4 new Empire Earth III screens

March 21st, 2007, 22:48 Posted By: wraggster

New screenshots from recently announced PC RTS sequel Empire Earth III have been released - pass mince pies over the goods.

Like previous games in the series, Empire Earth III's empire building antics take players from the ancient world through to the future, publisher Vivendi saying that this time around we'll also get "continuous free-form gameplay that will allow players to keep units from one battle to the next".

Empire Earth III, in development at Mad Doc Software, is expected in the autumn.

Screens Here

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

What's this? More C&C3 screens?

March 21st, 2007, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

It's only nine days now to the launch of Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars on PC, and to whip you into a frothy lather of anticipation four new screenshots have been released.

Xbox 360 isn't missing out today either, EA unleashing four fresh shots from C&C3's console outing. Tiberium Wars on Microsoft's console is expected later in the year. Enjoy the screens.

Screens Here

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Warmonger: First screens from NetDevil's FPS

March 21st, 2007, 22:36 Posted By: wraggster

Back in January NetDevil announced Warmonger, a first-person shooter using Unreal Engine 3 and AGEIA PhysX stuff. Now, the Auto Assault dev has released first screenshots from the game. Check them out and see what you think.

Warmonger's set in the near-future and focuses on a conflict breaking out on US soil. Previously, NetDevil's president Scott Brown has promised destruction unlike any seen before in the FPS genre thanks to the combination of technologies forming the beating heart of the game. "As a player, you'll be able to feel the freedom of completely adaptive environments and the full use of conscious, destructive power."

Screens Here

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Telltale details Sam & Max episode 5

March 21st, 2007, 22:35 Posted By: wraggster

Telltale Games's fifth and penultimate episode in its current Sam & Max adventure will be subtitled Reality 2.0 and will debut on GameTap on March 29, the developer has announced.

Reality 2.0 finds the detectives sleuthing in a virtual word. Telltale explains: "With an internet crisis looming and a viral video game holding its players hostage, Sam & Max will need to slip into a new reality to set things right. But can the Freelance Police crack this virtual case in time to avoid worldwide system failure?"

Following its GameTap debut, the new episode will release worldwide on Telltale's website on April 12

Screens Here

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Halo 2 Vista achievements revealed

March 21st, 2007, 22:33 Posted By: wraggster

Halo 2 will boast over 40 Achievements for beginner and veteran fans to earn when the legendary shooter hits Windows Vista later this year.

The development team, Hired Gun, has revealed in a new blog post that you will earn achievements for simple actions,like attaching a sticky grenade to an Elite, as well as tougher tasks like going on a killing rampage with the sword.

You will also earn achievements for completing the single-player campaign levels on each difficultly setting.

"These achievements were designed with some fundamental goals in mind - keep the game fun, encourage beginners to join our "Halo 2" community, and provide a new challenge with a few tough or interesting achievements for our most dedicated fans," the dev team explains.

Hired Gun promises there'll be "achievements that beginners and skilled "Halo 2" players alike will immediately tackle with different results, but we were sure to include several that any veteran will only get to after some serious work."

Halo 2 will hit Windows Vista on May 18.

via cvg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Silverfall

March 21st, 2007, 00:30 Posted By: wraggster

New PC Game Released



features
Create your own character from 8 races.
Manage your evolution by choosing among 150+ skills and spells.
Build your team out of 3 from 8 possible companions.
Your choices during the quests can influence the world.
A vast, open fantasy universe offering complete freedom.

description
From the peaks of Silverfall the Fair to the eternal mists of Cloudworks, your quest will take you far and wide in your battle against the advent of the order of darkness. Numerous companions will share your adventure and use their powers to help you as best they can in your fight against Death-Shadow and his allies. The invention of the steam engine has overturned the ancient social orders and created virtual industrial kingdoms. Weary of the abuses imposed on them by the scientific societies, certain populations have rejected civilization as a whole and turned to the power of nature. Taking advantage of the conflicts that tear the partisans of nature and science apart, the forces of darkness and their commander, Death-Shadow, are besieging the magic places to appropriate their powers. Certain sovereigns of Nelwë find an interest in this chaos and have joined forces with the evil power, while others are prepared to fight for their traditions.

Buy Silverfall

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Blizzard hits Austin

March 21st, 2007, 00:09 Posted By: wraggster

The Irvine, California-based developer of the hit massively multiplayer online role-playing game World of Warcraft is expanding its operations to the North American hub of MMOG development--Austin, Texas. Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed an Austin Business Journal report that the company is opening a customer-support center in the Texas capital.

