Take On Helicopters Announced

Kicking things off today, Bohemia Interactive has announced that they're working on a new helicopter sim called "Take On Helicopters". Due out in Q4 2011, the game promises massive environments using North American and South Asian terrain-data, numerous open-world challenges, a mission editor and cooperative/competitive multiplayer modes. Here's the official word:

Prague, Czech Republic 31st March - Bohemia Interactive, the award-winning independent Czech development studio, is pleased to announce the development of a brand new helicopter game: Take On Helicopters. Built upon over 10 years of experience, Take On Helicopters immerses players within beautifully rich landscapes and an authentic helicopter experience. The complete helicopter experience is scheduled for release exclusively for PC in Q4 2011.

Take your first steps towards mastering rotor-wing flight across a massive range of enjoyable challenges, or create your own missions using the powerful easy-to-use mission editor.Take to the air above two beautifully rich and expansive environments, based upon real-world North American and South Asian terrain-data.Take on cutting-edge technology, helicopters modelled in stunning detail, a large-scale, open-world sandbox and authentic flight dynamics...Take On Helicopters!

In the latest instalment of Bohemia Interactive's line-up of immersive games, the player takes on the role of a civilian helicopter pilot. Harry Larkin's aviation business has fallen on tough times. Built up over decades, it's now only days away from closure. His sons face an uncertain future, struggling to save the company their father spent his whole life building. Together, they must take on contracts and competitors; together, they take on helicopters!

Take On Helicopters will offer:

High fidelity flight dynamics modellingRichly modelled helicopters & cockpitsExpansive & detailed environmentsPowerful & intuitive mission editorMultiplayer in co-op & competitive scenarios

Bohemia Interactive´s CEO, Marek Spanel, explains: "Our military simulators from the Arma series have been providing infinite fun and creativity for nearly a decade now. Helicopters were always an important part of our games and we feel it is time to give them some proper polish in a dedicated project. Take On Helicopters is an accessible yet very authentic helicopter game, which challenges players to prove their flight skills in the rich environments of North America and South Asia.”

For more information please visit projects website at www.takeonthegame.com ;Take On Helicopters is scheduled for release exclusively for PC in Q4 2011

Track us on the web and via social networks to be the first to know:

YouTube: takeonthegameTwitter: takeonthegameFacebook: takeonthegameFacebook: Bohemia Interactive

And a few screenshots to drool over:

 

 

 

 

Pirates of Black Cove 'First Gameplay' Trailer

Also available for download this afternoon is a new gameplay trailer for Nitro Games' upcoming RTS/RPG, Pirates of Black Cove. Running just over a minute and a half long, this video gives us our first look at the game in action. And it actually looks pretty cool! Check it out:

Thanks to YouTube for the above stream. Head over to GamersHell or the FileShack for a mirror.

Don't forget to sign-up for the Closed Beta!

Fan-made Gnome Chompski game trailer is expectedly hilarious

Today is only Tuesday, and we usually don't post anything too amusing until the weekend hits, but consider this an exception. An individual by the YouTube handle "FineLeatherJackets" has created a game trailer for a Gnome Chompski game. Right, the garden gnome from Left 4 Dead 2.

The game doesn't actually exist, of course, but the trailer stands firm on its own. Hilarious is practically a given, but it's also surprisingly epic. Then again, anything can be epic when you slap Two Steps From Hell to it.

Gnome Chompski, chainsaws, automatic weapons, jetpacks, dinosaurs, zombies -- maybe this could be an actual game. The music you'll hear is "Am I Not Human" by Two Steps From Hell, followed by "Invaders Must Die" by The Prodigy.

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games

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World of Warcraft 4.1 update introduces Guild Challenges

Included with the upcoming World of Warcraft 4.1 update are Guild Challenges, a new feature that rewards extra guild EXP and gold. To be eligible for Guild Challenges, the guild must be at least level 5 and participating members must have honored reputation within the guild.

How do you take part in Guild Challenges? Simply have a certain amount of guild members present for dungeons and battlegrounds: three members for dungeons, eight for battlegrounds, and 20 for raids. Once the challenge is met, the guild is awarded the EXP and gold is directly deposited into the guild vault.

Best of all, Guild Challenges award EXP beyond the daily experience cap so your guild can level up quicker if everyone puts in a fair share of effort. If your guild hits the level cap, Guild Challenges will simply award even more gold.

