Keeping us on our toes tonight, Nexon America has cooked up a fresh batch of screenshot and artwork from their upcoming Online Action-RPG, Vindictus. These latest images show off the game's combat system and some of the monsters you'll encounter. Enjoy:
Vindictus is scheduled for release "later in 2010."
In a rather shocking "Hmm, didn't see that one coming" surprise, Bungie and Activision have just announced an exclusive ten year partnership deal.
Bungie, the developer of blockbuster game franchises including Halo, Myth and Marathon, and Activision, a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the #1 online games publisher (Nasdaq: ATVI), announced today that they have entered into an exclusive 10-year partnership to bring Bungie's next big action game universe to market. Under the terms of the agreement, Activision will have exclusive, worldwide rights to publish and distribute all future Bungie games based on the new intellectual property on multiple platforms and devices. Bungie remains an independent company and will continue to own their intellectual property. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
In practice, this will probably be very similar to the situation with Blizzard, except that Bungie is not being bought out - Activision will act only as an exclusive worldwide distribution partner. Now, before you start salivating for223c new Halo titles on the PC (or the PS3), it should be noted that the Halo franchise is owned by Microsoft and the odds of seeing new Halo title announcements from Bungie after this are exactly zero. Not that it is much of a surprise as it was known for some time already that Halo Reach would be the last Bungie Halo title.
Interestingly, it seems that this deal has been in the works for quite a while and means that future Bungie games are likely to appear also on the PC.
"We chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multi-platform experience and marketing expertise," said Harold Ryan, President of Bungie. "From working together over the past nine months on this agreement, it is clear that Activision supports our commitment to giving our fans the best possible gaming experiences."
Can't wait for the inevitable new Bungie IP from this partnership. Maybe we'll hear something already at E3 in a few months, even if it is likely that it'll be 2011 before the first Bungie-Activision game is out.
Latest Old Republic trailer is rather enlightening, and experienced MMO gamers can probably appreciate much of what the staff has to say. Seems BioWare is determined to make their mark in MMO history by doing something different to stand apart from the rest of the mark.
Creative director James Ohlen points out that most MMOs often have you team up to take on a single enemy (25-man raids, anyone?), and this doesn't feel too heroic. According to Ohlen, beating multiple enemies and surviving by the skin of your teeth is probably the better route for that sense of heroism. Yeah, I hear some of you crying already about how difficult that sounds, but rest assured, you'll have many abilities at your disposal early on.
At lower levels, you'll be able to flip around like a Sith monkey on acid, deflect blasterfire with your lightsaber, wield flamethrowers, jetpack into enemies, and rain missiles down on hostile targets -- all depending on your class choice. Troopers and bounty hunters are excellent for storming the enemy, while smugglers and Imperial agent are more tactical, relying on range. Of course, Sith and Jedi are options for players who want to mess around with Force powers.
To make sure there's enough diversity in the game, devs were careful not to make Force users totally overpowered; BioWare and LucasArts are working on balancing the classes so any combination of them can stand up against another. Any WoW Warlock who's faced a Warrior or Rogue in combat knows how freaking awesome balance is. For example, if you want raw power, Sith and Jedi simply can't stand up to a trooper, who can carry around blaster in combat. Point being, Force users aren't the all-in-one class.
Bottom line, Old Republic should let players feel like they're playing through a Star Wars movie. Epic.
Section:PC Games
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The latest Transformers: War for Cybertron reveals are notpre-order exclusives. We're back to characters everyone can use, and once again, it's an Autobot and Decepticon duo.
Warpath's vehicle form is a tank, automatically making one very badass Autobot, and the guy's been through a lot. He keeps his signature bright red paint job, loses the chest canon, and gets a few edges smoothed out. Barricade, on the other hand, got a total makeover. His bulky '90s incarnation has been redesigned with sharper edges all around, so he more closely resembles the Barricade seen in Michael Bay's recent Transformers flicks.
The current roster is comprised of Air Raid, Breakdown, Ironhide, and Skywarp, while Jazz, Shockwave, and Demolishor are reserved as pre-order incentives.
