Sunday, August 31, 2008

Gears of War 2 for PC? Don't count on it!

Feeling a little chatty today, the guys over at IGN have fired up a quick Q&A with Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski regarding their highly anticipated third person shooter, Gears of War 2. The interview mainly covers Achievements and how they'll link up with the original game, but the "big" news is that they've decided against doing a PC port this time around. Here's the scoop:

Do you need to earn these Achievements in "Gears of War" on Xbox 360, or can you earn them in "Gears of War" for Windows?

Cliff You can unlock these characters in Gears 2 if you earn the Achievements in Gears 1 through Xbox 36 21d6 0 or PC, provided you are using the same Gamertag.

Does this mean you are planning a Windows version of "Gears of War 2"?

Cliff: Gears of War is a great franchise first and foremost for Xbox 360, and therefore we're focusing on that platform for Gears of War 2. We've decided we're not going to do a PC version this time around.

Not a huge surprise, but still sad news for those of us without 360's. :/




WoW Achievements - Screenshots
Revealed trophies for BioShock identical to 360 achievements

X-Blades Screenshots

Finally tonight, the guys over at Gaijin Entertainment have cooked up a new batch of screenshot from their upcoming Action-Adventure title, X-Blades. These latest shots highlight the game's environments, the combat system and various special effects. Enjoy:

X-Blades is scheduled for release "later this year".




Banshee 1.0 Beta 2 (0.99.2) Released
Men of War Screenshots
New Men of War Screenshots

Dragon Age Toolset Details Revealed

Grabbing our attention tonight, the guys over at BioWare have announced plans to release a powerful toolset for their upcoming Fantasy-RPG, Dragon Age: Origins. According to the press release, these tools will allow gamers to create new levels, quests, characters and even script your own "fate-defining" events and cut-scenes. A dedicated online community area is in also in the works, where you'll be able to download and share your creations. Those of you attending PAX can check out a live demo of the tools on August 31st at 1:30pm on the main stage. So don't miss i 20a8 t! ;)




Dragon Age: Origin Details
MySims PC-Bound
Citrix To Enhance Virtualization Interop
Tetris Party details

Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment Announced

Keeping the good news coming, Stardock and Ironclad Games have officially announced the development of Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment, a micro-expansion for their hit 4x RTS. Due out later this year, the expansion will feature new Starbase defense platforms for each race, turret upgrades, mine fields and a Subspace Inhibitor platform that slows enemy ships within a specific range. Here's a little snippet from the press release:

"Sins of a Solar Empire, which was already an amazing game experience, is getting some outstanding ways to conquer others or defend your race," said Stardock CEO and President Brad Wardell. "We’re excited about being able to deliver expansion 2041 packs in a more modular way than traditionally. Now players can pick and choose what features they want rather than paying a higher price for a larger expansion pack which may have features they aren’t interested in."

Entrenchment will be available exclusively through Stardock's Impulse digitial distribution service for $9.95. Pre-orders are available today!




Solar power solution for modern Apple laptops ships
Sins of a Solar Empire v1.05 Patch Details

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Beta Sign-ups

Creating a little buzz today, Turbine has announced that they are now accepting applications to beta test their upcoming The Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria expansion pack. So how do you sign-up? Just complete the following steps and hope they pick you:

1. Create an account, or login to your existing account, at the Unlock the Mines of Moria site.
2. Click on the Mini-Games & Beta Application tab to view the Moria Gate
3. Click on the fifth star, the one that is p 218b ulsing, to open the Beta application form
4. Complete the Beta application and click submit at the end!

To celebrate the big news, the developers have released a fresh batch of screenshots. Enjoy:




Banshee 1.0 Beta 2 (0.99.2) Released
Lord of the Rings Online: Mines of Moria Shots

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Delayed In North America

Looking forward to picking up S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky on September 5th? Well, you may have to wait a little longer. According to a report at ShackNews tonight, GSC Game World's highly anticipated first person shooter has been delayed in North America by "a few day" due to a manufacturing issue. Apparently copies of the game were shipped to retailers without CD keys and have since been recalled. A new release date hasn't been announced.

Note: This does not affect the European release. You folks can still grab the game on Sep 5th.




Splinter Cell: Conviction Delayed
Burnout Paradise Cagney update not delayed for PS3
Left 4 Dead Delayed
Tom Cruise’s Much-Delayed ‘Valkyrie’ Isn’t A Dud, Co-Star Bill Nighy Insists

Friday, August 29, 2008

Gamer's Bill of Rights

Stardock, the dudes behind the Galactic Civilizations series, have taken it upon themselves to write up a "Gamer's Bill of Rights", in light of a lot of the silliness going on in the game industry these days. They mainly focus on PC gaming, of course, but a good bit of it you can apply to console games, too. So here you are, gamers, your ten rights worth fighting for:

1. Gamers shall have the right to return games that don't work with their computers for a full refund.

2. Gamers shall have the right to demand that games be released in a finished state.

3. Gamers shall have the right to expect meaningful updates after a game's release.

4. Gamers shall have the right to demand that download managers and updaters not force themselves to run or be forced to load in order to play a game.

5. Gamers shall have the right to expect that the minimum requirements for a game will mean that the game will play adequately on that computer.

6. Gamers shall have the right to expect that games won't install hidden drivers or other potentially harmful software without their consent.

7. Gamers shall have the right to re-download the latest versions of the games they own at any time.

8. Gamers shall have the right to not be treated as potential criminals by developers or publishers.

9. Gamers shall have the right to demand that a single-player game not force them to be connected to the Internet every time they wish to play.

10. Gamers shall have the right that games which are installed to the hard drive shall not require a CD/DVD to remain in the drive to play.

Oh, and Matt Peckham of PCWorld has one he'd like to add:

11. Gamers shall have the right to expect members of the gaming press to challenge game companies when they violate any of the above principles.

The press is an engine of inquiry, not a press-release patsy. There's supposed to be an element of bias in expert reporting. You wouldn't accept on its face what a politician tells you, and you shouldn't uncritically accept what a game company does as in everyone's best interest. As history shows us, time and again, that's not always the case.

Amen, brother!




PC Gamer Readers Top 100
NPD research shows PC is most played console
Wii officially #1 in the US

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Defense Grid: The Awakening Announced

Spreading the good news tonight, Hidden Path Entertainment has officially announced the development of a new Tower Defense-style strategy title called Defense Grid: The Awakening. Due out in November 2008, the game will make use of Emergent’s Gamebryo Engine and will feature over 20 unique environments, 10 upgradeable towers and 15 different enemy types. Here's a little snippet from the press release:

"Defense Grid: The Awakening redefines tower-defense gameplay, introduces new concepts, and uniquely captures the full excitement 2134 and fun of this genre," said Jeff Pobst, CEO and co-founder of Hidden Path Entertainment. "Defense Grid: The Awakening is as fun for the core gamer pushing their skills as it is for the novice just trying their hand at a strategy game."

