Spicing things up tonight, Creative Assembly has sent over some tasty new artwork from their upcoming highly anticipated, Stormrise. These latest renders give us a quick look at the Echelon arc, sentinel and hunter, along with the Sai locust, warrior and rage. Enjoy:
Stormrise is scheduled for release in 2009.
Catching our eye tonight, Frogwares Studio and Focus Home Interactive have released a hot new teaser trailer for their upcoming Adventure title, Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper. Clocking in at just under two minutes long, the video gives us a sneak peek at the faithfully recreated Whitechapel district. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:
YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileFrontWorthPlayingSherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper is scheduled for release in May 2009.
It was reported last month New York state floated a proposal by Democratic Gov. David Paterson for taxes on digital downloads as an effort to close the "digital property taxation loophole" as part of a bigger $121 billion budget plan, and now North Carolina is on board too.
Now in in the proposition stage with their own state sales tax for all digital purchases (it's not known if DLC would be affected or not), N.C. is hoping to boost its balance sheet:
"We used to think of everything in terms of being tangible. Nobody thought of how you could possibly download anything," said North Carolina State Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Durham) explained to the local News 14. "So if you buy a book in a bookstore, you're going to have to pay sales tax on it. If you're downloading a book from a book seller, you should have to pay sales tax on that as well."It's still in the rough stages, but researchers estimate taxing music, video games, movies, books and software downloads would produce about $12 million for them during the next fiscal year.
"We would be concerned about any kind of new taxes in this economy," Brooks Raiford, president and CEO of the North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA), told the station. "The consumer is already very highly taxed, the economy is stretched. All we're asking is that those considerations be taken carefully and that the industry be asked for their input as the legislation is finalized."The NCTA represents Cary, N.C.-based Epic games, among other game-related companies. Interestingly, not long ago Epic releases a good portion of their Unreal catalogue on Poland-based website Good Old Games, which seems to be exempt from the taxes, unlike Canada and United Kingdom-based operations.
It seems for gamers who've bought SafeDisc-protected games like Gears of War or a number of other titles for the PC, they've effectively been rentals until January 28, 2009. Booting up as of Wednesday evidently prompts a message concerning the games' digital certificates supplied by the SafeDisc protection: "You cannot run the game with modified executable code. Please reinstall the game." Reportedly, Lord of the Rings Online is having similar troubles as well.
Thankfully, Epic (makers of Gears of War) pays attentions to its customers, and some posts in the forums concerning the issue grabbed their attention. User "joeGraf", programmer with the studio, responded yesterday:
"We have been notified of the issue and are working with Microsoft to get it resolved. Sorry for any problems related to this. I'll post more once we have a resolution.
[...] this was a surprise to us too. We aren't casting blame or chewing anyone out. We're trying to figure out how and why it happened so we can get it fixed."
Today he states: "A [Title Update] is in the works. We are doing what we can as fast as [we] can. Again I apologize that anyone experienced this."
In the meantime, you can simply set your computer's calendar back a ways -- a step-by-step guide can be found on the Epic forums here.
Prepping us for a massive Unreal Tournament 3 patch, Valve Software has announced that you can now register your boxed, retail copies of Epic Games' hit first person shooter through Steam. Doing so will allow you to receive automatic updates, along with Steam achievements when they're added in the upcoming patch. To register your retail copy of the game just load up Steam, click the Games menu, select "Activate a product on steam" and enter your CD Key. And voila! You're ready to rock! ;)
Right on schedule, the fine folks over at Valve Software have released a new patch for their hit multiplayer shooter, Team Fortress 2. In addition to the usual laundry list of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, this update features some HUD improvements and adds some new server admin commands. You can check out the full changelog right here or just relaunch Steam to start downloading!
Czech gaming magazine hratelne has gotten the latest look at Eidos Montreal's cyberpunk TBS/RPG Deus Ex 3 (PC,X360,PS3). Unlike some other recent 'previews', this one actually has a number of new, juicy tidbits of information.
Fans of the game on the official Deus Ex forums have taken a stab at a translation -- it is reproduced below, but here is a short-list of highlights for those with short attention spans (taken from the forums):
"-the world is ruled by megacorporations, more powerful than national governments. The conspiracy groups are setting these corporations against each other.
-the black ops slaughter the research division of the corporation Adam works at. The questions who and why is behind the attack are answered relatively soon into the game, however more serious questions arise with the answers.
-You will be regularly visiting Adam's apartment with many reminiscences of his past like photos and a diary
-The game takes place in five well-known metropoleis, mentioned were Shanghai, Detroit and Montreal
-Women play a large role in the game, some of them you've known for a long time, others will try to seduce or betray you, depending on your previous actions
-Bosses are included, their difficulty also depending on your previous actions
-The secret societies are just puppets for a shadowy figure who wants to take control over all of the market, society, and the human evolution.
-The events of the game will lead to the establishment of UNATCO
-The main villain is to be 'similiar' to Jensen
-a rescue mission across the globe later in the game
-squad based combat AI with a visually identifiable squad leader"
Huh! Sounds promising to me. If they don't go too easy on the RPG elements, or over-simplfy the game like Deus Ex 2, Deus Ex 3 could be one of the more promising games for 2009 (at least for this gamer.)
Here is the fan translation of the article. It is not a word-for-word translation, but instead, sort of a terse summary:
"It had seemed the second sequel to the famous Deus Ex is just utopia.
The Ion Storm studio had been closed down some time ago, Warren Spector and Harvey Smith, the spiritual fathers of the originals had scattered into other projects.
However Eidos had not forgotten about one of its most priced brands, so when they'd opened a new studio in Montreal they decided to christen it with the developement of Deus Ex 3. There is a more than hundred member team currently working on the game, with a large budget and a lot of ideas to make this an unforgettable experience.
The first Deus Ex took place in 2052, second one will take you to 2027. Therefore it is a prequel, telling a story prior to the events of the legendary original and its worse accepted, but still solid sequel.
Deus Ex had two main themes: transformation of a man by nanotechnology and motifs of a global conspiracy.
In the third Deus Ex, these events are just rising to horizon, however society is already starting to split up.
Huge cybernetic syndicates in many states outreach the power of national governments. Who can afford it, is helping himself by the use of mechanical implants.
How do the people put up with the fact that some of them are now much smarter, stronger and more competitive than others. Tension grows in a new form of racism, on the streets augmented people are bullied by groups of ordinary people.
In the upper levels of the out of sight high skyscrapers company strategists are planning how to sabotage the competition. In background of the companies operate secret societies, however even those are only puppets. Whose puppets though? Someone wants to take control over the entire market and society, but mainly over the human evolution!
At the start of the storyline skein is a man named Adam Jensen, his world has just come to a ruin as he works as a chief of security for one of these cybernetics syndicates.
One day a special commando breaks into the building and kills all the scientists. The attackers know every detail of Adam's security plan. Someone must have taken out information.
Anyway, Adam Jensen is the protagonist, whose story starts with looking for the perpetrators and their motives. Who it was we find out soon. But the answers Adam finds will lead to more questions and in the end a rescue mission across the globe. The main villain is apparentely very similiar to Jensen. Could he be one of his relatives?
Deus Ex 3 puts a stake on a strong identification of the player with the main character. You'll get your own apartment, filled with reminiscences on Adam's life up to now.
Pictures hang on walls, and there's a computer on the table which soon becomes filled with super secret data. Distinctive female characters should appear in the game some of share common past with Adam, some of them have an interest in common future. At least one of them, though, will cross his path as a foe.
Events of DX3 will lead to the establishment of UNATCO, a police organisation of which JC Denton, protagonist of the original, was a member. Even this time it will be possible to end the game in different ways, which will depend upon the player's choices.
The authors have a difficult goal ahead of them: create a unique style for DX3. Such as the original's, System Shock's, and the latest, Bioshock's.
In short and atmospheric enviroment, which would instaneously capture the player without even focusing on the plot.
For this reason the authors are looking back at renaissance, in which they see the bonding between man and nature. However in the world of DX3, people want to exceed nature. It is, however, mainly just a visual style.
Eidos Montreal doesn't hide that they liked Bioshock's Art Deco, but obviously they can't copy that, so they made their own style. Style which combines the rough style of pessimistic cyberpunk with surprisingly detailed renaissance elements. Rich areas therefore filled with golden colors, whereas darkness rules in the poor areas below.
DX3 will, unlike the original, have more of an action spirit. Unlike its predecessor, shooting won't be impacted by stats as much as player skill. But this doesn't mean the game got rid of RPG elements.
On the contrary - skills and augs you gain will impact the choice of your combat techniques. Therefore you will be getting better, without having to worry about artificial handicaps.
AI is to get better. Groups of enemies will have their easily identifiable squad leader, and who gets him as the fist one will have his work cut out for him, as the enemy group will lose its tactical abilities. AI is supposed to react to changes in player behavior or switching weapons.
