Risen 2: Dark Waters Announced

Keeping us on our toes this long-weekend, Deep Silver and Piranha Bytes have officially announced the development of Risen 2: Dark Waters, a sequel to their hit Fantasy-RPG. Details are pretty sparse at the moment, but what we do know is that the game will feature an all-new pirate-based theme with a cluster of islands to explore, multiple approaches to quests and a full day/night-cycle affecting various aspects of the game world. Here's the scoop:

21st February 2011 – Hampshire, UK/… Deep Silver and Piranha Bytes today officially revealed their new game Risen 2™: Dark Waters, the successor of the popular role-playing game Risen™. With an expanded setting, a fresh story and characters and an all-new technical foundation, Risen 2 will expand the success of the Risen franchise worldwide.

Set several years after the end of Risen, raging titans have devastated the world and pushed humanity to the brink of existence. Subsequently, monstrous creatures have risen from the watery depths of the sea and their attacks have brought all seafaring to a grinding halt. The hero, now a member of the Inquisition, is sent out to find out how to stop the chaos caused by these creatures from the deep. His quest begins with rumors that the pirates who frequent the southern islands are the only ones who know a way to get rid of the creatures once and for all and end their reign of terror.

With an all-new pirate-based theme, Risen 2: Dark Waters aims to combine the most loved classic RPG gameplay mechanics of the original Risen with a fresh theme and setting on a huge variety of themed island locales. A third-person role-playing game set in a dark and gritty universe, Risen 2: Dark Waters maintains the most immersive features of the original Risen, with multiple approaches to every challenge allowing players to shape the game world based on their own decisions. These choices will serve to unlock new paths, features and additional skills for the character. Together with a highly interactive environment and a full day/night-cycle affecting countless aspects of the game world, Risen 2 will be set in the most immersive RPG game world so far.

The eagerly-awaited successor of Risen will set sail worldwide for consoles and PC. For a first immersion into Risen 2: Dark Waters, three illustrations giving a first glimpse of the beautiful new game world can be found on the official game teaser site at www.risen2.com.

Official website: http://www.risen2.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/risengame
Community: http://forum.deepsilver.com

Here's some concept art to help whet your appetite:

 

 

Shogun 2 Multiplayer Trailer

Also available for download tonight is a new gameplay trailer for Creative Assembly's highly anticipated Strategy title, Shogun 2: Total War. Running just under three minutes long, this video gives us a quick overview of the game's multiplayer modes and features. Pretty cool stuff! Check it out:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers. Hit-up any of the following websites for a mirror:

GamersHellFileShackWorthPlaying

Shogun 2: Total War is scheduled for release on March 15th.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River Gets April Release Date

Pinning down an exact release date for us this afternoon, Codemasters has announced that their upcoming tactical shooter, Operation Flashpoint: Red River, will begin shipping to stores across Europe on April 21st and North America on April 26th. To celebrate this news, the develeopers have released a new gameplay trailer, which "introduces the game’s conflict in Tajikistan from the perspective of Corporal Ryan Balletto and focuses on his hope that the dangerous and strange world of Tajikistan can be his personal proving ground." Enjoy:

Rage 'Untethered' Trailer

Also available for download this afternoon is a new trailer for id Software's highly anticipated first person shooter, Rage. Clocking in at just under two minutes long, this video offers some storyline tidbits via a mix of cinematic cutscenes and in-game action. Check it out:

The above stream is courtesy of GameTrailers. Prefer a manual download? We have you covered:

GamersHellFileShackFilePlanetWorthPlaying

Rage is scheduled for release in North America on September 13th and Europe on September 16th.

Rare art staff suffers cutbacks, replaced by contractors

Not all is well at Rare, as anonymous sources have revealed to the media. Rumors first began circulating last month following a post on 4Chan, which read, "In an effort to cut costs. Rare has cut their last permanent members of art staff. All artists working there are temps.” Confirmation came only recently, by way of two individuals who've been promised anonymity in exchange for information.

According to one source, the entire 42-person art department at Rare has been informed that jobs at the company's Twycross headquarters are at risk of redundancy -- or layoffs. As such, staff members were told to apply for 23 managerial positions at Rare's new Birmingham office, meaning 19 employees will be losing their jobs. However, the source also mentioned "some negative feeling has led to additional artists taking the very generous voluntary redundancy packages," putting the total number above 20.

The second source didn't have solid numbers to offer, but noted that "due to the consultation period coming in, it would seem to be more than 20." Under EU employment law, 19 is the max number of layoffs allowed without the need for a full consultation process.

Sources indicated that the remaining positions are all “management roles in name or fact, chiefly project managers. Meaning that all the actual artists are redundant.” When contacted for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson stated that only "a small number of employees" in the art department have been notified that their jobs were at risk.

“I can confirm that a small number of employees in the art department of Rare Studios have been informed that their roles are at risk of redundancy," the spokesperson said. "While redundancies are never easy, these organizational changes are part of Rare’s ongoing strategy and operational planning which typically coincides with the shipment of a title. We are working closely with the affected employees to support them through this transition and help them apply for other roles within Microsoft."

"Whilst we’re not discussing the exact numbers involved, I can assure you that it’s far fewer than you’ve indicated and represents a small percentage of the total Rare team."