Head over to the game's official website for a pair of screenshots!




Race Driver: GRID released for PC, Xbox360, and PS3
GRID Demo Roars Past the One Million Downloads Mark
Race Driver: GRID Golden!
Deal of the Day: GRID for $40

Prince of Persia Video Dev Diary

Giving us a peek behind the scenes tonight, Ubisoft Montreal has thrown together a new video developer diary for their upcoming Action-Adventure title, Prince of Persia. Running just over four minutes long, the video focuses on the game's open-world structure, roof running and how the combat system works. Enjoy:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. Manual downloads are available at FileShack or WorthPlaying.com. ;)




Prince of Persia devs have ‘planned something special’ for PS3 owners
Rise of the Argonauts Video Dev Diary
Rise of the Argonauts Video Dev Diary #2
Prince of Persia speed art video reveals Elika as a character

Lower hardware requirements for PC games? Chris Taylor thinks so

Recently, veteran game designer Chris Taylor -- maker of Supreme Commander, Dungeon Siege, and most recently, the woefully miserable Space Seige -- talked with Gamasutra about hardware requirements in PC gaming. 

Going in the opposite direction of developers such as CryTek, who make games that only a small fraction of PCs can play with reasonable framerates, Chris Taylor believes that the age of the steep hardware requirement might be coming to end within five years.

Calling the period after the widespread adoption of the dedicated video card a "turbulent ten years," Taylor believes that what is typically considered 'low-end' hardware, such as integrated graphics cards and older CPUs, are becoming increasingly capable enough to deliver enough visual whizbang to satisfy most gamers. Instead of focusing on delivering cutting-edge eye-candy, Taylor thinks things like art direction and gameplay (gasp!) can appeal to people.

When you lower your hardware requirements, a game's possible customers base goes from "10 million and 20 million people to 200 million people," Chris points out. While this may seem fairly obvious, it is fairly uncommon for any big PC games to ever come out that support hardware more than say, three years old. And as most of you know, it has been like this for a long time.

Does Chris Taylor practice what he preaches? Judge for yourself: his last (and terrible, by the way) game, Space Siege, required a 2.6 GHz single-core processor, and a Radeon 9800 or NVIDIA 6800 video card.)

With games made by Blizzard -- most notably WoW -- The Sims (and all of the expansions), and games like Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice dominating the NDP PC game top-ten sellers list for a long time now, it seems reasonable to suggest that a least part of these games' success is due to their more forgiving hardware requirements. Sins of a Solar Empire also comes to mind; smaller budget, good gameplay, fine-looking graphics (but not cutting edge), Sins had lower hardware requirements and was one of the best selling games of the year -- most probably making more profit than Crysis. It almost seems like there is an untapped, unaddressed market out there or something? 

Since the beginning of PC gaming, there has always been an arms-race of sorts for better and better graphics. After all, the PC has always been, and will probably remain, capable of delivering the most cutting-edge graphics. But it seems that somewhere along the line, the race for better graphics became a greater priority than the race for better gameplay. Perhaps because delivering better graphics is a much more tangible -- and easier to obtain -- goal than delivering a better gameplay experience, virtually every game out will have far more staff members in their graphics department than any other department (such as A.I programming, for example.)

While Chris Taylor says that "characters, the story, the UI, the design" should take precedence over graphics, it is very questionable if Space Siege delivered in one of these of categories (perhaps U.I.) Maybe his upcoming Defense of the Ancients inspired game Demigod (pictured above), which looks promising, will deliver more.

As many a PC gamer has experienced, nothing will make you want to 'go-console' faster than spending $500 on video card, only to have it barely handle the big games two years later.

But things may be looking up -- especially in the video card department, you can buy a very capable card these days for $100 (a 8800 GT for instance), or a extremely capable card for $160 (such as a HD 4850.) And a bit further into the future, say five years from now, cloud computing might take off to the point where most games are rendered from somewhere else, and just streamed to your computer over the 'net -- in which case, an inexpensive computer would run the game just as well as a far more expensive one.

Maybe PC gaming will eventually get back the platform's roots -- if you ask someone what their top five PC games are, I'd wager a bet that those five games had reasonable hardware requirements at the time the game was released, and had good design as their foremost aspect, not just great graphics.

 




AMD initiates new program to simplify PC game requirements
More Graphics Card Makers To Start Selling IGP Motherboards
Brothers in Arms Hell’s Highway Video Dev Diary

iGames Events Calendar

"Going back to school is definitely a drag, but if iGames has anything to do with it, it won’t be so bad."

The "leading LAN center organization" has a full set of events in store come next month, all across the United States. Game launches, closed betas, exclusive showcases, and other gaming goodness will be available to "keep you fragging through September." Basically a PC gamer's wet dream. Schedule is below. Enjoy!

 

 

September 1-30

Shaiya Showcase (Free to play!)
70+ iGames centers

September 6

Warhammer: Battle March Launch Party
26+ LAN Centers

Halo 3 FFA Tournament
The Gamers pLANet
Howell, NJ 07731

Halo 3 Mid Atlantic Circuit: Hosted By C3
C3 Cyber Club Inc
Ashburn, VA 20147

Gigabits Smash – Back to the Brawling
Gigbits LAN Center
Orlando, FL 32817

September 8-21

Warhammer: Battle March Showcase
90+ LAN centers

September 12

DVD Dbl Feature Lock-In, Gaming & Movie
Army of Darkness/Big Trouble in Little China CyGamZ 4100 Carpenter Road Ypsilanti, MI 48197

September 17 – October 8

Blackshot Closed Beta
60+ LAN Centers

September 20

Grand Opening – The Core
MCAGCC MCCS Building 1531
Twenty-Nine Palms, CA 92278

Starcraft & Warcraft Tournament
CyGamZ
4100 Carpenter Road
Ypsilanti, MI 48197

September 27

Call of Duty 4 PC LAN Tournament
Gamestation
Cornwall, NY 12518


For registration and other event information, including additional iGames events, visit the iGames calendar at iGames.org or contact the iGames events team at events@igames.org.




Google Calendar gains iCal CalDav support
Warhammer Online Open Beta Launches Sept 7th
iGames Calender of Events
MotorStorm Pacific Rift UK Tour

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Spore Creature Creator Patch

Keeping our modems nice and toasty this afternoon, the folks over at Maxis have released a new patch for the Spore Creature Creator. Weighing in at 85MB, this update includes various bug fixes, tool tweaks, new animations, improved overall stability and more! You can check out the full changelog right here or just hit any of the following mirrors to start downloading:

GamersHell - Trial / FullFileShack - Trial / FullWorthPlayingFileFront

Grab it while it's hot!




