Eve Online surpasses 500,000 subscribers

February 28th, 2013, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster

CCP’s space-faring MMO Eve Online has surpassed 500,000 subscribers.
The impressive milestone means that the title has experienced ten consecutive years of growth.

This follows the announcement in December that Eve Online had accrued 450,000 subscribers worldwide, meaning a rise of 50,000 users in just under three months.
As well as hitting more than 500,000 subscribers, CCP recently re-released the MMO in China in partnership with Tinacity, and claims the title has “been thriving ever since” in the country.
The news also follows the start of the open beta for free-to-play shooter Dust 514 on PS3, which will share the same universe as its flagship title Eve Online, with actions in one game affecting the other.

http://www.develop-online.net/news/4...00-subscribers

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Ubisoft confirms Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag

February 28th, 2013, 23:38 Posted By: wraggster

[h=1]Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin's Creed IV does exist, and it's called Black Flag.
The publisher confessed the title's existance, along with the title's box art, simply stating: "We confirm that Ubisoft will announce all the details of Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag on Monday March 4th at 5pm GMT."
A number of leaks had occurred throughout the week in regards to the title and it would now appear that Ubisoft has broken its own embargo in order to confirm the game.
In a reveal to the press yesterday, Ubisoft confirmed the game and provided a host of details for Black Flag; most of which are being held back until next week.
But, what can be said is that Black Flag is infact the newest entry in the Assassin's Creed franchise, and not just a DLC collection as initially believed.
As for platforms, Ubisoft confirmed the title will feature on PC, in addition to current-gen consoles including the PS3, Xbox 360 and WiiU.
PC Retail will have more details on Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag come March 4th at 5PM GMT.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...reed-vi/030369
[/h]

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Bombermine: 1,000-player Bomberman blasts onto the web

February 28th, 2013, 23:37 Posted By: wraggster

Bomberman fans get ready to piss your pants and have a very unproductive workday.
An unofficial version of SNES title Super Bomberman has made its way onto the web to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the White Bomber.
Bombermine is an online version of the classic game which offers support for up to 1,000 players. Yep that’s right, at any one time there could be up to 1,000 players all shouting at their screens as they get a bad case of bomb diarrhoea and inevitably blow themselves up - arse first.
Although still recognisably Bomberman, the free MMO has a few additional surprises in the form or a manic Nyan Cat that zooms about the screen farting out rainbow bombs. There’s also a Pac-Man powerup giving the player the ability to literally eat the level.
If you’re unlucky enough to get a mystery box which turns you into Pokemon’s Slowpoke, you’ll find yourself crawling around the level at a painfully slow pace as blood-hungry players lay a charming array of bombs around your fat pink body. Good luck with that.
Those wishing to get in on the action can do so at www.bombermine.com/#/. Be warned, this is one addictive bomb-fest.
http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...rowsers/030371

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Blizzard set to unveil new game; tipped as All-Stars battle title

February 28th, 2013, 23:35 Posted By: wraggster

Blizzard has revealed that it is to showcase a new title at this year's Penny Arcade Expo.
Typically, the publisher is known for keeping its cards close to its when it comes to showcasing new games; so when the firm teases a new launch, it's relatively big news.
"We've been working on a little something, different from our other games, and we're pleased to invite you to be the first to see it," said Blizzard in a statement sent out to press.
Speculation over what exactly the firm responsible for MMO giant World of Warcraft is set to unveil, with many eyeing the launch as a potential successor to the highly-acclaimed franchise or even the long-teased title, known only as Titan.
However, Blizzard move to brush off this rumours, stating: "It's not a sequel, expansion or that rumoured next-gen MMO, but it's something we're excited for you to get your hands on."
Whilst it's unlikely to hear any more until Blizzard takes the stage at PAX East on March 22nd, another hotly rumoured title is Blizzard All-Stars; a multiplayer online battle arena game.
The game was initially revealed at Blizzcon in 2010, which at the times was nothing more than a custom map for Blizzard's RTS smash-hit StarCraft II. However, the game moved into full development shortly after and a website for the title hints it is "coming soonish".

