots highlight the game's stylized environments, monsters and team-based gameplay. Check 'em out:
Dungeon Party is scheduled for release in Q1 2009.
Kicking things off today, CD Projekt RED has released a beefy hotfix for their hit Action-RPG, The Witcher: Enhanced Edition. Weighing in at 105MB, this update addresses some nasty EAX issues and eliminates graphical blurring after cut scenes. You can grab the hotfix from the official website of any of the following mirrors:
YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileShackActionTripWorthPlayingmmmMMMmmm...squished bugs! ;)
Eidos Interactive is putting the polish on a new game in the Battlestation series, Battlestation: Pacific.
In this strategy-action game you control troop movements, and get your own hands dirty in the cockpit of various World War II era crafts. You can fight for the divine Emperor Hirohito, or on the side of the star spangled banner.
This time around, the in-game weather system has been improved, location-specific damage for ships and planes has been added, and the larger battle maps have been filled with even more designs of weapons, new aircraft, and rockets. You'll also be able to fight with some of the rarer prototype weapons of World War II, such as the deadly Japanese I400 submarine aircraft carrier that was built in 1945.
The game is coming out February 3rd for the Xbox 360 and the PC.
Games have come a long way. Ten years ago people would be shocked by how good games like Left 4 Dead look. But how about twenty years ago?
If Left 4 Dead came out in '88, maybe it would look something like Left 4k Dead. Left 4k Dead was made by a guy named Markus Persson in Java, for the 2009 Java 4k Competition. That "4k" means that all entries to the competition must be under 4 kilobytes only -- which is less the size then many README files for games.
The game is pretty simple and fun. You know the drill: shoot zombies, try to survive. The level creation is random but you don't have any teammates here -- it is just you and your guns against the undead masses.
Keeping busy tonight, Valve Software has also announced that GSC Game World's critically acclaimed FPS/RPG, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, is on sale for just $4.99US (a 75% savings) through Steam from now until Sunday, December 21st. So if you're looking for something to play over the Holidays, this is definitely a deal worth considering! ;)
Spicing things up today, the guys over at Rocksteady Studios have released a fresh batch of screenshots from their upcoming Action title, Batman: Arkham Asylum. These latest shots show off the game's gritty visual style, melee combat and detailed character models. Check 'em out:
Batman: Arkham Asylum is scheduled for release in 2009.
Bethesda gets top marks in my books not only for making great games, but for giving such solid support to the fans of their games, in the way of modding tools.
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion received tremendous love from modders, thanks in large part to the quality tool set released by Bethesda. Although not released as the same time as the game, Fallout 3 has just recently received the GECK: a powerful modding SDK. With the release of the GECK, the modding floodgates have opened, and already multiple projects are underway.
Unfortunately mods are stricltly a PC-only thing, so: sorry console gamers, you are out of luck here. But hey, you don't have to worry about bugs nearly as much, so it balances out I suppose.
Currently the largest Fallout 3 mod repository is Fallout 3 Nexus. At the time of this writing, there is an incredible 1700+ mods currently available for Fallout 3. Have you played through Fallout 3, and are now perhaps looking for a change of pace? Every type of mod under the sun is currently available, this soon after the release of the GECK: graphics and texture mods, NPC mods, weight mods, clothing mods, quest mods, serious gameplay mods, cheats, music mods, and UI mods.
The future looks really bright for Fallout 3. It'll be interesting to see what the mod situation is like a year from now. It seems highly likely that there will be some massive mods for the game, like with Oblivion, such as the excellent 400MB Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.
But as of now, two mods seem particularly promising. The first is the Item Description Mod. This mod adds descriptions to all the items in the game. A nice touch that seems like a no-brainer download. Being able to read a bit of backstory to generic items like the 'Chinese Assault Rifle' and the 'Recon Armor' add a surprising amount to the game.
The second mod that seems very promising indeed is the Fallout 3 Compendium Mod. This is a huge 'master-mod' that changes a great deal in the game. Many people behind this effort have been known to frequent the bastion of the hardcore Fallout fan, No Mutants Allowed. The unofficial name for the mod is the 'Fallout Restoration Project'. The makers of this mod have a vision for improving Fallout 3, and this mod changes a great deal of the game towards this goal. Already it has been updated a few times, and work continues whole-heatedly on this project. Here is a very brief overview of some of the changes brought to the game already. Maybe you should check it out! Personally, I'm going to give it another 4-6 months before I dive in to see what goodness this mod brings:
----------------------------------
[Accuracy] As your skill with a weapon increases, so shall your accuracy both in run & gun and VATS. In VATS however, your Perception also plays a role in your maximum accuracy percent.-------------------------------
Double barrel shotguns? How cool is that?
Long live modders, Bethesda, and Fallout 3 fans.
