PC Game News

2K Games today announced that "Mafia II" will be released on August 24 in North America and August 27 internationally.

"Mafia II is currently in development by 2K Czech, the same creative team behind the award-winning, genre-defining Mafia®, which captivated millions of gamers around the world.

Through a compelling narrative, Mafia II transports gamers into the dark and unforgiving world of the Mafia. The fiction is embellished by a sophisticated, era-evoking atmosphere that meticulously replicates the clothing, cars, music and advertising of 1940’s and 1950’s Americana. Players will easily become immersed in the game’s cinematic Hollywood-style experience with strong, believable characters in a living, breathing metropolis. By fusing high-octane gunplay with white-knuckle driving and an engaging narrative, Mafia II looks to be the industry’s most compelling Mafia title to date. According to IGN.com, “Mafia II is definitely at the top of our most wanted lists.”

Born the son of a poor immigrant, Vito is a beaten down Italian-American who is trying to escape the life of poverty that consumed his childhood. Vito, along with his lifelong friend, Joe, will descend into the world of organized crime. Looking to escape the life of hardship that his father led, Vito dreams about becoming a “made man,” and together with Joe, will work to prove themselves to the Mafia as they try to make their names on the streets. However, the two quickly realize that life as a wise guy isn’t quite as glamorous as it seems.

Additionally, Mafia II will be playable by the public for the first time at the Penny Arcade Expo East (PAX East) being held at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, Massachusetts from March 26 – March 28 at the 2K Games booth (booth #103).

Mafia II is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on Mafia II, please visit www.mafia2game.com."

A new trailer for "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings" was released along with today's official game announcement.

"The game is built upon completely new technology, designed from scratch by CD Projekt RED to develop role-playing games with non-linear plot. The new technology also delivers beautiful visuals, transporting players to one of the most vivid RPG universes ever."

CD Projekt RED today officially announced "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings," sequel to the popular RPG in 2007.

"The second entry in the Witcher saga is characterized by an incredibly gripping, mature and challenging non-linear plot. In addition, the new combat system is even smoother and guarantees a greater variety of tactical possibilities.

The game is built upon completely new technology, designed from scratch by CD Projekt RED to develop role-playing games with non-linear plot. The new technology also delivers beautiful visuals, transporting players to one of the most vivid RPG universes ever.

“I am really glad that we can officially present what we’ve been working on for the past two-and-a-half years.” – said Adam Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt RED studio. “We learned a lot during The Witcher’s development process, and we are using all of that knowledge to ensure the sequel is one of the best RPGs people have ever played. We’ve concentrated on improving the most successful parts of the Witcher, and I strongly believe that The Witcher 2 will be loved both by fans of the original and newcomers. We know that we aimed very high while producing The WItcher 1. Now we are aiming even higher with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.”

The company also announced distribution agreements for various territories, Atari Inc. (North America), 1C-SoftClub/Snowball Studios (Russia) and CD Projekt (Poland and Central Europe); negotiations for Western European distribution are in progress. Moreover, CD Projekt RED signed a contract with Agora S.A., which makes Agora the co-producer of the game in Poland. Thanks to this contract, CD Projekt RED will receive financial and promotional support, and the know-how of one of Poland’s biggest media corporations.

Tomorrow the game will be presented publicly for the first time, during the CD Projekt Spring 2010 conference. The event will be transmitted on www.cdprojekt.pl/konferencje. Additionally, new video materials related to The Witcher 2 will be posted at TheWitcher.com , and on April 7th the brand new official website will be launched.

You can follow The Witcher on Twitter (@WitcherGame) and on Facebook.com/The-Witcher."

Square Enix announced that "Just Cause 2" has been shipped to North American retail stores and is now available. The game will be released in Europe, The Middle East, and Australasia on the 26th.

"As Rico Rodriguez, the Agency's most powerful weapon, players must take on the island of Panau and its military regime in order to track down Rico's former boss and mentor, Tom Sheldon, who has gone rogue with millions in Agency cash and intel. Using a unique grapple and parachute combination, there is no vertical limit as the air becomes your playground: grapple a passing plane in flight, hijack helicopters, BASE jump from the tallest buildings or mountains and leave a trail of chaos and destruction in your wake. Just Cause 2 offers players the freedom to tackle missions any way they choose and, with over 100 vehicles and countless upgrades and collectibles, the choices for relentless adrenaline-fuelled action are limitless.

