Stardock games headed to Steam, starting with Sins of a Solar Empire

Remember Impulse?  They're no longer their own thing, after GameStop picked them up, but this is good news for Steam users who've always wanted to try Stardock titles.  Since Stardock's platform now belongs to GameStop, the company can begin offering their games through Steam and other digital distributors without any conflicts of interest.  The move begins with one of Stardock's most popular and long running series, Sins of a Solar Empire.  As of now, Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity -- a bundle featuring the core game plus the Diplomacy and Entrenchment expansions -- should be available through Valve's distribution platform.   Stardock CEO Brad Wardell included a statement with the announcement: "With the sale of our former PC digital download technology to GameStop earlier this year, we no longer have any conflicts of interest in offering our titles to other digital distribution channels.  We are starting with Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity, with other titles being made available over the coming weeks." Section: PC Games

Saints Row: The Third Ships

Spreading the good news today, THQ and Volition have announced that their highly anticipated open-world Action title, Saints Row: The Third, is now available in stores across North America. Here's the official word:

AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 15, 2011-- THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) and Volition, Inc. ® today announced that Saints Row®: The ThirdTM, the biggest, most over-the-top guilty pleasure in gaming, is available today on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Saints Row®: The Third™ gives you control of the Saints at the height of their power, and you live the life to show for it. Now Steelport is ripe for the taking, and it’s up to you to make the city your own. Mold the skyline based on your choices, outfit your crew in classy gangster gear or furry costumes, and make life-or-death decisions that will change Steelport, and the Saints, forever. This is now your city. These are now your rules. Strap it on.

“There’s no way to describe Saints Row: The Third other than pure, over-the-top fun,” said Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President, Core Games, THQ. “In a sea of games that are doing the same thing over again, it’s incredibly refreshing to take Saints Row in a completely new direction, and incredibly satisfying to see the reaction from fans so far. Today, we all embrace the crazy.”

Media outlets too have embraced the crazy, as Saints Row: The Third releases to incredible critical acclaim, high review scores, and a number of editors’ choice awards. “One of the finest sandbox games ever made – 10” – GamesRadar "9.5" – Official Xbox Magazine "9.0" – Game Informer "The craziest game you'll ever play." – IGN "Wonderful, ridiculous insanity." – New York Post "Pulls no punches and makes no apologies." – Complex "Out GTA's GTA.” – Hyper Magazine

Today also marks the first day players will be able to import their created characters from the Saints Row Initiation Station into Saints Row: The Third and wreak havoc in Steelport as their favorite, crazed creations. Since November 1, the Saints Row community has created more than 1.5 million characters using the Initiation Station. Today, they are turned loose.

Saints Row: The Third is available today on Xbox 360 (SRP US$59.99), PlayStation 3 (SRP US$59.99) and PC (SRP US$49.99), and is rated M for Mature.

Saints Row: The Third is scheduled for release in Europe on November 18th.

The Secret World Screenshots

Treating us to a little eyecandy tonight, Funcom has released six new screenshots from their upcoming massively multiplayer online RPG, The Secret World. These latest screenies feature the Templar faction doing their thing. Enjoy:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Secret World's release date is still TBA.

Gotham City Impostors Dated, Open Beta Next Month

Pinning down an exact release date for us this afternoon, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Monolith Productions have announced that their upcoming multiplayer shooter, Gotham City Impostors, will be available for purchase/download on January 10th, 2012. They also note that they'll be holding an Open Beta sometime in December. So if you're interested in helping squash some bugs, you can sign-up right here. Cheers! :D

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 sells over 6.5 million units in 24 hours

Once again, the Call of Duty series proves to be a valuable brand for Activision. It's estimated over 6.5 million units of Modern Warfare 3 were sold within 24 hours since its launch, bringing in more than $400 million in sales. The feat is more impressive when you consider Modern Warfare 3 was only sold in North America and the United Kingdom on its first day of sale. Modern Warfare 3 managed to significantly beat Black Ops' launch, which sold 5.6 million units in one day. Activision reports Call of Duty's life-to-date sales have exceeded worldwide box office earnings made by Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 has unlockable bonus item for Final Fantasy XIII players

With Final Fantasy XIII-2's release getting closer and closer, some fans might be worried about being left in the dark about the storyline. After all, it's been nearly two years since Final Fantasy XIII was released and you might have forgotten some important plot points. XIII-2 will provide some narrated scenes that detail what has happened to cast since the conclusion of XIII so you don't have to play through XIII all over again to get up to speed with the story. Also, XIII-2 has an unlockable item for those who played XIII and kept their save data all this time. Square Enix won't exactly detail what this item is though they do mention it won't break game balance, which may be a hint that this unlockable is meant for battle. Final Fantasy XIII-2 ships to retailers on January 31, 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

SOE Planning EverQuest 2 Subscription Model Changes

Responding to community concerns about EverQuest 2's divided player-base, Sony Online Entertainment has announced plans to merge the standard edition of the game with the separate free-to-play "Extended" version. This new model should help make things a lot simpler by bringing everyone together under one membership structure. A Producer's Letter goes in to great detail about membership levels, what they include and the fees. Click here to learn more!