Spore Creature Creator Now Available
‘Twilight’ Creator Stephenie Meyer Talks About ‘Breaking Dawn’ Cover Controversy And Books’ Appeal
SimCity Creator on Wii

A Vampyre Story Trailer

Kicking things off today, the guys over at Autumn Moon Entertainment have released a brand new teaser trailer for their upcoming point-and-click adventure title, A Vampyre Story. Running just under two minutes long, the video plays out like a travel guide, selling us on the sights and sounds of Draxsylvania. Enjoy:

Thanks to FileFront for the above stream. The video is also available for download at GamersHell and Wor 223e thPlaying. Stay tuned for more mirrors!




Mega Man 9 trailer
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Atmosphere Trailer
Champions Online Gameplay Trailer

Mob Wars Facebook game might make a million bucks a month

For the last long while now, Facebook has been flooded with dumb, useful, stupid and fun widgets and apps. Many of you out there have no doubt been bitten by vampires, told who your true love is, played poker, gotten yourself a fun wall, become a slayer, seen daily babes, cheat in scrabble, or gained heroes abilities in your time using Facebook. Perhaps some of you have played the game Mob Wars.

Apparently, the Facebook game Mob Wars is one of the most lucrative Facebook apps. The game has about 500,000 players a day, and through the use of micro-payments, quite possibly rakes in more than one million clams a month (source). Yes, $1,000,000. The advertising revenue for the game provides an additional small bonus of about $22,000 a month for the game's maker.

This is fairly impressive -- a great deal of console and PC game makers would love to make a million a month off of their game. But what is more impressive, of course, is that Mob Wars was a relatively simple game to make, featuring a lot of text, simple game mechanics, and simple graphics -- in many ways, it reminiscent of simple games of the pre-World Wide Web, electronic BBS days.

Besides showing that even today, a very small team of programmers are still capable of making a lot cash from a game, the game's creator, David Maestri is also showing through the success of Mob Wars what an angry game company is like: David Maestri is getting sued by his previous employer, Social Gaming Network.

Mr. Maestri was employed by SGN while he made Mob Wars, so SGN is suing for him for breach of contract and stealing trade secrets, amongst other things. No word on when the case goes to trial.   




Intel Converts ET: Quake Wars To Ray-tracing
New game announced for the PC: District Wars
Over 500 applications in iPhone Apps store, 25% free
No Starcraft II or Guild Wars 2 this year

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

World of Mixed Martial Arts 2 Announced

Moving right along, the folks over at Grey Dog Software have announced that they are working on a sequel to their hit sports management sim, World of Mixed Martial Arts. Due out in early 2009, WMMA 2 puts you in control of a mixed martial arts company, where you'll hire fighters, setup matches, take care of the marketing and much, much more! Here's the official word:

Phoenix, AZ August 25, 2008 - Grey Dog Software, a Phoenix based developer of sports management simulation software for personal computers, today reveals a sequel for World of Mixed Martial Arts is now in development.

World of Mixed Martial Arts 2 is scheduled to be available for digital download exclusively through Grey Dog S 20b9 oftware and is expected to be released early 2009.

WMMA 2 will bring mixed martial arts to your PC allowing players to control every aspect of a mixed martial arts company. The player is in charge of just about everything to do with its running, including hiring fighters, match making, marketing, and so on.

For more information on World of Mixed Martial Arts 2 please visit Grey Dog’s official website at http://www.greydogsoftware.com. Additional information will be released in the coming days.

About Grey Dog Software

Grey Dog Software, LLC an Arizona based, privately-held company, is a leading developer of sports management simulations for the PC. Grey Dog Software strives to provide ground-breaking features, enormous depth, and endless replayability with each game.




EA gets sacked by gamers
Electronic Arts Unveils EA Sports Freestyle SubBrand

Multiwinia - Capture the Statue Trailer

Wrapping things up tonight, the guys over at Introversion Software have released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming Action-RTS, Multiwinia: Survival of the Flattest. The minute-long video gives us a quick look at the "Capture the Statue" mode in action. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTr 2123 ailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at th following websites:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackWorthPlaying

Multiwinia is scheduled for release on September 19th, 2008.




Resistance 2 E3 trailer ‘may now be forever lost’
Saints Row 2 Story Trailer

Left 4 Dead release date pushed back

Left 4 Dead was originally set to hit retailers on November 4 but in a video interview with Gamekings.tv, Valve's Gabe Newell stated that the game was be pushed back to the third week of November to coincide with the 10th anniversary of Half-Life.  That meant L4D would have come out November 20, 2008, according to Newell.

Well the date has been changed again, and now Valve's highly anticipated co-op survival horror has different release dates for North America and Europe.  Left 4 Dead 411 made a request to Valve for definite confirmation, and Doug Lombardi responded, "Nov 18 in the States. Nov 21 in Europe (US retailers do 'new release Tues' and the EU does that on Friday)."

The new release date still ties in with Half-Life's anniversary, as the game was originally launched on November 18, 1998.

Once again, North Americans will be seeing the action a little earlier than European gamers, but it's a decently small gap this time around, if that's any consolation.




Left 4 Dead Delayed
Alone in the Dark finally coming in November
Valve Announces Steam Cloud
Left 4 Dead On Tour

Monday, August 25, 2008

Mercenaries 2 Airstrike Trailer

Keeping things interesting on this slow news day, the guys over at Pandemic Studios have released a new teaser trailer for their upcoming open-world action title, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. The short clip highlights some airstrikes and the destruction they can cause. Pretty cool stuff! Check it out:

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

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is scheduled for release on August 31st.




Room to swing a cat in Tenchu IV
Mercenaries 2 Improvise Trailer
Mercenaries 2 Video Dev Diary
Mega Man 9 trailer

LEGO Universe Video Dev Diary

Giving us a peek behind the scenes today, the guys over at NetDevil have released a new video developer diary for their upcoming massively multiplayer online game, LEGO Universe. Running just under four minutes long, the video discusses the LEGO Universe Partners (LUP) and how they're coming together to create content for the title. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Prefer a manual download? We have you covered:

YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)StrategyInformerWorthPlaying

LEGO Universe is scheduled for release in 2009.

Beta impressions of Warhammer MMORPG fairly positive

Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning entered its open beta period over last weekend, with everyone who pre-ordered the collector's edition of the game being able to jump into the game for the first time.