“Just Cause 2 sets a new benchmark in freeroaming games with one of the most fun and entertaining sandboxes ever created,” said Lee Singleton, General Manager of Square Enix London Studios. “It’s the largest freeroaming action game yet with over 400 square miles of Panaun paradise to explore, and its ‘go anywhere, do anything’ attitude is unparalleled in the genre.”

More information is available on the official website at www.justcause.com."

Steam has word of the release of "The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom" for North and South American customers, the newest sequel in the long strategy series by Ubisoft Blue Byte. The game also appears to be available at North American retailers but there hasn't been an announcement from Ubisoft yet.

"Choose your own path to victory in The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom, the long-anticipated sequel to the award-winning strategy game. Embark on an exciting quest to create, build and manage your kingdom in the most innovative, customizable and re-playable version ever!

Also available is the Gold Edition which includes:

• An Exclusive Map
• Castle forge elements allowing players to make their cities unique and customize their castles: 1 gate, 2 windows, 1 bay, 1 balcony and 1 gargoyle
• The complete soundtrack of the game."

The list of new PC game releases, DVD and Blu-Ray releases, and movies opening the week of March 22nd, 2010.

PC Games:

• Just Cause 2
• Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom

Movies Opening This Week:

• Chloe (limited)
• Greenberg (limited)
• Hot Tub Time Machine
• How to Train Your Dragon
• The Eclipse (limited LA/NY)

DVD and Blu-Ray Releases:

• 7th Heaven: The Complete Tenth Season
• After Dark Horrorfest Vol. 4
• Bigger Than Life [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Brothers [Blu-Ray]
• Days of Heaven [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Dread
• Fantastic Mr. Fox [Blu-Ray]
• Father Knows Best: Season Four
• Yojimbo & Sanjuro [Criterion Collection Blu-Ray]
• Krod Mandoon & The Flaming Sword of Fire
• Mad Men: Season 3 [Blu-Ray]
• Smokin' Aces: 2 Movies Collection [Blu-Ray]
• Red Cliff International [Blu-Ray]
• Sabrina Teenage Witch: The Complete Sixth Season
• Seraphine
• Son of Man
• Spring 1941 [Blu-Ray]
• The African Queen [Blu-Ray]
• The Black Balloon
• The Blind Side [Blu-Ray]
• The Lair – The Complete Third Season
• The Men Who Stare At Goats [Blu-Ray]
• The Prisoner (2009)
• The T.A.M.I. Show
• Toy Story
• Zombies of Mass Destruction

Paradox Interactive today announced that pre-orders "Mount & Blade: Warband" are now being taken, which will give players access to the single and multiplayer beta. Store links can be found on the official site.

"Developed by TaleWorlds, Mount & Blade: Warband adds multiplayer battles for the very first time, as well as a new campaign and complete graphical overhaul. Both on foot or mounted upon wild stallions, the bloodthirsty fight for the throne of Calradia rocks medieval battlegrounds once again on March 30th in North America and via digital retailers. Other regions will follow shortly thereafter."

Atomic Games today announced the development of "Breach," an upcoming multiplayer FPS based on the elite CIA Special Activities Division officers.

"The game features so you've managed to decode this section to reveal the classified information. Come on! Did you really think it was going to be that easy? Yes, we do work for military and intelligence organizations. Yes, we are creating a game that will blow your mind. Yes, some of it was actually redacted. Yes, many of us have security clearances. So what that all means is I can't tell you anything more than is in this release until it's okay. Until then, we are high-speed, low-drag and ready to work. Molon Labe!

More information will be released as it becomes declassified by Atomic."

Paradox Interactive announced that "Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West" will be released via Steam on April 8th.

"PC players eager to fire the first round in the team-based multiplayer shooter will be pleased to know that pre-ordering the game gives immediate access to the beta, which runs up to the release of the game.

Pre-order the game with a 10% discount and jump right into the action here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/42100/

Developed by Fatshark, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West captures the spirit of the Wild West with team-based combat and a colorful cast of characters just itching to pull their triggers.  Incorporating the unique Synergy system, designed to encourage co-operation and promote team tactics in order to achieve maximum gameplay experiences and rewards, Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West is primed to provide a heart-pounding adventure that reinvents the drama of the Wild West.

To celebrate the announcement, players can meet "The Blaster", "The Deputy", "The Gunslinger" and "The Trapper" for themselves in a brand new trailer made available online during the weekend as well as in a slew of newly released screenshots.

Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West also marks the console debut for Paradox Interactive. Information about additional platform releases coming soon. For more information, please join the Lead & Gold Facebook fan page, visit www.leadandgold.com, https://www.fatshark.se/leadandgold/ or follow the game on Twitter @leadandgold"

Electronic Arts today announced that "Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight" has been shipped to stores worldwide.

"Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight delivers an innovative new approach to strategy gaming, now with more intense battles and more competitive play amongst friends with fresh new missions that are streamed directly into the game. Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight sticks to the action-packed gameplay fans have come to love while introducing class-based systems that are persistent across all game modes while taking the game online for a more refreshing and social gameplay experience. Whether conquering alone, in co-op mode or in an all-new 5v5 objective-based multiplayer mode, Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight will dazzle fans with its many plot twists and larger-than-life battles between GDI and the Brotherhood of Nod, led by the enigmatic Kane.

In honor of the release of Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, EA is offering two of the classic Command & Conquer games that helped establish the franchise as a leader in the genre: Command & Conquer 2: Tiberian Sun and its expansion pack Command & Conquer 2: Tiberian Sun – Firestorm. Both games are available as free* downloads at https://www.commandandconquer.com/classic.

Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight has been developed for the PC at EA Los Angeles and is available now for $49.99 in North America and in Europe. The game is rated T for Teen by the ESRB and 16+ by the PEGI. Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight can be found at retail locations nationwide or can be downloaded digitally through the EA Store at: https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer-4. For more information about Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight please visit www.commandandconquer.com or follow the community and development team on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ea_apoc."

Codemasters today released a new developer diary video for "F1 2010."

"In the first of a series of developer diaries, Senior Producer Paul Jeal and Chief Game Designer Stephen Hood are joined by FORMULA ONE driver Anthony Davidson, Technical Consultant on F1 2010. Focussing on the determination of the team at Codemasters Studios Birmingham to deliver the most authentic FORMULA ONE game yet, the video demonstrates key features including pit stops, vehicle handling and the most advanced dynamic weather system to ever feature in a racing game. The developer diary also shows how Anthony Davidson, BRAWN GP’s 2009 test and reserve driver, has become embedded in the team to ensure F1 2010 gives gamers the ultimate FORMULA ONE racing experience.

F1 2010 is the official game of the 2010 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ and will include all of the official teams, drivers and circuits set to feature in the most exciting season to date. F1 2010 will challenge players to take on four FIA FORMULA ONE DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPIONS – Jenson Button, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton – in a range of game modes, from quick-fire races to full Grand Prix weekends. Players will race wheel-to-wheel at iconic tracks including Spa, Monza, Silverstone and Monaco or, for the first time, take on high-definition recreations of the stunning Singapore night race and the dramatic Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi.

In production at Codemasters Studios Birmingham, F1 2010 is being developed on the EGO™ Game Technology Platform, an evolution of the engine that powered the critically acclaimed, million-plus selling Colin McRae™: DiRT 2 and Race Driver: GRID™. The award-winning, under-the hood tech has been tuned to recreate the unique aerodynamics and handling of 200MPH+ FORMULA ONE cars for players to feel the thrill of competing at the pinnacle of motorsport."

Soldak Entertainment today announced the release of a demo for "Din's Curse," giving players a chance to try out the upcoming action RPG.

"In Din's Curse, you will explore an extensive underground, slaying dangerous monsters, solving dynamic quests, dodging deadly traps, and in your spare time, plundering loot. Quell uprisings, flush out traitors, kill assassins, cure plagues, purge curses, end wars, and complete other dangerous quests or the danger WILL escalate. Not all is as it seems though, traitors will gladly stab you in the back, renegades can revolt against the town, spies can set up ambushes, and items might even curse or possess your friends.

Choose one of 141 class combinations and journey to an infinite number of dynamically generated towns with vastly different problems. Every game is a surprise! Your actions have real consequences in this dynamic, evolving world. Your choices actually matter!"

You can find a list of mirrors for the 100MB demo on the official site.

According to EA's internal sales charts, "Battlefield: Bad Company 2" has sold over 2.3 million copies in March, which makes a new record.

"With over 2.3M units sold-through*, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 has become the best-selling March release on record in North America and Europe. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is winning accolades from fans and critics for outstanding visuals and action-packed gameplay with no less than 46 outlets having awarded the game a score of 90 or above. GameSpot.com commented that, “whether or not you're looking for a new shooter in your life, you owe it to yourself to play Battlefield: Bad Company 2.”