Source:Battle.net

Section:PC Games

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Runic forgoes subscription fees for Torchlight MMO

When a new massively multiplayer online title is announced, many MMO players immediately ask about subscription fees. Seeing as how most MMOs these days just copy World of Warcraft's model, the number of quality free-to-play online games hasn't exactly skyrocketed, with Guild Wars being one of the few well-known exceptions.

Runic Games' Torchlight MMO is now underway, so the question of fees has come up once more. In the famous words of Professor Farnsworth, "Good news, everyone!" Runic won't be implementing subscription fees for their upcoming Torchilight-based MMO, and according to studio CEO Max Schaefer, WoW had something to do with this decision.

“You can’t really approach any MMO project without taking into account World of Warcraft," Schaefer said. "It’s the elephant in the room of every MMO company.

"I don't think anyone can do [subscriptions] anymore because pretty much everyone that does subscriptions has one for World of Warcraft."

For anyone waiting on Torchlight II, development has just about ended, and although it's still missing a release date, Runic is "aiming for late summer."

Source:Charge Shot

Sections:Console Games, PC Games

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Miracle Kidz developing River City Ransom sequel

Miracle Kidz is reviving the classic NES brawler River City Ransom for home consoles and PC in Japan. River City Ransom 2 will show up this later this summer for consoles while the PC version (confirmed to have online features) is scheduled for a 2012 release.

The original River City Ransom was notable for including RPG elements that allowed players to boost their stats and learn new moves over the course of the game. Some of the staff members from River City Ransom are working on the sequel.

Source:andriasang

Sections:Console Games, PC Games

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Steam Midweek Sale: 75% Off Arkham Asylum & Gothic Bundle

Attention bargain shoppers! Valve's Steam digital distribution service is offering a 75% discount on Batman: Arkham Asylum and the Gothic Complete Pack from now until 4pm PST on Thursday, March 24th. Those are some pretty sweet deals, so don't miss out!

 

 

Dawn of War II: Retribution Free Content Update Planned

Keeping the good news coming today, Relic Entertainment has announced plans for a major content update for their hit RTS/RPG, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II - Retribution. Word is this FREE update will be released on April 6th and will include twelve new Steam achievements related to the Last Stand mode, which when unlocked, provide players with new wargear. Here's the scoop:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. March 21, 2011 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that owners of Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War® II - Retribution™ will be receiving a free update for The Last Stand™ mode expected to go live on 6th April.

The Last Stand, the game’s co-operative survival mode, will be getting an additional twelve new Steam achievements. Unlocking each achievement will grant a new piece of wargear, giving the player even more options when equipping their hero.

The Last Stand update for Warhammer® 40,000®: Dawn of War® II - Retribution™ is scheduled to be available for free via a downloadable patch on 6th April.

Sweet!

Square Enix to flick power switch back on for FFXI & FFXIV

Like many other companies in Japan, Square Enix and Konami have pledged to cut down on power use as the earthquake and tsunami crisis which hit eastern Japan earlier this month have put a serious strain on the country's resources. This involved temporarily pulling the plug on services like game servers for its persistent online RPGs like Metal Gear Online and in the case of Square Enix, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV.

Today Square Enix announces they will be bringing Final Fantasy XI and XIV back online this Friday evening after the brief hiatus. What's more, FFXI players will not be billed for April; FFXIVremains free to play until Square Enix can decide how to make the game fun to play as well.

Interestingly, approximately 11.6 percent of Square Enix's total monthly power usage can be attributed to their MMORPGs and the Play Online services, if February's data was any indication. Yet the publisher still intends on cutting down on power usage, so that means cutting back around 11-12 percent elsewhere.

For the time being, Square Enix will be fully shutting down the office climate control and reducing interior lighting at its Tokyo branch to cut its power usage as much as possible. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, and you know what tough means when you're forced to make a sacrifice for the sake of FFXIV's continued existence.

Sections:Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Dungeon Fighter Online in development for Xbox LIVE

Not too many massively multiplayer online titles play well on controller, but with the burgeoning trend of action MMOs, companies might find multiplatform a tempting and lucrative direction to take.

Such is the case with Nexon, who has announced plans to bring their retro 2D side-scroller Dungeon Fighter Online over to Xbox LIVE. Neople and Softmax are handling development, with Microsoft (obviously) in charge of distribution and localization for Japanese, German, Spanish, Italian, and French versions; Nexon is handling the English, Chinese, and Korean versions themselves.