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...e-title/030374

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If There’s One Thing Windows RT is Good For, It’s Gaming

February 28th, 2013, 11:48 Posted By: wraggster

Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 built specifically to work on mobile processors, confuses a lot of people. It's best to imagine it as a Windows 8 blowup doll — though it resembles the real thing it isn't nearly as functional, but if you use your imagination you can still have a lot of fun. Microsoft Studios recently lent me a Windows RT tablet in order to check out some of the Windows 8 Xbox games they've launched on the platform, as long as I promised to clean it off before returning it.
The device Microsoft Studios sent along was the Asus Vivo Tab RT, essentially the Windows RT version of Asus' Transformer line of convertible keyboard Android tablets, of which I already own a Transformer Prime. It was an odd choice, considering Microsoft makes a Windows RT version of its Surface tablet — which I also own — but I found the slim Asus tablet more geared towards gaming than Microsoft's big-and-bulky device.
The only downside to the Asus compared to the Surface is the Microsoft unit has a built-in USB port, while the Vivo Tab RT has to be docked with its keyboard for USB capabilities. This is especially important for an RT device, as one of the biggest gaming advantages the operating system has is the ability to just plug in a wired Xbox controller and play. For games that support the controller, the Surface with its built-in stand offers a much more pleasing experience.
The thirteen titles I took the time to play run the gamut from traditional Windows fare likeSolitaire and Minesweeper to more console-style experiences. In fact, several of the games I played were ports of existing Xbox Live Arcade titles, including one of my favorite games of all time. Each game has a free trial available and is available on Windows 8 as well as RT, so if you've upgraded feel free to give them a go.

http://kotaku.com/windows-rt-gaming/

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A Look At The StarCraft Game That Never Was

February 28th, 2013, 11:47 Posted By: wraggster

American artist Jason Felix has been working in the video game business for over 13 years now, and has had his artwork contribute to the development of series like Dead Space, Prince of Persia and even the ill-fated StarCraft Ghost.
He's also done some movie work, most recently with Blur Studios on Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and has also featured on the artwork for Magic: The Gathering cards.
You can see a selection of his work below, with more available at his personal site.

http://kotaku.com/5987481/a-look-at-...that-never-was

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QuakeCon 2013 scheduled for Aug. 1-4 in Dallas

February 28th, 2013, 11:45 Posted By: wraggster

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EA Warhammer spin-off Wrath of Heroes shuts down next month

February 28th, 2013, 11:28 Posted By: wraggster

EA's Warhammer spin-off Wrath of Heroes will shut down at the end of March.The Mythic Entertainment-developed free-to-play battle arena game closes its virtual doors on 29th March.EA said Wrath of Heroes was closing because it wasn't making enough money."Unfortunately, the project could not meet its financial goals to be sustained," read the short statement.In a blog post producer James Casey called Wrath of Heroes, which has been in beta for just over a year, a "grand experiment"."We were able to test new server technology, learn more about the free-to-play market and engage in endless quick, down and dirty, three-way battles any time of day or night," he said."On all of these fronts, we were able to make grand inroads and insights and deliver a fast and frenetic game."Casey expressed his sadness at not being able to continue to work on the game, his pride at the hard work that went into it, and thanked players.When the service ends all remaining Gems will expire. EA said it will not refund any Gem purchases, so advised players spend them while they can. But, to counter this, those who have played Wrath of Heroes between 1st January and 27th February this year or have an outstanding balance of Gems as of 27th February will be given a promotional code for Mythic's Warhammer MMO Age of Reckoning.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...own-next-month

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Razer Edge pre-orders begin March 1st, price starts at $999

February 28th, 2013, 02:22 Posted By: wraggster

If you were intrigued by the Razer Edge's impressive ability to transform from a tablet, to a laptop, to a gaming console and you have a spare $1k lying around, it might be time to reach for your wallet. Razer has just announced its versatileWindows 8 device will be available for pre-order from its online store starting March 1st at 12:01am PST, with units shipping later that month. You can opt for the base Razer Edge with its Intel i5 processor and 64GB SSD or the higher-end Edge Pro with its Intel i7 processor and the option of either a 128GB or 256GB SSD. Accessories like the gamepad controller, home console dock and extended battery packs will be available for pre-order as well. However, those yearning for the optional keyboard dock will have to wait until "later this year in Q3" according to the press release. Pricing starts at $999 for the base model and may climb upwards of $1,500 if you decide to go for a maxed out Pro.
Read More | 125 Comments

http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/26/r...dge-pre-order/

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The War Z rises again on Steam

February 28th, 2013, 01:10 Posted By: wraggster

The War Z has been re-released on Steam, following a disastrous launch in December that saw the game’s removal amidst accusations of false advertising.
A Steam news post states that Hammerpoint has worked with Valve to address community feedback, make proper updates to the store page, and make the game available for purchase worldwide.
With the re-launch, Valve is no longer offering refunds for the title. The company had done so up until this point as an apology for prematurely releasing the game.
The War Z can be purchased via the digital distribution giant for $15 by itself, or in $25/$50 package offers that pack specific amounts of in-game currency.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/the-w...-steam/0111526