Cover is important not just for them, but for the player as well, the authors are implementing an advanced cover system, not unlike in Rainbow Six: Vegas. You will stumble upon regular enemies, robots, and of course bosses. The bosses' difficulty will depend on your previous actions!
Of course augmentations can't be missing, implants which Adam will receive through time such as X-ray vision, 'claymore', which causes a crossfire explosion and 'multi-kill' which can kill 3-4 enemies in a visually attractive scene.
And the best one - when leaping from a building, some sort of wires shoot out of Adam's back, with which he will grapple the wall and be able to comfortably walk down. The rules for augs are that they each have unique visuals, cost money and you're able to upgrade them at least once.
Money are one in-game currency, experience the other. You get experience by completing missions. Money you either find or get. And there's supposed to be only a little. The player should be constantly making decisions on his investments among augs and weaponry.
Weapons can be customised by up to four upgrades, such as scopes. Each weapon will have unique upgrades.
Augs are sorted in four categories: combat, stealth, technology (like hacking and lockpicking) and dialogue augs.
Dialogues look ordinarily at first glance, you pick from a variety of options how to continue the convo, however it is also important to watch out for the facial expressions andy body language of the particular person, you can get a lot of crucial info from these and with a bit of luck, you will be able to pick the most suitable option.
The player will visit a total of five metropoleis, other than the previously announced Shanghai it should be Detroit and Montreal. The other two are not known. The main plot will lead Adam from one metropolis to another, but the player's actions, whether he will complete the side missions and in which order will he visit the key locations, will in each of the cities be entirely up to him.
Asking if we are looking forward to DX3 is probably needless. Of course we do. At the same time we're keeping our doubts whether the untouched team will understand the original's spirit and won't create just another action game in a quite interesting environment
Sure Bioshock has shown it can be done without heavy RPG elements, but nevertheless we expect a different style from DX. Which the authors promise up. Let's hope they will keep their promise, and DX3 looks fantastic."
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA), who support the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), combat copyright infringement and government-imposed censorship and other such things within the video game industry, spent a record $4,244,364.50 on federal lobbying last year. Spending increased 25.6 percent year-over-year, with the second half of 2008 seeing a 36.1 percent increase in expenditures. The news comes courtesy of quarterly lobbyist disclosure filings with the House Clerk's office.
Three of the firms retained by the association -- Smith-Free Group, Jenner & Block, and Telemedia Policy Group -- show us their efforts were focused almost exclusively on matters involving the regulation of games themselves, and their first duty mentioned -- supporting the ESRB, specifically, 'perceptions towards the ratings'.
Secondly, the ESA enlisted the services of the Monumental Policy Group, whose clients consist of Microsoft, IBM and Sybase. Monumental's own filings show they were busy last year lobbying Congress and U.S. Customs and Border Protection on trade and copyright matters.
The activity comes from both chambers of Congress on broadband deployment, online gaming goverance and immigration issues, as well as the U.S. Trade Representative, Department of State, National Security Council Patent & Trademark Office, and other agencies which revolve around trade regulation, anti-piracy and patent modernization.
Keeping us on our toes today, the guys over at TimeGate Studios have cooked up a fresh batch of screenshots from their upcoming sci-fi shooter, Section 8. These latest shots gives us a sneak peek at the games environments, weapons, armor and a handful of different vehicles. Check 'em out:
Diggin' the shots? Then be sure to sign-up for the beta!
Keeping us droolin' tonight, Stardock Entertainment has sent over five new screenshots from their upcoming Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment expansion. These latest screenies show off some of the new structures, upgrades and other goodies included in the expansion. Enjoy:
Entrenchment is scheduled for release on February 11th.
With communication to Microsoft's (now former) Games for Windows Live general manager effectively shot, fears returned concerning the legitimacy of Microsoft Game Studios' long-term support for the PC as a competitive gaming platform. Such misgivings already fester amidst a backdrop of Microsoft axing internal studios, including the teams responsible for Age of Empires and Flight Simulator.
No doubt this triggered Microsoft's defense mechanism, and today the company stresses that the Games for Windows Live initiative remains as relevant as ever; any management shakeups are already being addressed with the goal of keeping the boat afloat. Speaking to Edge Online:
Moving ahead, Microsoft will continue to invest in Windows as a first–class gaming platform through great Windows out of box experiences, our online gaming services including Games for Windows – LIVE, MSN Games, and Messenger games, and through new games for Windows developed by Microsoft Games Studios.The position of the company's Windows-based PC gaming services head will now be occupied by two executives, General Manager Ron Pessner from the Entertainment & Devices Division and Dave Luehmann from Microsoft Games Studios. Microsoft also notes that Chris Early, the former Games for Windows Live boss, will in fact remain on board to serve in some capacity for Games for Windows Live as well as the Interactive Entertainment Business.
The open beta for Relic's Dawn of War 2 has opened up. Previously, only people who bought Dawn of War Soulstorm could get in; but now, it is open season.
The beta is multiplayer only, but allows you try to out all four races in the game.
You can download the beta through Steam -- but as of today, Steam seems overly swamped. Expect the download to take at least 12 hours, if it works at all, as the Steam networks seem over-burdened at the moment.
Finally tonight, Criterion Games has released a brand new teaser trailer for their upcoming sandbox-racer, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box. Clocking in at thirty seconds long, the video gives us a quick look at the core gameplay and some of the DLC/refinements included in this rockin' package. Very hot stuff! Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. A mirror is also available at WorthPlaying.com. I'll tag on a few more links as they pop up. So stay tuned! ;)
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box is scheduled for release in North America on February 5th and Europe on February 6th.
Keeping the good news coming this afternoon, Sega has confirmed that Creative Assembly's upcoming history-based strategy title, Empire: Total War, will begin shipping to stores worldwide on March 4th. In addition to this juicy bit of info, they've also released some official minimum system requirements. What kind of setup will you need to run the game? Read on:
Operating System: Windows XP 32(service pack 2), Windows Vista 32 OS.Processor: 2.4 GHz Single Core Intel or AMD equivalent processor.System Memory: 1GB RAM (XP) 2GB RAM (Vista).Gra 2085 phics Card: 256MB DirectX 9.0c compatible video card (shader 2.0 or higher).Sound Card: Directx9.0c compatible sound card.Windows compatible mouse & keyboard.15 GB free uncompressed hard drive space.They also note that both the retail and digital download editions of the game will require activation via Steam. So please keep that in mind when launch day comes. :D
Following up on last week's news of Microsoft laying off 5,000 people, reports are in the Games for Windows LIVE general manager Chris Early is in that bunch: his time has "come to a close", an e-mail bounceback from the corporation stated.
Since the service -- which offered a platform for gamers much in the vein of its console equivalent Xbox LIVE -- underwent its overhaul (read: became free), PC players have been wondering whether or not it could still compete with the likes of Steam. Though securing some big exclusive downloadable content (DLC) recently, progress has appeared slow. With these job cuts, especially its boss getting the axe, what will happen to it?
Early is reported to have been a "stout defender" of Games for Windows.
Don't say Epic never did nothin' for ya: now 14 months after release, the PC version of Unreal Tournament III will be getting a most gargantuan update soon (no exact release date set yet, or word on console versions), as the first part to its expansion.
But before we get to that, lead designer Steve Polge detailed the second part: the "Titan Pack", which will consist of bonus content and game types, is set to be "substantially bigger than any bonus pack we've released in the past".