Release is expected some time later this year.

Source:andriasang

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games

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Trine 2 Slips To Summer 2011

Grabbing our attention this afternoon, Atlus and Frozenbyte have announced that their highly anticipated Action-Platformer, Trine 2, has been delayed for unspecified reasons. Previously scheduled for release this Spring, the game is now expected to hit stores in "late Summer 2011". To help ease the blow, the developers have released a new gameplay trailer titled "Alluring Adventure". Enjoy:

Dungeons 'Into the Dark' DLC Announced

Catching our eye this afternoon, Realmforge has announced that they're working on a new DLC pack for their hit Strategy-Sim, Dungeons. Scheduled for release on March 28th, "Into the Dark" will feature one new mission, along with 10 new sandbox-mode maps and 19 new prestige gimmicks. The DLC will run you $3.99 USD and will be available through the official Kalypso Launcher. Here's the scoop:

Bracknell, UK – 21st March 2011 – Kalypso Media and Realmforge are pleased to announce an exciting new bundle of content will soon be available for their popular strategy/simulation game, Dungeons. Titled “Into the Dark”, this new DLC pack will include one new mission (about 1.5 hours additional gameplay), 10 new sandbox-mode maps and 19 new prestige gimmicks. The new DLC will cost $3.99 USD / 3.99 GBP, and will be available via the Kalypso Launcher from within Dungeons or as a digital download via most portals on March 28. For more information about Dungeons, please visit www.dungeons-game.com.

Dungeons follows the misadventures of the foremost of all Dungeon Lords, who spends his time luring heroes into his labyrinthine creations with the promise of treasure and a good fight - only to be trapped by his ingenious devices.

In Dungeons, our protagonist falls victim to a devious plot hatched by his vile, nasty and thoroughly vicious ex-girlfriend and finds himself at the bottom of the underworld hierarchy and the top of the dungeon pile. In his world, that is about as bad as it can get. Our lord must have his revenge, and make his way back down the dungeon levels to his rightful place - but first he must deal with his new bosses, the three despicable Dungeon Lords who stand in his way.

At his disposal are his dim-witted goblin minions who dig tunnels and build rooms to lay out his lair and trap ever stronger and braver heroes who dare to enter, not forgetting to plot his revenge against his ex-girlfriend and his new bosses who think it’s great fun to bombard him with useless tasks. It goes without saying that a malicious and sneaky creature such as our Dungeon Lord has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Revenge will be sweet indeed.

Arkham City pre-order incentives include 'Joker's Carnival' challenge map, combo pack

Arkham City finally got a release date, but October 18 is still a ways off. That doesn't mean Warner Bros. and retailers can't start hawking pre-order bonuses early, which they are.

The official Arkham Citywebsite features four major North American retailers -- Amazon, Wal-Mart, GameStop, and Best Buy -- though only two have pre-order incentives attached. Guess which ones those are? If you picked C and D, reward yourself with a cookie and a pat on the back.

GameStop, the video game retailer everyone loves to hate, is offering an exclusive "Joker's Carnival" challenge map with pre-orders. Best Buy, another retailer with a less-than-positive reputation, is throwing in a "combo pack" deal. Not too sure what that is, though we're guessing it's something like special moves or skills for the Bat. Just in case it wasn't made clear, Amazon.com and Wal-Mart have no related pre-order incentives at this time.

Neither GameStop nor Best Buy had these these pre-order perks listed on their Arkham City product pages yet, last we checked, but don't let that stop you from getting an early start. Or, you know, check back later.

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Crysis 2 video features raw PC footage, pits Alcatraz against CELL troopers

Trailers usually come through heavily edited for the sake of cool factor, and as entertaining as such videos tend to be, we still can't turn down actual raw gameplay footage. Crytek and EA have been pretty good about providing both, at least, and the latest is the final installment for their ongoing Crysis 2 Experience video series.

Here, we see Alcatraz square off against a squad of CELL troopers while making full use of his Nanosuit capabilities in conjunction with weapon attachments. The first half of the video is definitely more action-driven, with plenty of run 'n' gun. Toward the end, we see some stealthier gameplay using the suit's cloaking technology and the appropriate weapon mod (i.e. silencer). Note that this gameplay is taken from the PC version.