The Oddworld series, while not the most popular set of games, is regarded by those familiar with it as having some of the greatest platformers of all time. Its developer, Oddworld Inhabitants, has been with it from the start (handheld adaptations notwithstanding), which at least these days, seems like an ever-increasing rarity. While they've been kind of in the dark the last few years, they've been up to some things recently; aside from movie-related projects, Oddworld has been getting quite a bit of attention.
The first two games in the series -- Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee and Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus -- were recently released to content delivery service Steam, as well as the DRM-free Good Old Games (GOG). And in what appears to be some very related news, they're working on something new for the franchise (more on that later).
Co-founder and creative director Lorne Lanning has been about lately, doing interviews. With Gamasutra he discussed the decision to bring the games to the online services, why digital distribution is great, and other fun stuff. An excerpt:
Why go with Steam and GOG at this stage?
We’ve long been big believers in the digital distribution promise, but only with Steam did we see the manifestation offered through a model that worked best for us.
The “us" in our case is passionate creators that own their own IP and are looking for reasonably fair terms in getting to the customer. Comparatively, it’s night and day from the retail environment.
When you compare the cost of digital distribution to conventional channels, it’s a hard decision not to make. It's also obvious to us that people will be buying games at the same place they are increasingly buying the rest of the consumer goods in their lives -- which is, of course, on the internet.
We have all come to expect that whatever we want can be bought easily through the internet, so anything that is selling outside of the internet is often through an old-school -- and soon to be outdated -- model. Physical distribution is endangered for many reasons, but most importantly, the cost of bringing physical goods to physical locations is killing it at the moment.
Moreover, Lanning says it cost them next to nothing to get the games on Steam and GOG, and yet with "zero dollars in marketing, zero advertising, zero manufacturing, and zero licensing fees to console manufactures, we are happy with the sales." What's not to love?
As for new stuff, he says "while it's taken us a while, we’re also working on something new for Oddworld. We still don’t want to get into any details on at this time but from my previous answers you’ll likely have an idea for where all this is heading." User HampsterStyle on the GOG forums offers:
"If I'm not mistaken Lanning had hinted on a forum somewhere that if the digital downloads sold well they might consider PC ports of Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath and Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee to offer through digital distribution as well." Yes please.
And by the sounds of it, they're working on something altogether fresh as well:
"We're open to exploring how to best maximize our existing library, but haven't been focused on creating huge story games with 40 hours of linear gameplay recently.
We’ve been focused on a slightly different chemistry that we believe will prove appealing to gamers and Oddworld fans alike, but it's a big risk because it's way outside the box.
And that excites us. In some ways it will be very alien to Western gaming, but it's in this direction that we believe the excitement will be. Hopefully, not too much longer."
For more Abe, check out GOG's feature on the first title, essentially a development retrospective with Lanning. Expect one for Exoddus in the coming days.
Grabbing our attention this afternoon, the fine folks over at Relic Entertainment have released a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming RTS, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II. This minute and a half-long video gives us a quick look at a handful of different enemies in the game. Check it out:
Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. Prefer a manual download? Then head over to WorthPlaying.com for a mirror!
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II is scheduled for release in Q1 2009.
Hitting the web today is a brand new gameplay trailer for Creative Assembly's upcoming strategy title, Empire: Total War. Running just over two minutes long, the video gives us a sneak peek at the new Road to Independence campaign and its objectives. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:
GamersHellFileFrontFileShackWorthPlayingEmpire: Total War is scheduled for release in March 2009.
Treating us to an early Christmas gift, the guys over at 3D Realms have released a new wallpaper image from their upcoming first person shooter, Duke Nukem Forever. The image features a handful of different monsters from the game. Check it out:
The wallpaper is available in seve 2174 ral different sizes right here. Cheers! ;)
Also available for download today is a new teaser trailer for Maxis' upcoming life-sim, The Sims 3. Clocking in at a minute and nine seconds long, the video offers a quick look the different ways you can customize your character and home. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. The video is also available for download at the FileFront and WorthPlaying.com.
The Sims 3 is scheduled for release in February 2009.
Kicking things off today, the fine folks over at Spicy Horse Games have launched a new episode for their twisted Action-Adventure series, American McGee's Grimm. Available exclusively through GameTap, "Episode 16: A Christmas Carol" gets us in the Holiday spirit with Grimm's take on the classic Dickens tale. You can download and play the episode FREE of charge for the first 24 hours, then you'll have to fork over $3.99 USD. So be sure to grab it fast! ;)
Hopping on the Steam bandwagon tonight, Electronic Arts has announced that they'll be bringing several high profile titles to Valve Software's popular digital distribution service over the next few months. Starting today, North American gamers can purchase Spore, Spore: Creepy & Cute Parts Pack, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Mass Effect, Need for Speed: Undercover and FIFA Manager 2009. But that's not all! In the coming weeks, Steam will also offer Mirror's Edge, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, and Dead Space. So keep an eye out for them! :D
Spicing things up today, GRIN has cooked up a fresh batch of screenshots from their highly anticipated Action-Platformer, Bionic Commando. These latest shots give us a quick look at the multiplayer portion of the game in action. Check 'em out:
Bionic Commando is scheduled for release in Q1 2009.