The momentum of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 can also be seen across social media networks and in the game’s statistics:

• 81B points have been earned in online multiplayer sessions
• 43M weapons and gadgets have been unlocked in online multiplayer
• Over 6M video views on YouTube
• 2.9M hours have been spent playing online in the last 24 hours alone
• 230K peak-concurrent-users (PCUs)
• Over 44k Twitter fans (most out of any EA title)

“We are so thrilled with the success of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 sales and fan response. In the first 48 hours we had such a tremendous rush to multiplayer gameplay that our servers experienced overwhelming demand. This is a testament to the massive response players have had worldwide for the extraordinary action experienced in the Battlefield sandbox,” says Karl Magnus Troedsson, Executive Producer, Battlefield Franchise. “DICE and EA have brought more servers online. We now have enough capacity to handle all BFBC2 connections seamlessly and we continue to monitor online play daily.”

Defined by its exceedingly intense vehicular warfare, destruction, variety of weapons and huge sandbox environments, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is one of the finest online FPS games of 2010. Developed using state-of-the-art graphics technology, the PC version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is the first title in the Battlefield franchise to be 3-D-ready, playable in DirectX® 11, and support multiple monitors for properly equipped PCs.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is available in North America and Europe for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. Two all-new multiplayer maps for the game are coming on March 30 at no extra charge**. These two maps can be unlocked by inputting a VIP code***.

For more information on DICE, please visit www.dice.se. For more information on Battlefield: Bad Company 2 please visit: www.battlefield.com. Or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/OfficialBFBC2.

*According to internal data.
** Internet connection required.
*** VIP codes included with original retail purchase. Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players that do not have a code can purchase one via the in-game store for $15. PC players will get the content as a game update. Internet connection required."

Square Enix today released a new launch trailer for "Just Cause 2," which is scheduled to be released in North America on the 23rd and in Europe and the rest of the world on the 26th. In addition, it was announced that over 2 million people have downloaded the recently released demo.

"As Rico Rodriguez, the Agency's most powerful weapon, players must take on the island of Panau and its military regime in order to track down Rico's former boss and mentor, Tom Sheldon, who has gone rogue with millions in Agency cash and intel. Using a unique grapple and parachute combination, there is no vertical limit as the air becomes your playground: grapple a passing plane in flight, hijack helicopters, BASE jump from the tallest buildings or mountains and leave a trail of chaos and destruction in your wake. Just Cause 2 offers players the freedom to tackle missions any way they choose and, with over 100 vehicles and countless upgrades and collectibles, the choices for relentless adrenaline-fuelled action are limitless.

Just Cause 2 will be available for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and Games for Windows® and will be released under the EIDOS brand portfolio. All formats will release in-stores from March 23rd, 2010, in North America and March 26th, 2010, in Europe, Middle East, and Australasia. More information is available on the official website at www.justcause.com."

Electronic Arts today announced that "Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening" has been shipped to North American retailers and is now available. The expansion will be available in Europe on the 19th.

"In Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening players assume the role of a Grey Warden Commander entrusted with rebuilding the order of Grey Wardens and uncovering the mystery of how the darkspawn survive after the slaying of the Archdemon. In this chapter of the epic RPG saga, players make difficult moral choices about how to rebuild their order, resolve the conflict with the mysterious “Architect,” and determine the fate of the darkspawn. Each choice impacts the shape of each player’s heroic journey. Players will be able to import their character from Dragon Age: Origins or start out as a new Grey Warden from the neighboring land of Orlais.

Designed and written by the same team that created Dragon Age: Origins, the Awakening expansion pack introduces a brand new area of the world to explore known as Amaranthine. In this dark and dangerous world, players set out to unravel the secrets of the darkspawn and learn their true motivations. Players will face a range of horrific and terrifying creatures including an evolved, intelligent breed of darkspawn and other menacing creatures such as the Inferno Golem and a spectral dragon. Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening provides new customization tools for players to tailor their heroes and party and re-spec their character attributes, allowing for even greater replayability. Featuring an increased level cap, new spells, abilities, specializations and items, plus five all-new party members, players can further advance their adventures from Dragon Age: Origins.

Dragon Age Origins won over 30 “Best of 2009” awards, was named “RPG of the Year” by Game Informer, G4, SpikeTV, and PC Gamer, and was hailed by Seth Schiesel of The New York Times as, “…perhaps the best electronic game made yet.”

Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening is available for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and PC. The game is rated “M” for mature by the ESRB 18 by the BBFC, and ‘18+’ by PEGI, and has an MSRP of $39.99 in North America. Dragon Age: Origins is required to play Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening for original campaign, full features, and downloadable content.

For more information on Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening, please visit www.dragonage.com/awakening."