Crysis 2 will be out for Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 next Tuesday, March 22. Prepare an excuse for when you call in sick at work.

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Magicka Update Released

Also available for download tonight is a small patch (v1.3.5.5) for Arrowhead Studios' hit Action-RPG, Magicka. This latest update features a handful of bug fixes, a modified content check and file verification that disables achievements, online leaderboards and VAC protected games when using modified content. You can find the full changelog right here or just launch the game's auto-updater to start downloading. Cheers!

Section 8: Prejudice Video Dev Diary #1

Giving us a peek behind the scenes tonight, TimeGate Studios have released a new video developer diary for their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Section 8: Prejudice. Running just under six minutes long, this video touches on the game's design, weapons, vehicles, modes and more! Check it out:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers. A mirror is also available at GamersHell.

Section 8: Prejudice is scheduled for release in "early 2011".

Volition bringing PC versions back in-house

Red Faction and Saint's Row series developer Volition says they're now committed to the PC, and at least for the forseeable future, won't be outsourcing their PC versions to other studios anymore. Saint's Row 2 and Red Faction: Guerilla both went that route and suffered for it, though the latter title was eventually fixed up proper with patches.

In any case, the studio is acting on its word already: studio manager Eric Barker is saying the upcoming PC version of Red Faction: Armageddon looks "absolutely beautiful" with a solid graphics card, and Saint's Row: The Third sounds like it will be getting similar treatment.

Happily, Barker seems to get that piracy isn't a big deal if you compete with it by offering enough incentive.

"I don't think [it's] something at the forefront for us," he says. "First and foremost, we want to make sure we're making a game people would want to pirate. Let's make a game that's worth stealing, and then we'll worry about making sure they don't."

This all seems to fit in with the new plan at THQ, who own Volition and "want everything on PC."

Source:Eurogamer.net

Section:PC Games

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Australian Commonwealth planning to introduce R18+ rating in July 2011

After years of debate and effort to introduce an R18+ rating in Australia, the Australian Federal Government has declared it will bring forward the R18+ rating by July 2011. The Federal Government will bring out the rating even if some Australian states refuse to sign on with the plan.

In response to the declaration,Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor is asking for all state Attorney-Generals to convene and unanimously support the rating. O'Connor goes as far as saying that the lack of the R18 rating for video games makes Australia "the laughing stock of the developed world" because it's the only country in the world to not have one.

O'Connor himself fully supports the R18+ rating as he believes it'll protect children, help parents make informed decisions, and give adult gamers more choice in what they're able to play.

Source:Adelaide Now

Sections:Console Games, PC Games, Handheld Games

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Starpoint Gemini Goes Gold

Spreading the good news today, Iceberg Interactive and LGM Games have announced that their upcoming tactical Space RPG, Starpoint Gemini, has officially gone gold and will begin shipping to stores on March 25th. To celebrate this milestone, the developers have released a new gameplay trailer. Check it out:

Prey 2 Announced

Kicking things off today, Bethesda Softworks and Human Head Studios have officially announced the development of Prey 2, a sequel to their classic first person shooter. Details are pretty sparse at the moment, but what we do know is that they're targeting a 2012 release and the game will utilize id Software's id tech engine. Further details will be revealed in May. Here's the scoop:

March 14, 2011 (Rockville, MD) — Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced that Prey® 2, the sequel to the popular 2006 game, is scheduled for release in 2012 and will be available for Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows. Further details on the game will be revealed in the May issues of Official Xbox Magazine and PlayStation: The Official Magazine, as well as in magazines throughout Europe.

Prey 2 is being developed by Human Head Studios, the studio that created Prey, the original, award-winning game. Prey 2 is being built on the cutting edge id tech engine from id Software.

“We are thrilled to be working with Bethesda on Prey 2,” said Chris Rhinehart, project lead. “Prey 2 will provide gamers the opportunity to explore a new facet of the Prey universe, one that offers fast-paced action in an open, alien world. We’re excited to show gamers the title we have been working on and hope they will be as excited by this title as we are.”

Continue to check

Nexon takes over as publisher for Atlantica Online

Atlantica Online players will be seeing a few changes coming soon, as Nexon prepares to take over publishing and other services for the MMO later this month, on March 22.