World of Warcraft loses 800,000 subscribers

World of Warcraft has been steadily losing large amounts of subscribers over the past year, first 600,000 between late 2010 and early 2011, then 300,000 more following the release of Cataclysm this past July. Now, a massive 800,000 players have dropped their subs, most on this side of the world. As of September, the subscriber count sits at 10.3 million, down over last year's 12 million peak. Blizzard is touting the popularity of the game in China and its still reigning championship as MMO king, but is finally saying they "know there are improvements [they] can make [to] in game content." The company says it expects the Mists of Pandaria expansion to up subscription numbers, but at this point we wouldn't be surprised to see former players jump back in, play through the new content, then leave again, as happened with Cataclysm.

PC Batman: Arkham City Delayed A Week

Moving right along, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Rocksteady Studios have announced that the PC edition of their Action-Stealth title, Batman: Arkham City, has been delayed a week for unspecified reasons. Previously scheduled for release on November 15th, the game is now expected to hit stores in North America on November 22nd and Europe on November 25th. So be sure to update your calendars!

The Legend of Zelda concert series kicks off in Dallas, Texas

Nintendo is ready to begin The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses nationwide concert tour by making its first stop in Dallas, Texas. On January 10, 2012, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will perform select songs from the Zelda series' 25-year run, accompanied by video content. Tickets are on sale right now with prices ranging from $19 to $115. Club Nintendo members can get a 15% discount on their ticket purchase if they order before November 30. Further pricing information and future announcements about additional concert locations can be found in the source link.

Steam Weekend Deal: 33-66% Off Tropico Series

Getting us geared up for the weekend, Steam is offering a 33-66% discount on the entire Tropico series (+ DLC) from now until 10AM PST on Monday, November 7th. So if you enjoy city builders and Caribbean music, you may want to pick one of these up. ;)

 

 

Tribes: Ascend Closed Beta Starts Friday

Spreading the good news today, Hi-Rez Studios has announced that the closed beta test for their upcoming free-to-play shooter, Tribes: Ascend, will be going live on Friday, November 4th. Word is the beta will include a total of twelve classes, three drivable vehicles and two game modes. They also note that there will be no character wipes during the beta, so all your character progress will carry over in to the Open Beta and the official release. If you haven't already signed up, you can do so right here.

DmC screenshots surprisingly colorful, shows off crazy Boss creatures

Curious to see more of the new DmC Devil May Cry?  Yeah, the one where Dante was smacked with the parallel universe stick.  More interesting than emo-Dante, however, is the world itself and its Bosses, both of which look much more impressive than our protagonist. The images are incredibly vibrant, bursting with more color than a pack of Starbursts, and we get a close-up look at two Boss creatures, including Madam Sunshine above.  That's not her official name, but it suits her, somehow.  Gross. Aside from Lady Maggot, we've got a much more interesting-looking entity as well, appearing as a monstrous figure wrapped in red and bound to floating buildings (or what remains of them) by chains.

Serious Sam 3: BFE 'Weapons' Trailer

Keeping us on our toes tonight, the Croteam has released a new gameplay trailer for their upcoming first person shooter, Serious Sam 3: BFE. Clocking in at just over two minutes long, this video focuses on the game's weapons. Some pretty sweet gear! Check it out:

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

GamersHell FileShack ActionTrip

Serious Sam 3: BFE is scheduled for release on November 22nd.

Battlefield 3 launch week sales hit 5 million

EA gets the jump on Modern Warfare 3 with Battlefield 3's release last week, and what a launch it was.  From its own internal estimates, unit sales for Battlefield 3 have already reached 5 million since it hit store shelves last Tuesday.  That's a milestone and a new record for software sales over at EA, which is also beaming at the 2.5 million Facebook "Likes" and some 200,000+ Twitter followers on the respective BF3 social pages. If you're ready for relevant stats, by EA's reckoning you folks were responsible for committing no less than 3 million savior kills and 48 million revives, as well as destroying some 67 million vehicles in BF3 this past weekend.  While EA boasts of "solid" server stability 98.9 percent uptime, it did acknowledge some "intermittent disruption" due to "high volume."