Here's the changelog -- don't say we didn't warn you about the size:
SUMMARY OF MAJOR FEATURES:Major enhancements to Server BrowserVisual and menu flow overhaul for improved useability of user interface.Significant AI improvements, especially in vehicle gametypes.Client-side demo recording supportImproved networking performance.Midgame map, game type, and mutator voting supportAward system using Steam AchievementsImproved mod supportImproved Steam integrationSteam Achievement support for Steam installations of UT3.Integrated Steam Authentication support.57 achievements mark your progress and mastery of UT.Progress screen shows which awards you have earned, and completion progress on all awards.Server Browser:Server Browser updates, expanded query filtering, clientside filters and a new UI option list.Added mutator filtering to the server browser (filter by installed mutators, mutator classes and mutator names)Now displays each servers IP in the server details boxAdded 'Join IP' and 'Spectate IP' buttons to the join game menuAdded an 'Add IP' button to the favourites menuModified the main menu to return to the server browser after disconnectingAdded a new button to the midgame menu 'Add Favorite', and a new console command: AddServerToFavoritesUpdated server browser code, so that custom gametypes are properly filtered.Added a 'List All Game Modes' selection to the server filter menu.Added more information to the server browser player list.Fixed servers not being added to history, when following a friend to a serverYou can now attempt to directly connect to offline servers in History and Favorites (even during master server downtimes).Show "+" for player counts that are populated by bots.UI:Major visual and menu flow overhaul for improved useability.Made the instant-action and host-game menus keep their settings.Scoreboard double click functionality for kicking, messages to specific players.Enabled gamepad stick sensitivity setting in UI.Improved gamepad support on PC.Added support for a whole mess of options on Advanced video settings page.Easier to click buttons by fixing cases where mouse went just past them.Max player counts always fit on all scoreboards.Modifier cards should take display priority in toasts over character unlocks.Improved voice command menu positioning and offsets.Fixed showing as teleport destinations on map nodes which could not be teleported to.Added tooltip while deployed in stealth vehicles to show drop deployable button.Bot count UI changed from "Number of opponents" to "Number of combatants" to be less confusing.Added support for showing top weapon user in end of match scoreboard. This shows which player got the most kills with a particular weapon. If a player was the leader with more than one weapon, it picks the weapon he or she got the most kills with.Show beacon with name of enemies in DM if they are close enough.Fixed ammo number on HUD pulsing on armor pick up instead of ammo pick up.Third position for powernode beacon, when just looking at base.Added speaking icon to player beacons.Portraits shown for player speaking with VOIP.Fixed onslaught teleporter tooltip not always displayed correctly.fixed toasts that don't shut down properly popping up later unexpectedlyMore delay before going back to ambient music from action.Fixed text being obscured after removing a friend from the friends listFixed showing proper weapon icon on weapon bar for selected weapon when two weapons are in same slot.Fixed issue where playercard and friend message screens were disappearing.Reduced chat log spam.Fixed rules for showing "change team" button.Vehicles:Increased radius/volume of Manta, Raptor, and Viper engines.Fixed scavenger legs disappearing in kill volumes.Force occupied manta to rise if underwater.Added sound effect and recharge bar to SPMA to indicate when the weapon is ready to fireIncreased water damage taken by vehicles.Increased Goliath health.Fixed nightshade beam weapon accuracy.Fixed spidermines confused about nightshade that switches teams.Tank shell is always relevant, so you'll see it if it kills you from a hidden tank.Leviathan shield doesn't stay around after death.Fixed leviathan passenger beacon positioning.Fixed hoverboard rooster tail positioning when traveling over shallow water.Fixed flag positioning on tracked turrets.Fixed flying Manta exploit.Fixed boost exploit with Fury vehicleWeapons:Added burn trail for link gun beam.Weapon pickups now disappear for the player who picked it up, until it can be picked up again (now works like weapon lockers).Weapon throwing always enabled.Improved force feedback for various weapon and pickup actions.Simpler crosshair for instagib rifle.Third person translocate sound.Stinger now higher priority than flak cannon by default.Back splatter decals for hits with sniper rifle, stinger, and enforcer.Improved spidermine aiming help on console with hitscan weapons (enforcer, stinger, sniper).Fixed enforcer anim problems when become dual during initial loading.No ammo display for instagib rifle.Improved spidermine herding with Avrils.Improved redeemer blast screen shake.Spidermines work properly in deathmatch.Fixed translocator discs being able to get embedded in geometry with zero extent collision on but box collision off.Fixed deployable exploit (run over deployable while firing weapon, get in vehicle while still firing, and never switch to deployable).Fixed trans discs getting stuck on instigator's head.AI:Added Drop Flag/Orb command (accessible through voice menu) to get bot teammates to drop the flag they are carrying.Improved bot handling of navigation failures, don't stay stuck.Bots understand ducking under obstacles with the Darkwalker.Bots understand getting off hoverboard to use a lift.Adjusted bot new enemy acquistion speed.Low skill bots don't slow down if carrying flag.Bots understand how to effectively use Orbs in Warfare much better.Bots use the hoverboard more effectively.Improved bot AI for using Translocator.Improved AI for picking best weapon to use.Improved AI for Leviathan, including aiming with the leviathan, and navigating the Leviathan.Improved AI for using the Hellfire SPMA.Improved Scorpion AI for trying to run over enemy foot soldiers and self destruct into big vehicles. TTP #103637.Improved Manta/Viper AI for trying to run over enemy foot soldiers.Improved stealth vehicle deployment AI.Improved bots yelling "same team" when player is actually trying to hit nearby enemy.Fixed bots not able to get in Darkwalker secondary turret in some cases.Fixed bot AI issues in secondary turrets.Bots go after countdown nodes if core can't be attacked.Fixed bots grabbing orb without getting all the way to orb spawner.Improved AI for bots deciding whether to get out of vehicles and continue on foot.Automatic fix for not letting bots in vehicles try to go into areas that are blocked for vehicles by turnaroundvolumes.Bots are move aggressive about driving vehicles without slowing down too much for slight turns.Bots fully understand kismet disabled nodes.Improved bot AI for fighting enemies in Slow Fields.Improved bot understanding of targeting occluded powernodes.Demo Recording:Added support for clientside demo recording.Demo playback is now delayed until precaching completes.Networking:Fixed localization of certain networking messages received from different language server.Improved dynamic netspeed system based on player counts.Improved hoverboard smoothness in net games.Friend following now attempts to place friends on the same team.Added team balancing between matches.Fixed reachspecs occasionally keeping level references across seamless travel, causing levels not to be properly unloaded.Increased net priority of movers with viewer based on them. Reduces mover popping in large playercount games.Networking bandwidth use optimizations.Improved prioritization of actor replication.Improved network pawn position update smoothing using mesh translation.Tweaked finding floors for simulated falling pawns.Yaw and pitch change smoothing for other players on clients.Fixed character mesh not getting onto hoverboard right away in high player count games.Improved turret replication in high player count games.Fixed remaining cases where team color skins weren't being properly set.Fixed clients auto-switching to better weapon when they stop firing.Don't dynamically adjust listen server client netspeed above max client has requested (for modem clients).Make sure all audio components get cleaned up on seamless travel.Fixed various exploits.Server Administration:Removed download speed limitations, when hosting LAN servers.Implemented auto-reconnect code for Gamespy uplink and advertising. Servers now continuously try to advertise to the master server upon failure.Fixed buggy URL parsing function, which was breaking mutator advertisingAdded code to recreate serveractors after seamless travelFixed case insensitivity issue with admin and game passwordsAdded session banning, with the command: AdminSessionBanSecurity fixes.Added config variable 'SpawnProtectionTime' to UTGame.ini.Optimized stats sending bandwidth.Support `n as \n in MOTD.Engine:Collision Octree optimizationsParticle system optimizationsSafe handling of inversing nil matrices. Addresses rare ragdoll physics crashes.Removed unnecessary profile saves, improved saving progress when player expects it.Improved Garbage collection performance.Optimized decals.Teleporter portal rendering updates are now disabled by default, even for high end systems (for performance reasons).
Moving right along, the fine folks over at Maxis have released a new behind-the-scenes trailer for their upcoming Spore: Galactic Adventures expansion. Running just over three minutes long, the video touches on planet exploration, new abilities, accessories and the crew you choose to run with. Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. The trailer is also available for download at the FileShack and WorthPlaying.com. Stay tuned for more mirrors!
Getting the ball rollin' today, Crytek has announced that they've released a DRM Revoke Tool for their hit first person shooter, Crysis: Warhead. This 1MB tool allows you to free up authorization slots so you can install the game on another computer. Click here for more details on how to use the tool and a download mirror. Cheers! :)
It became clear that not even Electronic Arts would be immune to implementing cost-cutting measures in a tougher market, right down to closure of whole studios and axing of label developers. A recent rumor propogated by blog Joystiq suggested that Warhammer Online's developer Mythic, also under EA's umbrella of developers, would similarly face a reduction in workforce. The tidbit was specific in noting that a number of Mythic's support staff would be axed, including half their QA and "all of the playtest group". Given that developer-side support is the lifeblood of MMORPGs, especially for one as (relatively) young as Warhammer Online, the rumor proved troubling indeed. Mythic's warboss Mark Jacobs has sinced stepped forward to address this.
While Jacobs didn't touch on whether or not staff actually were released at Mythic, he straight up denies his company reached the point of laying off half to whole teams. Jacobs responds to numerous posters in an outspoken (and now closed to response) discussion board thread:
"Oh, and the whole (OMG, we're losing 1/2 the developer (or even of the total team) thing) is total nonsense. This is one of the times I really, really wish I could comment more than I can but if you look at what [John Riticello] has said in terms of *cost* cutting, that should give you a good idea about what is happening throughout EA."...I have a very large team continuing to work on WAR now and going forward and we'll continue to build with that.
A slight shifting in the spots from last week's PC game sales this time 'round, and the introduction of the retail version of World of Goo, which slipped in at #10. Other highlights include Wrath of the Lich King reclaiming its top spot over The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, Fallout 3 shooting up three spots to #3 and Spore falling a couple positions to #5.
Here are the numbers:
World Of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King / Blizzard / $38 (Average)The Sims 2 Double Deluxe / EA Maxis / $20 (Average)Fallout 3 / Bethesda / $42 (Average)World Of Warcraft Battle Chest / Blizzard / $38 (Average)Spore / EA Maxis / $49 (Average)Left 4 Dead / Valve / $48 (Average)The Sims 2 Apartment Life Exp. Pack / EA Maxis / $20 (Average)World Of Warcraft / Blizzard / $20 (Average)Call Of Duty: World At War / Treyarch / $49 (Average)World of Goo / 2D Boy / $20 (Average)
Kicking things off today, the fine folks over at BioWare have released five new screenshots from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic. These latest shots give us a sneak peek at Korriban, Tython, a Acklay, and some face wrap/deflective armor. Check 'em out:
Star Wars: The Old Republic's release date is still TBD.