The biggest change the community will notice is the implementation of NX Cash, Nexon's virtual currency system, which will be used "or purchasing in-game items and add-ons via the Item Mall, as well as support for Atlantica Online on Nexon’s web properties."

The migration process will have a "discretionary period" starting "soon" and lasting until later April. Players probably already caught wind of several changes being implemented in the game, like the removal of the Stamina system last month. New content is being planned for March, plus the Three Kingdoms update on April 5.

Section:PC Games

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BioShock 2 Protector Trials, Kill 'Em Kindly DLC released free on PC

As promised many moons ago, the BioShock 2 "Protector Trials" single player DLC has been released free on PC, though awhile later than expected, even after the first delay.

In any case, it's here now and contains six new maps, new unlockables (concept art and videos), and seven new achievements. The content itself pits you, a Big Daddy, against waves of Splicers in a bid to protect your Little Sister.

Grab the content via the source or by booting up the game now.

Update: Kill 'Em Kindly DLC has been released free as well. In this multiplayer mode, players have at each other with only golf clubs. Oh yes.

Source:Games for Windows

Section:PC Games

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The Next Big Thing Screenshots

Breaking out the eyecandy tonight, Pendulo Studios have released four new screenshots from their upcoming Adventure title, The Next Big Thing. These latest screenies feature some investigation work by journalists Liz Allaire and Dan Murray. Check 'em out:

 

 

 

 

The Next Big Thing is scheduled for release in April 2011.

Men of War: Assault Squad Update Released

Wrapping things up tonight, Digitalmindsoft has released a major patch (v1.81.2) for their RTS, Men of War: Assault Squad. In addition to the usual laundry list of bug fixes and gameplay tweaks, this update features new multiplayer maps, vehicles and weapons. You can peruse the full changelog right here or just launch the game's auto-updater to start downloading. Cheers! :D

DC Universe Online origins video details Joker and Batman paths

When starting DC Universe Online players can choose to either be villains or heroes, and from there, select a mentor based on your preferred style of play. Confused? It's not really as complicated as it sounds.

Say you like using gadgets when you fight to harass your enemies, rather than just diving in like Superman, fists flying. If you choose Tech, your mentor is either Batman or Joker, depending on which side you take. Obivously, this means the villain and hero paths yield different experiences during gameplay, though you begin in Gotham either way.

DCUO creative director Jens Anderson goes into further detail on these two Tech mentors, touching on their differing intentions and how that affects who you'll fight alongside or against.

Sections:Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Guild Wars 2 will introduce eight crafting disciplines

Guild Wars was relatively unconventional as far as MMOs go, and that's what attracted such a massive following in spite of WoW's foothold in the market. Guild Wars 2 does implement a few more features commonly seen in such "traditional" MMOs, with multiple races and world events being just a couple examples.

Most recently, game designer Andrew McLeod wrote in detail about the new crafting disciplines in GW2, and not surprisingly, they sound pretty familiar. You'll find eight different crafts in ArenaNet's upcoming (and long-awaited) online RPG:

Weaponsmith – Weaponsmiths craft melee weapons, such as swords, axes and hammers.Huntsman – Huntsmen craft ranged weapons like bows and pistol, as well as torches and warhorns.Artificer – Artificers craft magical weapons such as staves and sceptersArmorsmith – Armorsmiths craft heavy armor pieces.Leatherworker – Leatherworkers craft medium armor pieces.Tailor – Tailors craft light armor pieces.Jewelcrafter – Jewelcrafters craft jewelry, such as rings and necklaces.Cook – Cooks can prepare food which characters can eat for temporary combat buffs.

Players can choose two of these crafts at a time, so expect to do a lot of trading with others for their services and goods. Of course, you can always switch out disciplines if you'd prefer something new or more useful to your class.

Guild Wars already had Salvage Kits for breaking objects into usable materials for crafting armor and weapons (formerly done by NPCs only), but with the new player crafting disciplines comes the harvesting mechanic, which works the same way as any other MMO. You can harvest materials from ore veins, vegetation, and just about any other resource in the world.

Of course, you can't just sit down in the wilderness and start making weapons. You'll need to craft at stations situated in major cities or outposts, like anvils or woodworking benches. Trainers will always be nearby to help you level and teach you new items to create, and for every object you make, you'll earn a bit of experience toward your craft.