3DMark series is now officially ten years old. To celebrate ten years of hardware crushing real time 3D graphics, Futuremark has published a page on the history of 3DMark - including a small retrospective video of 3DMark benchmarks... and as they always say in the credits, "3DMark will return".
Futuremark is also running a contest to mark the anniversary. "Life of a Benchmarker" video contest runs from 15th December to 18th January. Prizes include 32" Flat-screen TV, MSI and Enermax hardware.
If you ever thought about maybe getting Crysis Warhead but weren't completely convinced, Crytek will soon be offering full access to the game for 10 days.
All you have to do is go to www.mycrysis.com, sign up, and then you'll get 10 days of free online multiplayer, from December 19th 9:00 AM to December 28th midnight (which actually sort of seems like 9 days to me, but anyways.)
Crytek has also just released the 1.3 patch for the game, which offers two new maps, Savanna, and Frost, which is shown in the new video below.
Grabbing our attention this afternoon, Maxis and Electronic Arts have released some official minimum system requirements for their highly anticipated people-sim, The Sims 3. So what kind of setup will you need to run their latest cash-cow? Read on:
Desktop PCs
OS: XP (Service Pack 2)
Processor: Pentium IV 2.0 GHz or Athlon XP 2000+
Memory: 1 GB
Graphics: 128MB Video Card (GeForce FX 5900 or Radeon 9500)
OS: Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor: Pentium IV 2.4 GHz or Athlon XP 2400+
Memory: 1.5 GB
Graphics: 128MB Video Card (GeForce FX 5900 or Radeon 9500)
Laptops
OS: XP (Service Pack 2)
Processor: Pentium IV 2.0 GHz or Athlon XP 2000+
Memory: 1.5 GB
Graphics: 128MB Video Card (GeForce Go 6200 or Radeon mobile 9600)
OS: Vista (Service Pack 1)
Processor: Pentium IV 2.4 GHz or Athlon XP 2400+
Memory: 2.0 GB
Graphics: 128MB Video Card (GeForce Go 6200 or Radeon mobile 9600)
The Sims 3 is scheduled for release in February 2009.
In an effort to reduce their cost structure, Midway Games has announced that they'll be laying off 25% of their global workforce, closing down their Austin-based studio and canceling several unannounced "non-core" games, which were previously scheduled for release in 2010/2011. Here's a little snippet from the press release:
"The cost-reduction measures are vital for us to rationalize our operations and provide the resources necessary for our core properties to succeed," said Matt Booty, president and CEO of Midway. "These initiatives, along with the other steps we have taken this year, are a response to the 2196 specific challenges we are facing at Midway, many of which have been amplified by the current economic conditions."
Hate seeing people get fired during the Holidays, but with the recent sale of Midway, I think we all saw this coming. :(
Unless you stay really clear of news, and don't have any friends that watch the news, you probably heard of the recent Bush'n'shoe incident. Muntadar al-Zeidi -- who is now being celebrated as a hero by most of Iraq -- threw two of his shoes at Mr. President during a press conference a few days ago.
Somebody quick with Flash made up a game where you can now throw shoes at Bush from the comfort of your own home, without worrying about being rushed by Secret Service guys, and then thrown in a dirty jail someplace to be beaten.
The game is called 'Sock and Awe', and can be found right over here. According to the Inquirer, it has received more than 1.4 million hits so far.
What is really funny about this website is that it has a list of "Top 25 Bush-Shoeing Countries", which ranks which places most of the players of 'Sock and Awe' are from. The first place slot is taken by none other than the United States, showing that even many Americans love throwing footwear at Bush; France takes second place, and Australia third.
And 'Sock and Awe' isn't the only game somebody made up: hailing from Norway we also have 'The Bush Game', where it is a little bit harder to hit the dodgy Bush.
Kicking things off today, Akella has sent over two new screenshots from their upcoming World War 2-based Adventure title, A Stroke of Fate. These latest screenies highlight the game's character models and historically accurate environments. Enjoy:
A Stroke of Fate's release date is still TBD.
Spicing up last night's Spike TV VGAs was a brand new teaser trailer for 2K Czech's upcoming open-world Action title, Mafia 2. The minute-long video features a humorous intro that leads into car chases, shootouts and various other Mafia-related activities. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the ab 2114 ove stream. Mirror's are also available at the FileFront and WorthPlaying.com.