Keeping our modems nice and toasty this weekend, the guys over at Rockstar Games have released a new patch (v1.0.2.0) for the PC edition of their Open-World Action title, Grand Theft Auto 4. Weighing in at 33MB, this update features rendering and VSync optimizations, adds some new graphical options, and addresses an issue with mirrors on Nvidia 7000 series cards. You can check out the full changelog right here or just run the game's auto-updater to start downloading. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:
Official MirrorYouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileShackWorthPlayingThanks for the tip Denzel!
So there's this new thing called "casual gaming," and developers are scrambling to cash in on that market. Sports games aren't really new though.
You might consider Football Superstars as a strange hybrid of genres. The marketing campaign for this football MMOG -- not an RPG -- started in May 2008, with just 25,000 registrations. Publisher CyberSports had set a goal of 100k by the end of the year, and they reached that number in October. By November, Football Superstars had accumulated 200,000 users, and CyberSports is proud to announce the number now stands at 250,000 in total.
Curious as to what all the fuss is about? A description of the game reads:
In Football Superstars, players re-create themselves online as a footballer and then have free reign in a state of the art interactive virtual world. Players can play their way from 3-a-side up to full 11-a-side matches, gaining new attributes and skills in order to specialise in their chosen playing position. Away from the pitch players can socialise in restaurants, bars and clubs and visit virtual stores where they can buy equipment and clothes. Players can train in gyms and on training pitches to enhance their skills or flirt with the paparazzi in a bid to boost their fame and status and gain access to the most exclusive clubs and venues.
“Breaking the 250,000 barrier is an incredible achievement," said Phil Booker, head of Sales and Marketing at CyberSports. "It’s fantastic to see the results of the combination of strategic partnerships that we have set up and our marketing strategy using PPC, SEO and viral marketing paying off with such a large number of registrations."
66,000 of that 250k actively interact on the official forums, while 220,000 individual games of football have been played just these past eight weeks, amounting to half a million hours of game time.
Booker adds, "We’ve had great support from DBD Media and Infectious Media amongst others, and with their continued support, the registrations will continue to grow and Football Superstars will be the success that our hard work promises.”
Arizona-based developer Octopi has been acquired by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE), now rebranded as SOE Tucson.
Octopi are the people behind PoxNora, an award-winning online collectible card game which has been around for a few years, now in its eighth expansion. They're known for their mobile and browser games as well.
The company was previously acquired by FUN Technologies in 2006 (in turn majority owned by Liberty Media Corporation).
PoxNora will continue to be developed, and the studio will also work on 'trading cards and strategy game projects'.
Dan Kopycienski, president of Octopi, added: "We could not be more excited about becoming part of the Sony Online Entertainment family. We have always been passionate about developing unique and creative games for our customers, and now with the support of SOE, we will have the opportunity to take our products to that next level."
A note up on the PoxNora website currently states: "As of January 16, 2009 the PoxNora game and this website are owned by and operated for Sony Online Entertainment LLC."
Getting us pumped up today, the guys over at Starbreeze Studios have released a brand new teaser trailer for their upcoming Action title, The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena. Running just under a minute long, the video gives us a quick look at the game's improved visuals, stealthy elements, melee combat and more! Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at the following websites:
GamersHellFileFrontFileShackStrategyInformerWorthPlayingChronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is scheduled for release in Spring 2009.
Wrapping things up tonight, the guys over at Kalypso Media have thrown together a short teaser trailer for their upcoming city-builder/strategy title, Grand Ages: Rome. The minute-long video highlights the game's scale, city management, warfare and various other features. Pretty cool stuff! Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:
YouGamers (courtesy of GamersHell)FileFrontWorthPlayingGrand Ages: Rome is scheduled for release on March 9th.
Worldwide retail sales of packaged home entertainment rose 6% to $61 billion last year, with video games beating out DVD and Blu-ray formats for the first time ever.
According to international research group Media Control GfK International, games will grow to make up 57% of entertainment software sales this year, an increase from previous estimates of 47%. Game sales are expected to grow 12% globally this year to reach $36 billion, while DVD and Blu-ray combined should see a drop of 4% to roughly $27bn, though Blu-ray will again more than double, seeing $2.9bn.
The Dark Knight was the top DVD worldwide, with sales of more than 15 million units.
Last year game sales grew 20% to $32bn, largely driven by the Wii, while DVD & Blu-ray sales together dropped 6% to $29bn. GfK has predicted games would have actually grown 22%, and home video 1%, for which they now attribute the difference to the economic upheaval in 2008's second half, which is still ongoing and seeing many studios shut down or reducing their workforces in spite of the increases.
AMD's Fusion for Gaming Tool was in beta for about four months, but now version 1.0 is out, so now is a good a time as any to give it a shot.
What the tool does is help make your game playing experience more smooth by optimizing system usage, essentially. Here are the features listed in the FAQ:
It has the ability to close open applications. It will also shut down non-essential services. It may speed up your HDD. It will also disable the power save features of your PC. It will tune your CPU and GPU.The only requirement really is an AMD processor, though the more AMD stuff you have in your rig, the more advantageous this will be to you. Windows XP and Vista 32 and 64-bit operating systems are supported.
For further enhancement, ATI Catalyst Control Center with AMD OverDrive can be used in conjunction with it.
A few warnings to heed before trying this: antivirus/security software may be disabled upon activation of the tool while gaming (there's an option for it), and your computer could be damaged or have its life shortened (none of which is covered by warranty) due to the performance tuning. Hard stuff, but if you're feeling brave, try it out, and let us know your experiences in the comments. Results are great so far, however, with a 4.2 out of 5 rating based on 36 user reviews.
Here's a walkthrough video of Fusion for your viewing pleasure:
Bugs and other technical information for the tool can be found via the AMD link below, which should be read before installing.
Update: Our experience running a system with just an AMD CPU proved more negative than positive. The tool cut out Windows Firewall each time upon enabling, though it could be enabled again while still running Fusion for Gaming. While performance did seem slightly improved, one of the sound effects in the game (Prince of Persia) no longer triggered. Testing was with the Basic mode -- Advanced cut out all kinds of things, and for us anyway, was more hassling than helpful. Custom profile experiences may vary.
Grabbing our attention tonight, The Escapist has fired-up a short Q&A with Valve Software's Robin Walker regarding future content updates for their hit multiplayer shooter, Team Fortress 2. Written in article format, the interview touches on the upcoming Scout update and reveals plans for a new Payload map, a brand new gameplay mode and a possible 10th class. You can check out the full interview right here. ;)
After a prolonged test period on the Public Test Realms, World of Warcraft patch 3.0.8 is finally going live. As usual, the US realms are getting the patch as we speak while the EU realms are going to be patched tomorrow morning. Extended downtime is usually about 8 hours (3AM to 11AM).
Manual patch download mirrors are not available quite yet, but as usual, WoWWiki will have a comprehensive list when they become available. Remember not to patch your client before the servers in your region go down or you won't be able to login until they do.