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Latest Greenlight batch includes Surgeon Simulator, Anodyne

February 28th, 2013, 01:09 Posted By: wraggster

Valve has announced the latest round of Steam Greenlight approvals, and among the selections are a few titles that have already gained significant notoriety.
10 new games, along with two new software products, have been given the go ahead for eventual launch on Valve’s Steam platform. The latest batch has the greenlit count over 70, with 16 titles having been released so far.
Youtube Let’s Play hit Surgeon Simulator 2013 is among this week’s choices; as is Anodyne, which garnered attention by making $12,000 via a Pirate Bay promo – what the developer called a huge success.
The full list from the announcement post:
The latest games:

• Anodyne
• Distance
• Evoland
• Huntsman:The Orphanage
• Kingdom Rush
• Legends of Dawn
• Organ Trail: Director's Cut
• Receiver
• Surgeon Simulator 2013
• War Thunder

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Retail can latch onto eSports mania with new StarCraft expansion

February 28th, 2013, 01:04 Posted By: wraggster

UK retail can now get involved in the eSports phenomenon thanks to a new StarCraft expansion.
Heart of Swarm launches next month, and Blizzard is embracing the game’s eSports popularity by teaming up with big names in that sector.
“Blizzard’s eSports partners have taken a very active role in creating and promoting streaming content, show matches, and tournaments with Heart of the Swarm, featuring some of the community’s most accomplished pro-gamers,” said a Blizzard spokesperson.
“Many of these pro-gamers also regularly stream their Heart of the Swarm practice sessions online to thousands of viewers.”
Retail will hope to cash in on the growing appeal of eSports, which last year saw 900,000 people tune into a League of Legends final through video service Twitch TV.
“For many players, StarCraft II is more than just a game – players become part of a tight-knit global community united by memorable game experiences, a popular eSport, and a shared cultural identity,” added the Blizzard spokesperson.
StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm lands on shelves on March 12th.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/retai...ansion/0111548

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Microsoft Releases Internet Explorer 10 For Windows 7

February 28th, 2013, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster

"Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 is out. Windows 8 may suck but now you can at least enjoy (most of) that version's Internet Explorer. IE10 for Win7, originally not planned, has seen the light of day after all — four months after it debuted in Windows 8. It is available via Windows Update as an optional update; however, if you've already installed a pre-release version, it will be updated automatically as an 'important' update. IE10 on Win7 requires a platform update to bring some Windows 8 APIs to the more mature Windows, and it will not feature embedded Adobe Flash as the Windows 8 version does (use the plug-in version from Adobe, as usual, instead)."

http://it.slashdot.org/story/13/02/2...-for-windows-7

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Pixel Picture Clearer? Google Ports Office-Substitute To Chrome OS, Browser

February 28th, 2013, 00:07 Posted By: wraggster

Google confirmed on Tuesday that it has ported part of QuickOffice to a technology baked into Chrome OS and the company's Chrome browser. The popular iOS and Android app substitute for Microsoft Office that Google acquired last year will run using 'Native Client,' a technology that lets developers turn applications written in C and C++ — originally intended to run in, say, Windows. With that it will execute entirely within a browser, specifically Google's own Chrome. Google claims that Native Client code runs almost as fast inside the browser as the original did outside. QuickOffice viewers come bundles with the $1,300 Chrome OS-based Chromebook Pixel notebook, and Google will add editing functionality in the next two to three months. Does this all make the Pixel make more sense?"

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/02...ome-os-browser

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First Debian/Ubuntu Bootable ARM64 Images Released

February 28th, 2013, 00:04 Posted By: wraggster

With work done by ARM and Linaro, there is now a bootable image of Debian/Ubuntu that works for ARM64, the new 64-bit ARM architecture. There are still some caveats and work ahead, but Linux is once again the first platform that has software ready to run on a new architecture when released. This 64-bit ARM Linux support also includes the ability to run 32-bit ARM software side-by-side."You can grab a bootable rootfs, but there's no hardware to actually run it on now (the developers are using the free-as-in-beer simulator from ARM). Kernel support for the architecture was released around a year ago; this is more a tale of getting from a bootable kernel to a bootable operating system.

http://linux.slashdot.org/story/13/0...mages-released

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How Paid Apps On Firefox OS Will Work