WARPATHAutobotClass: Soldier Chassis: TankPrimary Weapon: Neutron RepeaterAbilities: Guided Missile, BarrierDescription: Warpath is loud, confident, skilled and devoted to his fellow Autobots. He is also partially deaf from his amazingly large cannon. His favorite past time is showing his friends how he can split a hex nut a mile and a half away with his tank gun. Extremely well armored to go along with his extreme stubbornness and thick skull, Warpath always loves to press the battle to the Decepticons.BARRICADEDecepticonClass: ScoutChassis: CarPrimary Weapon: Neutron RepeaterAbilities: Shockwave, CloakDescription: Barricade is a true speed demon, powering his engine to speeds faster than some jets. He is a brutal leader on the battlefield, scolding Decepticons that do not perform up to his and Megatron’s standards. His favorite tactic is to goad Autobots into transforming and chasing him, then taking the Autobots on fatal routes that only he can navigate.Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles
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Creating a little buzz this afternoon, Petroglyph and True Games Interactive have launched an Open Beta test for their upcoming Online Action/RPG, Mytheon. They've also announced that if your participate in the first three days of the beta, you'll have a chance to win some pretty sweet prizes including an Alienware M17x laptop, an iPod Touch and iTunes gift cards. Click here to learn more!
Getting our adrenaline pumping this afternoon, Black Rock Studios have released a short teaser trailer for their upcoming racing title, Split/Second. Running just over a minute long, this video features an intense race at an old power plant. Pretty cool stuff! Check it out:
Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. A mirror is also available at the FileShack.
Split/Second is scheduled for release in North America on May 18th and Europe on May 21st.
Activision Publishing CEO and president Mike Griffith has resigned as of April 23, shortly before 38 former and current Infinity Ward employees sued the corporation yesterday, not to mention related drama.
Of course, it's not actually known whether or not the two are related, but the timing is suspicious, particularly given Griffith will now only collect a base salary due to resigning just two months before his June 30 employment contract expiration.
Griffith will retain his board position as vice chairman on a 12-month renewable contract, receiving $250,000/yr, in addition to stock options and eligbility.
The corporation has not specified a reason for the resignation; we've contacted them for comment.
In the first instance we've ever heard of, Activision's stock dropped about one dollar over the last two weeks from its six-month high of about $12.40 per share.
Source:Gamasutra
Alternate Source:MCV
Sections:Console Games, PC Games
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What some call the scariest video game series period has just received a minor update; the Penumbra Collection and also its individual installments are now ready to be patched on PC, Mac and Linux to version 1.1.
The Windows version appears to include last year's ATI hotfix (curing graphical issues), and also bring about the latest version of OpenAL for improved audio, while the Mac and Linux versions fix a few bugs, some critical.
Hit the source for instructions and the download.
Source:Frictional Games Support
Section:PC Games
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Attention bargain shoppers! Valve has announced that the Rockstar Collection is currently on sale through Steam for just $42.49 USD (a 50% savings). Included in this "Collection" is the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise, Max Payne 1 & 2, Bully: Scholarship Edition, Manhunt, Midnight Club 2 and Wild Metal. The deal is on all week long...so you should have plenty of time to snag it! ;)
Keeping things rollin' tonight, Fatshark has released a new patch for their Western-themed muliplayer shooter, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West. In addition to a handful of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, this latest update features new camera angles, HUD swapping options and adds the ability to see what classes your teammates are playing via the team selection screen. You can check out the full changelog right here or just relaunch your Steam client to start downloading.
Egosoft is rewarding its fans with a new patch and bonus content for X3: Terran Conflict, the latest entry in the space trading and combat series.
Version 2.6 brings performance improvements, balancing changes, key fixes, and more, in addition to Steam achievements, the ability to register your game on Steam, the community-made New Home mission set, and a new gamestart based on the Argon Prime start from previous titles.
Also on the DLC side is the Bonus Pack (separate from the patch), which features script plugin favourites like Commercial Agent and Commodity Logistics Software. More, a Dead-is-Dead gamestart is coming which "takes advantage of Steam technology." You'll be able to grab it through Steam soon.
Release notes are below; grab the patch and content via the source.
Improved rendering performanceImproved chances of the pirate variation in the Freight Scan missionFixed targeting issues with stations after a complex was destroyedFixed several issues with the Freight Scan missionFixed captured ships from Assassination missions being removedFixed missing difficulty levels with the Destroy Convoy mission Fixed mission dialogs on ships starting on the wrong option Fixed several minor mission issues Fixed weapon information display for ships with only missile turretsFixed missing wares for sale on the Goner TempleFixed Sector Traders constantly buying at average priceFixed several text issues with German text filesSource:egosoft.com
Section:PC Games
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The next "official" installment in the great Gothic RPG series hasn't been around much lately, but now we've finally got some goods to deliver.
Oh, the name change? Yes, it used to be ArcaniA: A Gothic Tale, but it seems publisher JoWood has seen to give it the more pronounced title of ArcaniA: Gothic 4. This is sure to ruffle a few feathers within the Gothic fanbase, as this installment is developed by Spellbound, a different studio than the series creators (Piranha Bytes, who developed what is essentially Gothic 4, that is, the fantastic Risen).