This is the first bugfix/balance patch since Wrath of the Lich King went live and the laundry list of fixes and changes is a mile long. For the full 3.0.8 patch notes, read on. 2325
World of Warcraft Client Patch 3.0.8The latest test realm patch notes can always be found at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/test-realm-patchnotes.html
The latest patch notes can always be found at http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/patchnotes/
GeneralPlayers may now create death knights on any realm once they reach level 55. Edit: This has been postponedBonus Armor: The mechanics for items with bonus armor on them has changed (any cloth, leather, mail, or plate items with extra armor, or any other items with any armor). Bonus armor beyond the base armor of an item will no longer be multiplied by any talents or by the bonuses of Bear Form, Dire Bear Form, or Frost Presence.Racial restrictions on mounts have now been lifted. Night Elves on mechanostriders? Tauren on raptors? You're not seeing things.Racial Resistances: These can now be mitigated against by gaining additional chance to hit.Tapping: All player spells which cause a creature to become aggressive to you will now also immediately cause the creature to be tapped.All Silence spells now have diminishing returns. This includes: Arcane Torrent, Garrote silence effect, Improved Counterspell effect, Improved Kick effect, Silence, Gag Order, Silencing Shot, Spell Lock, and Strangulate.Dispel Resist talents have changed to protect only beneficial spells and damage over time effects.Shield Wall, Barkskin, Guardian Spirit, and Divine Protection are now off the Global Cooldown.A new mailbox is now available at the Crows Tavern in the Dalaran Sewers.We have added over 60 new graveyards to Kalimdor and the Eastern Kingdoms.The run speed in spirit form has been increased by 50%. Night Elves in Wisp form will now move at a bonus 75% speed.Reputation rewarded for killing mobs will no longer automatically deprecate. This means trivial mobs will continue to give out their full amounts of reputation on kill for the majority of cases in the game (level 70 creatures in Stratholme, for example, will continue to award the full amount of rep to level 80 players seeking to boost their Argent Dawn faction).World of Warcraft now supports 3-D imaging. Visit http://www.nvidia.com/object/GeForce_3D_Vision_Main.html for more information.AchievementsThe Loremaster of Kalimdor Achievement has had its quest amount reduced.The Perma-Peddle Achievement is no longer a part of the "Fool for Love" meta-achievement.The Winds of the North has had its requirements changed. This achievement is now earned by getting Exalted with the Alliance Vanguard or Horde Expedition.PvPVehicles can now be affected by most player spells, except CC, snares and roots.Arenas
Arena rating requirements for all Deadly Gladiator's Arena items have been reduced by 100.All rage and runic power are set to 0 when an Arena begins and the preparation period is over.Ring of Valor: The small pillars will now rise immediately once the arena begins.Battlegrounds - Lake Wintergrasp
Wintergrasp Commendations can now also be purchased for the low low price of 9 Wintergrasp Marks of Honor. Players can visit their respective Wintergrasp vendors and put those Marks of Honor to use!Wintergrasp PvP vehicles have had their health increased.Wintergrasp Tower cannons have had their health increased.The Wintergrasp Fortress Exterior walls have had their health increased.The Fortress Keep door now has had its health decreased.The Orb is now instantly clickable.Elementals should now always despawn when the battle begins.Wintergrasp now extends further south so that more revenants can be reached.There are now three ranks in Wintergrasp: Recruit, Corporal, and First Lieutenant.Players will be eligible for participation rewards after two honorable kills.Players will receive increased honor with increased rank.Players will receive additional Marks of Honor at Corporal or higher rank.Players will receive corporal rank at 5 honorable kills instead of two.Battlegrounds - Strand of the Ancients
Antipersonnel Turrets will now gain vehicle immunities, use falloff damage, and damage increased to 4000 + 200 per level to compensate for falloff.The Strand of the Ancients Demolisher has had its health increased.The Strand of the Ancients tower cannon has had its health increased.Seaforium charges have been moved closer to the graveyards on the 2nd tier.ClassesDeath Knights
All multi-rune abilities generate 15 runic power.Anti-Magic Shell: The cooldown has been lowered to 45 sec from 60 sec.Anti-Magic Zone: This ability's duration has been cut to 10 seconds.Blood Aura now grants 2/4% instead of 1/2% healing.Blood Presence now grants 2/4% instead of 1/2% healing.Bloody Strikes will receive extra bonus damage from Pestilence.Bone Shield: The mitigation has been reduced from 40% to 20%.Corpse Explosion: Damage increased substantially, added 5 sec. cooldown, and changed cost to 40 runic power.Dark Command: Range increased to 30 yards.Death Pact now grants 40% instead of 20% healing.Frost Presence: The bonus armor has been increased from 60 to 80% and magic damage reduction increased from 5 to 15%.Heart Strike no longer has a haste debuff but will now be able to strike two targets.Horn of Winter now has no cost and grants 10 runic power in addition to its stat buff, but has a 20 second cooldown.Howling Blast: Cooldown removed.Icebound Fortitude now reduces damage by 20% instead of 50%. The amount of damage reduced increases with bonus Defense (to about 35% for 540 Defense, but can go higher).Killing Machine: Instead of a chance to be triggered on critical strike, this talent now has a chance to be triggered on each swing based on the swing time of the weapon (slow weapons more likely, fast weapons less likely).Mark of Blood: The total amount of healing this can grant is now capped based on a percentage of standard creature health at the target's level.Night of the Dead now grants 40/70% passive area spell avoidance to your pet in addition to its current effects.Outbreak will no longer receive bonus damage from pestilence. The bonus from Plague Strike and Blood Boil has been increased slightly.Pestilence no longer has a 10 seconds cooldown.Raise Dead has now been split into two spells: Raise Dead now raises a ghoul or pet ghoul (if talented). Requires corpse dust if no humanoid corpse is nearby. Raise Ally now raises a fallen party member as a ghoul and has no reagent. Available at level 72. This should now last for 4 minutes.Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle (two-handed only) now grants 25 Defense and 2% Stamina.Rune Strike: Damage decreased from 200% to 150% but threat increased to 150% from 100%.Shadow of Death: The duration has been changed from 45 seconds to 25 secondsseconds and now has a 15 minute cooldown.Summon Gargoyle: Damage dealt by the Gargoyle reduced by approximately 20% and maximum duration cut to 30 seconds.Unholy Blight had had its cost reduced from 60 to 40 runic power.Wandering Plague will now properly reset after being castand now considers the resilience of the target in determining its chance to be triggered.Vampiric Blood (DK) changed from 20% health / 50% healing to 15 % health / 35% healing.Will of the Necropolis will now reduce the damage of any attack that takes the DK below 35% health by 5 /10/15% instead of boosting armor when wounded. It no longer affects the cooldown of Anti-Magic Shell and retains the current damage reduction bonus.Druids
Aquatic Form is now available from druid trainers at level 16.Celestial Focus (Balance) no longer includes Starfall.Feral Attack Power: All weapons now have the potential to grant feral attack power based on their dps (as compared to the best superior-quality weapons available at level 60). Players will see their ex 218e isting feral weapons grant roughly the same attack power as they did before (+/- 2 or so), but many new weapons will be options for the feral druid. Some feral weapons have had strength converted to attack power to be more appealing to other classes able to equip them. All druids will see the amount of feral attack power granted by an item in the item tooltip, if it grants any, but other players will not see that information.Remove Curse and Abolish Poison can now be used in Moonkin form.Genesis: Now works with Tranquility and Hurricane.Growl: Range increased to 30 yards.King of the Jungle - The Bear effect is now physical, and thus cannot be dispelled.Moonglow: This talent now also benefits Nourish.Nature's Grace - Now also effects Revive.Nourish: Wild Growth applied to a target now increases the healing done by this spell by 20% like other heal over time effects.Polearms: Now trainable by Druids.Primal Tenacity: Now reduces the cost of Bear Form, Cat Form, and Dire Bear Form by 17/33/50% in addition to its previous effects.Protector of the Pack: No longer changes value based on party size.Savage Roar: The buff now persists outside of Cat Form but only provides its benefits while in Cat Form.Starfall: Instead of canceling shapeshifting, now cancels on shapeshifting into an animal form.Survival of the Fittest: This talent now grants 22/44/66% bonus armor in Bear Form and Dire Bear Form in addition to all of its previous effects.Swipe: Swipe (Cat) has now been added at level 71, dealing 260% weapon damage, costs 50 energy with no cooldown. All talents affecting the Bear Form version affect the Cat Form one as well.Wild Growth now has a 6 second cooldown.Hunters