For those of you who somehow have not heard of WAR, it's a YAMFRIES MMORPG (YAMFRIES is an acronym I just made up; it stands for Yet Another MMORPG Featuring Rangers, Imps, Elves or Sorcerers.)

A bunch of information has been turning up all on corners of the Internet, such as from the stimulating website BetaLeaks.

Overall, most people have had a good time with the game; a rough estimate might be that 75% of people had positive enough impressions that they seemed very likely to play the game out of Beta, while the rest may (or may not) have liked the game, but did not seem very enthralled with it.

Here are some excerpts from various unconfirmed sources:

Veteran gamer 'Perp' said he liked the game, but wasn't ready to commit: "There are many things WAR does right and some things they've improved and polished to make the game very appealing. Character movement is solid and you actually feel in control of your character. The UI was terrible at one point, but the final design is quite nice. The graphics have been turned up and the game looks really good and the recent animation changes helped quite a bit. Player quests are a nice evolution to the quest grind game, but your mileage will vary." Then he goes on to diss the game's crafting, how the balance of the zones have been thrown off because of the cutting out of two of the game's cities, and the long cool-downs for skills in combat. 

'Jason81789' was pretty thrilled with the game: "this past weekend, was imho, the best experience i have ever had in an MMO. I went with a HE shadow warrior, and loved it. The terrain, in tandem with the quests that were given, seemed to fit perfectly. And the PQ's that I encountered early on were very fun. I really didn't care about leveling throughout my time (which is awesome), and [it] feel[s] like it does break the status-quo 'grind' of mmo's."

Summary-liking 'visavis' compared WAR to WOW like so: "Hard to say really. This game is definitely more casual friendly than WoW, at least on the surface. However keeps are an entirely different matter.  And, inspite of what you've read, this game is very different from WoW. They look similar on the surface, but once you start playing them the differences become more and more clear.  You have multiple more layers of customization in this game, which I'm sure will keep many people interested, as well as more complex combat (though it may not seem like it on a 1v1 basis). As much as WoW keeps trying to lessen the gab between WAR and WoW, they are still very much different games, and WoW is ultimately for the gear grind loving PVE players. Whereas WAR is primarily for the strategic pvp players / casuals."

dpollack is another fan of the game: "WAR is terrific and very well polished at this stage. I played debacle that was Age of Conan and I will say that WAR blows that game out of the war with class balance, PVP, and ease of play. I think mythic achieved everything they aimed for and I look forward to its release on sept. 18th. See you all in game."

 




Lennon’s ‘Peace’ Lyrics Sell for $833,654
Diablo III Official at Blizzard World Wide International

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Project Origin Delayed

Speaking to IGN at this year's Leipzig Games Convention, Monolith's Dave Matthews confirmed that their upcoming first person shooter, Project Origin, has been pushed back to Q1 2009. The game was previously scheduled for release this Fall, but it looks like we'll have to wait a little bit longer. No reason for the delay was given.




Burnout Paradise Cagney update not delayed for PS3
Project Origin Remnants Trailer
Splinter Cell: Conviction Delayed

New Alpha Protocol Screenies

Wrapping things up tonight, Obsidian Entertainment has sent over eight new screenshots from their upcoming spy-themed RPG, Alpha Protocol. These latest shots highlight the game's environments, gun battles, and some hand to hand combat. Enjoy:

Alpha Protocol is scheduled for release in February 2009.




New Alpha Protocol Screenshots
New Rise of the Argonauts Shots
Ubuntu 8.10 Alpha 2 Screenshot Tour

Mercenaries 2 System Requirements Revealed

Spilling the beans today, Electronic Arts has announced some official system requirements for their upcoming open-world Action title, Mercenaries 2: World in Flames. So what kind of setup will you need to run the game? Here's the scoop:

Recommended Requirements:

OS: Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1
Processor: Pentium Core 2 Duo 2.66 GHz / AMD X2 4600+ 2.4 GHz
Memory: 2GB dual channel DDR RAM
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 / ATI Radeon HD2600
Video RAM: 512MB
Shader model: 3.0
Media: 8x Dual layer DVD-ROM
Hard Drive: 10GB install + save data
Sound: DX 9.0c compatible

Minimum Requirements (Windows Vista):

Se 2113 rvice Pack: Windows Vista SP1
Processor: Pentium 4 with hyperthreading / AMD Athlon 64 X2
Memory: 2GB
GPU: Nvidia GeForce 6800 GT / ATI Radeon ATI X1600
Video RAM: 256MB
Shader model: 3.0
Media: 8x Dual layer DVD-ROM
Hard Drive: 10GB install + save data
Sound: DX 9.0c compatible

Minimum Requirements (Windows XP):

Service Pack: Windows XP SP3
Processor: Pentium 4 with hyperthreading / AMD Athlon X2
Memory: 1GB
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT / ATI Radeon ATI X1600
Video RAM: 256MB
Shader model: 3.0
Media: 8x Dual layer DVD-ROM
Hard Drive: 10GB install + save data
Sound: DX 9.0c compatible

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is scheduled for release on September 4th.




Alone In The Dark System Requirements
Iomega drive gets leathered
Damn Small Linux 4.4 Review
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky System Requirements Published

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Screenshots

Kicking things off today, GSC Game World has cooked up a new batch of screenshots from their upcoming open-world first person shooter, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. These latest screenies show off the game's lush environments, intense shoot-outs, and some campfire fun. Enjoy:

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is scheduled for release on September 5th.




Exclusive: new screenshots of inFAMOUS
Golden Axe Beast Rider Screenshots
New Aion Screenshots

New Left 4 Dead footage and screenshots coming out of GC 2008

Come November, people are going to revel in teaming up with friends and taking on a new zombie invasion in Left 4 Dead.

Video of the Xbox 360 / PC game in action has been fairly sparse so far -- but a lengthy developer commentary came out today, recorded at the Games Convention in Leipzig. It seems like the game is in a very advanced state of polish now, and will easily make its November 4 release date.

A coupe of features that really stand out in Left 4 Dead is the ability to play the zombies for a change. Not only does the computer randomly place your zombie opponents, but human players can also play the role of a brain-eating zombie, and try to eat the opposing team of four humans.

Valve also seems to have taken a Counter-Strike approach to the game, beyond just using the Source engine. Weapons seem semi-realistically modeled, so you have to make every shot count against the infected.

It is also interesting to not that this game does not have a HUD targeting system -- as some FPS games have been going as of late (such as the upcoming Aliens: Colonial Marines) you have to aim with your guns sights. 

If you are looking for more info on Left 4 Dead, check out Left 4 Dead 411, the premier L4D fansite.