However, judging from the "Ambience Tech trailer" and the screenshots below, the game is actually looking quite good, if not quite capturing the essence of the series. ArcaniA was delayed last summer for polish, so it appears this is what they were after.
Story-wise, the game is set about 12 years after Gothic 3, and again features the nameless hero, though this time he's been crowned King Robar the Third and has apparently gone mad. So, you'll be playing another nameless hero, out to "settle an old score" with the fellow. It's a pretty daring move by Spellbound, and we're pretty sure one Piranha would take issue with, but we digress.
ArcaniA: Gothic 4 launches Q3 2010 on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
Source:Press release
Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles
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Shattered Horizon is expanding again with a free "Firepower" weapons pack and today FGS has rolled out the shiny official trailer for the upcoming content update. We also have the release date: New weapons will roll out for everyone on May 5th.
"The release of the Firepower weapons pack on May 5 will mark the six month anniversary of Shattered Horizon and the second time that we have made a major addition to the game," said Jaakko Haapasalo, producer at Futuremark Games Studio. "Introducing additional weapons has been a popular request from our community and we are excited to provide players with new ways to enjoy Shattered Horizon’s zero gravity combat."
Full PR is available here. The trailer is embedded below and available in HD on YouTube.
Full details on the new weapons will be rolled out, one by one, over the coming days on the Shattered Horizon official site.
Fresh out of the oven, Spellbound Entertainment has cooked up thirteen new screenshots from their upcoming Fantasy-RPG, ArcaniA: Gothic 4. These latest screenies feature some deer hunting, battles with various creatures and lush environments. Check 'em out:
ArcaniA: Gothic 4 is scheduled for release in Q3 2010.
Bioware has rolled out yet another promotional video, spilling more details on Star Wars: The Old Republic. This time it is about the combat, a key element of any MMO and the part that worries at least those who are still scarred from the most recent public example of "How Not To Do MMO Combat" - Star Trek Online.
Pulls, leaps, charges, blocking, shields, line-of-sight, cover... Yet it all reminds me quite a bit of the 2169combat seen in City of Heroes - mostly due to the whole concept of putting one hero against many weaker opponents. The only "innovation" apparently is that, "Hey, repeating same single light saber swing over and over again looks really crappy, so there should be some fancy saber animations for autoattacks". Yay!
The basic bits of combat appear to be still the same - there are still "rounds" of combat, special moves, cooldowns, status effects and ultimately it is mostly about people standing around and pummeling each other. Instead of innovative, it seems that SW:TOR is going for the safe option, basically doing the exact same thing as everyone else. At least the animations appear competent, even if the video seems to go to great lengths avoiding blending of animation sequences - moving while simultaneously performing an attack, getting hit while performing an attack and so on - something that very few MMOs have done convincingly.
I'm still quite interested, I still haven't seen anything that would put me off from trying the Old Republic, but this constant stream of hype trying to pain The Old Republic as this revolutionary game just isn't working for me. Instead, it appears to be a competent Star Wars reskin of World of Warcraft level-up experience, with a major question mark on the endgame still lingering. Please, Bioware, oh please, don't screw this up.
Giving us a peek behind the scenes tonight, Codemasters have whipped up a new video developer diary for their upcoming racing title, F1 2010. Running exactly two and a half minutes long, this video focuses on the game's realistic car handling. Pretty interesting stuff! Check it out:
The above stream is courtesy of YouTube.
F1 2010 is scheduled for release this September.
Sad, sad times in South Korea. The country's Games Rating Board has just slapped StarCraft II with an 18+ rating, an action that has shocked just about everyone on the planet. Previous builds of the game presented to the board received 15+ ratings, making the AO label an absolute shocker.
Blizzard had sought something along the lines of 12+ for the final product, similar to its North American rating. But what could compel South Korea's classification board to put such a harsh label on the nation's favorite pastime? The CRB has recently begun cracking down on games with violent content, inappropriate language, exposure to drug use, and other such elements that would corrupt their youth for the next several centuries -- something like that. The government has been taking action to combat widespread addicting to gaming and the Internet, particularly in younger gamers. Companies are actually being pressured/encouraged to use "fatigue systems" in their games, which will insert annoying disadvantages in-game once the player exceeds a certain time limit. This new interest in gaming habits has no doubt influenced the board's decision.
"Considering that the RC version of the game is closer to what will be sold on the shelves compared to the beta versions, we looked more carefully at the content," said a GRB official. "However, this rating is not final, as Blizzard will get the chance to object to it."