"The city has a vibrant and dynamic community with a well-established tech industry and a highly regarded university system," a Blizzard representative told GameSpot. "It's also a major hub for call centers in North America. World of Warcraft has fueled explosive growth in our customer service department, so we're looking forward to attracting talented professionals from the region."

The representative invited Austinites with a passion for gaming in general, and World of Warcraft in particular, to apply for job openings. More details can be found in a new posting on the Blizzard jobs page.

The new facility in Austin raises the question of Blizzard potentially opening up a development studio in the MMOG talent-rich city, but the company's representative denied the suggestion.

"We don't have any current plans to form a development studio in Austin. For now, our expansion in the region will be focused on game masters, as well as quality-control and internal support staff," the rep said.

via gamespot

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

GPGnet World Map added to Supreme Commander

March 20th, 2007, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster

A new patch for Gas Powered Games' RTS introduces the Google Map-style feature that GPG's Chris Taylor revealed was in the pipeline earlier this month.

The GPGnet World Map introduces a number of new features useable by GPGnet users, who are able to zoom in and out of the map and link up with and see all the other Supreme Commander players across the globe. The patch weighs in at just over 37Mb and can be downloaded from numerous mirrors - here's one.

via cvg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Microsoft to focus on cross-platform gaming

March 20th, 2007, 23:41 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft to date may have only announced two games that support cross-platform gaming between PC and Xbox 360 via Live, but it's assuring us that Shadowrun and UNO won't be alone for long.

Microsoft's director of Games for Windows, Rich Wickham, recently told CVG that we'll see announcements on cross-platform supporting games over the next 12 months, and that they won't be first-party developed either.

Emphasising the strength of support for the feature, Wickham explained, "...we're working really closely with third parties to make sure there's third-party content out on the service as well, this is not just the Microsoft Game Studio's online service, this is a PC-wide ecosystem online gaming service".


Touching on Microsoft's commitment to cross-platform, he said the company is "absolutely motivated to make sure we have a lot of great games".

"Certainly we know the service can only be successful with as many games as possible, that's what makes it great and certainly that's what makes the subscription worthwhile", he added.

Speaking about the types of games that will support cross-platform play going forward, Wickham said, "I think you'll see a mix of core large-file type games like you would expect - like Shadowrun - but also a really cool and interesting combination of some of the more casual and arcade games we offer on Xbox Live."

Games for Windows - Live was officially unveiled last week. Cross-platform play between Xbox 360 and PC will be accessible via Gold membership of Games for Windows - Live (existing subscribers to Xbox Live Gold automatically count as a subscriber to Windows - Live Gold).

via cvg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

GRAW 2 on PC suffers 3-month delay

March 20th, 2007, 23:24 Posted By: wraggster

PC gamers itching for Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2's deployment at the end of the month, go grab a hanky. Ubisoft's latest release schedule has GRAW 2 PC down as a June release - on the 30th of that month, in fact.

Previously the sequel was expected March 30, so it's been pushed back three months. Why, we don't know but we've dropped Ubisoft a line to find out. Should the reason be anything really controversial or slightly more interesting than 'extra development time required', we'll let you know.

via cvg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

New Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising shots

March 20th, 2007, 23:20 Posted By: wraggster

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising is in development at Perpetual Entertainment and is an MMORPG with a mythical flavour that's set in Rome circa 300 BC. New screenshots have been released.

Players strap on boots as heroes of the ancient world and Perpetual promises "the most interactive, dynamic, strategic and engaging combat system of any MMG". Part of the gameplay involves training and commanding NPC squads in battle, which should prove interesting.

Screens Here

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Source powering mystery PC title

March 20th, 2007, 23:16 Posted By: wraggster

NEXON, a developer which focuses on online games, has licensed Valve Software's Source technology for a brand new PC game.

Currently, the game is shrouded in mystery, all we're told being it's a fantasy-based third-person action title. A full reveal is to occur at a later date.

"We evaluated all the engine technologies available for licensing and Source was our best choice," Dong-gun Kim, the producer of NEXON, has explained.

"With support for integrated network-physics, high-end visuals, and constant adoption of new features, Source is both the most flexible as well as the most robust technology set available today."

via cvg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Dcemu Rpg For Pc 0.2 Release

March 19th, 2007, 22:54 Posted By: mesosade

Yet another release of My Rpg, as always here's what the rpg is about:

DCEMU RPG is a project which started umm yesterday. the whole rpg is composed of user submitted content and ideas and characters requested to be in there e.g themselves be put in the actual game. with this there is no story line. the whole point is to build a gaint rpg which is always updating with wacky ideas YOU the gamer said to do.

what's new with this release?