NBA Live 09 Gameplay Footage and Screenshots
Mega Man 9 first footage
New Dead Space Screenshots

Best of Games Convention 2008

If all the Games Convention (GC) coverage is making your head explode, we have a tidy little summary of the best of the best here for you. For the sixth time, the "Leipziger Messe" (I have no idea what that means), has awarded the "Best of GC" honour to the most innovative and new games at the convention. Nine categories were included; 29 exhibitors were at the GC, which submitted 122 hardware items and software titles for the award (2006's event saw 85). On a related note, 3,000 more visitors attended this year as opposed to last, bringing the total attendance for Europe's biggest computer and video games fair to 38,000.

And now..(drum roll)..here are the winners:

Best PC game: Spore

Best Xbox 360 game: Mirror's Edge

Best PSP game: Resistance: Retribution

Best PS3 game: LittleBigPlanet

Best Wii game: Skate It

Best DS game: Sonic Chronicles: Die Dunkle Bruderschaft (The Dark Brotherhood)

Best mobile game: PES 2009

Best online game: Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

Best hardware: PlayTV

Best PS2 game: N/A (too few entrants)

I just have to laugh at the translation for Sonic Chronicles. Hilarious. More seriously, it's great to see truly risk-taking titles like Mirror's Edge and LittleBigPlanet getting the recognition they deserve, and unique games (PC games, no less) like Spore being so well-received by the public and private communities.

With the "Best of GC" title, the GC - Games Convention awards the computer and video game industry's most outstanding product achievements every year. Exhibitors at the GC - Games Convention had until 1 August 2008 to make submissions in the category hardware accessories as well as in the categories Best Game PC, Xbox 360, PSP, PS2, PS3, Wii, NDS, mobile and online. All companies exhibiting at the GC were eligible, if their products could be played in the public area and had not been published before the fair.







Leipzig awaits
Games for Health
AMD initiates new program to simplify PC game requirements

Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Wheelman Gameplay Trailer

Hitting the web tonight is a brand new gameplay trailer for Midway's upcoming Action-Adventure title, The Wheelman. Running just under five minutes long, the video walks us through one of the early missions in the game called "Introducing Benito". Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the abov 222b e stream. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:

FileFrontFileShackStrategyInformerWorthPlaying

The Wheelman is due out in "Early 2009",

Damnation Screenshots

Keeping us on our toes tonight, the folks over at Blue Omega Entertainment have released 30 (!) new screenshots from their upcoming Action title, Damnation. These latest shots show off the game's environments, daredevil stunts and some multiplayer action. Enjoy:

Damnation is scheduled for release in Winter 2008.




Sacred 2 Fallen Angel Screenshots
Dawn of Fantasy Screenshots

The Space Invaders controversy

I should've seen this coming back when I previewed this thing in early July: The "Invaders!" installation at the Games Convention has stirred up a lot of controversy, for at least a couple of reasons, one of them not so obvious.

Firstly, an overview: this is artist Douglas Edric Stanley's work which he described as "a social narrative and related to historical narratives, without losing any of its poetic power." The installation is basically just the classic Space Invaders game with the background being of the World Trade Center (an image can be seen through the source, I'll refrain out of respect, not that I think it's exactly disrespectful).

The first thing is evidently the endeavour was produced entirely without Taito's knowledge or consent (them being the company with the rights to the game), as was the “Space Invaders: Die Jubiläumsshow!” (“Space Invaders: the Anniversary Show”) exhibition at the Computer Game Museum Berlin (a separate event). The press release reads as follows:

TAITO is seriously considering all available options-including legal actions against the infringer and, if necessary, the Games Convention exhibitor involved-in order to end this unauthorized and impermissible misuse of the Space Invaders content and to protect TAITO’s intellectual properties.

Interesting. While I do think the artist should've asked permission, it seems like it would surely not have been authorized, and then this never would have come to light. I'm on both sides of the fence, but I have to say to Stanley: what guts.

Now, understandably, people are very sensitive to such things as this, and there's the usual outraged people who've called it "distasteful" and "disgusting," these ones being related to victims of the event. If you're expecting me to slam these people, I'm not going to. I understand their position entirely, I myself would simply react differently. They are very angry though, basically citing it as a sleazy attempt for self-promotion. Would someone really use such a thing to promote themselves? It's basically you vs. America at that point.

One person from the New York Daily News article which quotes the aforementioned folk has an interesting point though, which I would like to answer. FDNY firefighter Zachary Fletcher was the one who called the thing distasteful, saying Stanley's "excuse" for the thing "sounds like bull":

"Aliens are not going to attack the World Trade Center. What reason would they attack the World Trade Center? That makes no sense at all."

This an entirely valid question, but I think that's where the art lies. And if art doesn't evoke emotions like this, it's probably not doing its job, I figure. The way I see it, it's a surreal take on a surreal event. I think it takes the very primitive and subconscious view people have of the event and those involved, and puts it in an explicit and interactive form, using something which entertained us innocently for many years as children. What contrast; who knew? And this is the point (as I see it, at least).

Stanley isn't the enemy of people like Fletcher. In fact, I'm quite confident he loves New York and humanity and America and all of these things just as much, if not more. He simply sees things through a different lens, but his heart is in the same place. I'd have hoped that years later after something like this, at least some positivity (understanding) could've come out of something so awful (and this is not to glorify anything, but I do think it is awful); hard as it is, what else is there to do? But in another sense, it's beautiful in a sad sort of way to see people still so broken about it.




‘Twilight’ Creator Stephenie Meyer Talks About ‘Breaking Dawn’ Cover Controversy And Books’ Appeal
GC ART 2008

Eidos launches new Tomb Raider gameplay and bonus

Wasting little time getting up and running Eidos has thrown down a new gameplay trailer for Tomb Raider: Underworld, we also noticed a clip titled "Becoming Lara Croft" which we also decided to pick up and place down for the masses. Since we had a mild detour with uploading I'll start you guys off with the live footage first then we'll hit the gameplay.

 

 

 

And now the gameplay items.

 

Tomb Raider: Underworld is shaping up to be quite promising, it feels at least in the natural environments like it's going back to the roots of wanting to be impossibly hard while keeping the player distracted by eye candy around them, feeling that while it seems like a nightmare trying to progress it's not all that bad of a place to be stuck in. One can only hope that they carry this kind of consistency through all the levels so that players get a steady experience of action and adventure.




Tomb Raider: Underworld Thailand Trailer
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Tomb Raider Underworld Trailer and Screens

Friday, August 22, 2008

GameStop sees no threat from digital distribution

When Sony announced its upcoming 160 GB PlayStation 3, Jack Tretton hinted at the gradual push toward digital distribution.  However, with the price cuts on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, GameStop COO Dan DeMatteo remains optimistic.