Hunter Aspects are now off the Global Cooldown again. They still have a shared 1 second cooldown.All Hunter pet abilities with a cooldown of 30 seconds or more are no longer on the global cooldown.Arcane Shot: Mana cost lowered to match the cost of Steady Shot.Aspect of the Wild - This aspect is now raid-wide.Call of the Wild: The benefit from this pet talent now applies to only the Hunter and their own pet.Deterrence: Design changed to grant 100% parry and 100% chance to "deflect" spells coming from the front, but prevents the Hunter from attacking. Lasts 5 seconds and has a 90 second cooldown.Explosive Shot: Damage increased substantially, and additional scaling added to compensate Survival Hunters for the decrease in power of Steady Shot. No longer deals damage to secondary targets.Ferocious Inspiration: This talent now also increase the damage the Hunter does with Arcane Shot by 3/6/9%.Improved Tracking(Survival): This talent has been slightly re-designed. Now reads: While tracking Beasts, Demons, Dragonkin, Elementals, Giants, Humanoids and Undead, all ranged damage done to those types is increased by 1/2/3/4/5%.Kill Shot – Cooldown reduced to 15 seconds, down from 35 sec.Kindred Spirits: This talent now grants only 3/6/9/12/15% pet damage.Lock and Load: Now has a 30 second cooldown.Readiness: No longer resets the cooldown on Bestial Wrath.Steady Shot: Now gains 10% of attack power as damage instead of 20%.Serpent's Swiftness: This talent now grants only 2/4/6/8/10% bonus attack speed to pet. The hunter attack speed bonus is unchanged.Tranquilizing Shot (Hunter): Cooldown increased to 8 sec, up from 6. Mana cost reduced to 8%, down from 12%.Unleashed Fury: This talent now grants only 3/6/9/12/15% pet damage.Viper Sting: Now drains a percentage of maximum mana.Volley: The damage has been reduced on all ranks by approximately 30% (including attack power scaling).Hunter - Pets
All Hunter pet abilities with a cooldown of 30 seconds or more are no longer on the global cooldown.The coefficient of Rake (Cat) and Scorpid Poison (Scorpid) has been lowered.Rake: This hunter pet ability has had its damage adjusted to prevent unreasonable scaling with attack power.Scorpid Poison: No longer stacks. The damage has been adjusted to prevent unreasonable scaling with attack power.Spirit Strike (hunter pet ability) now has an initial attack (which can crit) and then a single dot. Damage overall is higher.Mages
Arcane Blast: This ability has been significantly changed. Arcane Blast now increases the damage of the next Arcane spell by 15%. However, using Arcane Blast itself does not consume the charge itself. Each time you cast Arcane Blast, the damage of Arcane spells is increased by 15% and the mana cost of Arcane Blast is increased by 200%. This effect stacks up to 3 times and lasts 10 seconds or until any Arcane damage spell except Arcane Blast is cast.Arcane Flows: Now also reduces the cooldown of Evocation by 1m/2m.Elemental Precision: Renamed to Precision and now works on all spells.Evocation: Cooldown reduced to 4 min.Improved Blizzard: The snaring effect has been reduced to 25/40/50%.Incanter's Absorption: The amount of spell damage a Mage can gain from this ability is now capped at 5% of the mage's health.Mirror Image: The Mirror Image Polymorph ability now has a range of 8 yards. In addition, Mirror Images will no longer have excessive threat values assigned to them when they are created.Slow Fall is now castable on others.Torment the Weak: Now works with Arcane Blast and does bonus damage against targets afflicted with any type of slow (such as the combat slow from Thunder Clap).Paladins
Avenging Wrath: Divine Shield, Divine Protection, and Avenging Wrath cannot be used within 30 seconds of each other anymore. Forbearance removed from Avenging Wrath.Divine Protection: The penalty has been removed.Divine Shield: The penalty has been changed so that all damage done is reduced by 50% in place of an attack speed penalty.Hand of Reckoning(NEW): Available on trainers at level 16. It's a 30 yard range taunt that causes Holy damage.Judgements of the Pure: This Holy talent now increases the damage done by Seals and Judgements.Judgement of Wisdom: Now returns a percentage of base mana instead of a percentage of max mana.Sacred Duty: Interaction with Divine Shield and Divine Protection removed, but stamina bonus increased.Priests
Abolish Disease and Cure Disease can now be cast while in Shadowform.Holy: Circle of Healing now has a 6 second cooldown.Levitate is now castable on others.Mana Burn: Now burns a percentage of maximum mana.Shadowform: You can now shift into Shadowform while mounted or sitting.Vampiric Embrace: Mana cost of this spell has been removed.Rogues
Cheap Shot: This ability no longer has diminishing returns against anything other than itself.Fan of Knives: The cooldown has been removed. In addition, now deals 150% of weapon damage when used while daggers are equipped.Feint: Rank 8 now reduces the damage taken from area of effect attacks by 50% for 6 seconds in addition to its existing effects.Kidney Shot: This ability now has diminishing returns against all other stuns.Shaman
All shaman talent points have been refunded. Please visit your trainer to learn spells and abilities.Fire Nova Totem: Now no longer generates threat.Healing Way: Now only one application is required to reach full benefit. No longer stacks.Improved Water Shield: Lesser Healing Wave now has a reduced chance to trigger this talent.Magma Totem: The damage and scaling has been increased and no longer generates threat.Mental Quickness and Static Shock have switched positions in the talent tree.Mental Quickness: Reduces the mana cost of instant cast Shaman spells by 2/4/6% and increases spell power by an amount equal to 10/20/30% of your attack power.Searing Totem (Rank 4) now does the proper damage for its rank.Tremor Totem's duration has been increased from 2 minutes to 5 minu 2016 tes.Elemental Oath: In addition to existing effects, now increases spell damage done by the Shaman by 5/10% while Elemental Focus Clearcasting is active.Elemental Mastery: Redesigned. Now increases the Shaman's critical strike chance by 20% for 30 seconds. Cooldown remains at 3 minutes.Elemental Shields: This talent has been removed. It has now been merged with Elemental Warding.Elemental Warding: Now reduces all damage taken by 2/4/6%. Changed from only reducing Nature, Fire and Frost by 4/7/10%.New Talent: Shamanism - Your Lightning Bolt spell gains an additional 2/4/6/8/10% and your Lava Burst gains an additional 4/8/12/16/20% of your bonus damage effects.Storm, Earth and Fire: This talent has been moved up in the tree, and it's talent points have been reduced to 3 down from 5. Wind Shock is also included in the range increase (with Earth Shock). The damage bonus to Flame Shock has been increased, up from 10/20/30/40/50 to 20/40/60.Unrelenting Storm: point cost reduced to 3, down from 5. Now does 4/8/12%Warlocks
Curse of Agony will now scale better when used with the Glyph of Curse of Agony. Ticks beyond the original duration will do 33% more damage than the ticks that preceded them. i.e. 74 -> 145 -> 217 -> 290.Demon Armor and Demon Skin: Armor increased by approximately 120%.Demonic Circle: The teleport now clears all snare effects.Drain Mana: Now drains a percentage of maximum mana.Emberstorm: Now works with Conflagrate.Ritual of Summoning: Will now create a summoning portal object which can be re-used for multiple summons for 5 minutes.Warriors
Bloodthirst: Charges have been decreased to 3, but the effect has been raised to 1% per charge.Fury: Bloodsurge: Now has a chance to trigger from any hit with Heroic Strike, Bloodthirst, or Whirlwind.Fury:Titan's Grip: The hit chance penalty has been removed.Sudden Death: The amount of rage spent on an Execute while Sudden Death is active is now capped at 30 rage. Improved Execute and the Glyph of Execute will still increase the damage done by increasing the amount of rage able to be converted into damage.Taunt: Range increased to 30 yards.ProfessionsAlchemy
All flasks no longer require an alchemy lab to create.The Cooldown on Transmute: Titanium has been reduced to 1 day, and the materials required have been simplified.Reduced the cooldown on Northrend Alchemy Research from 7 days to 3 days.The chance to discover a Northrend transmutation has been increased.Changed the Crazy Alchemist Potion so it always gives health and mana. It also grants the benefit of another random potion effect.Potion of Nightmares functionality changed. You can now move to interrupt the effect, and damage taken is no longer increased while you are under the effects of this potion.Added a new recipe for Ethereal Oil to grand master alchemy trainers.You can now discover a recipe for the Elixir of Water Walking with Northrend Alchemy Research.Blacksmithing
Reduced the spell power on the Titansteel Guardian to bring it in line with its item level.Increased the material requirements to make high level frost resistance gear created with blacksmithing.Increased the materials required to make several recipes that require cobalt.Added a new recipe for shield reinforcements that increases the block value of shields.Cooking
A recipe has been added for Kungaloosh. You can learn this recipe from an NPC in the Dalaran sewers once you have completed the quest 'The Taste Test' in Sholazar Basin.A recipe for the incredible Fish Feast can now be purchased for Dalaran Cooking Awards.Succulent Orca Stew and Shoveltusk Soup have been removed from the requirements for any cooking achievements as they will not be added to the game.*+ A new recipe for Worg Tartare is now available for purchase with Dalaran Cooking Awards. This delicacy imbues hit rating and Stamina upon those brave enough to eat it.Enchanting
Many high level enchantment recipes have had the amount of Infinite Dust and Greater Cosmic Essence requirements significantly reduced, but with Dream Shards being added to them.Increased the Fire damage inflicted by the Icebreaker weapon enchantment.Reduced the armor penalty granted by the Berserking weapon enchantment.Increased the amount of healing from the Lifeward enchantment.Increased the amount of damage caused by the Icebreaker enchantment.Added a new recipe to enchant bracers with Stamina. You can buy this recipe from Vanessa Sellers in Dalaran.Engineering
Engineers may now be able to properly engineer Centrifuge Constructs.Reduced the cooldown and increased the duration of the effect for Hyperspeed Accelerators.Added a new recipe for epic plate spell power goggles.Weakness Spectralizers are now usable by druids.The Saronite Bomb recipe now creates a lot more bombs for the same material cost. While this breakthrough was discovered by goblins, all engineers can take advantage of it.Gnomish Lightning Generator has had its cast time and cooldown reduced.The engineering Scrapbot can now repair.Inscription
Jessica Sellers, a new vendor in the Dalaran inscription shop, will sell most inscription inks for the cost of one Ink of the Sea. She also sells Snowfall Ink for multiple Inks of the Sea.A new recipe for Glyph of Arcane Blast has been added to Master and Grand Master Inscription trainers.Jewelcrafting