No new areas yet but the first area has been updated quite a bit.

a helluva amount of bugs have been fixed.

you can now pick a class which gives you the appropriate equipment and different appearance.

the dojo mini-mini-quest is fixed.

clipping issues are resolved.

the mesosade guy problem with sound is fixed.

collisons fixed.

some screenies for those who missed the initial release...i hope the mods post this on the portal

16969
16970
16971
16972
16973

Enjoy! :thumbup:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=5XU0Z6EA

Mesosade

P.S use alt+enter for fullscreen, it looks niiice i'll start the castle tommoroz...find out who's the king in the next release! well i'm off to bed it's 10pm and i was up till 3am last night so umm night guyz

OMG I FORGOT ONE MORE THING! TO MAKE A REQUEST TO BE IN THE GAME OR FOR SOMETHING TO BE IN THE GAME HEAD TO THE RQUEST THREAD IN OFF TOPIC!

thanks again...(sheesh so much bloody editing)

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Shuttle's CarPC -- because you can't spell car without PC

March 19th, 2007, 20:18 Posted By: wraggster



via engadget

Shuttle has a new PC for the car coming dubbed the CarPC, for uh, obvious reasons. The PC measures in at 279 x 230 x 70-mm and features the ability to automatically shut itself down gracefully when you turn off your vehicle. Inside Shuttle's heat radiating "fin flake chassis" you'll find a 1.83GHz Intel T2400 Core Duo processor, unspecified memory and "hard disk" drive (although a shock resistant SSD would make more sense), along with Intel's GMA 950 graphics and 7.1 audio out. Judging by the pix, it'll also feature DVI video out, 4x USB, and a fixed Ethernet jack among other in/outs -- though how you'll access those after installation is a mystery. While we've seen previous in-vehicle prototypes from Shuttle sporting WWAN data, there's no mention of such niceties in this release..

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Maelstrom multiplayer demo out now

March 19th, 2007, 20:09 Posted By: wraggster

Codemasters has released a multiplayer demo of KDV Games' PC RTS Maelstrom for download.

The demo features two multiplayer battlegrounds, Top of the Hill supporting two players and Lair of the Devil four combatants. The former map finds two of the game's factions the Remnants and the Hai-Genti battling to destroy each other's bases, while also attempting to reach the hill's summit first.

"The first to reach the summit will gain control of the water pump at the top of the hill, so strategic terraforming and dam building will be crucial for the Remnants to save their base from possible flooding by the aquatic aliens," Codemasters has explained.


It's added in regards Lair of the Devil, "Lair of the Devil, enables players to again compete as either the human, guerrilla-fighting Remnants or the collective hive-mind of the Hai-Genti aliens. This map is a barren and volcanic vision of the future, and is one of the 14 multiplayer maps available in the full game."

via cvg

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Vista activation "more an irritation to legit users than an antipiracy measure"

March 18th, 2007, 22:41 Posted By: wraggster

Those are the words of Brian Livingstone, a renowned expert on the inner working of Microsoft Windows: in a post on WindowsSecrets.com, he exposes a backdoor route around activation which effectively destroys activation as an antipiracy measure. That, in and of itself, isn't a particularly surprising development (we've already seen two exploits that skip or bypass activation); no, the real story is the fact that the exploit was created by Microsoft itself. The "SkipRearm" process involves some simple editing of Registry files that can "extend the activation deadline of Vista indefinitely." This backdoor was created to help corporations keep machines working whilst they work under the heavy burden of prepping systems for Vista activation. If they can't do it within Vista's 30 day grace period, they can postpone activation by 30 days up to three times using the "sysprep /generalize" command: SkipRearm can be executed indefinitely. Specifically, Microsoft documentation says "Microsoft recommends that you use the SkipRearm setting if you plan on running Sysprep multiple times on a computer." Now that Windows Activation could potentially help pirates as well as annoy legitimate Windows owners, it's hard to see how Microsoft will be able to continue to justify using this ineffective, draconian system.

via engadget

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

DCEMU RPG beta (example)

March 18th, 2007, 12:34 Posted By: mesosade

I mentioned i would be working on this in the off topic forum. what i'm doing was mentioned in the thread there. It's an rpg with NO storyline well except for the quests. all the content is based on all the ideas i hope to recieve from dcemu. so far sadly only one request to be in the game has been made i'm hoping that changes.

here is the beta so you can get a slight basic idea of what the game is like.


Of course it's a big file so it's hosted on megaupload.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=P4MAQZ8O

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Free D&D Online reactivation

March 16th, 2007, 20:29 Posted By: wraggster

In an effort to get old players back to see what they've missed, Turbine is offering all ex-subscribers of Dungeons & Dragons Online a free weekend's gaming, starting this evening and finishing on Sunday.