Mafia 2 is scheduled for release in Fall 2009.
A demo for a pirate themed indie game came out today. The game is Buccaneer - Pursuit of Infamy, and it is made by a motley bunch known as Stickman Studios.
The game appears to be a sort of Sid Meier's Pirates!- lite. Instead of simulation, this game is more going for the action, and straight-forward gameplay. In this game, you sttart with a ship in the Caribbean, and then start sailing about, looking for people and places to plunder, and getting more crew members, more guns, and bigger ships.
Buccaneer also has a team based multiplayer, which could be quite interesting. The demo features one MP map, where the full game has 10, and a wider selection of boats.
Buccaneer came out on December 5th. Both the full game, and the demo, are available through Valve's Steam.
A certain guy named Britton LaRouche reviewed the game and gave it top marks, saying it was "freakin awesome!!" and a "milestone for the independent game community," so maybe you should check out the demo and go pursue some PC gaming infamy.
Below we have a promo music video of pirates rocking out.
Keeping things rollin' today, the guys over at Telltale Games have released a singleplayer demo for Episode 5 of their popular Point & Click Adventure series, Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People. Weighing in at 80MB, the demo allows us to play through an early portion of this latest dragon-killing episode. You can grab this bad boy from any of the following websites:
FileFrontFileShackStrategyInformerWorthPlayingDig the demo? Then head over to the Telltale Store to purchase the full game!
We reported the supposedly official Rise of the Argonauts requirements earlier, but it turns out the actual game box has different information on it. It's not dramatically different as far as the minimums go, but the recommended spec is considerably higher.
RISE OF THE ARGONAUTS - SPECIFICATIONSMinimum Specifications:
Windows XP/Vista3.0Ghz Pentium or AMD equivalentXP 1GB RAM / Vista 1.5GB RAM12GB Hard Drive SpaceGraphics Card: GeForce 6800 / Radeon X1300 or aboveRecommended Specifications:
Windows XP/VistaIntel Core 2 Duo @ 2.66Ghz or Athlon X2 3800+2GB RAM13GB Hard Drive SpaceGraphics Card: GeForce 8800GTX 2251 or above or Radeon HD 3800 series or above Supported Graphics Cards:
ATI Radeon X1300, X1800, X1900, X1950, HD2400, HD2600, HD2900, HD3450, HD3470, HD3650, HD3850, HD3870, HD4850, HD4870, HD4870X2.
nVidia GeForce 6800, 7600, 7800, 7900, 7950, 8500, 8600, 8800, 9600, 9800, 9800GX2, GTX260, GTX280.
We have updated the Game-o-Meter to reflect these requirements.
Update - for some added comedy, the README_ENG.txt shown by the installer has a third set of requirements - the recommended ones are identical to those on the box, but the minimums are even higher.
Windows XP/Vista (if running Windows Vista SP1 is recommended)Pentium 4 @ 3.4GHz or equivalent Athlon 64 CPUXP - 1GB RAM / Vista – 1.5GB RAMGraphics Card: GeForce 7600 / Radeon X1800 or above12 GB Hard Drive SpacePublisher's PR person giving one set of requirements, physical game box giving out another set and the actual readme on the disc giving a third set... it's getting hilarious. I guess if you want the definite word on these, wait for the YouGamers review and our recommendations.
Being a big fan of classic religious and medievil literature, it's with great excitement I announce Redwood Shores' next title: Dante's Inferno. The game will be a third-person action-adventure, and as you'll soon see, it's based on the classic poem The Divine Comedy, which is really quite a monumental work which spawned some truly fabulous art. As EA puts it:
"The dark fiction gave birth to the Tuscan Italian dialect and is widely considered to have defined the western world’s contemporary conception of hell and purgatory. The poem tells the tale of Dante who journeys through the twisted, menacing nine circles of hell in pursuit of his beloved Beatrice."
It being from the dudes that created that grisly game Dead Space, as you'd expect, it's quite dark:
I find the intro pretty cheesy, but the rest is swell and seems like potentially the greatest game ever conceived. I imagine this is one game truly tough to pull off to its maximum potential, but honestly, if they do it, it'll be something more than memorable. At the very least, it should be an improvement over its C64 counterpart.
“The time is right for the world of interactive entertainment to adapt this literary masterpiece, and to re-introduce Dante to an audience that, until now, may have been unfamiliar with the remarkable details of this great work of art”, said Jonathan Knight, executive producer for Dante’s Inferno. “It’s the perfect opportunity to fuse great gameplay with great story.”
It's PS3 and Xbox 360 exclusive for the moment, but a PC release seems almost inevitable -- such is the trend. A mailing list is at the official site which you can sign up for if you like.