This certainly isn't the first time a studio turns to independent contractors for development. As a whole, the gaming industry has been following in the footsteps of the movie industry, employing the "Hollywood model" of employing workers on short-term contracts and outsourcing development to different studios. By doing so, companies save money on wages and would not be subject to employment legislation.

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Email:Latest CommentsMinecraft officially hits iPhone, iPad this year [2]Medal of Honor sequel confirmed [12]Debut 'Risen 2' screens show off pirate theme, guns, forest creatures [5]inFAMOUS 2 Hero Edition packs in Cole statue, sling pack [6]Dead Island trailer a huge hit, animators "blown away" by positive reception [4]Most CommentsSony reveals PSP successor, codenamed "NGP" [63]The 3DS & PSP2: What we know [27]Battlefield 3 surfaces with teaser trailer, 64-man multiplayer, single player, co-op confirmed [23]Congressman Joe Baca wants health warning labels for violent games [20]NGP featurette shows off hardware features, gameplay [20]Latest NewsMon, Feb 21Mass Effect 2 PS3 patch reveals 'Arrival' DLCMinecraft officially hits iPhone, iPad this yearHomefront in-game brands not paid adsFaxanadu wanders around in this week's Nintendo DownloadsSat, Feb 19Debut 'Risen 2' screens show off pirate theme, guns, forest creaturesFri, Feb 18inFAMOUS 2 Hero Edition packs in Cole statue, sling packArenaNet follows up human spotlight with 'Norn Week'Dead Island trailer a huge hit, animators "blown away" by positive receptionBulletstorm PC demo coming post-launchMushkin not sold on 25nm flash chips for solid state drivesGran Turismo 5 patch 1.06 adds Remote Racing, allows custom courses onlineBizarre Creations cinematic director bids studio farewell with a videoSHIFT 2 Unleashed trailer introduces next-gen supercar Pagani HuayraMedal of Honor sequel confirmedPat Benatar serves up six rock tracks for Rock Band 3Thu, Feb 17One million Dragon Age II demo downloads unlock in-game itemsBulletstorm "Whip, Kick, Boom" trailer features P.O.D. and more skillful killsMarvel vs. Capcom 3 hackers uncover traces of Frank West, Doctor Octopus on discCastlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC delayed to MarchDa Vinci kidnapped in next Assassin's Creed Brotherhood DLC, new trailer releasedNFS Hot Pursuit content packs adds two new game modes, six new carsOkamiden videos reveal more returning characters from OkamiUpcoming Left 4 Dead 2 DLC includes fan-made campaignWed, Feb 16Rare art staff suffers cutbacks, replaced by contractorsSony banning hacked PS3 consoles from PlayStation Network.newsinhousearticles img {margin-top: 3px;margin-bottom: 3px;}Latest Net Reviews

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SHIFT 2 Unleashed trailer introduces next-gen supercar Pagani Huayra

So how about them fancy cars? Right, the ones we could never afford to drive in -- much less race them. That's why EA has Need for Speed, and the latest SHIFT 2 Unleashed trailer gives us a closer look at the Pagani Huarya, the "next-gen" in supercars.

Before we get to the oh-so-shiny trailer, however, there is a bit of bad news for Europeans waiting on the game. SHIFT 2 was originally meant to hit EU and the UK before North America, but release dates for the first two regions have been pushed back.

While North America is still getting the game on March 29, the EU and UK releases are delayed by a week, now falling on March 31 and April 1, respectively. Recently (though not entirely relevant), Tecmo Koei's upcoming hack 'n' slash titles Dynasty Warriors 7 and Warriors: Legends of Troy also suffered a week's delay across the pond.

But it's okay, because there's a totally awesome trailer to help mitigate your pain. Here, just watch the video, and do not resist the fuzzy feelings that this trailer stirs within your soul. Select "720p" and just embrace it.

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moreRelated news storiesDead Island trailer a huge hit, animators "blown away" by positive receptionFebruary 19, '11Bizarre Creations cinematic director bids studio farewell with a videoFebruary 18, '11Medal of Honor sequel confirmedFebruary 18, '11One million Dragon Age II demo downloads unlock in-game itemsFebruary 18, '11Bulletstorm "Whip, Kick, Boom" trailer features P.O.D. and more skillful killsFebruary 18, '11Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 'Reverie' DLC delayed to MarchFebruary 17, '11NFS Hot Pursuit content packs adds two new game modes, six new carsFebruary 17, '11

Portal 2 System Requirements & Valentine's Day Trailer

Spilling the beans this afternoon, Valve Software has revealed some official minimum system requirements for their highly anticipated puzzle game, Portal 2. So what kind of setup will you need? Here's the skinny:

OS: Windows 7 / Vista / XP / 2000Processor: 3.0 GHz P4, Dual Core 2.0 (or higher) or AMD64X2 (or higher)Memory: 1GB XP / 2GB VistaHard Disk Space: At least 7.6 GB of SpaceVideo: Video card must be 128 MB or more and should be a DirectX 9-compatible with support for Pixel Shader 2.0b (ATI Radeon X800 or higher / NVIDIA GeForce 7600 or higher / Intel HD Graphics 2000 or higher).Audio: DirectX 9.0c compatible

Also, Valve has released a new Valentine's Day-themed trailer. Enjoy:

The above stream is courtesy of YouTube. Mirrors are also available at FilePlanet, FileShack and WorthPlaying.com.