DeMatteo still considers the revenue stream for digital downloads as "pretty insignificant," and the new 160 GB PS3 is meant only to boost the console as a "media-hub," not make a complete transition to digital distribution.  Tretton has stated that an abundance of PSN exclusives is the driving factor behind this new model.

Insisting that this apparent trend will not be an issue for GameStop, DeMatteo stated, "We don't expect full distribution of new games to be a threat due to game size."

In regards to the Nintendo Wii, he's admitted that games in high demand take a couple more days to sell out now:

"Three months ago, whatever we got into our stores would sell in two days.  Now it's three or four days, but it's still extremely strong for a system that's been out... a year and a half. Demand is really very strong... it's going to continue, and there will still be shortages throughout the year."

He is confident that the holidays will prove lucrative for the major retailer, following a record-setting second quarter.  Games like Wii Fit are still difficult to find and ensure a steady flow of business for retailers like GameStop.




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Best Buy to open 200 shops in UK
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Call of Duty: World at War Screenshots

Getting in on the action today, the guys over at Treyarch have cooked up a new batch of screenshots from their upcoming World War 2-based first person shooter, Call of Duty: World at War. These latest shots feature tanks, fighter planes, flame throwers and more! Check 'em out:




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Fallout 3 Release Date Announced

Keeping us on our toes today, the fine folks over at Bethesda Softworks have announced that their upcoming post-apocalyptic RPG, Fallout 3, will be hitting stores in North America on October 28th and in Europe on October 31st. The developers? They're excited:

"We are very excited to let gamers get their hands on Fallout 3, the latest chapter in this beloved and highly acclaimed franchise," said Vlatko Andonov, president of Bethesda Softworks. "To meet the huge demand for this title by our fans worldwide, we are planning one of the biggest launches of any game released this year."

Let the countdown 2249 begin! :D




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Fallout 3 receives release dates

Developer Bethesda announced release dates today for their highly anticipated RPG Fallout 3. 

The third installment in their Fallout franchise will be hitting North America on October 28, while Europe will see the game three days later on October 31. 

Fallout 3 will be released for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, and according to Shacknews, Bethesda has noted there is also going to be a downloadable version for PC.  No word yet on who will be distributing the PC download.




New Fallout 3 Screenshots
New Fallout 3 Screenshots
Bethesda and Amazon Announce Fallout 3 Survival Edition

A few benefits of the PC version of GTA 4 uncovered

A Czech gaming site recently had the pleasure of being some of the first to see the PC version of GTA 4 in action.

Perhaps more so than GTA 3, playing GTA 4 on the PC is going to have a more benefits not found in the console versions of the game. For starters, the greater capability of the PC will allow gamers to play GTA 4 at up to 2560x1600 resolution, with higher quality textures. 

GTA 4 PC will also have an improved movie-recording feature that will allow for movies to start recording up to 30 seconds into the past. So if you just pulled off a crazy quad-car flip trick by accident, you can pause the game, rewind, and record it.

A new multiplayer mode is also coming to the game, but Rockstar hasn't let any more details slip regarding this feature.




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Shadow Harvest Debut Trailer

Spicing things up tonight, the guys over at Black Lion Studios have released a debut trailer for their upcoming 3rd-person tactical shooter, Shadow Harvest. The two-minute video gives us a quick look at the game's impressive visuals, various environments, and some action-packed gun fights. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. An alternate stream is available at ShackNews. Stay tuned for more mirrors!




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Dragon Age: Origins Debut Trailer

FUEL Announced

Creating a little buzz today, Codemasters and Asobo Studios have officially announced the development of a new racing title called FUEL. Due out in 2009, the game will feature open-world gameplay with a massive 5,000 square mile environment, day/night cycles, various race-altering weather effects and a whole lot more! Here's a little snippet from the press release:

"FUEL raises the bar in terms of scale and exhilaration for racing games. We begin with the largest racing environment to appear in gaming – ever. With our accelerated effects of climate change and dynamic weather system we add an extra dimension that change races on-the-fly and constantly presents new challenges to players," said Sebastian Wloch, Chief Executive Officer, Asobo Studios.

To celebrate the big news, the developers have released a hot new teaser trailer. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available right here at YouGamers (courtest of GamersHell), FileShack and WorthPlaying.

Tomb Raider: Underworld Thailand Trailer

Moving right along, the guys over at Crystal Dynamics have released a brand new gameplay trailer for their upcoming Action-Adventure title, Tomb Raider: Underworld. Running just over two minutes long, the video gives us a sneak peek at Lara in the new Thailand environment. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at the following wesbites:

FileShackWorthPlayingGamersyde

Tomb Raider: Underworld is scheduled for release on November 18th.




Tomb Raider: Underworld Cinematic Trailer
Resistance 2 E3 trailer ‘may now be forever lost’
Tomb Raider Underworld Trailer and Screens

Meet the Sandvich

Meet the Sandvich

As promised, Valve has released a "Meet the Team" video with their Heavy Update.

In addition to new weapons and play modes, the development team has posted "Meet the Sandvich."  It does seem like a filler but will make you chuckle, even if you were expecting a video about an actual class.  Personally, I was banking on the Medic, considering the relationship between Heavy and Medic.

If you've seen seeing sandwiches all over the new update and haven't got a clue, take a look at "Meet the Scout," the video that debuted with the Pyro Update.

Aside from learning that the Scout is a self-absorbed dullard, we get to see the Heavy's relationship with this complex snack:

Warhammer Online Open Beta Launches Sept 7th

Creating a little buzz today, the folks over at Mythic Entertainment have announced that they'll be launching a Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning open beta on September 7th. Here's a little snippet from the press release:

"For three years we have been saying that ‘WAR is coming’ and the team has been working hard to deliver on this promise," said Mark Jacobs, co-founder and general manager of Mythic Entertainment. "In just a few weeks, we are going to throw open our doors and invite more players into the game than ever before. They will have a chance to delve into the open beta and see for themselves that WAR has arrived and it is glorious!"

Those of you who pre-ordered the game should already have invite codes, which you can now enter at Mythic's account management page. And if you happen to live in North America, head over to FilePlanet to start downloading the beta client!




Banshee 1.0 Beta 2 (0.99.2) Released
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openSUSE 11.0 Beta 3

Futuremark Announces Shattered Horizon

We kick off our coverage of Leipzig Games Convention 2008 with some breaking news. Futuremark Games Studio officially announced today their first game project, titled Shattered Horizon.


Futuremark Announces Shattered Horizon


Here's the official word, straight from the press release.