Added a new recipe to convert a frozen orb and some green quality gems into several superior quality gems.Reduced the spell power granted by the use effect of the Figurine – Twilight Serpent, but reduced the cooldown significantly.Leatherworking
Iceborne Belt pattern skill up range has been increased to the correct range.The epic leg armor patches now require a Frozen Orb in addition to their other materials.Mining
Mining veins and deposits no longer require multiple hits to receive all the ore. Players will receive around the same amount of ore, stone, and gems they would have received from multiple hits.Weakened Giants and Iron Rune Sentinels can now be correctly mined.Skinning
Increased the critical strike rating granted by ranks 5 and 6 of Master of Anatomy.Carrion Fleshstrippers are now skinnable.Tailoring
Reduced the cloth required to make a Bolt of Imbued Frostweave.Simplified the materials required for Shining Spellthread and Azure Spellthread.Reduced the eternals required to make Brilliant Spellthread and Sapphire Spellthread, but increased the number of Iceweb Spider Silk.Greatly reduced the materials required to make the self-only tailoring leg enchants (Master's Spellthread and Sanctified Spellthread), but these recipes no longer grant any skill gains.Reduced the training cost for the normal Flying Carpet.Ebonweave now requires the tailor to be in the Maw of Neltharion in Dragonblight to creating it.Spellweave now requires the tailor to be at the Azure Dragonshrine in Dragonblight when creating it.QuestsThe quest, "Scare the Guano Out of Them!" now only requires 10 Darkclaw Guano, down from 15. Also, only the character that scared the bat, or their party, may now loot the guano.Shoveltusk Meat obtained during the quest; "Shoveltusk Soup Again?" is now correctly flagged as a quest item with no sell 232a price.During the quest, "Scalps!" you can no longer use Ahunae's Knife to scalp kills that you aren't tapped to.The path followed by the Har'koa's Kitten during the quest, "I Sense a Disturbance" has been improved.Westguard Sergeants, Winterhoof Braves, and Ethereal Frostworgs should no longer attempt to attack their opposite faction counterparts unless the character controlling them is first attacked.Westguard Sergeant and Winterhoof Brave demoralizing shouts will now only affect the Winterskorn Vrykul and worgs at Skorn.Various fixes to the Queen Angerboda event during the quest, "The Slumbering King".The daily quest, "Shoot 'Em Up" now only requires 15 Jotunheim Proto-Drakes to be shot down, down from 20. As well, the harpoon now only costs 5 energy to shoot, down from 10.Dungeons and RaidsThe Obsidian Sanctum
Players will now be affected by Twilight Residue when they leave the Twilight Realm. Twilight Residue grants immunity to Fire and Shadow damage for a few seconds.User InterfaceChat frames can now be made "Noninteractive". When in this state, they will ignore all clicks.Various filters can now be applied to Achievements.A special UI for chatting with GMs has been added.For additional notes on Lua and XML changes please visit the UI & Macros forum.ItemsEmblems of Heroism can now be purchased at a 1 to 1 rate using Emblems of Valor.The Darkmoon Faire exotic vendors have been updated with new items.Amberglow Signet now correctly grants Hit Rating.Deadly Gladiator's Refuge has had its 4 piece set bonus changed. It now reduces the cooldown of Swiftmend by 2 seconds.Deadly Gladiator's Staff has had the Agility and Critical strike rating restored to ratios consistent with other instances of the Gladiator's Staff.Dreamwalker Battlegear: The Rip bonus is now 4 seconds instead of 3.Druid Feral Tier 7 Set: The 4 piece bonus now also decreases the cooldown on Tiger's Fury by 3 seconds.Druid Restoration Tier 7 Set: The Rejuvenation bonus has been changed to affect Lifebloom instead.Gifts and Pledges of Adoration for the capital cities are now soulbound.The Flag of Ownership now has only a 60s cooldown to match the 60s duration of the flag.The following crafted weapons have had their stats adjusted to properly reflect their intended power: Corroded Saronite Edge, Corroded Saronite Woundbringer, Cudgel of Saronite Justice, Furious Saronite Beatstick, Saronite Spellblade, Saronite Shiv, Savage Cobalt Slicer, Notched Cobalt War Axe, Sturdy Cobalt Quickblade, Cobalt TenderizerLiving Lashers can now properly be skinned with Herbalism.Players can now open clams while riding a vehicle, sitting, mounted, stealthed, and invisible.Reduced the stats on the Savage Cobalt Slicer to match the weapon's level.Some low-level rogue pvp gloves were accidentally omitted from the patch 3.0.3 update. This has been rectified.Some neglected creatures in Icecrown have found the contents of their pockets.Totem of Hex now correctly grants 165 spell power to Chain Lightning and Lightning Bolt, up from 85.The white Polar Bear mount is now the proper (larger) size.Glyphs
Glyph of Conflagrate now makes it so your Conflagrate spell no longer consumes the Immolate or Shadowflame spell from the target.Glyph of Death and Decay has been changed to grant 20% additional damage instead of its current effect.Glyph of Hammer of Justice: Now increases range by 5 yards instead of increasing stun duration.Glyph of Invisibility duration has been increased.Glyph of Deterrence: Now -10 seconds instead of -20.Glyph of Holy Light now affects friendly targets in a larger radius.Glyph of Horn of Winter now increases the duration by 60 sec.Glyph of Spirit of Redemption: Now increases the duration of the effect by a fixed amount of 6 seconds.Glyph of Turn Evil now also increases the cooldown of your Turn Evil spell by 8 sec.World EnvironmentIncapacitating Shout now has an 8 second duration.Conquered Soul of the Blightcallers are no longer AE immune.Corrected a raid emote in Violet Hold to display the proper creature name.Corrected a redundant aura tooltip for Locust Swarm in Naxxramas.Several creatures in the Construct Quarter of Naxxramas did not have Heroic values for hit points and damage.Storm Peaks, Grom'arsh Crash Site - Peon Gakra is now an innkeeper and the zeppelin hull, an inn.Bug FixesFixed a bug with a Wild Mustard plant that was under the ground in Dalaran.Racials
Berserking: Can now be used properly while under the affects of Hand of Protection.Heroic Presence: Now works properly in Ghost Wolf Form.Shadowmeld: This ability will now properly restore threat when it is cancelled. In addition, it will correctly remove a player from combat if it is active when that player is the last person left alive that the creature hates. This ability is now also unusable while affected by Faerie Fire.Will of the Forsaken: Using this ability while disoriented would trigger it's cooldown to no affect; it is no longer useable while disoriented.Death Knights
Blood Aura Will now always do the correct amount of healing, based on the actual damage taken of the target.Blood Caked Blade: Now does the proper damage amount when triggered by an off-hand weapon.Bloody Strikes: The tooltip for this talent now has correct values.Butchery: Will now always grant 20 runic power, regardless of the creature type killed.Chains of Ice: This ability is no longer able to land on death knights who have Anti-Magic Shell active.Crypt Fever: It is no longer possible to have a duration longer than the disease which caused it. Will also no longer incorrectly increase Death and Decay damage.Corpse Explosion: Fixed a bug where how much Runic Power the Death Knight had was affecting the damage done, and also increased the damage substantially.Dancing Rune Blade: The weapon no longer echoes the Raise Dead and Army of the Dead spells. In addition it will now more closely match the master's damage and will cast Rune Strike when its master does.Death Chill: The effect from this talent will no longer be consumed if Killing Machine is active.Death Pact: This will no longer cause guards to attack the Death Knight.Desecration: will no longer break stealth.Ebon Plague: It is no longer possible to have a duration longer than the disease which caused it. It will no longer stack with Crypt Fever used by another character.Frost Fever: This talent now works properly when spell reflected.Gnaw: This ghoul ability is now able to be set on autocast.Icy Clutch: This will now be applied properly in all cases to targets that gain Frost Fever via the Pestilence ability.Mark of Blood now works correctly with periodic damage.Pestilence: The diseases will now spread correctly even when the damage from Pestilence kills the primary target.Raise Dead no longer puts you in combat when you cast this spell.Shadow of Death: This ability will no longer cause tracking abilities to become inactive when the death knight becomes a ghoul.Tundra Stalker (Rank 1) will now work properly on Death and Decay.Unholy Blight: Will no longer cause spell pushback.Druids
Bear Form: This ability will now grant the correct attack power per level for levels 71-80.Entangling Roots: When determining if a new Entangling Roots should overwrite an old one, and will now calculate the correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target.Maim: Tooltip adjusted to match the duration the ability has always had.Opening: Opening doors and objects should no longer cause shapeshifted forms to be cancelled.Rake: The initial damage from this ability is now properly considered bleed damage, and will be increased by Mangle and Trauma.Savage Fury - Mangle (Bear) damage was being increased by a higher percentage than intended. This has been fixed, and in result Mangle (Bear) should see roughly a 16% damage reduction. Also fixed a bug with Savage Fury where the Rake bleed effect was not being increased.Starfall will no longer cause nearby creatures to become hostile for no apparent reason w 231c hile the Druid is affected by fear effects. In addition, it will no longer pick ambient creatures as targets.Survival Instincts: The extra health from this ability now persists in all forms, but the ability can only be activated in Cat Form, Bear Form, or Dire Bear Form. This prevents the health gain from occurring multiple times if constantly shapeshifting.Swiftmend: Riptide will no longer cause this ability to light up, and this ability will no longer sometimes consume Earthliving off the target.Hunters