The Games Rating Boards is part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Source:The Korea Times
Section:PC Games
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If you use Facebook, then you're well acquainted with friends spamming your feed and suggesting games to you. Farmville may be the most popular, but creator Zynga also has something for the hardcore casual gamers, titled Mafia Wars.
Now they've recently added animals as combat items, with two special Limited Edition animals available off the game's marketplace: a pit bull and an African lion. Guess which one of those upset PETA? The answer is A) pit bull.
Most dog people know that pit bulls aren't actually violent unless trained for fighting, as they often are, and PETA is worried about the game's misrepresentation of the breed. The bright side is that members aren't actually raging, since developer Zynga is known for being animal-friendly; sales of virtual bulldogs in YoVille go toward donations to the SPCA in San Francisco.
Still, PETA is calling all animal-lovers to message Zynga and ask that they remove the dog from Mafia Wars. I guess they don't mind having lions and other animals as virtual weapons, or something. If it sells well, however, there's very little chance the company will remove it.
Source:The PETA Files
Section:PC Games
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Spreading the good news today, Funcom has announced that their upcoming Age of Conan: Rise of the Godslayer expansion pack will be hitting retail stores and digital distribution outlets on May 11th. They also note that the retail edition of the expansion will come bundled with the original game, a social pet and various other virtual items. Here's a little snippet from the press release:
"We are now ready to publish the expansion and it feels great to sound the horn and let players into this great new world that we have created," says Morten Larssen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Funcom. "It is also very exciting to be re-engaging with retail together with our great distribution partne201frs with an updated product that contains both the expansion and the original game, making this release relevant to both new players, previous players and our current playerbase."
You can find the full PR right here.
Getting in on the action tonight, Gas Powered Games have released a new patch for their hit Strategy title, Supreme Commander 2. This latest update addresses a some crashing issues, exploits and a handful of other bugs. You can find the full changelog right here or just relaunch your Steam client to start downloading. So what are you waiting for?! ;)
Though Rocksteady has been working on the successor for some time now, they're not quite done with Batman: Arkham Asylum. According to a job recruitment e-mail from the studio accidentally sent to CVG, DLC for the game is now in the planning stages, at the least.
They're looking for a 'Lead DLC Artist', so we can assume it's some actual new content instead of more challenge maps. Those are nice and all, but we'd all prefer new stories and levels and such, no?
Source:ComputerAndVideoGames.com
Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles
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Missed our Beat Hazard review? No worries, little guy, it's right here.
We're awfully sweet on the game, a music-fueled shoot-em-up, especially with the cheap price. If you were hesitant at all though, a demo has been released on Steam for your judgment. If we hear correctly, it consists of a 10-song trial.
So, head to the source to check it out!
Source:Steam
Section:PC Games
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As promised, the fine folks over at Valve Software have released a new DLC pack for their hit co-op shooter, Left 4 Dead 2. Dubbed "The Passing", this FREE addon features a new campaign where you meet up with the cast from the original L4D, new weekly game modes (Mutations), a new co-operative challenge mode, infected bot support in Versus, a new "uncommon common" zombie class (The Fallen Survivor), two new weapons (Golf Club & M-60) amd 10 new achievements. Just relaunch your Steam client to start downloading!
To celebrate The Passing's release, Valve is offering a 33% discount on Left 4 Dead 2 from now until Monday, April 26th. So be sure to grab it while it's cheap! :D
Spreading the good news today, Spellbound Entertainment AG has officially announced the development of a new Fantasy-Action game called "Ravensdale". Due out in 2012, the game centers around high pressure steam outlets that supercharge your equipment, allowing you to "pulverize" adversaries and overcome obstacles. Here's the scoop:
Kehl, Germany, April 22nd 2010 – Today, the German development studio Spellbound Entertainment AG officially announced its new project “Ravensdale”. The highly ambitious action game is set in a striking fantasy world offering a fresh and unique approach to the genre. The game will be developed for Xbox360, Playstation 3 and PC and is targeting for a release in 2012.
Project “Ravensdale” is a fast paced fantasy action game in a very unique “steam powered” setting featuring cool and outrageously over-powered gadgetry. The player will seek out high pressure steam outlets, to supercharge his equipment, allowing him to pulverize his adversaries and overcome the obstacles on his path.
“We are proud to announce our new project. Spellbound has been creating successful brands and projects for over 15 years. Our products have always been and continue t21cao be exemplary in the domain of creativity, aesthetic quality and art style. Our “steam powered” approach brings a completely refreshing and surprising value to the fantasy action genre. We are very excited about our new project and delighted by the strong interest that it is attracting.” Andreas Speer, CEO at Spellbound Entertainment AG comments.