Us Europeans will also get an additional bonus in the shape of 10 free days, so that we can enjoy next Thursday's release of module 3.3, which overhauls the enhancement-tree system you use to beef up your character's abilities.

On top of all this, those of you who currently subscribe will be gifted with 50 percent more experience gained and a plus one to loot found, in addition to special live events running throughout the weekend.

All this may just be the start of events trying to coerce players back to DDO, according to Chris Collins, community manager for the game at Codemasters, who told Eurogamer this afternoon that it's a shame players are missing out on what now is a vastly improved experience.

"We're trying to hold as many events as possible," he told us. "We're kind of at the stage now where we feel there's been so much added to DDO that it's a shame people are missing out on it; they've had that image of how it was originally."

"We've added so much since we just want everyone to try it out and experience it for themselves."

Since its release late last year, the biggest notable addition has been module 3, which has made the game 40 percent bigger, added player versus player combat, and introduced fantasy-buckets of solo content - something that was sorely lacking from the original package.

Regular updates have piled on top of this, adding more content for one person to tackle alone, as well as the second part of the Litany of the Dead trilogy, which will be finished in the future.

The game's steadily built a mature and dedicated following since launch, one that's "eye-opening" to Collins in its approach and supportive nature. He believes that with the action-based combat now carried over into PvP - where he's seen players literally throw themselves in the way of oncoming arrows to protect weaker characters - DDO offers something unique and exciting in the MMO market.

You can find out more on the Dungeons & Dragons website, where you can also sign up for a free 10-day trial.

via eurogamer

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

Maelstrom multiplayer demo

March 16th, 2007, 20:27 Posted By: wraggster

Put your feet up and enjoy a free-bite of destructive strategy-action this weekend, with Codemasters' new multiplayer demo of Maelstrom.

It lets you get a taste of the head-to-head action in two maps from the full game, which also happen work in single-player. Simply follow our trail of breadcrumbs over the Maelstrom website to get hold of it.

The first of these maps is for two players, called "Top of the Hill". You play as either the Remnants or Hai-Genti, and the first of you to rush up to the summit will get control of a water pump - an invaluable and map-winning asset.

Four of you can also bash it out in "Lair of the Devil", a broken and volcanic vision of the future, another of the 14 maps available in the full game.

Maelstrom is an RTS from KDV games that takes place 50 years from now, where the freedom-fighting Remnant and techno-savvy Ascension fight side-by-side against the invading Hai-Genti aliens. You can level up your abilities as you go along, whilst using terrain and elements as strategic weapons, creating tornadoes, carving lakes, and even controlling the wind.

We got our hands on it early last month, and found it considerably stronger in skirmish and multiplayer modes than it was during the campaign.

via eurogamer

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here

"Time is right" for Speedball 2 remake

March 16th, 2007, 20:06 Posted By: wraggster

Bitmap Brothers' managing director Mike Montgomery has told Eurogamer that now is the right time for a Speedball 2 remake, one that will go head-to-head with the biggest and best the games industry has to offer.

"No one has yet made a clone of Speedball 2 that works," Montgomery told us. "I have been asked so many times to bring back Speedball 2 and now the time is right. With all the enhancements we're adding, it will appeal to old and new players."

"The key to Speedball 2 is that it's quick to learn and immediately fun to play. Get a few beers, pizza, and some friends, then you can have a great competition all night."

The secret to its promised success is the online master plan, which is designed around a unique game-centre, speedball2.com. This acts as both a communication and information platform for the title, offering news, matchmaking, and a marketplace to buy new armour and equipment for your team.

"Players not only read the latest news on the message board, they also see a list of their friends connected and the list of public games created. They can directly get in touch with their friends and send an invitation to a player or a clan," he added. "On the marketplace within Speedball2.com players will be able to acquire features like special armour, items and weaponry, or purchase cool merchandising and fan articles."

"I expect to see players getting together in all parts of the world, joining each other in clans to compete in world tournaments."

The game is due out in the autumn and we can expect a demo this summer. Whilst this remake will only be available on PC, Montgomery says he has designs for each console and that it won't be long until we hear about them.

Originally released on the Amiga back in 1991, Speedball 2 is a brutal futuristic sport played by two teams of nine with a steel ball on a steel court. There are virtually no rules, so fierce melee attacks that smash through the opposing lines and faces are a solid and text-book tactic.

via eurogamer

Join In and Discuss Here

Submit News and Releases Here and Contact Us for Reviews and Advertising Here