Aspects: All aspects now have a 1 second global cooldown.Aspect of the Beast: Will now increase Hunter pet attack power by the correct amount.Aspect of the Viper: Beast Lore, Scare Beast, and Tame Beast will no longer trigger mana regeneration from this ability.Call of the Wild: Now only works on the pet and their own master.Carrion Feeder: No longer causes extremely large amounts of threat when the pet gains happiness.Chimera Shot: The secondary effects of this shot will now still be triggered even when the target dies from the ability's damage.Cower: Now longer shares a cooldown with Growl, but has its own separate cooldown.Dust Cloud: This pet ability will now be cast by the pet at the target instead of while they are moving toward the target.Marked for Death: Now works properly for Steady Shot and Glyph of Steady Shot.Master's Call: Now makes the pet immune to roots and snares for the duration as well, allowing the pet to break roots on the target even when the pet is rooted.Nether Shock: Pets will now correctly use this ability on all targets, not just mana users.Noxious Stings: When this talent triggers Wyvern Sting, the Wyvern Sting will now last the proper duration.Owl's Focus: Free abilities will no longer consume this effect.Prowl: This ability will no longer sometimes turn autocast on by itself.Sniper Training: Now increases the damage of Aimed Shot by the correct amount.Spirit Strike: This pet ability's duration and period have both been reduced to 6 seconds.Spore Cloud: This ability will now work properly.Swipe: The tooltip has been adjusted.Tracking: Entering an arena no longer disables tracking types.Fixed a bug that allowed Viper's Sting to target death knights. They are now invalid targets.Mages
Arcane Missiles: This spell now only has one chance to trigger Arcane Concentration.Brain Freeze: This talent can now be triggered by Blizzard.Burnout: This talent will now properly charge the mage additional mana when Living Bomb causes a critical strike.Fingers of Frost: This talent can now trigger properly from Frost Armor.Frost Nova: Will now properly overwrite the effect of Shattered Barrier and of Frostbite.Icy Veins: The spell pushback reduction from this talent now works on Frostfire Bolt.Improved Scorch: This talent no longer triggers effects that trigger on casting a spell.Incanter's Absorption: This talent will now work properly when the mage is sitting.Living Bomb: Now triggers Ignite when it causes a critical strike. In addition, the final explosion will now still occur even if the mage is affected by a crowd control effect.Molten Fury: This talent will now interact correctly with Torment the Weak.Precision: Frostfire Bolt will no longer receive double the intended benefit from this talent.Spell Power: Now affects the critical strike chance of Blizzard.Paladins
Devotion aura: When mixing two different ranks of this ability in a party, players will no longer sometimes see a spurious second copy of the buff.Hand of Freedom: Now works properly against the froststorm Breath Hunter pet ability.Judgement of Blood, Judgement of Command, and Judgement of the Martyr will now gain the correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target.Judgement of Light: The tooltip has been corrected to remove the implication that it only works on melee attacks.Judgement of the Wise: The amount of mana gained has been corrected to match the tooltip.Pure of Heart: This talent will no longer cause Curse of Agony to do more damage than intended.Repentance: Avenger's Shield no longer breaks Repentance, but unfortunately, Seal of Vengeance and Corruption damage will break it again. This will be corrected in a future patch.Righteous Vengeance: This talent will now calculate its damage correctly when the damage is absorbed. In addition this ability will no longer cause excessive damage when refreshed on targets with damage reduction effects active.Seal of Command: The tooltip has been adjusted to show the damage gained from spell power.Shield of Righteousness now properly shares a cooldown for both ranks.Priest
Dispersion: This ability can no longer be cast while affected by Cyclone; doing so consumed the cooldown to no effect.Guardian Spirit: It is no longer possible for simultaneous killing blows to trigger the heal from this ability multiple times.Improved Holy Concentration: The tooltip has been rewritten to indicate that this talent reduces cast time rather than providing haste.Mind Flay: Fixed a bug with targeting where you would not deal damage if not facing the target while channeling. Also corrected an issue where the damage from this ability was slightly delayed.Prayer of Mending: Will now only benefit from the healing talents of the priest who cast the original spell.Rapture: This talent will now correctly return mana for Power Word: Shield based on the caster's mana poll instead of the target's mana pool.Shadow Weaving: Shadow Word: Death: Will now only apply one copy of this buff per cast.Shadow Word: Pain now will gain the correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target.Surge of Light: Prayer of Mending will no longer sometimes cause Surge of Light to trigger on Priests who do not have that talent.Twisted Faith: This talent will no longer sometimes cause Shadow Word: Pain to fail due to a more powerful spell being in effect.Rogues
Envenom: The tooltip values have been corrected to be accurate.Fan of Knives: All poisons will now trigger correctly when used with this ability.Honor Among Thieves: The bug where stacking multiple rogues with this talent caused them all to gain additional combo points has been fixed. In addition, it no longer cancels eating and drinking if a party member gains a critical strike while it is active.Killing Spree: This ability no longer breaks stealth if it fails due to all targets being out of range.Mutilate: this ability will no longer give poisons on the off-hand weapon two chances to be triggered.Turn the Tables: This talent no longer generates threat when it triggers.Shaman
Chain Heal: This spell will now give an invalid target error message if the primary target is a totem.Earth Shield: Now correctly uses the Shaman's own spell critical strike chance to determine the chance of a critical heal.Elemental Shields was reducing flat physical damage, not a percentage. Now properly reduced by a percentage.Lava Lash - Fixed a bug which allowed you to use the ability even if you had a shield in offhand. Now requires a 1hand axe, fist or dagger to be able to be used.Fixed a bug where Thunderstorm (Elemental) was knocking back 15 yards, instead of 20. It should now roughly knockback the correct length of 20 yards.Magma Totem: Fixed a bug that capped the damage of this ability at too low of a level.Resistance Totems: Players will no longer see two copies of these buffs when two shamans cast the totems simultaneously.Spirit Walk: This Feral Spirit ability will now properly clear roots and snares from the Shaman master.Stoneclaw Totem: The tooltip has been revised to indicate the damage absorb shield also works on the Stoneclaw Totem itself.Warlock
Warlock Pets: Some pets were not properly classified to receive correct creature scaling for Wrath of the Lich King. Their health and damage done will now be higher.Corruption will now gain the correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target.Create Healthstone: Attempting to create a healthstone when you already have one no longer consumes mana or triggers the cooldown of this ability.Demonic Circle: Te 2175 leport: the button for this ability will now darken when the Warlock is out of range of the Demonic Circle and will light up when the Warlock is in range.Demon Power Scaling: Spell power gained from spirit via the Fel Armor ability will now properly affect the scaling of spell power and attack power on summoned demons.Drain Mana: This spell will no longer cancel when the target's mana poll is low or the caster's mana poll is full. It also now generates a very small amount of threat instead of no threat.Everlasting Affliction: Will now calculate correct damage values for Corruption when it is refreshed in all cases.Haunt: Will now gain correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target. In addition, this ability is now limited to a single target as intended. This also now works properly when refreshed on its current target.Mana Feed: This talent will no longer sometimes fire for warlocks who do not have the talent.Master Conjuror: Tooltip revised to indicate it does not increase the damage bonuses of Firestones or Spellstones.Metamorphosis: The bonus armor effect from this ability will now calculate properly and interact correctly with armor buffs and debuffs.Ritual of Doom: A Doomguard summoned with this spell will now scale properly from its master's stats.Shadow Embrace: This ability will now create a separate debuff stack for each Warlock with the talent, and each warlock will benefit properly from his or her own debuff.Soul Siphon: Will now gain the correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target.Unstable Affliction: Will now gain the correct damage modifiers for the creature type of the target.Warrior
Bladestorm: Fixed a bug where sometimes stuns and roots would not be removed properly when this ability is used.Damage Shield: Rank 1 of this ability now works properly.Heroic Throw no longer triggers the snare from Mage Frost Armor.PvP
The Wintergrasp Aura should now properly update in all instances, transferring the buff when the zone control changes.Arena: Dalaran Sewer: The Flush effect which pushes players out will now also remove the ability to use Demonic Circles summoned during the arena start time.Items
Emerald Queen: This idol was providing greater healing than implied by its tooltip. It has been reduced to correct value.Glyph of Ambush: This glyph will now interact correctly with Initiative when Ambush is used outside of combat range.Glyph of Charge: The stun from Charge will now work properly when Charge is used with the extra range from this glyph.Glyph of Corpse Explosion: Additional explosions from this glyph will no longer consume Unholy Runes.Glyph of Rejuvenation: The heal from this glyph is now properly considered a periodic heal.Gronstalker Set: The Aspect of Viper bonus from this set has been changed to work correctly with the redesigned Aspect of the Viper.Mana Potions: Warriors and Death Knights now receive a correct error message when attempting to use mana potions.Scrolls: Buffs from scrolls can now only be overwritten by more powerful scrolls.Soul Preserver: This item will now interact correctly with Desperate Prayer, Lay on Hands, Riptide, and Wild Growth.