Hm, this all sounds very familiar, doesn't it? Guess we'll soon be seeing hordes of players crowded around looms and forges rubbing their hands together like extreme OCD sufferers.

Image Gallery

Section:PC Games

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Tribes: Ascend announced

Getting our adrenaline pumping this afternoon, Hi-Rez Studios has officially announced the development of Tribes: Ascend, a "successor to the much lauded Tribes 2." Details are currently under tight wraps, but they do state that they're targeting a late 2011 release. Here's the scoop:

ATLANTA - March 11, 2011 - Today at the PAX East game festival, Hi-Rez Studios released an announcement trailer for Tribes: Ascend™, proclaiming the return of the sci-fi, online multi-player shooter franchise Tribes.

The Tribes collection of games have been played by well over 1 million people.

Tribes: Ascend, developed using the Unreal 3 engine, is being positioned as the multi-player successor to the much lauded Tribes 2 and a re-introduction of the franchise to the gaming world.

Hi-Rez Studios acquired Tribes in October, 2010 and revealed plans to develop a massive scale, persistent world shooter called Tribes Universe. Today's announcement confirms that long-term franchise strategy, but Hi-Rez has chosen to first deliver the single-purchase, digital download Tribes: Ascend this calendar year.

"Before Halo, before Modern Warfare, and before Battlefield, there was Tribes.", says Todd Harris, Hi-Rez Studios COO. "Tribes fans appreciate the game's essence - athletic FPS combat combined with teamwork and strategy. As we began development of Tribes Universe, we focused first on capturing that essence - refining and modernizing iconic elements like jetpacks, skiing, and vehicles. We’ve had tremendous fun play-testing and realized the potential of a multiplayer focused title ahead of Tribes Universe. The community has been waiting for a multi-player shooter that is the modern successor to T2. Tribes: Ascend is that game."

Tribes: Ascend is targeted for release in late 2011 as a digital download on Windows PC and the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Additional platforms are currently under consideration as well.

For more information:

Website - www.TribesAscend.com

Facebook - www.facebook.com/TribesAscend

And here's a short teaser trailer to help get us excited:

Lord of the Rings: War in the North 'Brutal Combat' Trailer

Also available for download tonight is a new trailer for Snowblind Studios' upcoming RPG, The Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Running just over a minute and a half long, this video shows off the game's brutal combat via a mix of cinematic cutscenes and in-game action. Enjoy:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. A mirror is also available at GamersHell.

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North is scheduled for release in 2011.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution release set for August

Delayed for polish in December for an uncertain amount of time, Deus Ex: Human Revolution finally has release dates: August 23 (US) and August 26 (UK). Retailers began posting the new dates yesterday, and now developer Eidos Montreal has confirmed them via their Twitter account.

With about five months of extra development time, it will be interesting to see how polished the game ends up being.

Source:Twitter / Eidos Montreal

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Mech shooter 'Hawken' trailer debuts with striking environments

Once in awhile an independent game comes along that shows promise in a way mainstream games rarely do. Today that game is Hawken, a multiplayer "mech combat FPS" made by Adhesive Games.

The progress shown in this first trailer was made by a small team with the Unreal Development Kit in nine months -- a far cry from the big team, big budget model that's become standard, and yet it's more enticing than most.

The art direction in the urban environments strike us most, and the mech models aren't too shabby, either. The mech animations are clearly a work in progress, but there's plenty of time for that.

Hawken will sport deathmatch and team deathmatch modes; the studio hopes to release it on PC as well as consoles at a currently undetermined date.

Image Gallery

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Pirates of Black Cove Video Dev Diary

Also available for download this afternoon is a new video developer diary for Nitro Games' upcoming Action-Strategy title, Pirates of Black Cove. Running just under five minutes long, this video touches on the game's humor, crew progression, missions, combat, strategies and a whole lot more! Enjoy:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers. A mirror is also available at GamersHell.

Pirates of Black Cove's release date is still TBA.

Homefront Goes Gold

Spreading the good news today, THQ and Kaos Studios have announced that their upcoming first person shooter, Homefront, has officially gone gold and will begin shipping to stores on March 15th. Here's the scoop:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., Mar 04, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- THQ Inc. (NASDAQ:THQI) today announced that Homefront(TM), the latest FPS from Kaos Studios(R), has passed the gold master stage of development and entered manufacturing. A multiple award winner at E3 2010, Homefront has captured the imagination of the gaming public, and has proved to be one of the most anticipated releases of 2011 as the scheduled March 15th release date nears.