Futuremark Games Studio unveils Shattered Horizon at Leipzig GC

New game breaks free from gravity to offer unique FPS gameplay

LEIPZIG GAMES CONVENTION, GERMANY – AUGUST 19TH, 2008 - Futuremark(R) Games Studio (www.futuremark.com/games) today revealed Shattered Horizon(tm), a new game where players fight to survive in the aftermath of a catastrophic Moon mining accident that throws billions of tons of rocky debris into near-Earth space. In this multiplayer first-person shooter for PC teams of players experience realistic zero gravity combat surrounded by the broken remains of orbital infrastructure and the millions of asteroids now encircling the Earth.

With simple and intuitive controls players have complete freedom of movement, making full use of the distinctive environment to control the battle. Shattered Horizon rewards players with gameplay and tactics impossible in games constrained by gravity.

(You can find the full press release here)

So, the game is a multiplayer FPS with a twist, and everything is obviously going to be presented with some very shiny visuals. In order to illustrate the story and the setting, we got some breaking news - the official teaser trailer for Shattered Horizon.


Shattered Horizon Teaser Trailer


Futuremark Games Studio also published two early screenshots of the game in action - I'm told these are from an early build that is going to be shown behind closed doors at the Leipzig Games Convention 2008, starting tomorrow.

Futuremark Announces Shattered HorizonFuturemark Announces Shattered Horizon

We'll get into more detail with a preview as soon as we've seen it all in action ourselves. Until then, check out the official site.

Full disclosure: YouGamers is owned by Futuremark Corporation, which also owns Futuremark Games Studio.




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The state of PC gaming

The state of PC gaming

How PC gaming is doing these days is something of a touchy subject today for people. Some say it's doing crap, some say it's great. Some say, who cares if half the money made comes from World of Warcraft? Others (i.e. myself), say one or two games can't be responsible for half (or more) of the industry. That's a pretty limited scope. If WoW was the only game making great profits on the PS3, 360 or Wii, in theory, would gamers say the same? I doubt it. Pretty sure they'd be whining, "Where's my [insert totally awesome console killer app here]?" (and rightfully so, there are a good many).

Anyhow, the PC Gaming Alliance (PCGA) is here to tell you how things are going with its first "Horizons" Report, an exclusive research study of the PC industry, with a global perspective. Speaking at the Games Convention Developer's Conference (GCDC), PCGA prez Randy Stude revealed some interesting numbers: $10.7 billion was what came of computer gaming last year, with retail sales accounting for 30 percent of total revenues. This proved an increase over years previous, and was driven mostly by online revenues from Asia, the world's largest market, which evidently is responsible for nearly half of total global sales at this point.

Online PC gaming, now, generated $4.8 billion in revenues, about double the worldwide retail sales for PC titles. Digital distribution is on the rise, too, with those sales getting up to $2 billion. Advertising via websites, portals, and the games themselves made $800 million.

"Our analysis clearly shows incredible growth in online PC gaming, proof that this industry is far stronger than anyone has reported," said Stude. "Today's consumers shop where they live - online."

David Cole of DFC Intelligence - a "strategic market research and consulting firm" - says there's yet more room for growth as broadband gets bigger and better:

"By pioneering new business models, the PC has quietly remained the single leading platform for games, not only in terms of consumer usage, but revenue generation. The most fascinating thing about PC gaming is its ability to attract such a diverse audience, both demographically and geographically. The real key has been the rapid growth in penetration of broadband-connected PCs in all markets around the world. Broadband-connected PCs are the key driver of growth for PC gaming. DFC Intelligence estimated that by the end of 2007 less than one-third of households in the top 20 markets for games had a high-speed Internet connection. That clearly indicates that there is still plenty of growth to come. The initiatives of the PCGA will be a key enabler of growth as they will help the industry identify key trends and opportunities in this rapidly emerging market."

Things appear to be looking up for PC gaming in any case, though it could certainly stand to regain some of its previous success in North America and Europe. Will upcoming titles like Diablo III, Starcraft II, and Street Fighter IV help it become comparably as popular in its own right as consoles are these days?




The Gold-Laying UC Egg
Apple posts regional, product sales figures for Q3
Game industry revenue to top $57 billion next year

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky goes gold

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky goes gold

Those who have followed the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series know that Clear Sky has been a bit of a ride to this point, the game has taken up challenges in becoming more graphically complex in delivery and also in attempting to put together the pieces prior to the original game, often is it that companies rush onto sequels or alternate realities but GSC has kept to their original developments and it seems like it should pan out well.

Players will step into the year 2011 and be faced with the events prior to the third campaign of Strelok to the Zone center, allowing players to have an alternative look at the original title through this early take on the situation and even play out their own fate by letting players become a mercenary in the field to find which avenue really offers the best reward for them in this zone war of factions.

For those new to the game, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. allows people to fight and live out their game through each day, time cycles constantly and overall there is a strong RPGFPS element that is rarely found in gaming these days unless you go back to older titles (Fallout series, System Shock, etc) the visual system compliments this and the AI system also helps support this with NPC's working on independent thought cycles that have been given an updated since the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. hit the streets, any battle can change in the moment so going back later hoping to maybe side with another group might not work out since the outcome is not pre-determined. The company does admit for returning players, there is a direction later in the game that can be found where the game starts to force a singular path to stay in line with the original title though. It makes sense for a prequel trying to force a specific timeline though, I just hope that this time the game is capable of picking up a larger audience.

Here's a quick gameplay clip from Clear Sky for those interested.

 

 

 

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky hits the Streets on September 5th 2008.




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Monday, August 18, 2008

Dynasty Warriors 6 PC-Bound; System Specs Revealed

Hot off the presses, KOEI has announced that their hit Tactical Action game, Dynasty Warriors 6, will be coming to the PC and Playstation 2 on November 18th. The PC edition will be available exclusively through digital distribution outlets and will sport the following system requirements:

Minimum: Pentium® 4 1.6GHz, Windows XP/Vista, 512MB, 5GB or more of free space, 640×480 High Color enabled, 3D Accelerator with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shading supporting 128MB or more of VRAM, DirectX 9.0c+, DirectX 9.0c+ compliant, 16-bit stereo with 44KHz playback supported by Windows XP/Vista, keyboard

Recommended: Intel® Core™2Duo 2.4GHz, Windows XP/Vista, 512MB, 5GB or more of free space, 1280×720 True Color enabled, 16:9, 3D Accelerator with Hardware T&L and Pixel Shading supporting 128MB or more of VRAM, DirectX 9.0c+, DirectX 9.0c+, DirectX 9.0c+ compliant, 16-bit stereo with 44KHz playback supported by Windows XP/Vista, DirectX 9.0 compatible, 12-button gamepad

The following video cards have been tested and found compatible with the product. ATI Radeon™: X1650, X1950, HD 2600, HD 3650 NVIDIA GeForce™: 7600, 7900, 8500, 8600, 9600

And to whet your appetite, here's four new screenshots:

Dynasty Warriors 6 PC-Bound; System Specs RevealedDynasty Warriors 6 PC-Bound; System Specs RevealedDynasty Warriors 6 PC-Bound; System Specs RevealedDynasty Warriors 6 PC-Bound; System Specs Revealed


Microsoft Talks Windows 7 … But Doesn’t Say Anything
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky System Requirements Published

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway Teamwork Trailer

Wrapping things up tonight, the guys over at Gearbox Software have released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming World War 2-based first person shooter, Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway. The minute-long trailer focuses on your relationship with your squad and the various commands you can bark during battle. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Prefer a manual download? Then look no further:

GamersHellFileFrontFileShackWorthPlaying

Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway is scheduled for release this Fall.