February 28th, 2013, 00:02 Posted By: wraggster

Mozilla has put up a blog post about how building a paid app will work for Firefox OS. The Firefox Marketplace will host web apps, and Mozilla is quick to point out that the apps won't lock you into Firefox OS. They will use the receipt protocol, which other devices can support. If they end up doing so, users could buy the app just once and run it anywhere. 'There is, of course, a chicken vs. egg problem here so Mozilla hopes to be the egg that helps prove out the decentralized receipt concept and iterate on the protocol. Mozilla invites other vendors to help us work on getting receipts right so that paid apps are as portable and "webby" as possible.' Mozilla has a JavaScript API for exposing device receipts, and a client-side library can then contact a verification service URL from the receipt."Somewhat related: a recent panel at Mobile World Congress consisted of representatives for Firefox OS, Ubuntu for Phones, and Sailfish OS. They spoke about the need for alternatives to Android and iOS, and how manufacturers and carriers actually seem eager to use these new operating systems to differentiate their products

http://developers.slashdot.org/story...x-os-will-work

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THQ to sell Red Faction and Darksiders in new auction

February 27th, 2013, 23:49 Posted By: wraggster

A new auction will take place in May to sell off THQ’s remaining intellectual properties.
The IP up for grabs include Darksiders, Red Faction, Homeworld, MX, Destroy All Humans, Summoner, De Blob, Drawn to Life, Frontlines, Stuntman, Full Spectrum Warrior, uDraw and Big Beach Sports.
Available licensed software includes Supreme Commander, Marvel Super Hero, Worms, Costume Quest and Truth or Lies.
Initial bids will be submitted by April 1st, with final bids required by April 15th.
A previous auction took place earlier this year, where the firm’s most successful franchise, Saints Row, was up for sale.

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/...auction/030351

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Minecraft 1.5 update hits early March

February 25th, 2013, 19:59 Posted By: wraggster

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Left 4 Dead 2 adds Helm's Deep Reborn to official servers list

February 25th, 2013, 19:56 Posted By: wraggster

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EA to explore 'completely new' Command & Conquer fictions

February 25th, 2013, 19:50 Posted By: wraggster

EA studio Victory Games plans to create completely new Command & Conquer fictions.

While the studio's debut project will be set in the Generals universe and subsequent games will revisit the Tiberium and Red Alert, Victory's long term plan for the RTS franchise includes exploring fresh C&C universes.Tim Morten, senior development director for the C&C franchise, told CVG: "The Generals universe is where we've started, it was the universe most often requested by fans and also one that we haven't been back to for a long time."Over time we're planning to add factions to that universe and explore the Tiberium universe, the Red Alert universe, and then get into completely new fictions, so it's very exciting for us, it's kind of a starting point for a whole new C&C."In December 2011 EA announced that the next game in the long-running series would beCommand & Conquer: Generals 2, and would be powered by DICE's Frostbite 2 engine.The game's name was later switched to simply Command & Conquer and it was confirmed that it would be a free-to-play title targeted for release on PC later this year, a decade after the original Generals game launched.Morten said: "You mentioned some of the changes that have occurred over the course of our development and I'll say from a developer's perspective it has been a very fortuitous set of circumstances."We've got a new group of people, including some veterans of past series, but we've really got some fresh blood on the team, we've got a brand new engine, and it has taken time for everybody to walk through the mechanics of RTS on Frostbite and to really come up with the ideas that we feel are going to be critical to defining this next Command & Conquer. That history of changes has actually given us the space and time to focus on the gameplay so I think it has had a very positive impact on the product."

First HD in-game screenshot features the Global Liberation Army

Morten also said the series is to be supported by a new live service that will enable Victory Games to experiment with fresh game modes."We've put a lot of effort into building the back end that's going to accommodate this title and future titles in the series. It's a way for us to distribute content to consumers easily and to learn from them by collecting data about what content is and isn't working, and also to really integrate their social experience."The live service means that instead of trying to get everything done day one, you know, deadline is here and it has got to go in a box, we instead start with the core, make that as good as we can, and then add to that over time, so it's a really powerful paradigm shift in the way we build the game."By the nature of being a live service we've got the ability both to try brief experiments, such as trying out a new game mode one weekend and finding out what people think about it, and to roll out things that we've been cooking up over a long period of time. An example is something we're tentatively calling Domination, which is sort of an adaptation of Capture the Flag to real time strategy."There have been some efforts at this in other RTS games including past C&Cs, but our design team kind of incubates the idea, we test it internally, we roll it out to QA and closed beta testers, and eventually try it with an open audience. With a boxed product you could never do that, you'd have to get it right on day one for the launch, but with a live service we can put it out for people to give us their feedback and tune it on the basis of that."On the subject of whether the game will feature a single player component, as has been requested by fans, Morten said:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...quer-fictions/

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