"Homefront is set to become one of THQ's most successful original IP launches," said Danny Bilson, EVP Core Games, THQ. "The team at Kaos have spent three years building an FPS that competes with the very best, offering a thrilling and original single player experience and hundreds of hours of multiplayer."

In advance of release, THQ is preparing hundreds of dedicated servers in multiple locations across the globe to support Homefront's epic multiplayer mode.

"We're providing dedicated servers for both console and PC versions of the game," said Drew Como, Director of Infrastructure, THQ. "Dedicated servers allow us to support 32-players on large maps with infantry, vehicles and drones, and level the playing field compared to titles that rely on user-hosted games. We know how important this is to the FPS community, and we're looking forward to seeing their reaction on March 15th."

Homefront is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360(R) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION(R) 3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC on March 15 2011 in North America and Continental Europe, March 17 in Australia, and March 18 in the UK.

For more Homefront information, visit Homefront-Game.com, follow Twitter.com/HomefrontGame or become a fan at Facebook.com/HomefrontGame.

Sounds pretty cool!

Saints Row: The Third coming Holiday 2011

Volition is bringing back Saints Row for the 2011 holiday season, dubbedSaints Row: The Third. Players once again play as a member of the Third Street Saints to take on a worldwide crime group.

Taking place years after Saints Row 2, the Third Street Saints run the city of Stilwater undisputed and have become a household name. An elite criminal organization known as The Syndicate has taken notice of the Saints and demands tribute from them. The Saints won't stand for any of The Syndicate's nonsense and head out to a new city to confront the bullying group and show them who's boss.

Volition is promising "the most outlandish gameplay scenarios ever seen" while ditching some of the sillier mission types like pizza deliveries and ferrying family members around the city. Saints Row: The Third will be available for PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 when it goes on sale.

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games, Sony Consoles

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Bungie working on massively multiplayer online title

Bungie gave a little bit of info regarding their next project at GDC 2011, saying that it'll be a massively multiplayer online game. The MMO will be published by Activision and Bungie asserted that it wouldn't be a sort of "WoW in space" as some rumors were suggesting.

The former Halo developer has been tight-lipped about their next game though they were recently seen registering a few domain names with some potential game titles. Bungie did not mention any of these names at their GDC panel.

Source:PC Gamer

Sections:Console Games, PC Games

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moreRelated news storiesNewest Crysis 2 multiplayer progression video covers weapon upgradesMarch 04, '11Homefront montage video highlights multiplayer action and featuresMarch 04, '11Mortal Kombat demo hits PlayStation Network on March 8March 03, '11

Crysis 2 PC multiplayer demo hitting March 1

Forget the leak: the Crysis 2 multiplayer PC demo is hitting March 1, in less than two weeks. This is expected to be the real deal, complete with a wide of graphical options and enhancements. For the official system requirements, visit the profile above.

12 players at a time will battle it out on two maps (Skyline and Pier 17) in two modes (Team Instant Action and Crash Site); while PC gamers haven't been happy about waiting, as usual it's paid off with extra content. The final version of the game will feature six modes spread across 12 maps.

We'll have the announcement on the front page when the demo goes live. In the meantime, check out the multiplayer demo briefing video if you just can't stand waiting.

Section:PC Games

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Upcoming Left 4 Dead 2 DLC includes fan-made campaign

It's been quiet on the Left 4 Dead 2 front since the release of 'The Sacrifice' DLC but Valve recently popped up with details of their latest efforts to bring in new content. The big news here is a fan-made campaign called Cold Stream being included as part of this upcoming DLC and Valve wants the community involved with its development.

Sometime in the near future, Left 4 Dead 2 will be updated with a beta version of Cold Stream that can be tested out by anyone. Player data will be collected but adedicated forumfor the whole project has also been opened to receive feedback and suggestions from the players (check it out in the source link below).

Coming alongside Cold Stream are the remaining three campaigns from Left 4 Dead that have yet to be added (No Mercy was provided with 'The Sacrifice'). Expect a proper release for this new DLC sometime after Portal 2 goes on sale.

Source:Left 4 Dead Blog

Alternate Source:Steam Users' Forums

Sections:Microsoft Consoles, Console Games, PC Games

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