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Spore: gameplay details and the future

Spore: gameplay details and the future

Spore's executive producer Lucy Bradshaw (pictured above) had a live chat on Eurogamer yesterday with gamers about Will Wright's shortly coming (September 7) project, and it didn't dissapoint.

Firstly, though the game is quite large at present, there will be additional content:

"When we started Spore, we were thinking about how we'd make an engine that had the possibility of expansion, so yes, we'll add to the experience. I think, however, we have a very cool opportunity to take Spore in a few different directions too. The editors are so cool and fun, that we want to advance those as well as the gameplay that we put into the core game."

The "flora editor" looks to be one of these additons in the future, so there's that to look forward to!

On a demo, in short: no. They're not planning one; the Creature Creator (and some videos) is all you get, though really, that's plenty, ain't it?

Copy protection - this will be implemented, and is something they feel is required:

"We do have copy protection, it is a necessary part of our biz, but we've worked to make it something that does not punish the legit owners. You need to authenticate once at the first install. This happens online. You can install on three separate computers and you do need to register for the online features."

I'm going to have to disagree with Bradshaw on this one (with it being necessary and with this not punishing owners), but with a face like that, it's hard to stay mad. In either case, I like that they're being open and speaking directly to the gamers about it.

Tons more details, mainly focusing on the features of the game are available for your perusal via the source: easter eggs, cheats, aesthetics, Spore the Musical, day/night cycles, etc. For anyone pumped for Spore, it's essential Saturday reading.




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Sunday, August 17, 2008

Empire: Total War Naval Battles Trailer

Getting our adrenaline pumping tonight, the guys over at Creative Assembly have released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming Strategy title, Empire: Total War. Running just under three minutes long, the video gives us an in-depth look at naval battles and the strategic depth it adds to the game. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:

YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileFrontFileShackWorthPlaying

Empire: Total War is scheduled for release on February 6th, 2009.

Batman: Arkham Asylum Screenshots

A little earlier today the guys over at Rocksteady Studios released (and promptly pulled) several new screenshots from their upcoming Action-Adventure title, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Luckily, forum poster sionyboy snagged the shots before they were removed. So big props to him! :D

Batman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum ScreenshotsBatman: Arkham Asylum Screenshots

Batman: Arkham Asylum is scheduled for release in 2009.

Sega talks jive about EA, Nintendo

Sega talks jive about EA, Nintendo

Sega of America's president Simon Jeffery ain't shy. Speaking with VentureBeat, aside from the usual discussions (i.e. Sega is doing pretty good now!), he had some advice for the industry, and specifically, Electronic Arts and Nintendo.

Speaking about EA, he disagrees with its CEO John Riccitiello in that publishers/developers don't need licensed content as part of one's portfolio, saying "I think part of the reason they have left it behind is they are not good at it." In talking about EA's shift into more mature titles like DeadSpace, Jeffery says the company has its struggles in that realm:

"EA has always struggled with the hardcore gamer. I think they look at “Gears of War” and “Halo” and wonder why they can’t do that. EA has to do something about that. They have tried on and off over the years. It’s just like Activision had to come out from doing hardcore games and do more for the masses."

Moving on to the Wii, he says it's a very "cost effective platform to experiment with", but the state of things isn't too pretty:

"There is a lot of crap coming out for the Wii in general. But if it’s not a good game, it doesn’t sell. That flood of crap will die down as publishers become more coherent. The Wii is a great opportunity for hitting hardcore gamers. No one is doing that. With “Mad World” from Platinum Games, we are trying to show that millions of Wii games want to move on to mature games. They don’t have to have an Xbox 360 to do that."

Of course, to some extent the company is responsible for some of that crap (in this writer's opinion, anyway), but hey, times are hard and they've put out enough gaming gold over the years, so I'll give Sega a break.

Earlier in the interview, VB asks Jeffery his thoughts on the trends among big publishers and layoffs. Contrary to what I'd figured was happening, he says "the rich are getting richer, [...] but the poor are getting richer too":

"That makes sense. We are doing well at No. 6. We’re very profitable and doing what we want to do without being forced to fight with Bobby Kotick of Activision Blizzard all of the time. What Bobby is doing is extraordinary in overtaking EA. And staying so profitable. EA has the size and magnitude, but their profits are gone. They have big overhead too. Activision Blizzard is raining money now. The big hits will be bigger, just like in the movie industry. But the movie industry’s independent hits are still thriving and it will be the same in the game industry."

I guess it ain't all hopeless!

EA and Epic Games sign new publishing agreement

EA and Epic Games sign new publishing agreement

In the world of gaming things always take wild turns, Epic today announces that they'll be publishing their latest IP not with Midway but through the marketing power of EA on their latest title for the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Little is really known at this point about the game, given the timing they'll still be using Unreal Engine 3 as a base though and primary development control will be handled through Epic given that the engine is quite versatile in how the original code can be ported to the major platforms with ease. For older FPS gamers one of the biggest things to get hyped around is the idea that People Can Fly are behind the game, the same people that brought the absurdly active killing fields in Painkiller where all you did was make bodies explode or fly through the air with a handful of weapons and it was great fun. Since then the company has been a bit dormant, the last work they did was a partial update for Epic with Gears of War on the PC, apparently it was enough to get Epic on board though to pick up the team.

For gamers this means Epic will currently be under the EA Partners label, they're not selling the company over entirely of course, most of the focus is just on the marketing power and distribution range of EA in the world scope while being able to retain their quality of development and production without heavy pressures to meet ship dates.

Given this is the preliminary announcement I'm sure we'll see more from Epic and People Can Fly in the future on the mystery title. I'm a bit giddy to find out what it is since they spent quite a large amount of time making Painkiller the frag fest that it was.