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 'Weapon Proficiencies' Trailer

Finally tonight, Infinity Ward highly has released a new gameplay trailer for their highly anticipated first person shooter, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Clocking in at just over three minutes long, this video focuses on weapon proficiencies and the value it adds to your gameplay experience. Check it out:

Thanks to GameTrailers for the above stream. Mirrors are also available at GamersHell and the ActionTrIp.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is scheduled for release on November 8th.

RIFT 'Water Saga' begins, new quests cater to solo players, small groups

The next saga in RIFT pits players against the infamous Abyssal Cult yet again, as the "Water Saga" brings back creatures of the watery depths to inflict lunacy upon Telara's residents.  Being Ascended, clearing the land of these creatures is definitely your responsibility. The new quest chain for the Water Saga is designed to accommodate both solo players and folks who prefer small groups, a trend Trion appears to be sticking with.  According to the developer, these quests will bring level 50 Ascended "face to-face with Akylios's fiercest lieutenants and shoulder-to-shoulder with legendary heroes." Folks can snag these quests from the Faceless Man in Abyssal Precipice and Cardinal Visc in Sanctum.  In terms of rewards, the Water Saga yields some new armor, and returning from the Abyss grants you a Crocnard mount.  Because what's so silly about riding a giant mutant crocodile?  The new content should also shed more light on the Abyssal Cult, for lore-buffs out there.  Apparently these cultists have no faces under those featureless masks of theirs -- meaning the Faceless Man is, quite literally, faceless. You can read more about the Abyssal here.

DC Universe Online finally goes free-to-play on November 1

Guess what?  October is nearly at an end, and DC Universe Online still isn't free.  Sony Online Entertainment originally estimated that the MMO would make its transition from paid to free this month, but that never happened.  On the bright side, we do finally have a date. Starting next Tuesday, November 1, DC Universe Online will offer a free-to-play option to the community, alongside two paid versions of the game.  The free membership allows players to access the game and play to their hearts' content, but you'll be restricted to two character slots, a 28-slot inventory, just 12 slots in the bank, and no auction slots.  Additionally, you won't be able to trade, and your in-game currency maxes out at 1500.  Communication with other players is restricted to text, at six messages every 30 seconds, and you can't form your own Leagues (guilds).  Extra slots, for whatever purpose, can be purchased, but other limitations require a membership upgrade. The two other membership options are "Premium" and "Legendary."  The former is awarded to players who spend $5 or more toward the game, and the latter requires a $15 monthly subscription, with free access to DLC -- something both free and Premium members must pay for separately.  For a breakdown of the three different membership tiers, check the official site.

Demos and download content coming to 3DS eShop

Nintendo's eShop will be getting a good deal of additions when the 3DS firmware update is released this November. The big feature every 3DS owner will look forward to is downloading demos and add-on content for supported games. Plus, you'll be able to complete downloads in sleep mode. In the future, PC and mobile device users will be able to browse the eShop. You can't make purchases without your 3DS but QR codes will be provided so you can go directly to a product's page on your handheld. The ability to buy eShop content with your PC or mobile device will come at a later time.

Nintendo of America thought Zelda: Skyward Sword's graphics were lacking at first

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's roundtable discussion with the EAD (Entertainment Analysis & Development Division) planners and developers behind The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword continues in his latest "Iwata Asks" column. We're reassured of how "exploration and discovery" will continue to be a major theme for Skyward Sword. One of the key points behind the game's overall design is making areas more densely populated, so that there is actually more to see and do in spaces that aren't necessarily large for the sake of being large.  Environments and terrain will be much more varied and "three dimensional" in Skyward Sword, encouraging exploration.  In this way, backtracking will be made more rewarding.  Players can also look forward to little touches while exploring that they can even interact with, like bug and bird catching.  And boy will there be a lot of bugs to catch. Turning to the overall art direction, we also learn that the "watercolor" graphics for Skyward Sword didn't originally impress Nintendo of America itself when the title was first showcased at E3 2010.  At the time, EAD was still experimenting with what sort of direction it could go with the visual design that fell somewhere in between cel-shaded and "realistic", but NoA felt the graphics were too "featureless" and "lacked something."  EAD's goal from that point was to make things more distinctive and expressive, so that the graphics would ultimately look more alive. The sword movements too were further tweaked so that the player would get a better feel that they have greater freedom when it comes to swinging their weapon around with Wii MotionPlus.  EAD explains that the end result was to make battles expressive as well.  Indeed, Link himself will be more mobile than his character was in previous Zelda titles. Of course, Link will still need to do more than sword slinging to defeat Skyward Sword's bosses.  EAD in particular teases a gigantic enemy dubbed "The Sealed One" who will continue to harass Link throughout his latest adventure, because it can never truly be defeated at the outset, only sealed away until the next encounter where Link will need to leverage new tricks to survive.