And to help whet our appetite, here's some concept art:
The traditional view of Activision, even by some of its supporters, is not a positive one. Most of us see them as a tyrant, ready to squeeze franchises for everything they're worth until they pop. It's not without merit: CEO Bobby Kotick is known for phrases like, "[We don't pick up games that] don't have the potential to be exploited every year on every platform with clear sequel potential and have the potential to become $100 million franchises."
You'd think then -- like quite a few publishers out there -- Activision would be constantly infringing on creative freedom of developers, telling them what to make and how to make because "that's what the market wants." According to Activision's "Social Media Manager" Dan Amrich, posting in a Facebook discussion group called "Gamers against Bobby Kotick & Activision", that's not the situation at all.
"The way it works at Activision is pretty simple and decentralized," explains Amrich. "Activision foots the bill; the developers follow their muse. There are a handful of studios under the Activision umbrella (Raven, IW, Neversoft, Bizarre, Toys For Bob, etc) and they each have creative freedom. PLEASE read that again -- they have creative freedom. Activision works with the devs, says "here's what we'd like" or "can you change this" -- but the game vision, the way it unfolds, comes from the developers."
"Blur comes to mind, where Activision said, "So, fall 2009, yes?" but the devs said "we need more time to make a better game" and here were are with a May 2010 release date.
People too often assume that it's working with a Activision is like an endboss level or something out of a movie. It's not Activision saying "DO THIS OR ELSE" and the developer cowering in fear and/or forming a rebellion to overthrow the empire. More often than not, it's a discussion about where to go next, and weighing different factors, both business and creative.
Sometimes those discussions probably get heated -- but this is what it's like in all aspects of the real world. People disagree, people go with their gut, people present their case, people counter points. Ultimately you move forward and see if it worked."
Amrich says Activision was fine with him posting in the group, saying only, "Wow, you're brave."
After that he continues on, stating some of Kotick's comments have been taken out of context and were run with by media, or simply "came out wrong", though some are definitely reprehensible (whatever the case).
At the same time, Amrich is not afraid to criticize the company, and says he certainly doesn't agree with everything that goes on.
For one, the oversaturation of Guitar Hero games last year was a mistake, but they've learned, which is why there's just one this year. More, he says the $15 Modern Warfare 2 DLC was a mistake, and wanted to suggest a $10 pack, with the two maps from the prequel given free, but it was too late.
Another topic touched on is The Silver Lining fan-made King's Quest tribute, which Activision canned, some time after releasing the series on its own website and not long after on GOG.com (the latter makes a lot more sense after hearing all this). Amrich says he was also dissapointed by that, but hopes the creators turn it into an original property someday.
Surprised as we are to say this, while we feel Activision is seriously flawed at times, perhaps it's not so much as we thought. Of course, to sway the community much will take many, many years of work on multiple fronts -- even more than EA has been putting in, receiving little acknowledgement in return.
Source:Facebook
Sections:Console Games, PC Games, Handheld Games
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Voice actor Kevin Conroy (aka "Classic Batman") was happy to discuss the dark knight at this week's Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo, touching on the recent film and also the upcoming Arkham Asylum 2.
Since we haven't really hard anything since the teaser trailer, it's exciting to learn the game will be "really, really dark." The first game wasn't exactly rainbows and sunshine, but for those that wanted more, this should be right up your alley. Conroy says it will be reminiscient of Batman Beyond: The Return of the Joker, known for its really dark darkness.
"It involves a lot of the villains and it goes to that area -it's that dark," he stated.
Did we mention it's dark?
Conroy accidentally lets it slip Two-Face will be one of the villains featured. This seemed almost inevitable anyway, as he's a favourite and a perfect fit for Rocksteady's style. Hey, as long it's not Calendar Man, we're happy.
On the subject of voice acting, he acknowledged the huge financial success and fan support for Arkham, but then compared the work to "some kind of homeland security torture." Conroy explained he'd go through several hour stretches of recording the same phrase (like "Get out of here"), with three different inflections and three different takes for each kind.
"When you're alone, it goes on for days and by the end of the week, not only can you barely talk, but you're ready to run [home] screaming," he said.
The actor finished up the panel recalling a story he's told many times, though perhaps you've not yet heard. Following September 11, 2001, Conroy volunteered as a late night cook for ground zero workers (now there's a hero). After an architect recognized his voice, he found himself surrounded by praise and conversation from fellow workers. Conroy later called voice actor and voice director Andrea Romano and said, "You know, we should never ever, ever, ever trivialize what we do. It really makes people happy."
Update: Mr. Freeze and the lesser-known Talia al Ghul have also been revealed as featured characters.
Source:Comic Book Resources
Alternate Source:GameGrep
Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles
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